Healthy summer weight loss means keeping things quick, easy and cool in the kitchen. After all, you want to get outside and enjoy the good weather. Happily the abundance of fresh foods that speed metabolism can help make sticking to a diet simple. Make it a fun time for yourself, exploring exciting new flavors or rediscovering old favorites. Here are some delicious summertime choices that are high in nutrition and low in calories. Their high nutrient density means you can enjoy eating again while taking off the extra pounds. With antioxidants, Vitamins, and phytonutrients these foods can help your weight loss hormones leptin and adiponectin do their job of curbing your appetite and getting your metabolism up to speed. Light and refreshing, these choices are perfect for when the temperature goes up.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number One: Blueberries

Sure you know these sweet, tart berries are good for you. But research now shows that eating blueberries can boost antioxidant levels in the body and help protect against the effects of aging. Exciting studies have demonstrated that the blueberry can help maintain a youthful brain, helping memory and learning. And they contain nutrients that can help lower cholesterol. We include blueberries in breakfasts, desserts and snacks as part of our effective reducing diet.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Two: Iced Green Tea

You don’t need to wait for winter to get the big health benefits of green tea. Simply brew some tea and then let it cool in the fridge to make a thirst-quenching delicious drink. It is perfect without added sugar or sweeteners. Green tea is high in antioxidants and can help increase metabolism. This delightful beverage may even help prevent chronic disease, lowering the risk of some cancers. The high nutritional benefits of green tea make it a perfect part of a healthy meal plan.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Three: Strawberries

Strawberries are a summertime classic bursting with flavor and health benefits. Eating these juicy berries can help make your fat burning hormone adiponectin work properly. The strawberry has Vitamin C and can also moderate blood sugar. We like to eat strawberries just as they are, to get the benefits without adding extra calories from sugar. For more on how this natural treat can stimulate your metabolism, see our article.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Four: Fresh Parsley

High in antioxidants and Vitamin C , fresh parsley should be on any short list of healthy summer foods. This fresh herb is also a carotenoid champ, with zeaxanthin, lutein and beta carotene for maintaining healthy vision. Look for a fresh bunch of parsley at the supermarket or farmer’s market and start eating green. Sprinkle a little of this fresh herb onto your favorite dishes and new recipes and see how they come to life.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Five: Garden Salad

Big, crunchy and satisfying, beautiful summer salads answer the question: What’s to eat? Quick and easy to toss together, salad keeps the kitchen cool when cooking is off the menu. They are a wonderful way to get more vegetables—a lot more, into your day. Optimum nutrition requires 9 or 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and having salad is a delicious way to get there. But skip the fat-free dressing. To absorb nutrients such as carotenoids, a little bit of healthy fat is required. That’s why our diet includes dressing recipes made with extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil. So let yourself off the hook from cooking and make a big salad your healthy meal.

Healthy eating during the warmer months means enjoying more of the fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs that are available during the season. Work blueberries, strawberries, green tea, fresh parsley and salad into your new routine. This can jump-start your weight loss hormone leptin so you can get in shape for swimsuit season.

BE MY BUDDY on Team Beachbody — learn from the best of the best! The Beachbody Pros - Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Shaun T, Debbie Siebers! These are the people who train the top athletes and celebrities!
CLICK HERE: http://teambeachbody.com/fitnessusa

JOIN “21 Days to Fitness,” my new online weight loss class: http://www.21daystofitness.com/

Did you know REV ABS was just released? Get the abs you’ve always wanted in only 30 days! Here’s the 2-minute video: http://www.fitness.supersitesdirect.com/category/beachbody-product-videos/

Free training book “INSIDER SECRETS” that I gave out on January 1st to my Facebook Friends:
http://www.videohealthcoach.com/insidersecrets.html

With all of the health research in the news, you may be wondering–what is the nutritional value of blueberries?

The nutritional value of blueberries starts with vitamins. Blueberries are a source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.  But that is just the beginning.  These little berries also provide fiber.
In terms of nutritional value, the anthocyanins just might be the star of the blueberry lineup. The deep blue color of blueberries comes from a group of flavonoids called anthocyanins, which have remarkable antioxidant power. Blueberry anthocyanins can help provide protection from the effects of oxidative stress, which underlies the common disorders associated with aging.
Here’s a look at what is the nutritional value of blueberries in terms of protection against oxidative stress:
In a study mice stressed by aging or by toxins were fed blueberries at a dose that would equal one cup a day for a human. Blueberry-fed mice performed better than “control” mice (not fed blueberries) on tests of learning, memory and coordination.
In addition to fighting oxidative stress, eating blueberries may have other important nutritional value that provides benefits:
Blueberries contain flavonoids that can prevent urinary tract infection.
A group of chemicals that are found in blueberries called stilbenes could have cholesterol-lowering effects.
Enjoying blueberries is a great way to boost consumption of fruit and vegetables to 9-10 servings per day, the amount of fruit and vegetables we recommend in  The Fat Resistance Diet.  What is the goal of our diet? To achieve a high level of nutritional value to help reduce inflammation and reverse leptin resistance.  Improving the function of the leptin mechanism can help boost metabolism and facilitate weight loss.
Blueberries are used throughout The Fat Resistance Diet recipes and meal plans for power breakfasts, tasty snacks and delicious desserts.
As a breakfast treat, try our Smart Start Smoothie (p. 179). I enjoy making our Blueberry Cinnamon Bowl (p. 242) for breakfast. It’s a family favorite. Berries alone are good for a snack or dessert at any time. Try the Blueberry Parfait (p. 220) or Frosty Yogurt (p. 221). To enjoy pancakes the healthy way, make our Blueberry Flax Pancakes (p. 282).

BE MY BUDDY on Team Beachbody — learn from the best of the best! The Beachbody Pros - Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Shaun T, Debbie Siebers! These are the people who train the top athletes and celebrities!
CLICK HERE: http://teambeachbody.com/fitnessusa

JOIN “21 Days to Fitness,” my new online weight loss class: http://www.21DaysToFitness.com

Did you know REV ABS was just released? Get the abs you’ve always wanted in only 30 days!  Here’s the 2-minute video: http://www.fitness.supersitesdirect.com/category/beachbody-product-videos/

Free training book “INSIDER SECRETS” that I gave out on January 1st to my Facebook Friends:
http://www.videohealthcoach.com/insidersecrets.html

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number One: Blueberries

Sure you know these sweet, tart berries are good for you. But research now shows that eating blueberries can boost antioxidant levels in the body and help protect against the effects of aging. Exciting studies have demonstrated that the blueberry can help maintain a youthful brain, helping memory and learning. And they contain nutrients that can help lower cholesterol. We include blueberries in breakfasts, desserts and snacks as part of our effective reducing diet.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Two: Iced Green Tea

You don’t need to wait for winter to get the big health benefits of green tea. Simply brew some tea and then let it cool in the fridge to make a thirst-quenching delicious drink. It is perfect without added sugar or sweeteners. Green tea is high in antioxidants and can help increase metabolism. This delightful beverage may even help prevent chronic disease, lowering the risk of some cancers. The high nutritional benefits of green tea make it a perfect part of a healthy meal plan.

