The Weigh to Show Gratitude

OK, so I'm playing with words here. I'm trying to help you connect your current weight management issues with the power of gratitude. Why? The holiday season is now in full sway, and it's a good time to sit down and be grateful for all that you have, as well as the opportunities that await you to do even better. So many folks out there may be stirring up the usual holiday anxiety about weight gain, loss of control over one's time and the usual over commitments and obligations. Stop, and take a deep breath. You'll be fine. Let's show you the weigh.

First, adjust your expectations about holiday goals and self care. Travel, family events and work can make it difficult to commit to the usual amount of time for exercise and planning for healthy nutrition. The answer lies in adapting and adjusting by doing what you can and moving on. Avoid perfectionism and being extreme or rigid. Second, don't fall into the abyss of feeling helpless, hopeless and defeated because your self care schedule is different. Make a new goal. You could do what I like to call "tread weight" during the holidays. You'll do what it takes to hold your own weight during the holiday season, correcting for any backsliding. Be grateful that by the end of the 24/7 running around, you're the same weight. When things calm down, you can regroup and aim for more progress.

Being grateful puts you in a self supportive mood, one of self love and nurturing. This calm can help drown out the voices of self criticism that plague so many of you as you try to eat well and stay as active as you can. So what if you couldn't get to the gym? Try to walk more throughout the day and bump up your activities of daily living. Be grateful you have a body that works well enough to do this in the first place. There's that gratitude again.

Want to exercise those gratitude muscles to keep you mentally centered all day? If you do, you'll be more likely to stay mindful of what you eat and how you move your body. Hey, it's great for relieving anxiety and thus reducing the risk of stress overeating. Take these simple steps:

1. Focus on what's right in your life and quit obsessing about what you think is wrong. Go back to your list of gratitude.


2. Say just one thing at any meal time for which you are grateful. If you're eating with others, get everyone on board to do the same. Doing so creates a magical moment for all.


3. Tell people in your life "thank you" as often as you can. The return on your investment is feeling terrific, which helps you stay on track with your self care.


4. Draw upon your gratitude during times when people you know and love are annoying and irritating. It keeps things in perspective so that you don't keep heading for the fridge to numb your frustrations.


5. Watch out so you don't lose yourself in others through envy or jealousy. Don't keep saying how much you want to look like someone else. Concentrate on and be grateful for your unique talents and strengths.


6. Be thankful you're still alert and vertical! Hey, so your thighs are larger than you like. Well, be happy your legs can still support you as you take a joyful walk. Celebrate a mind that can still be mindful of every bite you take to nourish yourself.


7. Find the lesson when challenges hit you. Be grateful for the opportunity to continue to learn something new and grow from a life challenge.

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We're Eating Too Much

Look around you and you'll see that America's putting on weight. Is it lack of physical activity or are we just plain eating too much? Well, it's a combination of both, but the European Congress on Obesity has proclaimed that increased food intake is the main culprit. You need to stay physically active to be fit and strong, keep body fat reined in, and have an optimal body shape.
But it's how much you're eating (healthy or junk food), that's really packin' on the pounds.

Actually, the scientists predicted that Americans would be about 24 pounds heavier than thirty years ago. But, instead, on average Americans carry an extra 19 pounds. The difference is that some people have picked up more physical activity which makes a real difference over time. Interestingly, if we want to get back to the slimmer weights of the 1970's, researchers recommend decreasing 350 calories per day for kids (a serving of French fries) and 500 calories for adults (a large burger). How do we accomplish this? If we used physical activity alone, children would have to walk 150 minutes per day and adults 110 minutes. Who's got that kind of time? Instead, how about just eliminating the fries and burger and bumping up the physical activity a little as well? The bottom line is that you need both.

Here's a recent posting from LadyPilot1998 on my weight management message board:

"Hi, I need some real HELP! I need to lose weight in order to keep my joints from hurting. I just have not been able to get this going and the several times I have got going... I just poop out. I live in hot, humid South Florida and need exercises that someone with limited range of motion can do inside. Frustration with myself is building and I am now at a real loss as to what to do. I would love to get any advice that could get me on the road to success. Thanks."

The road to success is paved with both healthy nutrition and physical activity. The key is not to launch into heavy duty running or lifting, especially if you have disabilities and perhaps have been sedentary for a long time. You'll get injured and, as LadyPilot noted, "poop out". When people want to drop weight, for many it's suddenly a crisis, and out of desperation, folks try to go too far too fast. There are better options.

For those with physical disabilities, there's nothing like water aerobics as well as strength training. The water carries your weight and your joints are protected so that you can engage in water based exercise classes. Good grief, there has to be a pool somewhere in LadyPilot's Florida locale. In addition, restorative yoga is wonderful. This movement therapy helps to build strength and flexibility. Walking to tolerance is a great exercise. The elliptical is kind to knees, while a recumbent bike is great for those with back issues. Tai Chi is a weight bearing movement that is gentle on the joints yet helps you with balance and flexibility. There are indeed many options. You also have to be realistic. If you cannot do intense training, it will take you longer to achieve your fitness goals. Time to take your patience pill.

The key to relieving those joints and getting into better shape is smart eating. Pay attention to quality- stick with whole foods, veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins. Eliminate processed foods and refined sugars. Next up, be mindful of quantity. Even if you're eating whole foods, eating mountains of them still packs on pounds. While to remove excess fat, most women do well sticking to about 1300-1500 calories a day. Read labels carefully and stick to serving sizes. And last up, frequency of meals and snacks is critical. Eating roughly every 3-4 hours from breakfast through dinner is the way to go. If you eat appropriate servings of balanced meals and snacks (lean proteins with high quality fat and carbohydrates), your hunger is better controlled, which helps you rein in your appetite as well.

LadyPilot and everyone out there needs to whip out a journal and keep track of what, when and how much you eat for just a week. It's usually an eye opener to see how much you're actually consuming. Clean it up and add creative ways to move your body and you've got the winning combination to get this weight removal journey going.

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Shake Up Your Fat Cells at Any Age with "Vitamin I"

I just returned from Arizona where I led a women's health and fitness retreat. Most of the participants were frustrated and wanted to know why, despite regular exercise and healthy nutrition; they weren't seeing their body fat change. After observing them work out, I concluded that they were "Vitamin I" deficient. What does that mean? I made it up when I wrote Body for Life for Women. Vitamin I is intensity. Without using intervals of intensity on a regular basis, those feminine fat cells won't give up that fat fuel and let you slip into a smaller pair of jeans.

Intensity:

1. Helps you burn calories more efficiently during and after your workout;


2. Increases the fun of exercise while cutting the boredom of endless hours on workout equipment at the same slower pace;


3. Increases your aerobic capacity and endurance while promoting fat loss;


4. Reshapes your body, redistributing fat and toning muscle for the fittest look;


5. Results in more fat loss in a shorter workout time than women who maintained the same moderate exercise level;


6. Applies to both cardio as well as weight training.

Research has shown that women who train with intensity look like it. They've got more toned muscle and less fat, resulting in a leaner, fit-looking body. Intensity also helps override the powerful innate programming in a woman's body to store fat that is so specific to a woman's body. Adrenalin and growth hormone help to stimulate fat release. As women age, fat cell breakdown is more of a challenge. Intervals of intensity will get the fat release ball rolling.

