Dear Manitou,

I agree that willpower is a word that just sets the teeth of a dieter on edge.  I also agree that discipline is a good word to use.  you went on to talk about changing your mindset and i think that is very, very important. 

those of us who have food problems, often have other issues that are simply masked in overeating. 

we need to address those issues in order to understand ourselves better.  once we understand why we crave food so much, the next step is to learn to love ourselves and allow ourselves to be positive about our potential. 

being at a healthy weight will not solve all of our problems, of course, but it can give us a more positive outlook about ourselves.