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Welcome to the November 2005 issue of the Inner Brat Newsletter. Welcome, new readers. If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. All they need to do is to send a blank email message to innerbrat-subscribe@topica.com. If you have comments or questions, feel free to email me at drwallin@drwallin.com. IN THIS ISSUE • It's not enough to "just say no" to holiday treats • Inner brats in the news • Announcements • Inner brat tip of the month: 6 ways to enhance self-control • Distribution information • It's not enough to "just say no" to holiday treats • The holiday season is coming up fast. For weeks magazines and newspapers have been printing recipes and alluring photographs of rich, mouth-watering goodies such as cookies, candies, dips, and calorie-laden drinks. Then, in the same issue, they offer guidance on how not to eat all this stuff. Pace yourself, they advise. Limit yourself to one tidbit every half-hour. Eat a salad before going to a cocktail party, so that you wont be tempted by all the snacks. Yeah, right - like my inner brat is going to forego the fondue because I pre-loaded with lettuce. Nutrition experts tell us that on average, people gain 5-7 lb. during the holiday season. It's hard to resist all the treats, especially when we're faced with them in ads and displays, as well as on counter tops at home, at work and when visiting. Our inner brat nags at us, whining that we really do "need" that extra helping of pie. Or it rationalizes that a couple of cookies don't add up to much, and that we can exercise a little more later. Taming your inner brat is difficult at this time of year. To "just say no" is a good strategy for occasional temptations, but when you're bombarded with images, aromas and offerings of one treat after another, it's not long before you start saying "maybe." Once you let your inner brat get into negotiation mode, you've set yourself up to cave in. Self-control is mentally draining. The more often you just say no during the day, the more likely it is that you'll overindulge at night. Check the Inner Brat Tip at the end of this newsletter to find out how to prevent this from happening.   Need an informative and entertaining speaker for your next conference, luncheon meeting, or event? I'd love to address your club or convention. Send an email to drwallin@drwallin.com or call me at 717-761-1814 for more information. "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide to Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" is a creative and functional gift. You don't have to worry about size or color. The book is just over $10 at Amazon. And you get free shipping when your order is at least $25. Get copies for everyone in your office, your carpool and your family.   • Inner Brats in the News • British airline passengers can now buy "air rage" insurance, which will pay subscribers if they suffer injury from another traveler or if their flight is delayed or diverted because of an unruly passenger. The number of disruptive passengers on British aircraft increased from 696 in 2003-04 to 1,486 in 2004-05. Two sisters, unhappy that their deceased mother left the bulk of her estate to their brother, spent $450,000 in legal costs to collect $360,000. The lawyers got $600,000. For more stories about brats in the news visit my website.   • Announcements • Free newsletter from PPA: The Pennsylvania Psychological Association is offering a free newsletter, emailed quarterly. Each issue includes articles, mental health announcements, helpful links, and updates on legislative issues that may affect your psychological care. In the upcoming December issue you can read my advice on how to behave at holiday office parties. Subscribe free here. Your info will not be sold, rented or shared.   Book author seeks women's accounts of family conflict: Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D., author of several books on teens and women, is seeking real-life stories for her upcoming book, "Forced to be Family" (Wiley, 2007.) She would like to hear from women who have been a bully, victim, or bystander in a "female family feud." Writers whose stories are selected for the book will be paid $.25 per word published (Maximum 1000 words.) Here are some sample topics you can write about: • Female Family Feuds with mothers, sisters, aunts, & other relatives: Describe specific situations, behaviors, and your response/reflections. • Thoughtful essays on the "kitchen wars." Do men get caught up in the same dynamic? Is competition between female vs. male relatives expressed differently? • Have you been a bully within your family and regretted it? Share your process of change. • Stories of reconciliation or failure to reconcile DEADLINE: DEC. 10, 2005. Send your submission and/or questions to Dr. Dellasega at: opheliasmother@aol.com.   • Inner Brat Tip of the Month: 6 ways to enhance self-control • Self-control takes energy. When you repeatedly say "no" to treats, you gradually deplete your mental energy. Although the energy does return after a period of rest, no one really knows how much rest is necessary. Therefore, just to be on the safe side, use the out-of-site-out-of-mind method to minimize the number of times that you have to deal with your inner brat. 1. Store treats in the back of a cupboard or fridge. Wrap them in opaque paper or plastic, so that you don't easily notice them. 2. If there are goodies out on counters or desks at work, reroute yourself so that you don't walk by. 3. Avoid reading recipes for calorie-laden foods. When you see photos of cakes and other desserts in magazines, turn the page quickly. Less exposure is less temptation. 4. If you go to business-related holiday cocktail parties, resolve to visit the buffet table only once. If possible, stay no more than half an hour. 5. Spend some time outside every day. Nature helps clear your head, so that your inner brat's exhortations are less noticeable. 6. Physical rest is as important as mental breaks. Get more sleep. Research shows that people who sleep less weigh more. It has something to do with the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which regulate hunger. A recent study measured hormone levels before and after sleep deprivation. Here's an excerpt from a recent news story describing the study: Researchers took healthy male and female volunteers and had them sleep good, solid eight or nine hours a night for a week, while measuring the leptin and ghrelin levels throughout the day. Then, they allowed the volunteers only four hours sleep a night for just two nights. The leptin levels fell and the ghrelin levels rose even though the volunteers ate just as many calories per day as before the sleep deprivation. Not only were the volunteers ravenously hungry just because they didn't get enough sleep, they also craved sugars and carbohydrates above other food types. You can read the whole article at the newsleader.com website. But do it soon. Many news sources give free online access to stories for only a week or so. Not only does lack of sleep make you more hungry; it also makes you more irritable, which is the last thing you want during a season of cheer. Thus, even if you have super metabolism where you never gain an ounce, you will still benefit from getting more sleep. Until next month, Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. www.innerbrat.com Copyright 2005   • Distribution Information • This newsletter may be quoted, reprinted, or forwarded to others as long as the content is not changed and the subscription, copyright, and contact information is included. If you would like to post this newsletter on a website, please contact me for permission at drwallin@drwallin.com. NOTE: The content in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for personal consultation with a professional, or as any type of psychological service. The inner brat is NOT a psychiatric diagnosis. If you are having difficulty just getting through the day, this is more than just your inner brat. In this case you are advised to consult a mental health professional. This newsletter is hosted by Topica.com. Topica may include advertisements for unrelated products. I have no control over these ads, but they do help pay for the expenses of distribution, which keeps the newsletter free of cost to you. Copyright 2005 Pauline Wallin. All rights reserved.