From high-end appetizers to low-end strippers, there is equal parts talent and skill in leaving you wanting more. Just ask the television networks. They have perfected the formula for season finale cliffhangers that leave you holding the remote in delighted frustration. There’s the build-up with hype and spoiler videos that create “must-watch” TV.  Then those much-heralded episodes are over in the blink of an eye. Personally, I don’t want to wait four months to find out about the fate of a budding romance on Parks and Recreation or if Stephan Salvatore has been converted to the dark side on the Vampire Diaries. But depending on how much time you spend with your DVR, there’s no stopping the inevitable let-down. That’s why I think May television season finales are like the end of a diet.

Think about it. You spend three months eating healthy and sweating it up in boot camp fitness classes to look good for your sister’s wedding or squeeze into a little black dress for that 20^th high school reunion. The anticipation helps you refuse that second glass of wine and bypass the dessert tray without a second thought.  You look great and feel even better. Finally the event arrives and it exceeds all of your wildest expectations. Then the morning after, you slam back three mimosas after devouring seconds of everything offered on the brunch buffet line. A slight sense of disappointment sets in and your new healthy habits are quickly forgotten.

Okay, I’ve got to go make sure my DVR records the season finale of The Good Wife tonight. But before I depart, let me ask - Have you ever dieted for a special event? Did you keep the weight off afterwards, or see the pounds climb back on? What television show will you miss most during the summer hiatus?

Typically you don’t expect to find Dr. Seuss and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody grouped together in any shape or form. But then again, the creative force behind Jack Sh*t, Getting Fit has channeled both in recent laugh-out loud posts on his weight loss blog. What else would you expect from a guy whose About Me description is written to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies theme song?  Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jack, Who never quit eating ‘cept to stop and have a snack. Then one day he was standing on his scale, And he realized he’d really let his body go to hell. (Obesity that is, back fat, Texas toast). See what I mean?

Jack, a former yo-yo dieter, has used blogging, Twitter and Facebook to initially shed 90 pounds and now stay in maintenance at a healthy, 75 pound loss with a good ratio of muscle mass. “Like many folks out there, I was at my wit’s end with my weight,” notes Jack. “I’d been losing the same five to ten pounds over and over and over, getting extremely frustrated. In April of 2009, I discovered the wonderful world of weight-loss blogging and instantly became enchanted. “

Curious about what came first, the humor or the weight loss?  Jack says both manifested at about the same time. An unexpected weight gain a few weeks into the process prompted him to create a list of wacky reasons for the extra pounds, stuff like “Shouldn't have weighed in wearing heavy mask to prevent swine flu.” Now his distinctive voice is ready to skewer just about anything under the sun to lighten the challenge of weight loss.

While Jack often aims post content at himself, having those messages resonate with readers has been a terrific consequence.  He is most proud that a co-worker was inspired to lose a lot of weight after witnessing his own transformation.  Sharing his on-going healthy living journey also keeps Jack on the right track. The last thing he wants to do is let anyone down who might be following his progress.

Jack before weight loss. His "after" shot appears above.

His candid, fun approach has yielded lots of followers.  “Entertain yourself and chances are you’ll wind up entertaining others as well,” advises Jack.  “Understand that success, both with weight loss and social media, doesn’t happen overnight. “ Wise words from a guy who isn’t just full of sh*t, don’t you think?

Does humor play a role in your healthy living journey? Who or what inspires you to take care of yourself?

Sure, we are what we eat. But in a world where people dress for success, understand there’s only one chance to make a first impression and recognize that clothes make the man (and woman), it is easy to define ourselves by our attire too – even at the gym. And donning an over-sized 1997 Bon Jovi concert t-shirt and baggy sweatpants instead of items that fit can actually hinder your workout.

It is tempting, especially at the beginning of a weight loss journey, to try to hide your size with extra large clothes. That’s what I did, appropriating a discarded pair of guy-sized shorts from my ex and a huge college sweatshirt for my first foray into an exercise class. It turned out those extra layers just restricted my movement and confidence. The benefits of dressing to sweat are mental and physical. Just ask Kimberly Linton, MBA, CPT, who is known as DC's Toughest Trainer.

