HOUSTON -- For years, Houston psychotherapist Kelly Stallings has taught clients cognitive strategies for weight loss. Now, she's put those techniques into her new book, "Life is Mental: Think Thin to Live Thin."

"The goal is to completely change the thinking about yourself, food, exercise, just your daily habits in eight weeks," Stallings said.

Stallings added this isn't a diet, but rather an easy lifestyle changes from the inside out.

"If we can find the good and the positive in different experiences, we're going to be more apt to stay in that positive road, which means we're going to be a happier person," Stallings said. "Happier people make better decisions overall in life, which means we're going to be able to manage our weight long term and successfully."

Some key strategies include eating consciously, sitting down to savor your meal and putting your utensils down as you chew each bite 15 to 20 times.

"If you are having a little bit of cake, enjoy every bite that you take because that's going to satisfy your desire," Stallings said. "You're not really going to go back to the cake afterward if you feel satisfied."

Day care owner Helen McWilliams read "Think Thin to Live Thin" four months ago and has since lost 25 pounds and four dress sizes.

"Where was this book all my life?" she said.

McWilliams told Local 2 she finds Stallings' guided visualization especially helpful.

"Imagine people on the Rockets ... the men on the Rockets team when they stand on the foul line," McWilliams said."They are visualizing and we can do the same thing with food and how we expect we can look."

McWilliams said she's on track to lose another 25 pounds and gain something more.

"I am single and I'm looking and maybe I'll find somebody this way if I get real thin," she said.

Stallings also offers CDs that go along with her book.  Plus, she does "telephone coaching" for clients who need that extra encouragement.