A Weight Lifted

Binge Eating & the College Woman

All binge eaters struggle with their weight, right? Wrong.

Studies show many binge eating college students appear to be at a healthy weight. So how do we know if we – or our college age daughters (and sons) – struggle with binge eating? And why do we care if it doesn’t make us fat? Our FitBriefing this month “Binge Eating & the College Woman” answers that question and more.

A brief excerpt:

Very different from the occasional overeating episode, which is part of normal eating, binge eating has psychological consequences also. People with binge eating disorder may also become depressed; research shows they report more problems with stress, trouble sleeping and more suicidal thoughts than people without eating disorders. Binge eaters often feel badly about themselves and isolate themselves to binge eat, missing work, school and social activities.

If you suspect you are a binge eater, or your daughter (or son) is one, seek help. It's not always about weight loss and it's not a problem to be ignored.

Disordered Eating: The "New" Epidemic

Several years ago I was on a media tour in New York, visiting various women's magazine editors in an attempt to get them to think about publishing different kinds of stories on eating and weight loss and weight loss programs. My focus: That women (and increasingly men) were suffering from disordered eating -- too much focus on calories, fat grams, weight loss, even 'healthy' choices. The response I remember from one prominent magazine in particular was that the term 'disordered eating' was too 'scary,' that it was even too sensational for magazines (imagine that!).

So imagine my relief that they have finally jumped on board (although I do admit a bit of exasperation that they didn't even talk to me in putting together their story on the issue!). Self magazine recently published the results of survey that showed '65 percent of American women are disordered eaters." MSNBC published this story on the survey:

The disorder next door: Alarming eating habits

SELF poll reveals 65 percent of American women are disordered eaters

By Tula Karras, SELF

SELF's groundbreaking survey reveals that more than six in 10 women are disordered eaters. Another one in 10 has an eating disorder. Find out if you're at risk and how to get healthier, starting today:

Michelle Marsh, 32, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, seems like the perfect dieter. If you ran into the 5-foot-1-inch, 103-pound marketing specialist checking food labels for calories in the supermarket or powering through one of her seven weekly workouts, you'd envy her ability to control her intake and burn off any excess, too. But Marsh, who had her first baby nine months ago and is now below her prepregnancy weight ("I'm the tiniest I've ever been!" she says), could be the poster girl for an unrecognized epidemic among women: disordered eating.

No, she doesn't starve herself to an unnatural weight (like anorexics) or throw up daily (like some bulimics), but she doesn't seem to have a healthy relationship with food or her body, either. "I spend about half my time thinking about food and meal planning," she says, although her meals don't require much planning — she usually restricts herself to the same foods every day (oatmeal, brown rice and two small corn tortillas with chicken and a sweet potato). "I weigh myself every morning, and if the scale goes up a pound, I exercise more. If I gained 5 pounds, I'd be very upset."

To read the rest of the story, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24295957/. They even have tips at the end of the story for moving away from disordered eating and achieving healthy weight loss, if it's in your cards. The tips echo what we've been saying at Green Mountain at Fox Run for years. It's nice to know they've gone mainstream.

Overcome Self-Doubt to Build Self Esteem

My daughter first looked at me strangely when I mentioned to her that her "I feel fat" thoughts really weren't about her body. I explained that fat is not a feeling; instead, when we think we feel fat, we're usually distracting ourselves from something else that's bothering us. For many of us, negative body image often has to do with feelings of insecurity -- we're worrying about how we're falling short in some area.

To the rescue: Tips from one of my favorite e-letters -- that from Annette Colby. She recommends we try the following tips when fears and self-doubt threaten to overwhelm us.

1. Awareness Recognize the fear and doubt within you. The first step to overcoming doubt is to be willing to face the situation. By being honest and admitting that you have doubts can you seek alternatives.

2. Acceptance
Understand that it is all right to have doubt. What matters most is that you love yourself enough to overcome your doubt by taking calculated risks.

3. Explore Your Fears
Take out a piece of paper and write down a list of your fears. Explore your doubt, examine your fear, and look at the areas in your life where they get the upper hand.