Here's what you need to know to start to incorporate intensity intervals into your training. First, here are the precautions:

1. Anyone who is over the age of 40 and/or has any medical condition that may be affected by intensity (e.g. heart, lung, muscle/joint injury, etc) must first clear any such training through their physician. Moderate levels of exercise are perfectly fine and yield terrific results for health and wellness. Sometimes higher levels of intensity simply cannot be used.


2. It is absolutely imperative and required that everyone who engages in interval training must first warm up at a low and then moderate intensity for no less than 10 minutes prior to starting an intensity interval.


3. For people who are presently unfit (e.g. not regular exercisers and/or overweight or obese), it is essential that you begin very gradually. This means you engage in low and moderate levels of intensity for no less than 6-8 weeks prior to initiating intensity intervals. A fitness professional will help get you started.


4. Intensity intervals in weight lifting must be initially supervised by a fitness professional. I will not address high intensity weight training techniques as this should always be created and guided by a professional.


5. The elliptical trainer and stationary bike are the safest ways to practice intensity intervals. The treadmill requires more pounding and stress on weight bearing joints and the back, but is fine is the individual is already trained and comfortable with brisk walking and running.

Actual high intensity interval training used by athletes is pretty grueling. It involves first the warm up, then going all out at 100% of effort for 30 seconds, then resting at a low level of intensity for 4 minutes, repeating this cycle 4-8 times. I do my own adaptation of this which involves a much more gradual increase in intensity suited for beginners and non-athletes.

1. Do a 10 minute warm up gradually moving from a baseline of lower intensity to moderate intensity;


2. For the first interval, increase the intensity one level up by increasing the speed, resistance, or incline for 30-60 seconds;


3. Bring down to your baseline moderate level of intensity for 3 minutes;


4. Repeat the intensity interval and rest period again;


5. If you feel that the increase of one level up doesn't feel hard enough to cause you to sweat, increase one more level up (now you're up 2 levels of intensity);


6. Repeat this 3:1 interval cycle just twice for starters. Add another cycle every week or so until you're comfortable with between 4-8 cycles.

You need to do cardio no less than five times per week. Try the interval training once per week as a start, working up to doing it three to four times per week. You may notice that over time, your baseline warm up levels may increase and your intensity levels will be higher. That means you're achieving the training effect and improving strength and endurance. Take body size measurements before you begin your intensity interval training and watch the reshaping and toning take place. Get your body fat percentage measured and pay attention to that number, not just your weight. We're talking about changing the quality of your body, not just the quantity.

Start today and reap the rewards of shaking up your fat cells with Vitamin I.

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Why Fat Doesn't Disappear Where You Want It To

Go figure. You're working diligently to achieve a healthier weight, and the fat you want to keep (e.g. your breasts) is the first to disappear, and the fat you want to shed (fill in body part here: stomach, thigh, butt, arm, chest, back) is the hardest to remove. From a recent posting on my weight management message board, dmarchi says,

"Hi, I'm 23 and for the past year I have been dieting and exercising on a regular basis. I try to work out 3-4 times a week. This includes spin classes, running, and step classes. I try to keep my calories at or below 1500 calories a day. I do not count carbs, but I am thinking I might have to. I have lost about 25lbs so far. The problem is I haven't dropped a pant size! It seems like the weight I have lost has come off of places other than my stomach and hips. This is the area I am really wanting to lose weight from. I don't know what to do anymore, I am becoming discouraged and on top of it, I have hit a plateau. Does anyone have any recommendations on how or what I can try doing to improve my weight loss around the stomach and hip area? I would love to lose at least 10 more pounds. I am not sure if I need to change my diet or exercise. Thanks!"

Sound familiar? Let's demystify what goes on with your body fat when you're dropping that excess fat. Here are some rules of the "where the fat's going" road:

1. Genetics. Look at the other people in your family. Your body shape will often appear similar to someone in your family line. Sometimes the similarities are striking - - apple or pear shaped with nuances involving short/long legs, tiny waist or no waist line at all. J Lo can try all she wants to drop weight, but she will always have that famous behind. The same applies to Beyonce's behind and thighs. Your job is to optimize your body shape as best you can, and then live with what genetics endowed.


2. Age and Gender. Throughout their life, men tend to store fat in the abdominal area and they'll note that any excess body fat in their extremities will shed first and the belly is last to go. Most women (there are exceptions) tend to store most of their fat in the hips, thighs and buttocks prior to age 40. Weight reduction classically decreases waist and breasts first, followed by the lower half of the body. After 40, due to declining levels of sex hormones, it is easier to store fat in the belly area as well. In addition, other hard to reduce fat deposits appear in the back, upper abdomen under the breasts, as well as arm pit areas. Weight reduction after 40 often results in removal of fat in the breasts and lower part of the body, followed by the waist and the back - - the exact opposite of the pre-40 years. Again, there's wide variation and we're talking about general patterns.


3. Medical Conditions. Things happen in people's lives. Pregnancy is one example. Many women develop the postpartum "jelly belly" which can be a challenge to manage. The more pregnancies, the tougher it is to shed all of subcutaneous fat that has accumulated. Again, the goal is to minimize this fat, as it's impossible to completely eliminate it in most cases. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can give rise to an increase in belly fat at any age in women. Treatment of the syndrome can help manage this problem. The long term use of prednisone related medications make it difficult to remove abdominal fat. These are a few examples of conditions and medications that can complicate the weight management experience.


4. Plastic Surgery. Many people have gone under the knife and had liposuction, body sculpting and abdominal skin tightening. If weight is gained after liposuction, you may note that fat accumulates in other locations not touched by the procedure and sometimes these regions (back) can be tough to reduce. That's fair warning for those who are considering lipo. If you do it, stick with the program and don't gain weight.


5. Lifestyle Program. A balance of good nutrition and physical activity are the foundation upon which all healthy weight management is based. Cardio and weight training are essential to minimize fat and optimize body shape and muscular tone.

Let's look at dmarchi's comments. She's young and has done a great job removing 25 pounds of fat using a balance of exercise and good nutrition. She's dropped the weight in other places and is frustrated with her hips and stomach. She's also complaining about the plateau in her weight. I'd recommend getting a body composition analysis and finding out what her current body fat percentage is. She's looking to be somewhere between 20-25%, unless she's very athletic. She needs to look at her own genetic pool and she'll probably find that women in her family line have relatively speaking heavier hips and thicker waistlines. Her goal is to optimize her body composition and see where she settles.

To shake things up, I'd recommend introducing more cross training and lots of intensity intervals. She should change up cardio routines every six weeks. I notice she said nothing about weight training. Of all the thing she could do to reshape her body, lifting weight 2-3 times per week will enhance muscularity and minimize body fat.