“Proper gym attire is a must for comfort and performance,” she explains. “I’ve seen many ladies with the wrong type of exercise bra shying away from certain equipment and exercises to avoid bouncing. Feeling confident in your clothes creates a positive mental attitude which is necessary for working out. It is part of an individual’s transformation into a healthier person.”

Want some tips on dressing for exercise success? Kimberly shares this advice:

1. Treat yourself to a new gym outfit each time you hit a significant milestone. It is a great, positive way to stay motivated.
2. Emphasize your best attributes and tone down the ones you're still working on. Feel like you’ve got too much junk in your trunk? Instead of buying tight fitting spandex crop pants, go with something looser and highlight your toned arms.
3. Look for clothing that is flattering and makes you feel good. Invest in great support bras or fitted tanks that will help create a more sleek appearance.
4. Consider shopping around brands. Each has different sizing and fit. Keep it simple--you want clothing that will hold you in and up!
5. Don't go cheap when it comes to any gym wear. You are going to be using it often and want to make sure it holds its form up to numerous washes.  

 Does the way you dress for exercise impact your workouts? Have you changed your gym attire in the past few years, or plan to do so in the future?

Breakups suck.  The fallout has inspired both rock ballads like “Love Stinks,” and elevator music fodder such as “All by Myself.”  They prompt telegenic reality show contestants to rant dramatically after the demise of their 34-minute relationships. And depending on the emotional investment, breakups can inspire the most stalwart of fitness addicts to down a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream in 10 minutes flat.

But there is truth in the adage that looking good is the best revenge. I have spoken with many women who lost 20, 30 and even more than 50 pounds following a divorce or serious heart break. Focusing energy on their health and well-being proved to be a terrific coping mechanism, as well as gaining definition in their abs.

Divorce lifestyle expert Ginger Emas, the author of Back on Top: Fearless Dating After Divorce, has often seen women get into better shape following their breakup.  “Kickboxing or doing yoga is a great way to release anger or stress. It’s certainly better than walking around thinking ‘all men are jerks.’ Exercise helps you become strong and more confident – and confidence is sexy at any stage of life. It’s also a boost mentally and physically. I believe holding on to resentment or negative feelings can actually make you sick.”

The desire to date again, sometimes after many years of being off the market, can kick start the process of getting into shape.  “If you think there is the possibility that someone might see you naked again, that’s a big motivator for wanting to look your best.”  However, feeling good on the inside is just as important.  Ginger suggests these great tips to thrive after a breakup:

1. Lean into your friendships. Let your girlfriends love and support you the way you would be there for them.
2. Don’t judge taking care of yourself as “selfish.” If you are going to grow a plant, you water it and give it nourishment. The same applies to yourself.
3. Why not focus on some personal growth? Do something you’ve always wanted to do., whether it’s dancing, cooking classes, a book club or pottery (all the things that should be listed in a catalog as “Classes for the Newly Divorced.”)  You’ll have fun, meet new people, and just think – you’ll have something new to talk about on a first date.

Do you believe that looking good is the best revenge?  Have past breakups sent you running to the gym or to the refrigerator?

Dogs have long been called man’s best friend. While you can’t text celebrity gossip, ask for relationship advice or get Fido to pick up some milk on the way home from work, here’s an area where your pooch can make a big impact with support – the quest for fitness. It turns out that pups need exercise just as much as people.  Of the 41 million pet dogs in the United States, about 17 million are either overweight or obese.

A little effort can go a long way. According to a study by researchers at the University of Sydney, nine percent of the coronary heart disease among dog owners could be prevented if they walked their pets for at least 150 minutes a week , which is less than a half-hour per day. Let me throw some more math at you. A 130-pound woman walking her dog at about 2.5 mph (average) will burn about 183 calories in one hour – even more if you jog instead. Doing this four times a week helps take off 12 pounds per year without making any other lifestyle changes.  Plus your dog will love the extra bonding time together.

Ready to get started? Here are a few tips:

1)      Plan the exercise to fit your dog’s capabilities. Paris Hilton-sized pets that live in handbags aren’t going to be able to run a long distance, while long-legged dogs like labs or retrievers are built for that activity. The Dog Breed Info Center has a complete list of ideal running dogs.

2)      Start slow. Younger, middle-aged or overweight dogs respond best to short walks at first, where you then build the distance up over time. The same is true for people. For my book, I’ve interviewed a woman who lost 200 pounds by taking the first step of walking to the end of her cul-de-sac  and then back.