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Three: Strawberries

Strawberries are a summertime classic bursting with flavor and health benefits. Eating these juicy berries can help make your fat burning hormone adiponectin work properly. The strawberry has Vitamin C and can also moderate blood sugar. We like to eat strawberries just as they are, to get the benefits without adding extra calories from sugar. For more on how this natural treat can stimulate your metabolism, see our article.
 

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Four: Fresh Parsley

High in antioxidants and Vitamin C , fresh parsley should be on any short list of healthy summer foods. This fresh herb is also a carotenoid champ, with zeaxanthin, lutein and beta carotene for maintaining healthy vision. Look for a fresh bunch of parsley at the supermarket or farmer’s market and start eating green. Sprinkle a little of this fresh herb onto your favorite dishes and new recipes and see how they come to life.
 

Healthy Summer Weight Loss Food Number Five: Garden Salad

Big, crunchy and satisfying, beautiful summer salads answer the question: What’s to eat? Quick and easy to toss together, salad keeps the kitchen cool when cooking is off the menu. They are a wonderful way to get more vegetables—a lot more, into your day. Optimum nutrition requires 9 or 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and having salad is a delicious way to get there. But skip the fat-free dressing. To absorb nutrients such as carotenoids, a little bit of healthy fat is required. That’s why our diet includes dressing recipes made with extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil. So let yourself off the hook from cooking and make a big salad your healthy meal.
Healthy eating during the warmer months means enjoying more of the fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs that are available during the season. Work blueberries, strawberries, green tea, fresh parsley and salad into your new routine. This can jump-start your weight loss hormone leptin so you can get in shape for swimsuit season.

BE MY BUDDY on Team Beachbody — learn from the best of the best! The Beachbody Pros - Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Shaun T, Debbie Siebers! These are the people who train the top athletes and celebrities!
CLICK HERE: http://teambeachbody.com/fitnessusa

JOIN “21 Days to Fitness,” my new online weight loss class: http://www.21DaysToFitness.com

Did you know REV ABS was just released? Get the abs you’ve always wanted in only 30 days!  Here’s the 2-minute video: http://www.fitness.supersitesdirect.com/category/beachbody-product-videos/

Free training book “INSIDER SECRETS” that I gave out on January 1st to my Facebook Friends:
http://www.videohealthcoach.com/insidersecrets.html

“EAT SOUP = LOSE 2 POUNDS!”

READER QUESTION:

Anita, what type of soup are you talking about?  Broth or cream?  Homemade?
Paula

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, after you eat your soup, if you are still hungry, have another bowl! It’s OK!

Eat soup (or soup and salad) for dinner every night for a week. You WILL lose 2 pounds! Note: don’t eat at a restaurant, make sure you are eating both the soup and salad at home.

Buy:

* Barley quick cook (in the rice aisle)
* Success brand brown rice, cooks in 10 mins.
* Tone’s chicken broth paste (buy at Sam’s, can’t find it at Wal-Mart, but Wal-Mart has another brand that is almost as good)
* Cans of chicken breast
* Beans: all types
* Vegs: canned tomatoes, squash, zucchini, matchstick carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, onion, basically anything that will cook with chicken broth well.
* Low Fat garlic or cheese croutons (top your soup with a few of these, they are good and will dress up your dinner)

Some of my favorites:

What I ate tonight — CHICKEN/BARLEY: barley, broth, a few diced canned tomatoes (drain), chicken, spinach, squash, little celery and onion.

CHICKEN/RICE: broth, chicken, brown rice, carrots (just a few), little onion and celery

BROCCOLI: cook broccoli first, drain half of water out, then add 1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup, about 1/2 packet of white gravy mix (mix it first in cold water in a cup then pour it in and bring to light boil), a little skim milk or fat-free cream at the end. I always have fat-free cream in my refrigerator that I use for coffee, and I put it in at the end in lots of my soups — good in split pea too.

CHICKEN/NOODLE: broth, chicken, matchstick carrots, a few diced tomatoes, celery, onion, small amount of egg noodles, add 1 can low-fat cream of chicken soup if you want

VEGETABLE: Put these in first — broth, cabbage, onion, celery, can of diced tomatoes with juice, then after they are mostly cooked, add squash, zucchini, a little cauliflower, some chicken if you want, a little brown rice if you want.

CHICKEN CHILI: Crock pot — can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 onion, packet of chili powder, cans of chili beans, pork and beans, small kidney beans, 1/2 can drained black beans, 1/2 can cream corn, chicken breast (boiled or canned).

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP: broth, some diced tomatoes or salsa, some onion, chicken, >> then at the end, cut up corn tortillas into strips and put in right before eating. Top with fat free Kraft cheddar cheese and fat free sour cream.

SPLIT PEA (OR ANY BEAN) SOUP: Crock pot — chicken broth, peas (rinse first), 1/2 onion, 1/2 package low fat ham cubes.

BLACK BEAN SOUP: Crock pot — water (no broth), beans (rinse first), 1/2 onion, salsa. YUM! Serve over brown rice and top with fat free Kraft cheddar cheese and fat free sour cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The only thing to make note of is that the celery and onion take longer to cook, especially onion, so if you can’t wait 30 mins for onions to cook, then just leave it out and use onion flakes instead. If you cut celery really small it cooks faster. ALWAYS put longer cooking items in first, then they can cook while you are cutting the the shorter cooking items (such as squash).

Go to several stores in your city and find the brand of low-fat cream of chicken soup that has the least fat. They have a wide range of choices. I buy a brand from Family Dollar, it’s the best one around. When I go in there, I buy 20 cans and then I don’t have to go back for a long time. You can put that in almost all of these different soups, and it gives it a creaminess and great flavor.

p.s. WATER, OF COURSE, in all those soups….. I didn’t put measurements of ingredients because you need to make it the way you like it. My kids love the broccoli so I always make a huge pot of it (I buy a large size bag of cut up broccoli at Sam’s and it barely fits in the pan but it cooks down), so of course I use a whole packet of gravy and about 3 cans of chicken soup. Just guess until you get it the way you want it.

From http://www.21daystofitness.com

• ‘The UltraSimple Diet: Kick-Start Your Metabolism http://bit.ly/7kYYQ5
• ‘You: On A Diet’ — By Dr. Oz http://bit.ly/6P7say
• ‘Superfast Weight Loss for Women’ http://bit.ly/79uy5F
• ‘Joy’s LIFE Diet: Four Steps to Thin Forever’ http://bit.ly/4MZB0W

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT MY DAILY BURN CHALLENGE?     Open to anyone and goes through June 1st.      Enroll now!    Click below to join:
http://dailyburn.com/challenges/team_beachbody_fitness_usa_team_beachbody_fitness_fanatics
We just found DAILY BURN and and we love it! What a great tool. We need some Groupies! It is VERY easy to use. DB adds up all your calories/fat/protein/carbs for the day. 