And finally, she needs to take a patience pill. If indeed she really needs to drop that "last 10 pounds", it's always the slowest to go. Consistency in lifestyle habits is key. When each of us reaches a point where we have done all we can reasonably do to optimize our lifestyle, we'll smile and simply learn to be proud and content with our marvelous, amazing and fit bodies.

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Diet Program Dilemmas

Let's just say you've been thinking about shedding your extra pounds. Then, one day you decide to finally take action. But, suddenly you're confronted with the dilemma of which way to turn. You do a little homework, whip through some magazines, watch TV commercials and call a few friends. Somehow you make your decision and then wonder if you did the right thing. Read what Detwaa sent me on my weight management board recently:

"I just signed up for a weight loss program where you have to follow a routine diet, drink and eat certain foods they offer, exercise, and check in several times per week to see progress. Is that something you'd advice, is it effective? The shakes are incredibly expensive and I'm supposedly required to have them in order to lose 60 pounds in 15 weeks. Did I make a big mistake? Was this something I could have done simply on my own? I have an option to buy the shakes one at a time as I go, or buy them all at once for a discounted price, and I just want to know if I can still lose weight if I don't drink them. This is a healthy low fat, hight protein, calorie restrictive diet."

I'll bet a few folks out there can relate to her angst. The good news is that there is a terrific book written by the Institute of Medicine called Weighing the Options: Criteria for Evaluating Weight Management Programs. The book is unbiased and written by academic experts who prioritize the consumer's health and welfare above any commercial interests. I'd highly recommend this to anyone considering a program. Meanwhile, here are a few helpful tips.

Beware programs that:

1. Promise you the moon. Watch out for programs that guarantee big weight reductions in a short period of time. Most people can safely remove up to 2 pounds per week on a healthy weight management program. Detwaa's program is promising to deliver double that number.


2. Cost you an arm and a leg. I'm not happy when I read "incredibly expensive shakes". Heck, you can buy cheap whey protein powder, add water or skim milk and perhaps fresh or frozen fruit and make your own for pennies. Commercial programs make their money by selling products (e.g. shakes, meals, supplements). Watch out for programs that require you to purchase these products.


3. Are run by people with questionable backgrounds. How long as the organization been around? Always ask many questions about who owns and runs a program. What certifications and qualifications in the field of weight management do these people have? What are the staff qualifications? What is included in your initial assessment? It should be comprehensive and ideally this group would be teaming with your own doctor to achieve optimal results. Did your doctor refer you to this program? What about success rates, and comments and references from other clients? Programs should be supervised by physicians and medical professionals who can answer questions related to each person's unique medical status, as that would change over time with appropriate weight reduction. Also be on red alert for programs offering pills, potions and injections for weight reduction. You absolutely must be fully informed about the professionals and staff involved as well as study thoroughly any materials related to these services and products. Programs operated by hospitals, medical centers, researchers and academics in the field (e.g. University of Colorado's "Colorado Weigh Program") can usually be counted on to deliver the most updated, credible and comprehensive programs.


4. Stress weight loss and not maintenance. The best programs have a strong emphasis on both phases, and provide an excellent maintenance element. Watch out for programs that spend 90 percent of their efforts on shedding weight, and offer only a cursory coverage of any long term maintenance.

The best program for weight reduction involves an interplay between my favorite three elements: Mind, Mouth and Muscle.

1. Mind: Research has clearly shown that when you have a strong mental health component, you'll achieve your best program success. That means there should be a qualified counselor for ongoing help and guidance in person, on the phone and/or through email communications. People need coaching and encouragement as well as answers to ongoing questions involving how to navigate life's stresses while also maintaining an optimal nutrition and exercise program. These experts help people learn behavior skills that will assure not just weight reduction, but maintenance for life.


2. Mouth: It's necessary to have qualified registered dietitians to supervise any program and to customize plans for people's unique needs. In the best of worlds, you're eating whole foods, an appropriate number of calories in balanced meals and snacks, as well as a minimum of commercial (and especially processed) products.


3. Muscle: All programs need to have a reasonable and appropriate physical activity component. It should be based upon established standards like those of the American College of Sports Medicine. Many offer a network of health club facilities as well as fitness professionals who will help guide you as you become more physically active.

So, for Detwaa and other men and women seeking weight management program advice, get serious and do a thorough job of studying your options. Your reward will be a safe and credible path towards sustainable weight reduction and a lifetime of optimal wellness.

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Blast Your Back Fat

Back fat, muffin top, love handles, fat roll or spare tire - call it what you want, but it all adds up to that rather not-so-lovely vision of extra rolls of fat popping up all over your back, from your bra line to your belt line. It's the kind of fat that makes you rethink buying a skimpy top where the whole world can revel in your rolls. Have a look in the mirror at your back while wearing a form fitting blouse or sweater. There's that back fat poking out along your bra strap lines. And how about the rolls at your armpits, and the back fat shelf line above your waist? Not a pretty picture. And, as opposed to the menopot which is seen primarily after age 40 (see my blog post "Minimize Your Menopot"), back fat can occur at any age in men and women, but is worse after the age of 40. So where does it come from?

Back fat is an accumulation of excess fat that occurs due to one or any combination of factors including:

1. Being overweight or obese at any age (over eating and lack of physical activity);


2. Genetics in which even some slender people tend to distribute more of their fat to the back area;


3. Ethnicity plays a roll (pun intended) in which some groups tend to pack on back fat more than others;


4. Lack of weight training to bring down body fat and increase muscle tone;


5. Being over the age of 40 in which the decline of sex hormones affects distribution of fat throughout the body.

So what can you do about Back Fat? Plenty. Here are the "Rules of the Roll" to blast your back fat:

1. Make an Action Plan. Sit down and write out your goals. Take measurements throughout your body so you know where you're starting. Take pictures for the visual impact. Create realistic goals and expectations (dropping ½-2 pounds per week is the normal range). The heavier you are to start, the more excess fat you'll be removing. Write down your commitment to change. Journal your progress. Develop a support system to help guide you - like our wonderful weight management board on WebMD.


2. Be patient. Back fat is often one of those stubborn places that sometimes takes longer to reduce. Be persistent.


3. Get real. If you're over the age of 40, you may not be able to completely eliminate all of your back fat, but, like the menopot, your mission is to minimize back fat.


4. Hide it while you remove it. Let's not invite trouble in the form of super tight spandex tops. While you're shedding pounds and getting more fit, try to wear looser, comfortable clothes and toss the muffin topping skinny jeans. There are also great elasticized undergarments that help smooth out the rolls.


5. You must do both weight training and cardio to blast back fat. Don't think you can do this with cardio alone. You'll drop some weight, but you need to reshape and redistribute fat and only a combination of weight training and cardio will do that. Lift 2-3 x week and concentrate on building strength and perhaps boosting your muscle mass a bit. Check out my MUSCLE section in Body for Life for Women for easy ways to do this at home gym-free. Check out the WebMD fitness sites for creative ways to strengthen and tone.


