Alexis Conason, Psy.D.

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Alexis Conason, Psy.D.

Clinical psychologist, researcher, and founder of The Anti-Diet Plan. Radically changing the way we think about food, health, and our bodies. Post.

Alexis Conason, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in the Midtown East neighborhood of New York City. Her practice specializes in the treatment of overeating disorders, body image, sexual functioning, and psychological issues related to weight loss surgery. She is a Research Associate at The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center (NYONRC) at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in

affiliation with Columbia University. She earned her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Long Island University, C.W. Following completion of her doctorate, Dr. Conason completed post-doctoral training at The Karen Horney Clinic and the NYONRC. She also earned a certificate in Eating Disorders, Compulsions, and Addictions from the William Alanson White Institute and a certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. Dr. Conason’s research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and she has presented at numerous scientific conferences. She is on the editorial board of Frontiers in Eating Behavior and has served as a peer reviewer for numerous scientific journals, including Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases and Obesity Surgery. She serves on the Board of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals-NY Chapter as their Research Chair and serves as the Advocacy and Outreach subcommittee chair of the Bariatric Surgery Section of The Obesity Society. She is an adjunct clinical supervisor at the Ferkauf School of Graduate Psychology. She is the author of the “Eating Mindfully” blog hosted by Psychology Today http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/eating-mindfully. She has been featured in the popular press including The Wall Street Journal/ Market Watch, Men's Health, Ladies' Home Journal, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Weight Watchers, Reuters, ABC News, Prevention, WebMD, EveryDay Health, US News & World Report Health Day, and Fox News.For more information, please visit www.drconason.com

08/13/2025

New research confirms what so many of us have lived:
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Losing weight and regaining it (aka weight cycling) can be more harmful than staying at a stable weight (even if that stable weight is at a higher BMI).
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In a study of over 83,000 people, weight cycling was linked to:
⬆️ 50% higher risk of heart failure
⬆️ 30% higher risk of diabetes, fatty liver disease, and sleep apnea
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And these risks were compared to people who maintained their weight—even at higher BMIs.
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Here’s the thing:
👉 80–95% of people who lose weight will regain it over time.
👉 Even with GLP-1 meds or bariatric surgery, weight regain is common.
👉 Dieting is the #1 predictor of future weight cycling—and it’s also linked to higher risk of eating disorders.
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So when health professionals talk about “healthy weight loss,” I have to ask:
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What’s so healthy about something that increases disease risk, raises eating disorder risk, and doesn’t work for most people?
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Let’s stop blaming individuals for what’s clearly a systemic failure—and start focusing on true health: behaviors, access, support, and compassion.
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📌 Save this post as your comeback to “but what about health?”
💬 Has weight cycling affected you or your clients? Let’s talk.
🛋️ If you are struggling with weight cycling and want to have a healthier relationship with food and your body, DM or visit conasonpsychologicalservices.com to schedule a free consultation call to see if therapy with one of the licensed therapists at could be a good fit for you!
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References:
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Guo Y, Taylor K, Cavagnaro MJ, et al. Weight cycling and risk of incident cardiometabolic diseases: A retrospective cohort study of 83,000 adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published online June 28, 2024. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaf348
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*statistics on weight regain were taken from other studies
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08/10/2025

Just because someone has a ring light and a discount code doesn’t make them qualified to give you health advice.
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Yet so many influencers are out here telling us what supplements we “need,” how to detox (thanks liver, you’ve got this), or which pills and powders will unlock ultimate health.
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And don’t get me started on the constant, conflicting nutrition advice. This week is it high protein, high fiber, or cauliflower that’s going to save us?
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Too often, their “expertise” isn’t a degree or training—it’s their body. Thinness becomes their calling card, selling the idea that if we just eat like them, we’ll look like them… and have their glamorous life, too.
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Your body deserves actual evidence-based care, not the latest wellness trend being peddled for likes and sales.
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Listen to a healthcare professional (one who practices with compassion and without weight stigma—I know, it’s easier said than done) instead of a stranger’s “miracle” cure in your feed.
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💬 Ever gotten terrible “health advice” from the internet? Share it below so we can laugh/cry together.
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08/08/2025