I am also teaching “21 Days to Fitness,” my new web class. I will be taping it, then putting it online. If you are on my list, you’ll get a notice for it.
My list: http://www.videohealthcoach.com/join.html

BE MY BUDDY on Team Beachbody — learn from the best of the best! The Beachbody Pros - Tony Horton, Chalene Johnson, Shaun T, Debbie Siebers! These are the people who train the top athletes and celebrities!
CLICK HERE TO BE MY BUDDY: http://teambeachbody.com/fitnessusa

Did you know REV ABS was just released? Here’s the 2-minute video: http://www.fitness.supersitesdirect.com/category/beachbody-product-videos/

You can also get the free training book “INSIDER SECRETS” that I gave out on January 1st to my Facebook Friends:
http://www.videohealthcoach.com/insidersecrets.html

Chubby Cheeks Are Cute — When You’re Two

One day in 1996, my dad was injured on the job and was hospitalized for a few days.  In the hospital, he had a double room.  On the other side of the partly-closed curtain, I saw a man’s gauze-bandaged foot — actually, only half of his foot!  When we walked out of the room, I asked my mom what had happened to him.  I figured that he had been in an accident too.  She said “No, he has diabetes.  You can lose parts of your hands and feet–it is a very serious disease.  People who are overweight have a chance of getting it, and you should be careful with your weight because you do not want it.”  Later on that day, I noticed that as we walked up a flight of stairs at the hospital, I was winded at the top of the stairs, and my mother, who was 59, was not.  My mom and dad had always been a normal weight, and my brother was so skinny as a child that we could count his ribs.  I, however, was a totally different breed.

I was an adorable, “chubby-cheeked” baby.

In Kindergarten, however, the chubby cheeks were still there.  Through grade school, I can remember going to Montgomery Wards to buy school clothes with my mom.   When we entered the children’s department, she always asked the saleslady where the “chubby” sizes were.  Nowadays “chubby” kids can escape that term; now mothers can ask for “loose fit” or “relaxed” styles.  Three years later, in third grade, the chubby cheeks were even chubbier.    How I dreaded P.E. class, and prayed under my breath that the coach wouldn’t ask us to “pick teams.”  I was always one of the last to be picked.  And I was never, ever the Captain.

In 7th grade, we entered junior high, and the official beginning of young romance.  I liked a boy in my class named James.  One night, I told my parents that I wanted to lose weight, and they volunteered to take me to Weight Watchers.  I am sure my parents could not afford the membership fees, but my mom took me to the meetings every week.  I lived on apples and large dill pickles as snacks for several months, and finally lost about 15 pounds.  That was a huge loss for me, and I began to feel better about myself.  Every weight loss over the next 24 years would end up being short-lived, though, because to lose weight, I had to eat less.  Something I did NOT want to do!

It’s hard to believe, but in those days, we had no idea what a fat gram was!  And I had no idea what exercise was.  I loved to read for hours on end, and devoured books at the library–especially biographies.  I loved reading about other peoples’ lives.  It helped me escape, for awhile, from my own.

Diet, After Diet, After Diet…

Over the next few years, when my weight went up, I would struggle to get it down again, mostly from skipping meals, fad diets, or some occasional exercise like swimming or water-skiing.  I was never thin, however, and stayed in the size 10-14 range, while all of my friends wore 3’s, 5’s and 7’s.  I tried every diet that became popular–the grapefruit diet, the vegetable soup diet, the protein diet.  Most of them did not work.

In college, I sat in the cafeteria and watched boys approach my roommate to talk, but I was never included in the conversations.  I was the “invisible college roommate.”  Probably not very invisible, at a size 12-14.  In my third year of college, I was working full-time and going to school full-time.  Since I didn’t have time to eat, I had managed to make it down into a tight size 8.

A friend of mine at work set me up on a blind date one night with a friend of her husband’s.  We fell for each other immediately and got married 4 months later.  During the wedding planning, I was also working and going to college, and eating at Taco Bell every day!  I did not know the beef burrito with sour cream had so much fat–as I said, we didn’t know about fat grams back then.

I quickly put on so much weight that I thought I might not fit into my wedding dress!  I did fit into it, but as soon as we were married, I was back to Weight Watchers.  Again.  I stuck with it (I had a new husband for motivation), and lost down to my goal weight of 128.    For me, SKINNY.

I couldn’t stay there, though, and went up and down between 135 and 160 for 10 years.  When I would go over 150, I started panicking, and would go back to keeping a log of everything I ate.   I would use Weight Watcher check-off lists for my food exchanges.   I was always afraid that I wouldn’t have enough to eat, or that I would have to go to bed hungry, so I “saved” all of my food exchanges for later in the day.

As a result, I was eating a lot of calories too close to bedtime.   But I didn’t know that was bad for me, I was just “checking off” my list every day!

Eating for Two

When I got pregnant with my first baby, I was so relieved!  Finally I could eat for two!   And I did.  Mostly  M&M’s.  I gained 50 pounds, and delivered a 9-pound baby at my highest weight of 198.  I lost 15 pounds the week I had the baby, and then not another ounce after that.

I stayed between 175 and 195 for 2 1/2 years.  I was buying sizes 16 and 18, and one day had to buy a 20.  Clothes shopping was horrendous–especially when it was time to buy a swimsuit.

Did I mention we lived in Florida?  Well, in Florida it is swimsuit season practically year-round!

It was at that time when my dad was in the hospital.  I knew I was miserable.  I knew I was at risk for diabetes.  My husband, who exercised regularly at the gym (which was, by the way, just across the busy street from our house), said that he wanted me to exercise so that I wouldn’t have an early heart attack.

Who thinks of having a heart attack in their early 30’s?  I thought he was being ridiculous.  Actually, I had gone to lots of aerobics classes.  I would go twice in a week, then I wouldn’t go again for 3 months.   Then I would go for 4 weeks straight, lose a few pounds, and quit for 6 months or a few years.  And sometimes I would go regularly, once a month!

I never made any friends at the gym, and when, on occasion, I asked someone to go with me and exercise, they never showed up.  Exercising alone is like going to church alone–no fun at all.

Desperate Housewife

After the hospital incident, and after a shopping trip that required me to buy a dress in a size 20, I decided to start going to the gym twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  I went faithfully for several weeks, and was not losing weight (I think I lost about 2 pounds).  I was even more depressed.  I could have done that without exercising!

Finally, I approached my aerobics instructor after class, whose name was Mike Carducci, and told him what had happened.  The first thing he said was, “How many times are you coming here a week?”  I said, “Two.”  He said, “Well, you need to come at least 5.”

I ABOUT FAINTED.  Five days a week?
Did he think I was training for the Olympics?

I had never heard of anyone exercising that much!  My husband just went 2 or 3 times per week, and he was in great shape.  I gave him several excuses about why I couldn’t devote that much time to the gym…he replied, unsympathetically, I might add, “Well, what is your priority?”  He said I had to make it my first priority.