3)      Pay attention to the weather. Keep yourself and your dog hydrated during hot days. Adjust your running surface as needed too.

Has your dog ever helped you exercise more? How about any other pets?

People who practice what they preach gain a lot of credibility in my eyes. I expect personal trainers to exercise and dentists to have beautiful teeth. My accountant shouldn’t be hounded by the IRS for failure to pay his taxes and I’d never trust an interior decorator whose kitchen décor was frozen in 1978. So when I read this morning that an estimated 54% of all nurses are overweight or obese, it made me ponder.  Would you take weight loss advice from an obese medical professional or dietitian?

Can’t say this information was a complete surprise. In my corporate past, I worked for a leading health care food and nutrition company and sometimes visited major hospital accounts with our sales directors.  On-site dietitians who delivered nutrition education to patients were an important part of the team. Most of these professionals personally embraced their own message. However, there were some notable exceptions.  I’m not talking about an extra 20 or 30 pounds either, or an unusual case prompted by a personal health crisis. Some dietitians were clearly obese because they made poor nutritional choices. And it made me wonder if that factor ever impacted their credibility with patients.

The aforementioned article, printed in the Oncology Nursing Society’s Connect Magazine, mentions that a number of nurses were embarrassed by their extra weight and weight loss methods, which could make them reluctant to broach the subject with patients. The piece concludes by stating that “We can reduce the risks for many diseases, including cancer, by maintaining a healthy weight ourselves and helping our patients do the same.” 

I’m the last person who would knowingly discriminate against someone grappling with extra pounds. Being overweight in the early part of my career didn’t seem to impact my efficacy, but my profession was public relations, not medical care.  If obese nurses are hesitant to talk about weight loss with their overweight patients, wouldn’t those patients suffer as a result?

So how about you? Would you take weight loss advice from an obese medical professional or dietitian?

There are some things people know intuitively. Touching a hot stovetop will burn your hand. Walking into a rainstorm without an umbrella will leave you drenched. Embarking on a three-hour boat tour with a rich, elderly couple, a movie star, a professor and some chick named Mary Anne will most likely lead you to Gilligan’s Island. But when it comes to healthy living etiquette, the rules can be less certain. Because reaching out abruptly to someone about their extra weight can have the impact of launching a hand grenade.

Over the past few days, I have been following a story about this topic on my favorite radio morning show. Last Friday, a listener named Rachel called in with her concerns about a co-worker who appeared to be close to 100 pounds overweight. Rachel lost 40 pounds herself a few years ago and felt it was her mission to confront this woman. But as the segment revealed, they had worked in the same office for three years without exchanging more than a quick elevator hello. This woman wasn’t her friend, nor had she asked for help or advice.

I groaned out loud as Rachel ignored the scores of callers who told her to back off.  This woman was headed down a highway to disaster, running on the fumes of her own ego.  Until I lost weight in my mid 20’s, I often received the back-handed compliment “but you have such a pretty face” - which anyone who has been heavy knows really means “too bad about the rest of you.” But that came from family members and a couple of friends who, for the most part, meant well.  Hearing it from a virtual stranger would have been devastating.

Sure enough, Rachel’s plan backfired. We learned in the follow-up segment that the woman started crying and left work early, skipping out on the company’s holiday party that night. I don’t feel bad for Rachel, who was warned about the consequences. But my heart goes out to her co-worker. Personally, I would never bring up weight loss to a close friend or family members unless they asked me first. The only time I approach a stranger is to compliment that individual after they have made visible progress at the gym.

What are your thoughts on reaching out to people about their extra weight?

In some ways, guys have it much easier – they can pee standing up, don’t have to experience childbirth and find humor in simple things like reruns of the Three Stooges.  But when it comes to stress, emotional eating can prompt as many men as women to pack on the extra pounds. Just ask Clay Owen.

Always on the lanky side growing up, the 6’2” Atlanta resident was the typical guy who started putting on a few pounds each year in his thirties. Then tragedy struck when his five-year-old son Killian was diagnosed with cancer. The next few years were a roller coaster for the Owen family, who had three other boys to care for while doing everything possible for their ailing son. Clay unwittingly turned to food for comfort and gained 30 extra pounds. Unfortunately, Killian didn’t make it - but his memory continues to live on with www.curingkidscancer.org, the fundraising organization created by Clay, his wife Grainne and other supporters.