6. Eat a back fat blasting diet. Physical activity is key, and equally so is what you put in your mouth. There is no one food or beverage that will magically remove Back Fat. Instead it's all about eating a variety of healthy foods every day. Quality: whole foods and lean proteins build the foundation for removing Back Fat. Quantity: watch your portion size. Almost everyone out there is eating too much relative to their age and gender. If you eat too much, you wear it. Read the USDA label and know what a serving size looks like. Frequency: eat every 3-4 hours from breakfast through dinner. Stop eating 2 hours before going to bed. Try to eat your dinner no later than 8-8:30 PM, and keep it lean (veggies, lean protein). Wake up in the morning feeling truly hungry. Check out my MOUTH section in Body for Life for Women for healthy, easy nutrition options. Scroll onto WebMD's wonderful nutrition sites for endless suggestions and recipes.


7. Get creative and cross train. No one specific exercise is the ultimate back fat cure. You need to draw from a variety of back strengthening and toning modalities. Mix and change it up every 6 weeks to keep it fresh and challenging. Have some fun and get adventuresome. Take up belly dancing, hip hop or twirl around a ballroom. Ballet is a terrific way to pinpoint back flexibility and strength. Don't forget martial arts, yoga and Pilates. Each uniquely singles out the back for a fat blaster workout.


8. Enjoy a win - win. The stronger the back the stronger the abs, and vice versa. You're working the core of the body and what you do for one, helps the other.

Back fat is a fact of life. Don't waste another moment fretting about it. Take action. And remember, here at WebMD, we've got your back!

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This Is Not A Diet

Whenever I read the postings on my weight management board, inevitably there's one from someone who has had an awakening and is desperately seeking help to reverse obesity. Here's one I received recently from offby40:

"I HAVE JUST SIGNED UP FOR THIS IN HOPES OF FINDING SUPPORT IN STARTING A NEW DIET. I HAVE TRIED MANY DIETS BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COMPLETING THE DIETS. NOW I AM GOING TO FOCUS ON CALORIE INTAKE AND EXERCISE. I AM 300 LBS AND ABOUT 5FT9 AND MY BMI IS REGISTERING AT SEVERELY OBESE. IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN GIVE ME SOME POINTERS ON HOW TO GET STARTED, AND HOW TO KEEP IT GOING. I REALLY NEED HELP."

First, I congratulate her for taking herself on to begin the journey to achieve health and wellness. Second, I want to set the record straight for everyone. Throughout this posting, the theme seemed to be "diet"- starting one, failed diets. This is not a diet! Instead, I suggest you say "I'm going to clean up my lifestyle, get healthy and become more mentally and physically fit." This is about healthy living, and developing better lifestyle habits. When you do, you'll find it so much easier to shed excess body fat, feel energized and increase your sense of self esteem. You want to be fit to live your life to the fullest. That's why I called my most recent book Fit to Live.

I'll bet many of you are in the same place as the person who posted this on the board. OK, here's how you start out. First, remember that WebMD has so many wonderful resources throughout our lifestyle channel to help with calorie counting, fitness tips and recipe suggestions. Next, if you're going to change lifestyle habits, that means everything from mental and nutritional behaviors, to financial (is health a priority in your spending), physical activity and environmental (clutter, lack of organization, getting outdoors) components. No need to feel overwhelmed. In my book, I address the key pillars of lifestyle: Mind, Mouth, Muscle, Money and Macrocosm (the environment).

Always start with low hanging fruit- the simplest, smallest steps you can take to get the ball rolling. Before beginning any program, please consult your physician and medical team. Know what your baseline health status is and if there are any restrictions on your program. Here are tips and tools to get started:

MIND: Get a clear vision of why you want to change your lifestyle. It has to be powerful enough to get you through challenging times when you're tempted to revert to old habits. Being fit enough to play with your kids or grandkids? Healthy and attractive enough to get out there and find a partner in life or new friends? Becoming a runner, biker, hiker and hanging out with like-minded folks? Want to prevent or reverse medical conditions that plague you? Anything goes here. Sit down and really think this out. Come up with a mantra to remind you why you need to stay on track- "Sick and tired versus Fit and Fab." Say to yourself "I choose fit and fab." This is a conscious, mindful, deliberate choice. Finally, create realistic expectations. Progress, not perfection, will get you there.

MOUTH: Quality, quantity and frequency are key. Whole foods, lean proteins, and whole grains become the staple of your nutrition. Read the USDA labels on all foods to know what a true serving size is. When in doubt at restaurants, eat ½ of what's in front of you. Eat smaller meals and snacks every 3-4 hours beginning with breakfast and ending with dinner. Remember to include protein and fiber throughout the day, as that combo will curb carb cravings as well as increase your sense of fullness. Try to finish dinner no later than 8:00 - 8:30 PM and leave 2 hours without eating before you sleep.

MUSCLE: Get up and move more throughout the day. Buy a pedometer and crank out 10,000 steps (roughly 4 miles) per day walking. Work up to this goal. Be creative about finding ways to move more. At 300 pounds, you need to protect your knees so avoid any jumping, running, squats or lunges.

MONEY: Invest in a great pair of sneakers with plenty of cushion. Get socks that do the same. If you're a gym type, scope out a good deal on a membership where you can cross train on different cardio equipment (ellipticals are knee friendly and burn calories efficiently) and where you can learn to begin safe and guided weight training, stretching and core work.

MACROCOSM: Look around at your living and working spaces. Does it look like a bomb went off? How can you develop a new healthier lifestyle when you're buried under miles of piles? You need to clean up your environment and get organized. You can't take a walk if you can't find your sneakers and you can't pay for that jazzersize class if you can't locate your checkbook. Be patient, and schedule an hour here and there over time to get this done. Also, get outdoors more. Walking, biking, and hiking in nature are such wonderful, healing experiences. Do it alone, with a friend or in a group. Just do it.

Whip out a journal and keep track of your daily progress. You don't have to write the great American novel. Just monitor what counts- your baseline lifestyle elements, challenges and triumphs. You'll need your starting status: medical issues (what you want to change like blood pressure, blood sugar, any medical conditions); make a note of overall weight, body fat percentage, BMI and waist size (across the belly button); and, clothing size including jeans, pants, dress, belt.

Finally, don't forget to create a support system. This could be your mother, best friend, a mentor, or your dog. It includes keeping up with us on the WebMD weight management board for online support, as well as any helpful books or DVD's that resonate with you. You're assembling your "A" team to help you through thick and thin (ahem!).

OK, there's your foundation. Now hop to it and don't call this a diet!

Rules for Reinventing Your Body After Forty

On October 5th, I was the health and fitness keynoter for More magazine's annual "Reinvention Convention" in New York City. Five hundred women showed up to explore how to reinvent their lives once they crossed that 40 year old milestone. From new careers, financial challenges, to broken relationships and physical shape shifting, women came to the conference to get help understand it all and to regroup. In my packed session, women were anxious and enthusiastic, eagerly jotting down every tip, tool and technique I could offer. I decided to make this easy by creating a simple acronym- AFTER FORTY - to help women remember 10 important tips to help them optimize their bodies after the age of forty.