His crazy idea that I should devote my life to exercise kept running through my mind for the next few days.  After all, he was fit, muscular, and healthy.   Maybe I should try it…   But I did not like the nursery at that gym, and I didn’t want to put my 2-year-old in there every day…oh, what to do?

The Line in the Sand

A week later, one night when I was particularly depressed, I told my husband that I was going to start going to the gym EVERY NIGHT, even if they had to eat TV dinners for a year!

He said, “We love Swanson!”  He didn’t argue with me one bit.  First, because he did want me to start going, and secondly, because he knew from the look on my face that I was serious.

I had weighed and knew I was approaching 200 pounds, which was my “line in the sand” that I wasn’t going to cross.   So I started “really” exercising.

I was so sore; my body had no idea what was going on.  I could go through the first 30 minutes of class fairly easily; but then I really started getting winded and tired.

I would think, “Surely she is almost finished,” and then the little pencil-thin aerobics instructor would say, “One more time from the top!”  Every time I heard that, every muscle in my  body groaned.  I kept going, though.

I NEVER walked out of a class early, and tried to go every day.  Since I would miss some days because of doctor visits, or my son being sick, I averaged about 5 days a week.  If I could, sometimes I went twice a day.

The Health Food Store

I began to lose weight fairly quickly, but I was literally starving myself.   I went back to my Weight Watchers training and started writing everything down that I ate.  I kept mainly a calorie count rather than exchanges, and stayed between 1000 and 1200 calories per day.

I started trying to learn about health, and went to the health food store one day to buy a diet drink powder.  Several types of those were popular at the time.

I didn’t know what to buy, so I asked the clerk.  She asked me, “How much protein do you want?”  I said, “I don’t know, how much should I have?”  She asked me how much I was exercising, and I told her.  I didn’t even know how protein was measured.  She told me I needed 40 grams a day, minimum, just for proper brain function and tissue health.  So I went home and added another column to my Food Diary, called protein grams.

I was already tracking calories and fat.   By that time, the fat gram had been identified as the demon of the food pyramid.  As far as I know, scientists still didn’t know about “good” fats and “bad” fats yet.  I had not heard of it anyway, so I was diligently keeping any and all fats OUT of my diet.

So over the next few days, as I added up my calorie, fat, and protein totals, I noticed a disturbing fact.  My protein grams were practically non-existent.  One day I would have 10, one 15, and on a high day, 25-30…nowhere near the 40 I needed as a minimum.

What was I eating, you might ask?  “Good” foods, such as milk, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, some veggies, salads, baked potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, and some broiled chicken and fish, but certainly not enough.  I was a carb eater.  Not necessarily BAD carbs, but carbs nonetheless.

So I went back up to the health food store and bought a low-fat protein powder that provided 40 grams of protein per serving.   I made a protein shake every morning in the blender, with water, ice, a little milk, and frozen strawberries.  After only 5 DAYS, I couldn’t believe how I felt !!!  The best way I can describe it is that I felt like my “eyes were open.”  I felt awake!  I’m not saying I was brimming over with energy. . . but I knew I felt VERY different.

Have you ever felt “tired,” and so you went to lie down on the couch to rest for a few minutes, and when you got up, you still felt tired?  I was used to walking around all day long, wanting to go lie down on the couch to “rest,” so I would “feel better.”  At least I thought that would work.  If you lie down on the couch and actually go to sleep, then you probably do need some rest–that is called “sleepy.”  Sleepy is OK, if you need some extra sleep!

12 Months to a New Career

A whole new attitude toward life started at that moment…

Aerobics had become a little easier, mostly because I had lost some weight, and it was easier to move, and jog, and “grapevine,” with a few pounds gone.  I had also developed a friendship with one of the aerobics instructors.  She told me how to exercise, and encouraged me.  I dropped those pounds in front of her eyes, and all of the people in my classes were quite impressed with my efforts.

I lost 10 pounds a month the first few months, and then when I got  closer to my ideal weight, I lost around 5 pounds a month.

And I was no longer starving myself.  I was eating sufficient protein, fruits, and vegetables, taking my vitamins, and feeling better.   After I had lost 60 pounds, and was keeping my weight around 130-135, the aerobics supervisor approached me and asked the strangest question I had ever heard in my life:  “Anita, since you are here every day anyway, why don’t you take this class and learn to be an aerobics instructor?”

After trying to decide whether I should have a fainting spell or die laughing,  I asked, “Well, how hard is it?”  She convinced me that it wasn’t rocket science, and so I decided to try it.   That was the summer of 1997.

I went to the Bally Total Fitness training course, taught by the Supervisor over all 5 Central Florida Bally locations, Leda Metz.  She actually made us memorize the names of all the major muscles!  I didn’t think that was really necessary, just to get in front of the class and call out some marches and grapevines, but I did what she said!

She made us sit with our eyes closed on the floor and raise our hand when the aerobics music started and ended the musical phrases, which were always in sets of 8 and 32.  I got lucky on that one, since I had played 4 instruments in school.

Whew.  At least one thing was easy.  It was quite another thing to be doing one movement, and thinking about what was to follow it, and to actually call it out to the class beforehand.  With some practice, I accomplished that task too.  Several weeks later, I sat with my group of trainees and received a Certificate of Completion, and was hired to work as an aerobic instructor, the week that I turned 35 years old.

I worked at Bally Total Fitness for 3 months, and then went to Miami, Florida, for the AFAA national certification exam.  I passed the test with the highest score in our group, and drove all the way home thinking about the unbelievable changes that had occurred in my life in almost exactly 12 months.

I had gone from being tired, depressed, miserable, and overweight, to fit, energetic, and what most people would call “thin.”

I never felt thin, however.   One of my students put a label on it for me.  She told me that I had what was called a “body image” problem.  Because I was an overweight child, I probably would always see myself (in my mind at least) as “fat.”

Despite that, my low self-image did receive a tremendous boost and I had, possibly for the first time in my entire life, a “normal” level of self-esteem.

The Best Job I’ve Ever Had!

I enjoyed teaching aerobics so much!  I loved the music, the people, and the fact that I only had to work for an hour and then I could go home!

And I was able to bring my son to work with me, so I never had to arrange babysitting.  I knew all of the nursery workers there by name, by that time, and my son David liked going with me to work.

When I started working at Bally Total Fitness in Orlando, Florida, they gave me the easiest classes to teach — Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m.  Mostly seniors and new mothers.  They were a fun group, and I was able to make mistakes (quite a few!) and the class members helped me when I tried to improve.  I was teaching only Low-Impact aerobics.

The Step class teachers needed me to substitute for them from time to time, and so I thought I’d go to a Step class to see how they did it.  Oh my!  I had no idea what they were doing!  I had to hire a fellow instructor, Rebecca, to teach me how!  I paid her $15 a session, and I am sure she thought I was hopeless.  I am NOT naturally coordinated — I can’t hit a ball with a bat, or a racquet; actually, I hate it when flying objects are coming through the air at me.   So I never played many sports!