A year after their loss, Grainne approached Clay with concern about his extra weight.  Always the overachiever, he decided to train for a 100-mile bike ride for charity while adopting the South Beach Diet. This approach worked. Within a year, Clay shrank from an all-time high of 240 lbs. down to 185 1bs.  He has maintained that weight loss for over six years by remaining active, eating healthy most of the time without ever getting extreme and watching food portions.

“This is important to me,” explains Clay, who is now back in the same size jeans he wore in high school. “I want to be healthier, especially as I get older.”

Has a stressful time ever cause you to gain weight? If so, how did you deal with it?

Today is Cookie Monster’s birthday. No, I wasn’t invited to a party on Sesame Street in his honor. I saw a tweet about it and promptly responded with a happy birthday wish that included a snarky comment about eating quinoa and fresh veggies. I don’t expect a response, but you never know. Cookie Monster probably has a publicist handling his social media so he’s got more time to party with Oscar and Kermit. But I digress. The whole purpose of this post is to ponder where our connections with certain foods start.

You see, in a world where most kids uttered “mama” or dada,” my first word was cookie. It’s true, or at least that’s what mom recorded in my baby book over 40 years ago. Don’t know if that came from watching Cookie Monster on television or treats already being stored in our kitchen cupboard. Either way, there was nothing better in my four-year-old world than munching on an actual cookie while Cookie Monster sang his famous “C is for Cookie” song.

I can trace back other food relationships more specifically. My grandmother baked amazing coconut cakes, hence my affection for that treat. Ms. Rainey, the third grade teacher who paddled me for talking too much in class, used to make crabapple jelly…and I’ve never been a fan of the stuff.  Beets topped my list of “gross” foods since I associated it with the nasty borscht drink elderly relatives from the “old country” gulped.  Talk about a big surprise this summer discovering that the root vegetable is delightful roasted with a little olive oil and sea salt.

One thing that’s never changed is my lifelong aversion to mayonnaise. My parents owned a delicatessen.  I decided to keep my dad company on a Sunday afternoon during my elementary school years while he prepared a big batch of fresh potato salad and dipping sauce. When I saw him dump the huge jars of mayo into the mixing bowls, something snapped.  I completely lost all desire to eat anything remotely associated with mayo.  To this day, I have no compunctions about claiming a faux allergy to the stuff in restaurants to ensure it never comes near my plate.

What relationships to specific foods can you trace back to childhood? Do these strong likes or dislikes continue now?

Sure Sophie had a hard choice in the movie role that landed Meryl Streep her first Oscar. In the Archie comic books, we never knew if the title character was going to pick Betty or Veronica. Now, I’ve got a modern day dilemma for this Halloween weekend – should I stock up on candy in a neighborhood typically lacking young trick or treaters, or simply shut off the lights and pretend no one is home?

Before you think I’m the community Scrooge, let me explain. I love Halloween and dig those itsy bitsy versions of beloved candy bars. While living in the ‘burbs over a decade ago, I happily provided the premium candies (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, mini Hershey’s and Snickers bars) to costumed kids. The constant foot traffic ensured nothing was left over for me to inhale. Fast forward now to two years ago, my first Halloween in a cool, new townhouse community left mostly empty by the housing market collapse. Guess how many kids came by? Zero, to be exact, leaving me with the results.  It’s sad seeing a grown woman bested by a bowl of individually wrapped chocolate treats, people. No wonder I just bailed out completely last year and stayed at my boyfriend’s place.

This year, it seems three or four families with kids have moved in. I’m not a parent, so it’s unclear if they will be trick or treating on Halloween night, attending parties elsewhere or going to a bigger community with more candy collecting options.  Burned by the past, I’m not loading up on bags of my favorite treats. Wouldn’t think of handing out stuff like raisin packets or mini flashlights, because those homes used to get toilet papered during my childhood. That leaves me with two options. I could stock up with a bag of some neon, non-chocolate candy that’s easy to resist, or make sure I’m nowhere near home during prime trick or treating hours.

What do you think? Do you always furnish the treats, or have you ever been the object of a trick for not passing out candy?