4. Examine Your Excuses
Write down your reasons for not pursuing a personal challenge or moving forward on something important to you

5. Say Good Bye
Write a goodbye letter to your doubt, then bury it, burn it, or release it in some other creative way.

6. Mirror Mirror On the Wall
When your doubt pops up, go to the mirror and talk to yourself. Positive talk isn’t the entire answer, but without we haven’t got a chance of success. People are more successful when they talk to themselves in a reassuring, compassionate, and loving way.

7. Build Self-Esteem
Keep reminding yourself that you are valuable, that you have worth, and that your life matters.

8. Take Positive Action
Take positive action in the direction of your dreams. You can put doubt in it’s place when you take action on the activities and goals that are most important to you.

9. What's the Best that Could Happen
Imagine the best possible outcome. Practice allowing yourself to envision yourself being the person you want to be.

10. Take Care of Yourself
Take some action every day that allows you to feel better about yourself.

No matter what self-doubt is blocking our way to -- whether it be successful weight loss or going after our dream job -- these tips can help us move forward. The bottom line is believing in ourselves because our minds are the most powerful tool we have to help us achieve our dreams.

Meditation for Healthy Living & Healthy Eating

I recently began meditating as a way to help myself move forward in life, to find what I want to do with the rest of my life and get out of the rut that I felt myself in. So on the vacation that I just returned from, it was good that my two girlfriends were as interested in meditation as I was. We took time each morning we were in Sicily to spend time focused inward. I do believe it made our time there more fun, as I certainly felt calmer and more able to deal with the anxiety of navigating a country in which I do not speak the language -- and not many of the folks there speak English that well.

We've talked about the value of meditation before on this blog and covered it in length in an article on mindfulness in meditation Here's how we describe the value of meditation:

The practice of meditation is about relaxing in order to focus: a daily session in which we intentionally focus our minds on something, such as our breath or a word. When the mind inevitably strays to a thought or emotion, we bring our attention back to the chosen focus. By letting thoughts and feelings pass without judging them, most regular meditators describe feeling more relaxed, less anxious and therefore less disturbed by negative thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

Meditation can also help us with eating struggles, such as binge eating, eating to manage type 2 diabetes, or just plain eating well. To wit:

Meditation can be very useful for people who struggle with eating. The relaxed, upright posture produces a calmer, more balanced emotional state. Watching the mind, being aware of thoughts, feelings and sensations, and bringing the mind back to a focus gradually trains us to be a “witness” rather than “victim” of our own states. Every time we bring the mind back to the focus, it is like exercising a muscle in the gym—the ability to let go of disturbances and focus the mind grows stronger. Gradually, we recognize that thoughts and feelings are temporary experiences, arising and falling away like waves in the ocean.

I try to spend about 20 minutes a day meditating, but shorter or longer periods are useful, too. That's just the amount of time that seems to work for me. And now -- excuse me -- I need to go meditate. I've got a lot of catching up to do after being gone for two weeks, and meditation will help me approach what seems like an overwhelming amount to do in a more relaxed fashion.

Ciao for now!

Celebrating Mom

Good grief, it's April! Before you know it, it will be Mother's Day. At my house, mother's day is celebrated by allowing mom to relax and refrain from her motherly duties for a day, accompanied by breakfast in bed and a fresh flower or two lovingly placed on a tray. Aww...

But what about the rest of the year? Why not spread the love all month long?

Green Mountain at Fox Run invites you to join them for their 5th annual Mother/Daughter/Sister Program beginning May 1st. Think about celebrating your mom, your daughter or sister by celebrating your journey to good health.

• Discover familial, historical and cultural influences that affect how we as women feel about our bodies and, therefore, how we take care of them. The mother-daughter relationship is the earliest and most significant influence.

• Explore more deeply the complex ways in which food and body shape/size impact women of all ages today.

• If you're the mother of a college-age daughter who struggles with eating and eating disorders, you can learn how to be supportive, to make a big difference for your daughter who is under much more pressure to ‘be thin' for today's standards of beauty.

• Enjoy adventures together – just like you used to. Hike forested New England trails, or try Pilates or yoga for the very first time.