Did I say many?  I mean ANY.

I had to work on my Step quite a bit, but eventually I was able to teach a simple routine.  Luckily, it was like riding a bike, and within the next year or two, I was teaching Double Step and Advanced Step classes.

During my first year of teaching, the IDEA Convention was held in Orlando, and so I volunteered to be a Staff Assistant for the entire 3 days.  I helped register enrollees, and was a door monitor and helper in the training sessions.  I learned so much that weekend — it took me almost a year to implement all of the ideas I got there.  Later on, Bally held certification training sessions for Power Flex and Resist-a-Ball.  In addition, I volunteered to be a staff assistant at the Sara’s City Workout conventions.

A New Concept — Weightlifting in the Aerobics Room

About 7 or 8 years prior, I had been in an auto accident in front of Wal-Mart and injured my neck.  It was the typical “whiplash” injury (you know the story, doctors say nothing is wrong when they look at the x-rays, and they have very little help to give for the intense pain, except anti-inflammatories and pain pills).

I even tried chiropractic.   I had to learn to live with the frequent headaches  I had when I slept on my right side too long, or carried something that was too heavy.

At that time, a new program called Body Pump had come out of New Zealand, and was taking the aerobics world by storm.  Body Pump brought barbell weightlifting into the aerobics room — where the women were!  Up until that time, I never ventured out into the weight room — where the MEN were.  At that time, no one was talking about osteoporosis and bone density like they are now.

I thought the purpose of weightlifting was to get big muscles!

I wasn’t sure I wanted big muscles; but at that time I was following DeAnn wherever she went.  So when she went to PowerFlex training, I went to PowerFlex training.  It was OK–not as fun as aerobics, but at least a change to keep everyone from getting bored!

After teaching Power Flex for awhile, I noticed that the headaches started to be more infrequent.  After teaching for about 2 years, the headaches were almost gone completely.  I had strengthened not only the muscles in my neck, but all of the muscles around them, and had given my spine muscular support, so that had alleviated some of the cervical stress.

Baby #2

I got pregnant again (no more M&M’s !!), and had a healthy 8 1/2 pound boy in 1999.  I taught aerobics up until the day he was born, and went back to work 3 weeks afterward.

I felt great and lost all of my “baby weight” in a short time.  In addition to helping me maintain weight, the weightlifting was helping strengthen my bones and prevent osteoporosis.

I learned to teach Kickboxing that year, and learned that Kickboxing required a great deal of strength.

Our classes had “real” boxing bags that were hung from the ceiling.  We thought we were amateur “Rocky’s!”  (If you can sing the Rocky theme song by heart, I know how old you are!)

Saving Lives

I had started working at the YMCA, and became acquainted with the YMCA’s philosophy of family fitness, exercise, and recreation.   I really enjoyed working in the Y environment and with the employees there.   The members who came to my classes were fun and interesting–some were in shape, and some were not.

I’ll never forget a “40-something”  man who attended my “Beginning Step” class.  His name was David.  He wasn’t in very good shape, but not overweight, really.  He didn’t move very fast, and I wasn’t sure if he would be able to learn Step!

I invited him to the regular Low-Impact classes, because I thought he might do better in there.  He started coming to Low-Impact, made lots of mistakes, kept trying to learn Step, made a lot more mistakes, and yet he didn’t quit!

I saw him twice a week for about a year.  When I left that job because we had to move, he made a point to talk to me the last night I taught his class.  He said that his cholesterol and blood pressure had come down, and he was so thankful for my encouragement and for helping him learn to do aerobics.  He made all of my efforts worthwhile with just those two simple sentences.

I stayed after class many, many times, telling my story to others, and encouraging them to keep going.  I taught my classes the things that I was learning, as I continued to devour fitness books and magazines.

I taught them the 5 Aspects of Fitness, how to begin their exercise program using the FIT principle, and my personal favorite: how I found the “Key” to keeping my weight off–the “F” word, which is, of course, FREQUENCY.  NOT frequency of eating, frequency of exercise!  I taught them that they didn’t have to exercise hard, and they didn’t have to exercise  long, but they HAD TO exercise FREQUENTLY.

Over the next 5 years, I studied for more certifications, including two in Sports Nutrition.  I have focused on nutrition more than anything in my reading, because of my past history of being overweight, and have found it to be a fascinating field of study.  I share what I learn with my classes whenever I can.

One year in January, I had everyone take a 10-pound weight and roll it up in the front of their t-shirt (in front of their stomach), and then “jog” around the room.  I explained that 10 pounds was an average weight gain for one year for adults over 35.  I asked them if they wanted to weigh 10 pounds more by the next December– and of course, the answer to that question was a resounding “No!”  I explained that they already knew the key to keeping that 10 pounds off–they just needed to keep doing it.

I have stayed after class many times, telling my story, and encouraging the members to keep coming to exercise.  I always have my “BEFORE AND AFTER” photos in my gym bag, and I post them on the bulletin board from time to time.  When we moved to Oklahoma City, I worked at a gym called All-American and they posted a copy of my BEFORE/AFTER photos on the wall.   It always surprised me when people came up to me and asked if that was really ME!

“Is that really YOU?”

Well, it is a little embarrassing at times to admit it, but I am willing to go through the embarrassment if I can let someone know they aren’t the only ones who have dealt with the problem of being overweight.

I was particularly proud when I left All-American, when we moved back to Florida), and many of my students told me that I had motivated them with my attitude and my teaching more than any instructor they had ever had.

My response is that it is just a natural response to try to give back to others what I’ve been given by my aerobics instructors, the personal trainers in the gym, the authors who have written and continue to write such informative health and fitness books and articles, the people who are formulating such superior food products for athletes, and, of course I have to mention, the students in my classes who never fail to forgive my mistakes, strive to be their best, and especially, the ones who ENJOY exercising, and help make it more fun for everyone.

Now, more than 10 years later, I am still doing the same thing — teaching aerobics and encouraging others to GET FIT!

Now that my sons are older,  I am doing personalized Weight Loss Counseling and Training, Wellness Seminars, Corporate Wellness, and Motivational Speaking, so I can continue helping others with their weight loss and fitness efforts!

My weight loss story was included as a “success story” in the latest book by Wake Up Publishers, “Wake Up Moments of Inspiration.”  I am honored to be a co-author with many successful people from all over the world and all walks of life, including Brian Tracy and Dr. Wayne Dyer.

It’s not about me, anymore!  Now it’s all about helping others look and feel great.

What has happened since the MAKEOVER STORY?

Here’s the REST of the story….

How many times have you watched “The Biggest Loser” on TV?
That show doesn’t impress me…even my 3rd grade son could take someone who weighs 300 pounds, clean all the bacon, sausage, and hamburger out of their refrigerator, make them exercise an hour or more per day, and show you that they can lose weight!

Anyone can LOSE weight.
The grand feat, the magna cum laude, the ultimate accomplishment, the coup d’etat, is to KEEP the weight off!

