NEW YORK (WLNY) – Have you been sticking to your new year’s resolution?

Losing weight is a popular pledge — but many of us vow to shed pounds every year with little success.

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is the author of “You Are Why You Eat,” and she visited The Couch to shed some insight into why we may be stuck in a rut when it comes to weight loss.

Stop depriving, start living.  Weight loss in our culture is about depriving ourselves – which is why we fail once you take away something pleasurable (like fried chicken, or pizza). Don’t get into the mindset of cheat days – it doesnt make sense to eat 1500 calories 6 days a week and then 5000 on one – it confuses your body and will not result in weight loss.

Eat and live for you – not other people. Think of how often you clean your plate to please someone else.  Take back your plate and your life.

Shrink your plates. Cereal bowls hold too much – consider using smaller ones, and do the same with dinner plates – use bread plates instead. If you insist on cleaning your plate – at least make it the right size.

Slow down at the table.  Let 2013 be the year you slow down and listen to you – drink a glass before your meal, set the table, pause after each bite, and try not to do other things when you eat – that makes you more mindless and you eat blindly.  Animals tend not to get obese…mammals tend to know when to stop – but when we are doing something else, we tend to pay less attention.  Ever see a rat playing on an iphone when it eats, or your dog watch TV – nope. and they stop when they stop.