Before-and-after photos aren’t as harmless as they look.
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Research has found that viewing transformation photos is linked to:
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➡️ Increased body dissatisfaction
➡️ Greater weight stigma (toward self and others)
➡️ More negative social comparisons
➡️ Triggers for eating disorder thoughts and behaviors
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These images can be especially harmful for folks in eating disorder recovery and those struggling with body image. What looks like “inspiration” can actually be a fast track to shame and illness.
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✨You don’t need a transformation photo to prove your worth.
✨You don’t need to shrink to deserve love, health, or confidence.
✨Remember that comparisons (even with yourself) are a thief of joy.
✨You are enough as you are in this moment.
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📌 Save this for the next time your feed is flooded with “health journeys” and 🔁 repost if this resonates
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👇🏻 Tell me: how have you been coping with the resurgence of before and after photos?

🛋️ If you are struggling with your relationship with food and body image, reach out for support. Schedule a free consultation call to see if one of our therapists can help you. DM or visit conasonpsychologicalservices.com

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References:
1. Homan KJ, McHugh E, Wells BA, Watson C, King C. The influence of social media and fitspiration on body image and exercise behavior. Body Image. 2012;9(3):382-387. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.03.006
2. Boepple L, Thompson JK. A content analysis of fitspiration websites: An extension of body image content. Eat Behav. 2016;21:91-98. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.12.003
3. Tiggemann M, Zaccardo M. “Exercise to be fit, not skinny”: The effect of fitspiration imagery on women’s body image. Body Image. 2015;15:61-67. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.06.003

08/05/2025

Health can’t be captured in a before-and-after photo.
It’s way past time we shift the narrative that thinner = healthier.
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We can be healthy in a wide range of body sizes.
Health isn’t measured by a number on the scale, the size of your pants, or how different your body looks in a transformation pic.
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When influencers frame their health journey around a shrinking body, it reinforces the idea that weight loss equals health—and that’s not just misleading, it can be harmful.
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Especially when influencers built a platform rooted in body positivity and drew in a community of people trying to recover from disordered eating, body shame, and the grip of diet culture.
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There are so many better ways to share health journeys without reinforcing the same harmful messages we came here to unlearn.
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➡️ If you are struggling with your relationship with food and body image, reach out today to see if one of the therapists could be a good fit! Schedule your free 15 minute consultation call at conasonpsychologicalservices.com or DM me!

➡️ Free Mindful Eating Toolkit available at drconason.com. Learn evidence backed strageties to heal your relationship with food including a guided mindful eating practice, 5 minute meditation, Mindful Eating 101 Masterclass, workbook, and more!

08/01/2025

Scenes from July that brought me joy. Beach sunsets, tomatoes, family, and incredible food 🌅🦞

1: Sunset on the beach with an outfit to match
2. Lobster with my feet in the sand
3. Live Love Laugh
4. Tomatoes
5. Dancing with my baby
6. Linguine with clams that we dug hours before in the bay
7. A visit to VT and the sunflowers the beautiful
8. A homemade Georgian feast
9. tomatoes
10. Same sunflowers different ‘fit
11. Trying New Haven style pizza half tomato half clam

07/31/2025

The weight loss industry doesn’t want you to read this.
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Because if you stop blaming yourself, you stop buying what they’re selling. And there’s a $72+ billion industry that is premised on us believing that it’s our fault and blaming ourselves.
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You didn’t fail the diet.
The diet failed you.
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Most diets promise health, but what they really deliver is a cycle of guilt, shame, and self-blame.
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The weight loss industry profits when we believe we’re the problem.
But it’s the diet that’s broken. Not you.
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💥 Ready to break free?
📘 The Diet-Free Revolution is here to help you unlearn the lies and reconnect with yourself. Available wherever books are sold or order at www.drconason.com
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07/29/2025

Let’s shift the narrative around binge eating.
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It’s easy to assume that the issue is just “overeating” or a lack of self-control. But binge eating is often a response to restriction — not just with food, but in all the ways we deny ourselves joy, rest, and permission to feel good.
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Diet culture teaches us to white-knuckle our way through hunger, to moralize food, and to mistrust our bodies. But it also teaches us to feel guilty for resting, to avoid taking up space, and to prioritize being “good” over being fulfilled.
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So when we feel out of control around food, maybe the question isn’t “What’s wrong with me?”
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Maybe the question is:
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Where am I not letting myself feel full in life?
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❤️‍🩹 Ready to break the cycle? My free Mindful Eating Toolkit is a great place to start. Link in bio or get yours at drconason.com