• Learn new ways to take care of yourself and each other. At the end of the day, pamper yourself with any assortment of spa treatments.

Enrollment is limited. For more information, call (800) 448-8106 or (802) - M-F, 9am-5pm EST. Or register online to reserve your spot now. Make sure to mention Mother-Daughter Month in the ‘Special Comments’ section.

Tags: Mother's Day , healthy eating , healthy lifestyles , body image .

Triggers for Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is something we all engage in from time to time. For example, it's normal to celebrate with food, and sometimes nothing is more comforting than food. Still, it can get the best of us if we turn to food too often.

Annette Colby, PhD, nutritionist, therapist and author of several helpful books that look at issues such as emotional eating, lists the top 10 emotions we turn to food to help us with:

1. Feeling disempowered to change your life
2. Feeling overwhelmed or trapped and not knowing how to move forward
3. Unresolved stress and anxiety
4. Perfectionist attitudes or fear of making mistakes or failing
5. Loneliness or Boredom
6. Having a sense of insecurity
7. Feeling undeserving of the abundance and pleasure life has to offer
8. Low self-esteem or poor self-image
9. Eating to hide an emptiness inside
10. A sense of feeling deprived caused by dieting or "being good" with food

Lists like these are useful because it can be hard to figure out what's driving emotional eating sometimes. But that's the first step in overcoming emotional eating -- becoming aware of why we're doing it. Only then can we come up with strategies that will truly help us.

Check out Annette's site and her books for more useful information on emotional eating and other issues that get in the way of our being the best we can be. Check out our Green Mountain site, too, for articles we've written on emotional eating that offer specific strategies for a myriad of reasons we emotionally eat.

A Time of Change

Spring is a glorious time of year, especially here in the Northeast where we've been buried under snow for months (or if it's been a snowless winter, the brown landscape gets pretty dreary). Spring represents change at its best -- a time of growth, a time of awakening, a time to celebrate.

Many of us don't look at change that way in our personal lives, however. We may actively resist it, instead of seeking out the positive aspects of change. My favorite self-help website, Daily OM, describes the benefits of change this way:

It is only through change that we are able to grow. Transformation takes you out of your comfort zone so you can evolve. A change will always bring new experiences and add different elements to your life. In the midst of change, we learn how to handle a fresh set of variables. As we adapt, we assimilate this change into our beings; we have already grown when we become more than we were just a moment before. When you allow change to happen naturally today, any plans you make will be able to evolve organically so that you can realize your dreams.

Women who come to Green Mountain are seeking change -- change in how they eat to adopt healthy eating, how they move their bodies to start to enjoy exercise, how they think about themselves to improve body image and how they view the world around them. They may not realize the seek change in all these areas, but all these areas generally get touched upon in the journey to taking better care of ourselves.

Change is not always a smooth course to the finish. Witness snowstorms in April -- we've even seen snow in June in these parts! But one thing is true about Spring -- it's persistent. It's there regardless of the form it takes, and it leads the way to sunnier times.

Of course, lifestyle change is the same. It can get pretty bumpy. But staying positive, and keeping our eye on the goal can keep us going. Try this affirmation: I embrace the change that is inevitable in my life, to find the positive and continue to grow into the person I want to be.

Loving Our Bodies for Healthy Weight Loss Success

In this week after Valentine's Day, the topic of loving our bodies seems appropriate. Our last FitBriefing, Loving Our Bodies for Healthy Weight Loss Success, presents a good review of just how important this attitude is, even though it's very difficult for many of us to embrace.

The bottom line is that our attitudes/thoughts dictate our behaviors. To quote the FitBriefing:

"...how we think about ourselves and our body image has a decisive impact on our behaviors. For example,

When we’re negative about ourselves, we’re less likely to feed ourselves well.
We rarely have the motivation or energy to get off the couch (or out of bed) and move to make our bodies feel better.
If we’re emotional eaters, negative thinking about ourselves can be a trigger to eat when we’re not hungry, or even binge.
Bingeing and isolating ourselves can represent forms of self-punishment that make us feel even more discouraged and depressed."