A: Adapt and adjust to life's constant daily stresses and challenges. Charles Darwin said that it isn't the smartest or strongest who survive, but those who can adapt. Throughout my book Body for Life for Women, I emphasize the fact that women need to practice how to become mentally flexible and rise up to the occasion when life throws you curve balls. After the age of forty, your mind and body begin to change significantly. Women often feel helpless, hopeless and defeated when weight packs on and you forget where you put your keys. Don't go there. Regroup and optimize your mental and physical well-being and you'll navigate these changing waters well.

F: Fight for the right to take care of yourself. No one is going to show up and schedule time in your day for self care. Only you can do that. Be assertive and get used to saying "I'm sorry, but I am busy at that time" when people try to erode the special moments you've set aside to have a healthy meal, to take that walk or to soak in the tub. This is one of the most important appointments you'll make for yourself each day.

T: Try lean protein to increase a sense of fullness and satiety, to rein in appetite, to curb carb cravings, and to maintain muscles. Women tend to under eat this wonderful macronutrient. Lean poultry, skim or low fat dairy, or vegetarian options will all help to quell hunger, rein in runaway appetites and keep your muscles in top form.

E: Exercise regularly, do it with intensity and make sure to cross train. Too many women are doing the same old cardio and weight lifting and are mystified as to why they stopped seeing real positive changes in their bodies. Come on ladies, get a fitness professional to mix it up in both your cardio and lifting for you so you can use more muscles and shake them out of complacency. As well, you need to ramp it up with intervals of intensity to keep your muscles challenged. Most importantly, this will help you release more fat fuel efficiently so that you can shed that extra fat. Try integrating some yoga, Pilates and even martial arts. How about dancing? Get outdoors and challenge yourself with fun and enjoyment. Just get up and move more throughout the day. This is what it takes to keep your over forty body alive and powerful.

R: Redefine normal. You aren't 20 or 30 anymore. Your body is undergoing significant changes, from fading eyesight to widening waistline. Stop looking backwards and obsessing about what doesn't work anymore. Instead, wake up every day and celebrate what does work. Hey, you're still here and you'll make do with whatever anatomical parts you can use to propel you through each day. This is integral to adapting and adjusting.

F: Fat, not weight, needs to be monitored. Buy a body fat scale and aim to get your body fat in the range of 20-28%, with a good average being 25%. If you're postmenopausal and over the age of 60, body fat ranges can increase to 32% due to aging related loss of muscle (especially true after the seventh decade of life).

O: Organize and plan your self care routines. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sit down and make a plan. Whether it's stress management classes, gym memberships or shopping for healthier options, You need a strategy that meets your needs. If you want to drop body fat and increase muscle strength and mass, get together the team that you need to make this happen. WebMD's got your back with endless information about how to get the ball rolling. Check out my weight management board to share your experiences and ask questions with other like minded folks.

R: Rein in evening eating. After the age of forty, you don't need the same number of calories as you did when you were younger and more physically active and metabolically hotter. Most women don't realize that they are over eating throughout the day. But, the evening is a real problem. So many women kick back and consider this their time to reward and relax. Unfortunately, this includes plowing through sweets and grazing until bedtime. If you want to remove that excess belly fat, you need to eat smarter. Eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day through dinner, try to finish dinner (veggies and lean protein) no later than 8-8:30 PM, and try not to have anything to eat for 2 hours prior to retiring. You'll wake up hungry and feeling lighter, and ready to break that fast: breakfast.

T: Take time to just "be". Try to stop "doing" and take time for "being". Find a quiet place to read, close your eyes, listen to music, take a walk, say a prayer, or do some yoga stretches. Your mind needs these mental recesses. You have to practice mental aerobics to stop the deluge of thoughts - the incessant "to do's" that inhabit our feminine brains. Visualize a stop sign. Then, move into a peaceful place. This is a precious gift you give yourself.

Y: You deserve joy, happiness and fulfillment. Go ahead and feel entitled to be all of these things and more. Live, love and laugh every day. Embrace every waking moment with exuberance. Feel powerful. Choose to do this for yourself. Your reward is having the mind and body you deserve, to help you realize your dreams.

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What Women Really Want

Every now and then I'll pick up a book that I want to share with others. I've got one for you. It's called Women Want More by Michael Silverstein and Kate Sayre, two experts from the Boston Consulting Group. When I read this book, I said "Finally, someone's asking women today what's important in their lives, from beauty to health".

Before I plunged into the chapter on weight and fitness, I scoped out what's really important to women in general. Overall, a woman is "stressed, time-pressured and money-tight". I know, I'm wiping the shock off my face. Let's see what women in the survey said about what the most important values to them were:

1. Love - 77 percent


2. Health - 58 percent


3. Honesty - 51 percent


4. Emotional Well-being - 48 percent

Frankly, I try not to separate the mind (#4) from the body (#2), but suffice it to say, that love and connections with others happily trump all. Here are some other highlights from the book's findings. Guess what makes women extremely happy? Well, sex and food figured in there, but at the top of the list were pets, followed by sex, food, and shopping. Go figure. Fido's nonjudgmental, honest to a fault, and is a ball of never-ending love. Sex never had a chance.

Now for another reality blast about women and their bodies: 68 percent of you believe you're significantly or slightly higher than your ideal body weight. Twice as many women think they're overweight as actually are. Only 25 percent of these women think they're extremely or very attractive. 26 percent note they rarely ever or never feel beautiful. 44 percent rarely or never feel powerful, and 32 percent of you walk around feeling frustrated most of the time.

Speaking of frustration, let's turn to nutrition and fitness. Expectations speak loudly. Most women still aspire to be thin (there's that word again), but they also want to be healthy. Women are going to a much more holistic place and many are now opting out of crazy diets and looking for a more reasonable and healthy approach to achieving their best bodies. Women also want to be fit but not buff. They want to be able to keep up with the kids but not compete in the next Miss Olympia. For that matter, women specifically noted that they wanted to become fit without bodybuilding. The survey made it very clear that to most women, trying to find time to keep up their fitness often feels like mission impossible. It gets wedged into tightly packed days and many women live in a state of perpetual frustration trying to get in that walk or yoga class.

When the subject of nutrition came up, women were loud and clear. Preparing healthy whole foods has to become easier and more convenient. Companies with healthier meal replacement products are becoming more popular. Along with the fitness and nutritional components, women crave a network of support. Men can be terrific supporters. But, women also want to commiserate with other women just like them. Many women love to bond with kindred spirits for the big win win - supporting one another to achieve and maintain success in health and fitness. I call it assembling your own estrogen squad.

And here's a terrific end note. Despite being time starved, anxious, frustrated and up to their ovaries in care giving everyone who comes within 100 feet of them, women are optimistic. The majority of the women surveyed truly believe that life will be better in five years. Hooray for giving our attitudes a lot of altitude to be able to adapt and adjust to life's challenges. Women are beautiful, powerful and are now becoming more assertive about taking care of themselves. We're gradually getting there...with a little help from Fido and the squad.