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07/27/2025

Kids are always listening, even when we’re not talking to them directly.
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Comments we make about our own bodies, other people’s bodies, or theirs can stick with them in ways we don’t always realize.
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You don’t have to be perfect with your words.
But the more aware we become, the more we can model what it means to speak about bodies with kindness, respect, and care.
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These small shifts can help shape a child’s body image for years to come.
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How do you speak to the kids in your life—and your own inner child—to foster body confidence? Tell me 👇🏻

07/24/2025

Self-care has been co-opted, polished, and sold back to us as something expensive, aspirational, and rooted in control.
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We’re told it’s green juice, workouts, and “glow ups.” But real self-care? It’s often messier, quieter, and way less Instagrammable.
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It might look like:
💤 Resting when you’re expected to grind
🙅🏻‍♀️Saying no—even if it lets someone down
🍩 Feeding yourself with joy
💛 Prioritizing your pleasure
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Self-care doesn’t have to be earned.
It doesn’t have to look a certain way.
It’s not about performance—it’s about taking care of you.
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✨ It’s How are you reclaiming self-care today?
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07/23/2025

Your self-worth doesn’t rise with lettuce and fall with pizza. 🍕🥗
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This quote from my book The Diet-Free Revolution is a reminder that food isn’t a moral test. You don’t need to earn your worth with kale or give yourself a mental lashing if you have a piece of cake.
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The idea that “good” people eat “clean” and “bad” people “indulge”? That’s not health, that’s puritanical thinking disguised as wellness culture.
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We’ve inherited a toxic legacy that ties food choices to morality, self-control, and virtue. But food is not a measure of your goodness.
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What you eat doesn’t define who you are.
You are not a moral failure because you had dessert.
You are not sinning by getting pleasure from food.
You are not virtuous because you had a plateful of cauliflower (but you may be hungry and have bad gas 💨)
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Your body is not a battleground. Your plate should not drive you to a confessional.
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💬 Are you done moralizing your meals? Tell me 👇🏻
💾 Save this for the next time guilt creeps in after eating
📖 The Diet-Free Revolution is available now wherever books are sold or visit drconason.com to order your copy today
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07/21/2025

Eating disorders don’t always start with “I want to be skinny.”
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Sometimes it starts with “I just want to be healthier” or even a doctor’s recommendation to “change your habits.”
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But when your “health journey” turns into rigid thinking, anxiety about what you eat, obsessing over ingredients, or working out through exhaustion—it’s not healthy anymore.
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If your mental health is suffering in the name of “health,” it’s time to check in.
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✨ Real health includes peace of mind.
✨ You don’t have to sacrifice your mental wellbeing to care for your body.
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Let’s stop glorifying control, discipline, and restriction and start honoring true self-care that nourishes, not punishes.
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💬 Have you ever experienced the blurry line between “wellness” and disorder? Share your story 👇🏻

➡️ Are you worried that your health journey may have veered into an eating disorder or disordered eating? Reach out to or DM me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call today.
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07/20/2025

It’s summertime and I’m here for alllll the ice cream.
Sometimes it’s because my body is craving something sweet and cold.
Other times it’s because my kids want to go out for ice cream and I want to join in the joy.

We can eat ice cream when our body is asking for it—and we can eat it just for the experience.
Because food is about more than fuel. It’s also about connection, pleasure, and living fully.

And since it’s National Ice Cream Day, consider this your reminder:
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for how many times you eat ice cream today or any other day.
You can want it more than once—and still be completely in tune with your body.

You don’t need diet culture whispering in your ear about what’s “too much.”
You’re allowed to enjoy food without guilt, without rules, and without keeping score.

Let this be your reminder:
You can have ice cream twice in one day—because joy is a valid reason.
Your cravings aren’t a problem. Your body isn’t the enemy. Your pleasure isn’t a threat.

🍦 What’s your favorite summer treat right now?

💾 Save this for when the food police show up in your head.

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http://www.drconason.com/, http://www.theantidietplan.com/

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