Mimi and Teri, our behaviorists at Green Mountain, recently attended a conference at which much of the discussion centered around the significant effect our thinking has on who we become. Neural pathways get established with repeated thoughts, and those repeated thoughts become habits that dictate our behaviors.

The first step in changing thoughts and behaviors is to become aware of them. Because our habit of disliking our bodies can be so established, we don't even notice when we disparage ourselves. The attitudes of mindfulness go a long way towards helping us become aware.

If you're caught up in not liking your body, read the complete FitBriefing "Loving our Bodies." It has some useful techniques for starting to change these thoughts and, ultimately, even move towards a healthier place that may find us actually liking our bodies. Positive thoughts can work just like negative ones, by taking us to the places we're thinking about!

An Apple A Day Shouldn't Keep Your Doctor Away

I went to see a new doctor last week and it got me thinking about a post I wrote a couple years ago about women, body image and health care.

It's true - getting naked in front of someone who doesn't know a thing about you sucks. Yeah, your doctor may have seen it all before, but does that really matter when it's your naked body sitting there? Your aches and pains, your bumps and scars and all the history that goes along with it. It is not the most pleasant way one can spend a sunny Friday afternoon - that much I do know.

We’ve known for quite some time from our own experience speaking with women over the last 35 years, that missing regularly scheduled doctor visits and yearly Mammogram and Pap smear appointments can be a residual effect of being over weight.

Here’s an excerpt, from an article that I posted a couple years ago - I thought it was worth posting again:

Obese Women Less Likely To Be Screened For Cancer
By Amy Norton - Tue May 8, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are extremely obese are less likely than thinner women to undergo screening for breast and cervical cancer, according to a new study. Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that severely obese women were about half as likely as normal-weight women to be up-to-date with their mammograms and Pap tests.

"We are currently conducting focus groups with women and interviews with physicians to determine what can be done to help improve cancer screening among severely obese women," said lead study author Dr. Jeanne M. Ferrante, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. - SOURCE: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, June 2007.

It's not clear why severely obese women are less likely to be compliant with these guidelines. But the study found no evidence that their doctors were lax in recommending the screening tests. It will be important to figure out why, since obesity has been linked to higher risks of breast and cervical cancers, the study authors point out.

Here are just a few of the reasons we’ve heard over the years, which might help to identify why women who are considered ‘severely obese’ find it intimidating to visit their doctors, in general:

1. No one relishes the idea of being scolded for being fat. It is likely they will be told they are unhealthy, if not on death’s door.

2. Feeling humiliated. Many medical tests are not conducive to very obese women. Mammograms and/or PAP smears are not fun for anyone – imagine if your test was not set up for someone with your body type and was made much more challenging.

3. Women who have not followed the advice of their physicians (getting annual testing, etc), may be suffering tremendous guilt (piled on to the guilt of being fat in the first place), compounded with fear about their health.

4. It’s never fun to be naked in front of strangers, but if you have serious issues with body image (you don’t have to be severely obese to fall into this category), the prospect of exposing yourself in a gynecologist’s office can be intimidating, even frightening.

5. Getting weighed. Any women who struggle with their weight – particularly those who are significantly over fat do not know how much they weigh and do not want to know.

6. Denial and fear.

7. Many women have negative experiences at their doctor’s office.

I’m sure there are many other reasons why women find it hard to follow up with very important screenings each year. Let’s hope physicians can work to discover what they can do to make their offices more welcoming and the experience as comfortable and safe as possible, because these check ups are vital for every woman.

Tags: PAP Smear , mammogram , healthy lifestyles , body image .

Weighing In for Healthy Weight Loss?

According to an article in last Sunday’s Parade magazine, the first step in losing weight is to buy a scale. The article cites a Brown University study that showed daily weigh-ins are key to weight loss. I looked up the study and see that it really says daily weigh-ins helped their study participants keep lost weight off. Either way, though, I beg to disagree with the advice.

One of my colleagues said it best when she noted that daily weighing is essentially a way to trigger obsessive thinking about weight. And that it’s a surefire way to give yourself the eating disorder experience. People with eating disorders generally maintain weight loss pretty easily. The discussion then went to the fact that people don’t really understand that disordered eating is more than starving or throwing up. It encompasses a whole realm of chaotic behaviors around food and body that do not support well-being, indeed detract mightily from it.

