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

04/27/2026

If you struggle with binge eating, you probably know all too well that the binge itself is only one part of the cycle.
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For many, what comes next is just as painful—self-criticism, shame, and attempts to “make up for it” through restriction… which often leads right back into the cycle.
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After a binge, small shifts can have a big impact.
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Try self-compassion instead of self-criticism.
Nourishment instead of restriction.
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These moments won’t feel intuitive at first. But they’re how you begin to gently interrupt the cycle.
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A binge isn’t a failure. It’s information.
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Save this for when you need the reminder 🤍
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🌱If you are struggling with binge eating, DM or visit conasonpsychologicalservices.com to see if one of our specialized therapists can help you.

04/21/2026

Coping skills make so much sense on paper.
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You can list them.
You’ve talked about them in therapy.
You’ve saved the posts.
You know what helps.
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But then in the moment , when you’re activated, flooded, and spiraling…your mind goes blank and the tools feel impossible to access.
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That’s not a personal failure.
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When our nervous system is in survival mode, our thinking brain goes offline. The part of us that can reflect, choose, and remember what “works” gets drowned out by the primal part that just wants to protect us.
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So if you’ve ever thought:
“Why can’t I just use the tools I have?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“I should be better at this by now…”
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Nothing is wrong with you.
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Your body is doing exactly what bodies are wired to do under stress.
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This is why nervous system regulation matters.
Not as another thing to be “good” at.
But as the foundation that makes coping skills accessible in the first place.
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Start smaller than you think.
Take one breath to create space in a heated moment.
Ground yourself in the present by washing your hands or naming 3 things in the room before you problem-solve.
Practice when you’re calm, not just when you’re in crisis.
Use the tools on ordinary Tuesday stress, not only the big meltdowns.
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Over time, it really does get easier.
It’s a lot like building a muscle, the more you use it, the more available it becomes.
Less effortful.
More like an instinct.
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If coping has felt hard lately, this is your reminder:
It’s not about willpower.
It’s about the state of your nervous system.
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What helps your nervous system settle, even a little? Tell me in the comments 💭💛

04/17/2026

A “health journey” doesn’t have to be about before-and-after photos or shrinking our bodies.
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Too often, health is reduced to weight loss.
And ironically, that belief can lead people to do objectively harmful things in the name of health.
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There are so many ways to support our health in the bodies we have right now:
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• eating foods we enjoy without constant stress or rules
• social connections and community
• preventative healthcare (which needs to be more accessible)
• nervous system regulation
• cuddling with animals (releases serotonin, dopamine, and lowers cortisol 🐾 — always grateful for visits with )
• a life that feels meaningful and values-aligned
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This version of health can’t be seen in before and after photos.
It’s less glamorous. It’s not about taking a magic pill, detoxing, or a complete lifestyle overhaul.
And there isn’t big money in selling it to us.
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It’s about coming back home to ourselves and learning to work with our bodies instead of always fighting against it.
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You can’t tell someone’s health by looking at them.
And defining a “health journey” as a shrinking body isn’t just misleading—it’s rooted in weight stigma.
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What does a “health journey” mean to you?

🌱 If you are looking for support on your health journey (it includes mental health too!) DM to schedule a free consultation call to see if can help you! We specialize in mindful eating, eating disorders/disordered eating, body image, mood disorders, and more!

04/15/2026

When you say you want to lose weight… what do you really mean?
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What are you truly desiring?
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A smaller body?
Or all the social benefits that come along with it?
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Because when we dig a little deeper, “weight loss” is often shorthand for something else entirely:
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To be free from fatphobia.
To be treated with dignity and respect.
To be seen.
To finally access the “before and after” life diet culture promised.
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But here’s the hard truth: shrinking your body doesn’t dismantle fatphobia. It just temporarily shields you from some of it.
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It’s an individual solution to a societal problem.
(And yes — I get it. We still have to live in this society.)
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You don’t deserve respect because you reached a goal weight.
You deserve respect because you’re human.
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04/13/2026

We weren’t born believing these things.
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We were taught them.
Over and over.
In our homes, doctor’s offices, classrooms, ads, conversations, comment sections.
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That your body determines your health.
That smaller means better.
That love, respect, and belonging have to be earned through shrinking.
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These messages were ingrained in many of us from a very young age.
We internalized them.
And they can be hard to unlearn.
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So if part of you still believes this,
that’s not a personal failure.
It’s the expected outcome of a culture that teaches us thinner is always better.
That ties our worth to our weight.
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It’s conditioning.
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And unlearning it isn’t about flipping a switch.
It’s a slow and often uncomfortable process.
Even when you think you’ve unlearned it, it can pop back up again.
It can feel like a game of whack-a-mole.
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But every time you question these messages…
Every time you challenge the status quo…
Every time you let your body take up space…
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You are rewriting the story.
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Your body was never the problem.
Diet culture was.
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What diet culture lies have been hardest for you to unlearn? 💬