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Make the Weight-Clutter Connection

The ongoing recession is making us all rethink how much "stuff" we really need in our lives. Not sure if you're living in a junk jungle? I'll give you a hint. If you've got miles of piles everywhere and you're tripping over it, you've got too much. So, let's use this recession as a perfect time to regroup and learn to live our lives more effectively. It's time to de-clutter and get healthier. You heard me right. Your health will improve - and so will your waistline.

I'll bet lots of you live cluttered lives. And you wonder if there's a link between clutter and weight. Well, there is. The more disorganized and cluttered your life is, the more difficult it is to shed that weight. What do I mean? When you want to steam your veggies and you can't find the steamer, you get frustrated and angry and just throw in the towel and you're on the phone ordering a pizza. Or, when you're trying to find your workout clothes and they're buried in the pile at the base of your closet, I guess you're not hitting the gym that day. See the clutter-weight connection?

Everybody needs an environment to live in that is conducive to practicing healthy living habits. You can't take a walk if you can't find your sneakers, and you can't eat well if your fridge and cabinets are filled with trash. You can't pay that gym membership or for that health magazine subscription if you can't find your checkbook.

How can you feel calm and peaceful when you're walking around with angst, shame, and guilt, and also surrounded by chaos? It's enough to make anyone head for the fridge and bury their head in a carton of Jamocha Almond Fudge. Cluttered environment, cluttered belly. Make that connection, and you'll start shedding excess body and house weight, for that matter.

Just like we've ballooned physically, so have our home environments. We're not only mindlessly eating too much food, we're binging on too much stuff. In my book Fit to Live, I reveal several stories of patients and friends who get the Mouth-Mess connection; something finally clicks in their heads that shows them that if they get rid of the clutter, their lives turn around. When I was filming the National Body Challenge for Discovery TV, I visited people's homes and tripped over clutter everywhere. Garages were scary places where that bike or weight set was buried under tons of Christmas tree lights, broken appliances and deflated basketballs.

So how do we clean our personal environment? Here are 5 principles to de-clutter your world:

1. Your external environment is a reflection of your internal world
   Start by going out and looking at your car. What do you see? Dust and dirt; candy wrappers and crumpled soda cans on the floor? What do your friends say when they get in and take a drive with you? It's the same with your home.


2. Your home should support what is most precious to you
   Does your home reflect what you cherish? Organize so you can enjoy what is most important to you: family, friends, gardening, or even writing that novel... whatever gives you meaning and joy. And hey, your health is the most precious of all! Organize your gym clothes, put your sneakers near the front door ready to walk in, and fill your kitchen with delicious whole foods.


3. Think of Carrot Cake
   When you're trimming closet fat, treat it like eating carrot cake: take small slices. If you try to do the whole house at once, you'll end up with a bigger mess. Slice it off one spot at a time: your desk, that closet, the living room, the set of kitchen cabinets. Aim for small steps, and your motivation and momentum will grow.


4. Use the 12-Month Rule
   If you haven't used it, pitch it! If you're not using it now, or will definitely not use it in the next 12 months, get rid of it! Unless it's your tax returns, or important personal documents, think about why you are keeping those stacks of papers. You can sell your stuff on e-Bay, toss them out, or best of all, give them away to people or groups in need such as the Salvation Army, or even your local library or church.


5. Be Consistent, Not Perfect
   Alright, maybe you've de-cluttered your home, but your workspace looks like a bomb just went off. Be consistent, and remove attic weight, basement, bookshelf and car weight.

Now go get those sneakers you just found at the bottom of your closet, and get outside for that life giving walk you so deserve.

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Night Shifts and Your Weight

On September 10th, I wrote a blog entitled "If You Eat Late, You'll Gain Weight." Boy, did I hit a nerve. There are lots of you doing the nocturnal foraging in your fridge. A number of the postings on my weight management board came from frustrated folks from the night shift crowd. Here's an example from gangstakitty:

"After reading your blog, what you say makes sense. But what advice do you have to someone (me) who works nights (7p-7a) 3 days a week? On my days off (the other 4) I often find myself wanting to eat at the same times I get a chance to eat at work. Since I work in a hospital, sometimes when I eat "dinner" varies with my workload, but I usually a snack to hold me over around 5pm and don't eat anything substantial until 1am. At home I find myself doing the same thing which can't be good, but I can't seem to break the habit."

This reminds me of the alternating night shifts I spent during my years in training. It is a definite challenge to keep regrouping every time you start or end a series of night shift work hours. Let's look at how night shift work affects your health and weight, and some tips on how you can address this challenge.

First, if you're a night shift worker, you're in good company. Over 8.6 million Americans work outside of the standard 9AM-5PM work hours including police, fire fighters, nurses, pilots, factory workers and truck drivers. What impact do these late night working hours have on your health? Typically, night shift workers have long complained about fatigue and sleep problems. Medical problems that have been noted include an increased risk of: colds, cancers of the breast and prostate, higher cholesterol levels; heart attacks; and, obesity. Investigators have suggested that there might be an association between night shifts and changes in stress hormone (cortisol), weight regulation hormones (leptin, ghrelin, insulin) as well as melatonin (regulates sleep and affects immune function) leading to an overall increased risk for disease.

Harvard sleep researcher Dr. Frank Scheer published a March 2, 2009 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in which he found that working night shifts can cause hormonal and metabolic changes that can lead to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The reason for these alterations is that your innate sleep-wake clock, known as your circadian rhythm, is taking a hammering from the constant change up in your schedule. Scheer and his colleagues found that alternating night shift schedules cause what he refers to as a "circadian misalignment" resulting in:

1. Plummeting levels of the hormone leptin which regulates body weight;


2. Increased day time blood pressures;


3. Decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose tolerance;


4. Increased blood sugar levels.

The researchers were very careful to note that their study involved only 10 people (5 men and women), and was done as a controlled in-lab experiment. The results of this limited study are important, but clearly more research in a real time and life environment is needed to fully understand which night shift workers are at highest risk. Also, I'll wager that these findings also apply to other groups of people, including people who suffer from poor sleep (e.g. sleep apnea), as well as those who travel for extensive periods (e.g. overnight to Europe, Asia, Africa).

Here are suggestions to help you stay healthy and manage your weight if you're a night shift worker:

1. Become a smart sleeper. Don't dally around. Get right to sleep when you get home. When you do sleep, make it the best sleep possible. Because you're sleeping during daylight, make sure the room is as dark as possible (blackout drapes work well); a sleep eye mask can help; sound proof your room (ear plugs and white noise machines are options); control the temperature (65 degrees); and, make sure family and friends don't interrupt your sleep for any reason other than an emergency.


2. Include a nap if you can. Fire fighters sitting around waiting for a call can nap, but most people don't have the kind of job where that's possible. However, if you're tired and you have an opportunity to take a 15-20 minute snooze, do it. It can refresh and energize you.


3. Don't drink alcohol or caffeine before going to bed. Both disrupt normal your sleep rhythm and decrease the quality of your sleep. You might try drinking tea during your night shift. It has about a fourth of the caffeine found in coffee but it still packs a punch. As well, you'll also get an antioxidant benefit from tea's bioflavinoids. Stop drinking the tea or any caffeine at least 4 hours prior to sleep.