Another colleague suggested that if you’re thinking about weighing, whether it be daily, weekly, monthly or whenever, ask yourself how it affects you. Does it change your mood? Does it consistently make you feel positive? For most of us, likely not.

I compare weighing to the store window that we walk by, and when we’re not feeling good about our bodies, see our reflection and fall into despair. I’d wager that many of us feel that way when we get on the scale. The last thing that we feel like doing when we don’t like the number on the scale is to feed ourselves well or go have some fun physical activity. Instead, it often triggers a downward spiral of emotional eating that ends with depression.

We don’t really need a number to tell us whether we’re at a healthy weight that feels right for us. Instead of weighing, why not keep track of our healthy behaviors such as healthy eating and physical activity, and if we need to, even keep a journal that tracks our eating and physical activity so we can objectively see how well we are doing (important point: this isn’t in order to judge ourselves if we don’t eat well or be active one day; it’s just to see our overall patterns better). When we establish healthy behaviors that become our pattern over time, our weight will reach a happy, healthy place for each of us. And it will feel great getting there.

Tags: healthy eating , weight loss , weighing in , weight loss scale

Love Your Body and Get Naked!

So, is Carson Kressley’s new show "How To Look Good Naked", a marketing gimmick or for real? I’m not really sure; it’s so hard not to be jaded these days. But, even if it is, I have to give Lifetime and him kudos’ for attempting to put the spot light on self love, positive body image and self esteem.

I watched 2 episodes this weekend and I’ll admit both were touching. Am I sappy? Yeah, what can I say? That being said, I realized one thing, I still have trouble getting in front of a mirror in my underwear and taking a good long look - much less getting naked.

Carson is somehow successful persuading women of all sizes and shapes to look at themselves, some for the first time, with a new perspective. He points out all the beautiful things about thier bodies, and gets them to accept that this is who they are - where they are - and it's ok. He then takes them through a process where at the end of the show he talks them into being photographed naked (tastefully) and then puts them up on a bill board in Time Square. Yep, he does.

I’m not sure what all this proves, except to bring attention to women, their bodies and the fact that you can look beautiful and feel beautiful at any size.

Learning to love your body is a process. And for some of us, not an easy one at that. But, as Kressley espouses on the show, once you can get in front of a camera naked and feel beautiful and sexy – the rest should be a piece of cake, right?

So, check it out. And then get naked!

Tags: positive self-esteem , health at any size , healthy lifestyles , body image .

Resolutions for a Healthy New Year

If you know us at Green Mountain, you know we're not into the usual New Year's Resolutions. They just too full of the old way of looking at healthy living, healthy eating, healthy weights, taking care of ourselves. Actually, the old way is not about those things really at all; it's more about diets. Consider this ditty we posted previously in a FitBriefing that best describes how we encourage looking at the coming year.

Important: Read through to the 'after' part or you'll get the wrong message!

Before

‘Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house,
nothing would fit me, not even a blouse!

The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste
at the holiday parties have gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales, there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber)

I’d remember the marvelous meals I’d prepared,
the gravies and sauces, and beef nicely rared,
the wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese,
and the way I’d never said, “No thank you, please.”

As I dressed myself, in my husband’s old shirt,
and prepared once again to do battle with dirt,
I said to myself, as only I can,
“You can spend the winter disguised as a man!”

So away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruitcake, every cracker and chip!
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
‘til all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick.
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot biscuits, or cornbread, or pie;
I’ll munch on a carrot, and quietly cry!

I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore –
but isn’t that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot,
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good DIET!!!!!!!!!

After

Hey, what am I thinking? That's really old hat!
A 'dieting' mind-set will just make me fat.

So away with restriction! I'll eat what I want.
I'll start when I'm hungry and stop when I'm not.

May all my friends join me in this state of mind.
For then we'll be happy,creative,and kind.