In addition to that, it’s fairly easy to lose the first 10, 20, or 30 pounds. It’s NOT easy to lose the LAST 10-20 POUNDS!  How many people have you heard saying, “I just can’t get this last 10 pounds off!”

That’s where the rubber meets the road.
Exact nutritional guidance and a prescription for exercise are necessary to conquer weight loss plateaus and achieve permanent weight loss.

Where does this guidance come from?
You can hire a personal trainer for $40-$60 an hour.  You can hang out in health food stores.  You can spend hours on the Internet.  You can talk to your doctor (if your doctor looks like Santa Claus himself, go get a new doctor).  You can buy books, or go to the library.  You can follow your aerobics instructor out to her car every day after class (what I did, since I didn’t have the money for a personal trainer!).

In short, go anywhere and everywhere you can to learn what you need to know about diet and exercise.  That’s what I did!  Back in those days, we did not have the Internet, so I’ll have to admit it is far easier today than it was back then.  I found that once I learned that my body works much like a science project (more like a science experiment for me!), then it was much easier to have the “willpower” to eat what I needed to eat in order to get the results I desired.

Even Weight Watchers didn’t teach me what I needed to know.
I learned a LOT at the numerous Weight Watchers meetings I attended, but could never figure out WHY the weight dropped off so slowly and then would creep back on, once I stopped “checking off the boxes” and weighing my food.  I got so tired of weighing chicken breast, I could have thrown that little diet scale through the kitchen window!  But I didn’t know any other way, so I was a revolving-door Weight Watcher member…and fell for every “fad” diet that came along…until I got tired of giving them my hard-earned money and found another way.

I learned to eat like an athlete, not like a bird.
Once I started hanging out in the health food stores, and reading the labels on the food supplements they sold at the gym, I learned about “sports nutrition.”  Wow, what a revelation!  I totally changed my outlook toward food.  In the past, ALL diets focused on “Don’t eat this, don’t eat that.”

Once I reversed that thinking, and started learning that if I didn’t eat enough healthy food, including lots of protein, then my body wouldn’t be able to function correctly—I found that the reason I was “always too tired to exercise” was because I was basically unhealthy and that’s the reason I never had any energy.  One of the main problems wasn’t that I was eating too much, it was that I wasn’t eating enough (of healthy food)!

I was tired of being tired!
Once I started eating right, exercise was not so difficult anymore!  My body finally had the proper nutrition it needed to do its job.  Once I started eating enough protein, I had a startling discovery!  I felt alert! Awake!  Not like jumping-up-and-down energy, but that tired, sluggish, always-wanting-to-take-a-nap feeling was gone forever.

No more diet scales….
I haven’t weighed food in years.  I eat as much as I want, of healthy food that is! Sometimes I overeat!  Sometimes I undereat!  But I try as much as possible to make sure I eat all of the healthy food my body needs, every day!  Usually I go to bed thinking, “I should have eaten more of this or that today, oh well, I’ll try to eat it tomorrow!”  When you are eating the right kinds of foods, cooked correctly, you will never need to “weigh food” or “count points” again!

I’m not  a Super Athlete!
I’m just your normal American mom of two kids.  I never intended to be a super-duper-triathlon-winning athlete.  In fact, I am not athletic at all.  When flying objects come toward my face, rather than hit them with a bat or a racquet, I duck!  I was never good at any sport, and it actually surprised me that I could even do aerobics!  When I started aerobics, in the 1990’s, it was the tail-end of the Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda days.  We did lots of knees, kicks, and grapevines…  Then step aerobics and kickboxing caught on…and yoga and pilates became popular too!

Thanks to Jack LaLanne and his Silver Sneakers program, now our (growing) aging population is exercising to the Big Band tunes of the 40’s in fitness centers all across the country.  All of this has kept Group Fitness (what it is called today) exciting and ever-changing.  No one who joins today’s fitness centers should ever have an excuse to stay home!  There’s always something fun and exciting happening — this has kept me from quitting my exercise program over the years.  It’s never boring, and I love my job!

By the way, how did I ever get hired for the job of Aerobics Instructor? After I had lost all of my weight, my aerobics instructor came up to me one day, and said, “Anita, you’re here every day anyway, why don’t you just work here?”  As much as I was there that year, she was probably surprised that I wasn’t eating and sleeping there as well!

My goal has always been to just “NOT BE FAT!”
I’ve had opportunities to participate in bodybuilding competitions or races, but those activities require the type of discipline that I am not willing to do.  At one point, I was much thinner than I am now, and my gym members pulled me aside and told me that I really looked better a little fatter!  I went home and looked in the mirror and realized they were right — I looked like skin on bones!  Now I stay in the 125-135 pound range, and I’ve been very happy with that size for almost 12 years.  In fact, this has been the only decade in my entire life that I have been a normal weight for the entire ten years!

Yes, I have fat clothes and skinny clothes, just like every other woman in the world!  But mine are only 1 size apart!  I never allow my students to “keep their fat clothes” that are 3 sizes too big–those clothes have to go!  During your weight loss program, realize that not everyone needs to be a size 2.  A body fat analysis will tell you if your body fat percentage is in the healthy range.

Then “You Tube” came along –
I stayed after class at the gym many, many times, teaching my members how to lose weight.  Then “You Tube” came along!  Voila!   I could make one video and it could be shown to thousands!  I love technology!  I put up over 50 videos on You Tube last year and had well over 100,000 views.

I set up a widget on my blog that tracks where my visitors come from, and I have people from all over the world who visit my blog every day — some are from countries with names that I can’t even pronounce!

Many blogs and websites are posting my videos; I tried to count how many one day and I kept losing track of the number, so finally I gave up.  My website name, “video fitness coach” dominates the first 10+ pages of Google.

Fitness is a Journey
I named my first online tele-class “Journey to Fitness,” because of the long road I traveled before finally reaching my destination.  I have now turned it into a “podclass” and in the future, will put the entire 12-part course online and on DVD.

Weight Loss “Top 10″ - The TOP 10 absolutely essential strategies you must know for excellent health and weight loss success!
I received an email from one of my online members from Miami named Sue. She was asking about dieting. I sent an email back to her that had several main guidelines for nutrition and weight loss. Later, when I looked at that email, I realized that I had given her a “TOP 10 LIST” on dieting! Actually there were 11 on the list, but I condensed it down to 10 for the sake of having a catchy name for my new Weight Loss Seminar! (Don’t worry, if you come to my seminar, I’ll squeeze in that 11th point somewhere…!) I will also be teaching “Weight Loss Top 10″ as a podclass online. The registration page is: www.videohealthcoach.com/register.html.

Wake Up, Live the Life You Love
In late 2007, I heard about a book publisher that had put out several best-selling books that were centered around the “Wake Up Moment” theme. Most successful and powerful people say that they have experienced one or more “wake up” moments in their lives. These moments inspired them to change directions or choose another path, which later led to success or achievement. The goal of each Wake Up book is to touch the spirit and change the reader’s life in a positive way through reading the inspirational stories written by their many authors from all walks of life.