4. Stay active. Physical activity helps improve the quality of your sleep. Slip it in during your shift whenever you can. Once you've slept at home, make sure to get in some kind of exercise before you have to get to the next shift. If you're coming off nights, exercise helps to tire you out, making it easier to get to sleep. Clearly, it's great to keep manage weight as well.


5. Stick to an eating plan. Eat every 3-4 hours from breakfast through dinner. Eat a healthy, balanced meal of lean protein, veggies and whole grains before you start work. Then, bring with you healthy snacks that you'll have every 3-4 hours. Some are portable and easy to grab (12 nuts in a 2 oz ziplock). How about an apple and a serving of low fat cheese? One of my favorites (kept me going throughout my residency training) is reduced fat peanut butter on a multigrain cracker. Doesn't require the fridge and it occupied a small area in a desk drawer. A key to eating on the night shift is to keep it lean and light. Soup and salad with protein works. Lean protein with veggies is great. Minimize any heavy complex carbs (bread, pasta, rice, potato) unless you've got a job that requires lots of physical challenge (construction or factory work). Finally, don't eat a big meal right before going to sleep.


6. Steer clear of refined sugars and fats. Sweets and munchies are all over the place- vending machines, the cafeteria and employee kitchen as well as candy jars on people's desks. Remember the stress-fat connection (see my books Fight Fat after Forty or Body for Life for Women). Night shift work can be stressful, ramping up your appetite for something to numb you. Take a breath and realize you're not hungry but just overwhelmed. Remember that boredom is a form of stress and leads to mindless eating. Get up and stretch or move around. If it's time to eat, grab the food you brought. Just stay away from the sugar-fat combo that will throw your precious hormones into chaos and pack on the pounds. Here's where having a plan and bringing your own food is a life saver.

The bottom line is that night shift work is a real biological challenge. Some people have this down to a fine science and do quite well. Through trial and error, along with patience and focus, you too can succeed.

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Why Are You Eating When You're Tired?

You know the scenario. It's about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and you're weary. You started the day off with the best of intentions - a healthy breakfast and lunch, and perhaps a mid-morning snack. You were doing so well. Then mid-afternoon hits. Your cell phone's ringing incessantly, you're overdue on a critical project deadline, a friend or colleague interrupts you to over share about an impending divorce, and your Blackberry just crashed. Forget it. You're not weary. You're overwhelmed, drained and exhausted. And you would give anything for some energy to get you through it all. What do so many of you do? Yep, reach for sugar because you think that will help. Instead, it only makes things worse.

I vividly recall seeing an old advertisement from a 1950 edition of McCall's magazine. In it, there's a manicured hand holding a silver spoon heaped with refined sugar, and a caption reads "Need a quick afternoon pick me up? Try Sugar!" Flash forward almost sixty years and we're still running for the white stuff when we're tired. It's time to change it up. When you're dragging, the last thing you want to do is plow through a mountain of refined sugar and fat. It zips right through you playing havoc with your blood sugar levels and increasing your appetite. So, what else can you do? Here are some great options:

1. Get enough sleep. That means 7-8 hours of quality ZZZ's. If you begin the day sleep deprived, you're more likely to be mindlessly reaching for all the wrong foods, and I'll guarantee you won't be racing to the gym to exercise.





2. Start your day out right. Make sure you're eating balanced meals and snacks every 3-4 hours. If you've skipped or skimped on breakfast or lunch, both your appetite and hunger will be skyrocketing and by mid afternoon you'll chow down on anything around you. Lean protein, veggies, fruits and whole grains are the way to go all day through dinner.


3. Eat a mid afternoon snack that contains lean protein, fiber and healthy fat. Try a serving of low fat cheese along with an apple, or low fat peanut butter on a multigrain cracker. Heck, grab a 2-3 oz. piece of chicken or turkey in a small whole wheat pita pocket with lettuce. The body's enzyme systems take a long time to break down the chemical bonds in these foods, so the snack stays in your stomach longer giving you a fuller feeling than if you ingested lots of refined sugar (candy bar). When protein is broken down, some of the amino acids, like tyrosine, help to increase the secretion of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which can help you energize and cope better. Also, complex carbohydrates like whole wheat and multigrain products produce a steady slow release of glucose, as opposed to refined carbs (white sugar) that produce a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, which can ramp up your appetite.


4. Drink up! Clearly make sure you're always well hydrated with water. And, it's actually fine to have a caffeinated beverage like a cup (not a pot!) of coffee or tea, but no later than 4PM. Make sure to keep the coffee calories in check by using skim or low fat milk and avoiding sugars and fats from the fancy coffee bar drinks.


5. Get up and move. There's nothing more energizing than moving around. Make a habit of doing this on a frequent basis throughout the day. I call it my 5 minute per hour rule. Every hour, try to accrue 5 minutes when you get up and take a walk and stretch. It's amazing how this little intervention can fight off afternoon sleepiness.


6. Take a mini chill. That's my term for closing your door, sitting back in your chair and just closing your eyes for a several minutes. No need to light candles or pal up with a Tibetan monk. You just need to practice what Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Mind Body Institute calls the "relaxation response". You simply practice turning off all incoming messages and just "be". He uses everything from mantras to prayer to help you get there. I have captured his meditation for you to practice in Fight Fat after Forty, and Body for Life for Women. In the best of all worlds, take mini chills throughout the day, starting before you rise from bed in the morning. It helps you be present and mindful in your daily life.


7. Nap if you're really tired. An optimal nap is about 20 minutes. Too little and you're not rested, too much and you feel groggy.

Experiment and find out what works best for you and then make a plan and be prepared. I'll guarantee you'll be energized!

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Don't Relapse, Just Regroup

Getting fit and healthy is not a destination. It's a journey filled with trials that test our abilities to live healthfully. Both turbulent and joyous, it's one that everyone has to come to embrace by learning the fine art of regrouping. Let's look at this posting from Blueeyes23 on my weight management board:

"I am trying to get back to my diet of eating healthy foods. I used to weigh 250 lbs. I started exercising and running. My diet consisted of counting calories and eating lots of veggies, pasta and some chicken or tuna (I don't normally eat meat). I stayed with this diet as well as counting the calories and staying within that limit. I started running from a couple miles to 5 miles now I'm up to 7 miles a day, 3 to 4 days a week. I went from 250lbs to 197 (currently). My goal is to be 175 which is where I need to be. Well, I went on vacation for a week and treated myself to "splurging" as I was soo good dieting and losing weight. That was in July. I am now eating more unhealthy food (donuts, candy bars, Pizza Hut pizza) and my body will sometimes just super crave sweets. I try my best to watch what I eat but it's hard. I still run 7 miles a day up to 4 days a week. Any suggestions, tricks that I could use or what I need to do to get back on track with my diet?"

Does this sound familiar to anyone out there? You bet it does. Here are some tips and tools to help manage this problem.