04/03/2026

I’m loving all the Artemis II content, especially learning about what the astronauts are eating up in space 🚀🌕
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On this 10-day mission, the crew has 189 unique menu items! That includes tortillas, quiche, mac and cheese, brisket, cake, cobbler, coffee, and so much more!
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Even in one of the most extreme, high risk, high performance environments imaginable, NASA prioritizes enjoyable food. Meals are planned with variety, cultural preferences, and comfort foods in mind, in addition to the logistics of eating in space—they even get dessert!
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But wouldn’t it be easier for the astronauts to just eat some perfectly nutritionally balanced grey goo? I’m sure it would be but even NASA knows that food isn’t just fuel. It’s about pleasure, stress relief, cultural connection, and community.
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If astronauts need satisfying, enjoyable food to function at their best in space…
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You do too here on earth too. 🌎💫
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04/02/2026

Passover can bring up a lot when your relationship with food feels complicated.
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If this time of year is hard for you, you’re not alone. There’s no one “right” way to navigate it.
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Not keeping dietary observances doesn’t make you any less Jewish or a “bad Jew.” If it’s your custom, consider speaking with a rabbi, ideally one informed about eating disorders. Remember that in Judaism, pikuach nefesh—protecting your health and life—always comes first.
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Chag sameach 💙

03/26/2026

Spring break check-in ✨
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Do you have a college student home and noticing some changes around their eating?
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Maybe you’re not sure if it’s just stress, a phase, or something more.
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These are some signs to look out for.
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None of these signs alone mean there’s an eating disorder.
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But trust your gut and pay attention to your concerns.
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Create space for an open conversation and be sure to focus on connection, curiosity, and care—not weight.
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And remember, you don’t need to do this alone. If you suspect that you and/or your child can use extra support, reach out to a licensed mental health professional specialized in eating disorders.
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Conason Psychological Services is currently accepting new clients and we would be happy to chat for a free consultation call to see if it could be a good fit. www.conasonpsychologicalservices.com

03/22/2026

If you want the quick, swipeable breakdown of the new BMJ review on GLP-1 medications, here it is (or scroll back for my reel on the same study).
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A systematic review published in The BMJ analyzed 37 peer-reviewed studies including 9,341 adults using weight-loss medications.
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The data suggest:
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• After stopping medication, most people regained weight; on average about 0.4 kg (0.9 lbs) per month.
• Within 1.5–2 years, many returned to their pre-medication weight.
• Weight regain occurred faster for people using weight loss medications than after behavioral weight management.
• Improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure often returned to baseline after stopping.
• Long-term data beyond ~2 years is limited.
• Mental health outcomes were not examined.
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If weight returns after stopping a GLP-1, that is not a personal failure. It is the expected physiological outcome.
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GLP-1s may be helpful tools for some people. But they are not short-term fixes.
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Informed consent is about in-depth conversations and making sure patients understand the full picture. It seems like even many doctors don’t have a good understanding of what they are prescribing, as I’ve heard of people being prescribed to “kick start” weight loss or just to be on them for a short time (not surprising when many prescribers are jumping on the GLP-1 bandwagon with minimal training in this specialty area).
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Reference: West S, et al. Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis. The BMJ. 2026;392.
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03/20/2026

Have you noticed a loved one has gained weight?
Are you wondering how to bring it up?
Thinking about sharing your own weight loss journey as “inspiration”?
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Here’s a tip: don’t.
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Other people’s bodies are not our business.
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If you’re truly worried, pause and ask yourself why.
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Is it solely because of their size?
Or have you noticed changes in their mood, energy, social withdrawal, or overall well-being?
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If it’s the latter, talk about that.
Ask how they’re doing.
Let them know you care.
Keep their weight out of it.
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And if they seem happy and your concern is only about the number on the scale?
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That might be a moment to gently examine your own fatphobia.
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03/19/2026

I’ve been thinking more about my health lately, including how hard it can be to access basic preventative care.

I tried to find a new primary care doctor, and it was nearly impossible to find anyone in-network accepting new patients. When I finally did, the next appointment was 8 months away. So when I was offered the chance to try comprehensive blood testing with , I was curious.

My biggest hesitation was how it would align with my anti-diet, weight-inclusive approach.

I was pleasantly surprised—it was more weight-neutral than I expected. Most recommendations focused on additive nutrition and supplements rather than restriction or weight loss. There is a BMI section with weight-centric language, but you can skip it, and weight didn’t really bleed into the rest of the analysis, which is more than I can say for many doctor’s visits.

They do a good job highlighting the most important results and providing an overview of your health. But if you want to dig deeper, there’s a lot of data, which can feel overwhelming. The insights come from a functional/longevity lens that emphasizes “optimization,” so take that as you will. They did distinguish between results that were out of range by medical standards vs “suboptimal” which I appreciated.

Superpower isn’t meant to replace a primary care doctor. But if you’re struggling to access preventative care, it could be a helpful stopgap.

If you’re in eating disorder recovery, be sure to discuss with your treatment team. The focus on data and optimization can be triggering and it’s not ED-informed or weight-inclusive.

Would you try something like this? Tell me 👇🏻

Full review is on my blog (https://drconason.com/blog/), and I shared a code there to save 10% if you’re curious about trying it.

PS: shoutout to my phlebotomist Yamil from who skillfully got all those vials of blood from my often hard to access veins! 🩸

*I was gifted the basic superpower panel but purchased several additional panels myself.

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

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