My Makeover Story is featured in  “Wake Up Moments of Inspiration,” a  “Wake Up” book that  was released on March 19, 2009.   This book is wonderful for a bedside table—many people love to read a short, inspirational story before going to sleep. Would you like to inspire your employees to improve their health and achieve their personal and professional goals?  “Wake Up Moments” can be purchased in bulk at a reduced price to give as a gift to your employees, or to use as a fundraiser for your charitable organization.

Employee Wellness Programs
I became interested in speaking for Corporate Wellness Programs in 2009.  As a result of the recent political changes in America, it seems almost certain that healthcare costs will start to become shared by everyone.  This means that if your neighbor is overweight and incurs thousands of dollars in medical expenses as a result, then it is likely that you might be paying for it.  Wouldn’t it be wise, then, to encourage your co-workers and employees to improve their health?

Healthy employees are happier and more productive.  They have far less absenteeism and are more alert.  Employers who search for opportunities to provide resources that will encourage their employees to improve their health will more than recover the cost of their investment with lower medical insurance premiums and a more productive workforce.

If you would like to schedule a Wellness Event Speaker at your business, school, or organization, contact me.

I drew the line in the sand…
I remember the day I drew the line in the sand…if I can do it, you can too!   Getting fit and healthy means that you have to give up a few things, whether it’s extra slices of pizza, or not getting to watch your favorite show on TV because you have to go exercise at the gym (don’t tape those shows, you don’t need to be watching TV anyway!)

But what you get in return FAR OUTWEIGHS what you’ve given up….many, many, many times over. The sacrifices can’t even COMPARE with the benefits.  Many new dieters have their eyes focused on everything they “can’t have,” until they finally learn everything they “can have” as a result of losing the weight, that they “couldn’t have” before, when they were overweight.

How about these trade-offs?
A slice of pizza vs. being able to wear a sundress in the summer.
A chunk of cheese vs. being able to shop for clothes in the “normal” sizes.
A hot dog vs. not feeling like you are the biggest one at the party.
A piece of cheesecake vs. being able to wear a swimsuit at the beach, instead of a T-shirt and shorts!
A donut at the gas station vs. being able to fit comfortably into a seat at the movies or on an airplane.
A double cheeseburger vs. being able to go outside and play with your kids.

Don’t you think the benefit FAR OUTWEIGHS the sacrifice?   I do!

By the way, almost all of the foods listed above have lower fat/lower calorie versions that you can eat in place of the full-fat-bad-for-your-heart-and-health originals!  Come to my classes and I’ll let you in on all of my secret underground weight loss tactics!

A little help from a friend…
Sometimes all it takes is a helping hand to lift you up, to set you on the right path, and to give you a little push to start you going in the right direction.  I hope my Journey to Fitness and Video Fitness Coach programs will do that for each person who attends my classes.

Contact Me…
…if you would like to schedule an interview or appearance for your TV show, a radio spot for your morning or evening drive times, or a Wellness Program speaker for your next corporate health and wellness promotion.

Because of my “Wake Up Moment,” I now…

love the life I live!

Your Fitness Coach,

Anita Stone

ADVANCED:  see bottom.

I haven’t made a video if this one yet, but I probably will because it was so much fun!  Send me your variations to it;  if  I  get them in time,  I’ll add them to the video.

(COUNTS are at the beginning of each line, DIVISIONS are between 32’s or 64’s)

8   | single kick — x2
12 | double kick — x2
8   | single knee — x2
12 | double knee — x2
16 | jacks on the floor — x8
8   | basics or mambos — x2
——
24 | turn step 1, single knee 1 — x3
8    | over and back — x2
——
16 | a-step — x4
16 | mambo on the end — x4
——
8   | knee-straddle-knee-exit — x1 (exiting to rear)
16 | triple-knee-straddle-triple-knee-exit — x1 (exiting to rear)

HOW DO I CUT MY APPETITE?

One of the best articles I’ve ever read on what HUNGER and APPETITE actually are!

HUNGER AND EATING DISORDERS
Written by C. George Boeree
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The Biology of Hunger
We usually first become aware of the fact that we are hungry when we feel “hunger pangs,” which are just our stomach contractions. For many people, this is a strong incentive to eat, but it is not, physiologically, the most significant indication of hunger.

More important is the level of glucose (blood sugar) in the blood. Most of the food you eat gets converted to glucose, much of which is converted by the liver into fat for later use. When the levels of glucose are low, the liver sends signals to the hypothalamus - specifically, the lateral hypothalamus - that levels are low. The hypothalamus in turn triggers whatever habits you have accumulated relating to food seeking and consumption.

Another portion of the hypothalamus (the paraventricular hypothalamus) actually tells you more specifically which foods you need, and seems to be responsible for many of our “cravings.”

The feeling that it is time to stop eating is called satiety. Again, the first indicators may be the distension of the stomach and the intestines — that full or even bloated feeling we all know from Thanksgiving dinner.

There is also a certain hormone called CCK (Cholecystokinin) that is released when food begins to move from the stomach to the intestines and that signals the hypothalamus (this time, the ventromedial hypothalamus) that it’s time to stop eating.

And there is a hormone released by the fat cells themselves called leptin that decreases appetite via the hypothalamus.

I’m sure you’ve all talked about one person having a better metabolism than another. Some people just seem to burn calories as quick as they eat them, while others gain weight just by looking at food. This is called the set point hypothesis. It suggests that everyone has a certain metabolic set point, a certain weight that your body is geared towards, which is determined by your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. Different people have different set points, and it is believed that these set points can change depending on a number of factors, including eating patterns and exercise.
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The Psychology of Hunger
Hunger is not, of course, entirely a physical process. For one thing, the cultural and even individually learned preferences and eating habits can make a difference. For example, some of us eat regular meals and rarely snack, while others just nibble throughout the day. Every culture has its collection of foods that are preferred and those that are avoided. Many people like the burned flesh of large herbivores (i.e. a steak); others prefer raw squid; others still prefer to graze on a variety of vegetation….

Our culture and upbringing also provide us with various beliefs and attitudes about food and eating in general, and our personal memories can influence our eating behaviors as well. Some of us grow up with the idea that we should never waste food, for example, and many of us have particular attachments to what are sometimes called “comfort foods.”

Eating is a social thing in human beings and can give one a sense of love and belonging. It has been suggested that for some people, food is a “substitute” for the love they crave. Also, some foods - chocolate and ice cream come to mind - seem to reduce anxiety and stress for many of us.

One of the strongest learning experiences both humans and animals have is called taste aversion: If we get sick soon after eating something, we can develop a instant dislike for that food for the rest of our lives! Children often say they are “allergic” to one food or another when this happens.
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Eating Disorders
As is the case with anything as important as eating, human beings have developed a number of eating disorders. One is called bulimia nervosa, and consists of a pattern of “binging” and “purging” - periods of sometimes extreme overeating followed by periods of vomiting or the use of laxatives.