1. Don't use the word relapse. I don't like it because it's too negative. It leads to guilt and shame and ultimately to self destruction. Instead, look at these kinds of events as opportunities to learn how to take better care of yourself. That's the essence of learning how to regroup. Take a breath, examine what happened, see the patterns, adapt and adjust, and then move on.


2. Avoid "vacation mind"- where you let it all go and revert back to your old habits, thinking you can just pop right back into healthy eating after "splurging" for a week. Nope, that doesn't work. This is a lifelong journey and you're now mentally and physically different than the 250 person who started this. Chowing down on heavy calories for seven days is what got Blueeyes to 250 pounds. She can still go on vacation and have a great time, but with a brand new mindset- the mind of someone who shed over 50 pounds and needs to sustain that. Having some treats in appropriate servings is what someone who is healthier and more fit now does.


3. Beware awakening the refined sugar addiction demons. Apparently she's got the sweet tooth and carb craving demons on board. The solution is to immediately clean up her work and home environment, get rid of all of these foods, and to go into a 72 hour cold turkey on all of this. It really works. The key is not to over think this, but to just do it. Get right back to fresh, whole foods and don't look back. Keep physically active, avoid places that may tempt you (pizza parlors, the candy aisle at the grocers) and get to bed early. Trust me, this works.


4. Realize that exercising can NOT cancel out all of your over eating. Thank heavens she is still active or she would have gained a lot of weight back. Both reining in the calories and keeping physically active is the way to go.


5. Become a master at regrouping. Expect many challenges to your healthy lifestyle. Come up with Plan A and B all the way to Z if that's what it takes to learn how to adapt, adjust and regroup when life changes up on you. Get macho about it. "Go ahead and kick another challenge my way. Watch me regroup!" Now, that's a winning attitude!

So, if you're like Bueeyes, don't waste another moment stressing. Instead, celebrate the fact that you turned this speed bump into a valuable lesson that you're going to run with, starting right now.

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Genetics May Load the Obesity Gun, but Environment Pulls the Trigger

Ever wonder how powerful genetics are when it comes to your chance of becoming obese? Take a moment and look at your own family tree. Going back as far as you can, think about the people in your family who might have been obese. You're obese if you have a Body Mass Index (your weight relative to your height) of 30 or more. BMI is closely correlated with body fat, with the following two exceptions: 1) a true very muscular athlete where body fat is overestimated; and, 2) the elderly where body fat is underestimated due to their loss of muscle. Check out the WebMD BMI calculator to see what your BMI is.

Many people can see some clear patterns of obesity in the family. Does it appear obesity is your genetic destiny? As it turns out, the answer is more hopeful than you might have originally thought. There is indeed a well known obesity gene, the FTO gene that is associated with increased intake of food, especially fat. It's been thought that people who carry the gene just don't feel as full and satisfied after eating normal portions of fat. There seems to be a fat-satiety disconnect. If you carry double copies of this obesity gene (one from each of your parents) your risk of becoming obese is 2.5 times higher than someone who doesn't. 17 percent of the general population has double obesity genes, and another 40 percent have a single copy. Don't despair. Your genetics will only activate if you give them a comfortable environment to do so - like eating a high fat diet and being sedentary. That's the perfect recipe for the obesity genes to emerge and wreak havoc with your body as well as your life.

New research has shown that a low fat diet can keep the obesity gene under control. Physical activity seals the deal. So, the deal breaker here is not your genetic legacy, but what you eat. The researchers compiled comprehensive data on the eating habits of people who do have the double gene copies. Only when the men and women were eating a high fat diet did you see the expected obesity. How much fat is acceptable? It's higher than you think. The actual number was 41% fat in the diet. Obesity was less common in those who ate less than that. It's recommended that you try to keep your fat intake in the range of 20-30% for optimal nutrition.

Whether you carry this gene or not, all of you - from over-eaters of fat to sugaraholics - need to pay attention to what you're eating. This medical study provides an important and a very positive and hopeful lesson. You don't have to be a prisoner of your own genes. Create a lifestyle of healthy eating and activity, and you'll keep harmful genes at bay. I've always said that genetics may load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Take a moment and study your own living and working places. What can you do right now to clean up and reorganize these spaces so that everything - from the food you keep in your fridge and cabinets to your walking or running shoes you keep by the front door - is all there to support your healthy lifestyle and keep you out of harm's way? Get rid of the junk food and choose the produce section of your grocery store over the pastry aisle. Hang out with like-minded people as well. Doing all of this will guarantee you'll be pulling that lifestyle trigger your way.

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Believe, Achieve and Succeed

This week I watched with fascination as a 5'6" Georgia teen, ranked 70th in the world, triumphed over her six foot Russian opponent at the US Open Tennis event. That was the fourth top seeded Russian she's summarily dismissed since her debut at Wimbledon this year. Known as the Georgia "spark plug", Melanie Oudin is a wonder to watch. But what caught my eye were her shoes. It wasn't the neon rainbow colors, but the area on the side of her shoe at her heel that grabbed my attention. On each shoe, she had one word printed like a billboard of motivation -"Believe". When questioned about it, she simply declared, "I know I can succeed because I really believe it." Observing her is a lesson in what it takes to succeed. She's not perfect and actually capitalizes on that. Actually, her other title is "the comeback kid". She will often lose fairly miserably in the first set, and then come storming back. She notes the first set gives her time to learn the feel of her opponent. She appears impervious to any emotion of defeat or frustration. She learns, adapts, adjusts and moves on to success.

How does this apply to all of you who are seriously trying to improve your lifestyle habits? Here's the lesson - all success starts with the mind. Not some diet craze or exercise boot camp. This laser focus mindset is something I call The Power Mind, which I describe in detail in Body for Life for Women and Fit to Live. One of the biggest mistakes I have observed when men and women embark on their journey to shed excess fat and get more fit, is that without really thinking about it, they hop onto the next "diet" or fitness craze thinking they've found the answer to their girth control problems. You know the drill. It's always short lived and then you're either back to square one or you really blow it and end up in worse shape.

The problem is that you can't just approach your eating and exercise as though you're a robot implementing technical commands. Your mind drives you. You need your head screwed on right to start with. So many people just launch into their well intentioned programs without being very clear about why they need to do this in the first place. Getting to the bottom of that "why" is often tougher than you think. Saying you just want to be "healthy" doesn't work. Go deep and get personal about what drives you. You need to have a very clear vision, passion, strategy, accountability and measurable outcomes. Once you identify the meaning behind your desire to change, then you work on believing you can achieve your healthy lifestyle goal.

The great Olympic sprinter Florence Joyner ("Flo Jo") once noted she used three words to power her through grueling training and competition: "Believe. Achieve. Succeed". Watching Oudin I can see that put into action. How about you? I love those three words and regularly use them in my writing and teaching. If you believe then you lay down the path to be able to achieve and thus succeed. Stop right now and say to yourself "I believe I can patiently and persistently create a healthier lifestyle". Write it down and keep copies of that one line commitment everywhere to get you through tough and challenging times. Be your own best coach and say it to yourself throughout the day. You can do this. Believe it!

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