By the time you read this newsletter Monday morning you may have missed a visit to the NBC Today show by self-help guru Dr. Phil McGraw. (He's appearing there daily this week.) Dr. Phil's newest book, THE ULTIMATE WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTION: THE 7 KEYS TO WEIGHT LOSS FREEDOM is due in bookstores this month and I'm predicting it's going to be a runaway best seller. Unlike most "diet" books that tell you what to eat and how to exercise this book is expected to rely on McGraw's "Get Real," no nonsense approach to life outlined in his previous motivational best sellers. Dr. Phil is a psychologist whose hard-hitting approach ("How's that workin for you?" he asks his t.v. guests) flies in the face of most traditional psychotherapies. What he does is called cognitive behavior therapy. This strategy avoids exploring feelings and getting in touch with one's inner child or blaming your problems on your dysfunctional family. Instead McGraw calls our barriers "excuses" and reminds us we are responsible for our life and we are the ones who have the power to change it. Cognitive therapy has been around for quite awhile now and the research consistently shows it is effective in combating many psychological conditions including the low self esteem and compulsive thinking and acting out that often accompanies weight issues. A cognitive therapist works with you to help you identify distorted thinking and devise plans to help you enhance the quality of your life.

I've been an unabashed fan of Dr. Phil for some time. Although his daily TV show is in the middle of my work day I occasionally take a break so I can get a dose of his pragmatic Texas humor. He defines success according to results and his perspective mirrors my own client (and life) perspective, "Hear the words, watch the actions."

I suspect this new book and Dr. Phil's popularity will ruffle the feathers of some of health professionals who have spent years attempting to find out what might work when it comes to weight loss. I admit I've changed my own approach to weight loss dramatically since I read his take on life. "Don't like where you are? Move." Sounds simple-too simple perhaps. My success with clients has had more to do with taking the best of both worlds. I still believe we can better manage what we measure so I like the assessment process. I believe we need to exercise to keep our body healthy and like any valuable machine we need to fuel it with the best nature has to offer. I also ask clients to write contracts and be accountable and, most importantly, be true to themselves. I can't say I do that every day. But I know when I do follow my true self everything goes better. I suspect that's what we'll hear from Dr. Phil this week as he espouses his views daily on the Today week series. Let me know what you think.