Wishing a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Tags: healthy eating , healthy weights , New Years resolutions , diet

Try a Little Self Confidence for Happy Holidays

Many of us who struggle with negative body image dread the days that are upon us. All the holiday gatherings mean finding clothes to wear, seeing people (relatives!) whom we haven't seen for a while perhaps, facing down tables laden with food we often feel a bit fearful of. But it doesn't have to be this way. If we begin the season thinking about ourselves differently, it can make a world of difference in how we enjoy them.

An e-letter arrived this week from one of my favorite sites, Daily OM, that talked about self confidence and how we compare ourselves to others. And, of course, that's what goes on when, while we're feeling bad about ourselves, we walk into a room full of people whom we think are thinner, more successful, happier, etc., than we are. The bottom line according to the article: What we think we see in others is usually what they want us to see. If we looked more closely, we'd see they have imperfections, too. They're human. The article calls the imperfections "glorious" and say they make us who we are. It also encourages us to appreciate our imperfections as our uniqueness, and notes that if we're too busy comparing ourselves to others, we really can't see what makes us unique.

Read the article yourself to get the full force of what they are saying. They do a much better job than what I did above. Then go out there and have a wonderful, happy and healthy holiday season!

Tags: healthy holiday , self confidence , body image , positive thinking

Requiem for a Fad Diet Author

I just learned that the author of the Beverly Hills Diet died a few days ago. There's nothing in particular I have to say about this, or the diet, that wasn't brilliantly summed up in a post on diet blog. Briefly, the post talks about formulas for these types of books: pseudo-scientific theories, celebrity testimonials, a sexy title named after a city, and a dose (large) of insecurity about being larger than the societal ideal.

The big question for me is why we keep falling for fad diet schemes like this? It does seem easy to follow the rules of these diets, which are so restrictive; we don't have to think about the choices we're making. But for the most part, we know any weight loss we achieve isn't lasting, or for that matter, healthy.

Whether we're trying to lose weight to improve our health, such as following a type 2 diabetes program, or whether we just want to fit into a pair of skinny jeans, the only answer is changing our lifestyle if it's unhealthy, or changing our minds if we're not genetically destined to fit into skinny jeans. And taking a step back, I keep asking whether research clearly links problems like type 2 diabetes with weight, or is it linked with the behaviors that lead to more weight than is good for us? I keep getting equivocal answers about this, according to whom I ask, which makes me suspect that the latter is the case. And if that's true, fad diets are the last thing that are going to help. All they do is focus on the weight, and for many people, end up creating disordered eating behaviors that plague us in our efforts to get and stay healthy.

Here's one way to implement that healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating behaviors: Go trick or treating with the kids tonight -- taking those long walks through local streets. If you feel like eating a piece of candy or two, go for it. Bingeing on the candy obviously isn't normal eating...it's just one example of the disordered eating that diets like The Beverly Hills Diet has driven many of us to.

Tags: fad diets , Beverly Hills Diet , normal eating , type 2 diabetes program

Healthy Eating or Disordered Eating in Teens?

We get a lot of questions from our participants at Green Mountain at Fox Run about how to help their children avoid eating and weight problems. It's a good question. "Since the 1980s, disordered eating has become so common that it affects the majority of adolescent girls," according to Marcia Herrin, EdD, an eating disorders specialist who has updated her book The Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders: Supporting Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating & Positive Body Image at Home. It's affecting boys much more commonly, too.

As someone who struggled with disordered eating and eating disorders earlier in my life, I was intent on making sure my two children (girl and boy) didn't follow in my footsteps. I don't think they have, but it's been a challenge even with my professional understanding to help them develop healthy attitudes about food, exercise, their weights, their appearance. Our society is just too distorted about these subjects.

I found Marcia's book a good review of how to help our children avoid, or recover from, disordered eating and eating disorders. It's not easy to keep them healthy on this subject...but it's well worth the effort.