Bulimics are usually obsessed with maintaining or reducing their weight. They tend to suffer from depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, and poor impulse control. They tend to come from families with a history of emotional problems such as depression, as well as families with obesity problems.

Anorexia nervosa is another eating disorder which involves dieting to the point of starvation. The “rule of thumb” is that you are seriously underweight if you are more than 15% below your ideal weight. Anorexics often use vomiting and laxatives, just like the bulimics. They have an intense fear of being fat and are obsessed with being thin. They often have a distorted body image, meaning that when they look in the mirror, they tend to see someone overweight, when others see them as walking skeletons. Anorexics often come from very competitive, demanding families, and are often perfectionists with a strong need to control all aspects of their lives.

Physiologically, anorexia has been linked to abnormal levels of the neurotransmitter seratonin, which is involved in eating regulation. Twin research suggests that there may be a genetic aspect to anorexia as well.

Most anorexics and bulimics are young women, including from 1 to 4% of high school and college girls. It may be that there are physiological aspects of female adolescence contributing to the problem, but we should note that 10% of teenages with anorexia or bulimia are boys. But a significant root of these disorders is likely social: In our society at this point in history, the standards of beauty tend to emphasize thinness, and women in particular tend to be judged on the basis of beauty, sometimes to the exclusion of all else. Certainly, if you look at many magazines for young women, or advertisement directed at them, you would think that looks are everything, and that fat is the kiss of death for self-worth!

It is interesting to note that, whereas the average American woman is 5 foot 4 inches and weighs 142 pounds, the average model is 5 foot 9 inches and weights 110 pounds. If Barbie, that childhood ideal of feminine beauty, were full size, her figure would read 36-18-33!

It is interesting that cultures with standards of beauty that have more respect for a woman’s personality or other traits, and cultures that appreciate heavier women, have little or no trouble with bulimia or anorexia.

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Obesity

For all the suffering that bulimia and anorexia are responsible for, another eating disorder causes far more: Obesity. The “rule of thumb” is that you are obese if you are more than 35% over your ideal weight. By that standard, about 21% of Americans are obese. Europeans and others with “slimmer” populations shouldn’t gloat too much, however: This tendency is actually world-wide!

Physiologically, obesity is strongly associated with diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some cancers. Psychologically, the toll is great as well, and obesity is associated with depression. Even sociologically, obese people face considerable discrimination, from childhood teasing to denial of employment in adulthood. And unlike other kinds of discrimination, people actually consider obesity the fat person’s own fault!

Genetics is a major cause of obesity, and somewhere between 40 and 70 percent of the variation in body mass seems to be genetic. Our ancestors that passed those genes down to us didn’t get fat, mainly because they didn’t have as much easily available food as we do, and because they had to work harder and walk further to get by.

But learning is also a major factor, including childhood eating patterns and a sedentary lifestyle. Our culture doesn’t help at all, in that our food and snack industry spends billions of dollars every year encouraging us (including children) to eat food filled with sugar and fat. Often the same companies then make billions (33 billion dollars in 1996) selling us weight loss programs and products!

Most people attempt to deal with obesity with dieting. In fact 80% of all American women diet, and 25% of men. 50% of girls below the age of 18 have dieted! Unfortunately, although dieting often works in the short-run and for small amounts, it usually fails in the long-run for the people who are obese.

Dieting is made even more difficult by the way in which “set point” works: When you diet, your body thinks you are starving, and so readjusts your metabolism to be more efficient, thereby causing you to need less food to maintain your body, and making it even more difficult to lose weight. Although you do need to eat more than you burn up to get fat, once you are fat, you don’t have to eat much at all!

Diet and exercise are, of course, the only hope, but the failure rate is so great - over 95% - that doctors usually focus on treating the diseases that result from obesity rather than dealing with the obesity itself. One might want to keep in mind that weight training, which increases muscle mass, helps: Muscles use up more calories even in a resting state than other tissues. There is also some hope for the future in medical research, including research on the effects of leptin and possible genetic interventions.

TO READ ABOUT MY METHOD TO COMBAT APPETITE ONCE AND FOR ALL, join Video Fitness Coach today! CLICK HERE

© Copyright 2003, 2009, C. George Boeree

Answer: Good health is something we take for granted—until we start to lose it. When our health takes a downturn, we quickly begin to question our habits and diet. God has designed the human body so that it is a finely-tuned instrument that is the most resilient on earth. It can endure fractures and adhesions, constant pain and great stretches of tedium.

However, it is a fragile instrument because it is not built to handle excess, whether in the form of nourishment, fuel or additives. Unlike machines, it chokes on poisons when ingested in unending doses and mistaken for fuel. Though it has moving, feeling and thinking parts. they can be misused. God has provided us with an “owner’s manual” that tells us how to operate the human body. That manual is the Bible, a book that contains instructions for proper maintenance. Although it isn’t a medical text, it is God’s Word, and in its pages He reveals many basic principles for good physical, mental, and spiritual health.

A major part of the Bible’s health instruction dates back to the time of Moses. Yet in our day, many researchers and medical doctors are stunned at the accuracy and effectiveness of its many provisions. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia tells us that the laws given by God to Moses contain remarkable rules pertaining to public health which concerns us even today: water and food contamination, sewage disposal, infectious diseases and health education. These issues were all dealt with in the Mosaic health laws.

The Bible gives us the foundational key to physical and mental health. That key is simply this: “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity . . . This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:1-2, 8). It should not surprise us that obedience to God’s commandments and other laws would promote health. When we obey them, we operate in accordance with His instructions. As our Creator, He knows what’s best for us: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Some biblical statements about health are specific, such as: “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). The ancient Egyptians suffered from the kinds of diseases that have ravaged mankind throughout history. Autopsies on Egyptian mummies have revealed evidence of cancer, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, tuberculosis, gallstones, bladder stones, parasitic diseases and smallpox. They suffered many diseases because they did not understand the health principles God gave to Moses.

The biblical instructions regarding health, maintenance, and recovery from illness involve application of cause-and-effect principles—based on true science—that were given thousands of years before scientists developed the technology that enabled them to discover germs, bacteria, viruses, genes and the like. Modern medical science has discovered many principles of good health, but they originated with God who designed and created the miracle that is the human body.

What the Bible says about health is that those who follow God will generally be healthy. That does not necessarily mean that those who don’t follow God will always be sick. Nor does it mean that God’s people will be absolutely free of disease. The Bible says: “I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 1:2). Obviously, God is more interested in our spiritual health than our physical well-being, but He does want us to be physically healthy as well. On the other hand, disease is a result of Adam’s sin, and even the most righteous may suffer. After all, Job was righteous, but God allowed him to suffer disease and hardship.

It was not until the modern era that men obtained detailed knowledge of human physiology and medicine. Yet the Creator God, who is sometimes called the Great Physician, knows everything about us and He’s provided the necessary keys to good health.

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