Tags: healthy eating , eating disorders , disordered eating , Marcia Herrin

Building Self Esteem for Healthy Weight Loss

What are you looking for -- a healthy weight loss program to lose the weight that's driven you nuts for too long? Or do you seek a type 2 diabetes program because your doctor has told you to lose weight to better manage your diabetes? Or do you have PCOS and want to lose weight to help that problem? Clearly, there are a myriad of reasons people seek a weight loss program. But how often do we think about starting the process by just working on our self esteem? We've seen over and over again that thinking positively about ourselves is critical to making the kind of permanent changes that will lead to healthy lives, whether we ever reach the (often unrealistic) weight loss goals we have in our minds.

Here's my contribution to building our self esteem for the day. Have you seen the youtube video Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)? If you haven't, check it out. Talk about feel good!

Have a great and positive day!

Tags: diabetes education program , healthy weight loss program , PCOS , healthy weight loss

Body Image: Daisy Fuentes Promotes Positive Body Image in the Media

Yesterday, on Geraldo at Large, actress/model Daisy Fuentes shared with the Fox News talk show host her new focus in life: positive body image.  Fuentes told Geraldo that she was saddened by how - she believes - losing weight has become more about a competition between women than looking attractive to the opposite sex. Most of the men that I've spoken to, continues Fuentes, are not attracted to extremely thin women anyway.

She also graces the cover of the September issue of Fitness Magazine as their first Mind, Body Spirit 'Superstar' - to help bring awareness and change to women's health causes, including healthy weight loss and body image.

Fitness: Do you think our society has an obsession with thinness?
Daisy: Yeah. There was a time when I was caught up in it too. I had to stop myself from saying, “I’m fat.” It’s not good for your self-esteem, and it’s not good for the people around you. I see moms with little girls who say, “I’m fat. I can’t eat that.” We need to stop doing that. We have to set an example for younger girls.

Fuentes goes on to say that she is a "big supporter of charities that boost girls’ self-esteem," especially  Girls on the Run, a group that "helps preteens develop healthy lifestyles through running" (one of Daisy's favorite forms of exercise).

Daisy Fuentes also doesn't believe in diets.  For example, to prepare for the Fitness Magazine cover photo shoot, Daisy said she 'didn't obsess about calories,' and 'just made sure all the basic food groups' were a part of her healthy eating lifestyle in addition to circuit training.

"I try to make healthy choices...I've learned to eat just until I’m satisfied," says Fuentes.

She goes on to talk about the effect of the pressure to be thin on Latinos in particular.  In her interview in Fitness magazine, Feuntes discusses the conflict many Hispanic women feel about their natural - and sometimes more 'curvier' - body shape.

"There’s a part of you that really wants to embrace your curves, then there’s society saying no one likes curves. It takes someone as confident as Jennifer Lopez to turn a body part that’s often considered a flaw into something hot. The lesson?" says Fuentes. "Stop listening to society and focus on yourself. "

When asked what the future might bring for Hispanic women, Fuentes says that she sees a 'multicultural celebration of body image' going on and that she's happy 'that we're all starting to see how beauty shines through no matter what you look like.'

By Laura Brooks

Tags: healthy eating, positive body image, healthy weight loss, Daisy Fuentes

Body Image: Seventeen Magazine To Introduce 'Body Peace Treaty'

When I think back to my youth, I realize that a lot of my body dissatisfaction began in adolescence (if not earlier).  I remember leafing through magazines and feeling depressed at how fat I thought I was compared to the models or featured celebrities, and I know I'm not alone in this reaction.

In fact, over the years, many studies have been conducted to gauge the effect of the media on impressionable young girls. In a 2004 study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing called "Adolescents' perceptions of popular teen magazines" concluded that that teen magazines send the message of perfection 'by portraying models with perfect eyes, teeth and bodies.'

The magazines provide ideals of thinness which are presented in a seemingly attainable fashion. Participants stated that magazines suggest that adolescent women need male attention for protection and companionship, in order to achieve fulfillment. Being healthy or whole seemed to be dependent on the adolescent reader embracing and becoming the ideals portrayed in teen magazines.  (Abstract from Blackwell Synergy)

Although it seems to be a no-brainer that being bombarded with images of perfect beauty and thinness contribute to girls' negative body images, studies such as these may be finally prompting some teen magazines to start becoming part of the solution.

Seventeen Magazine's new 'girl' as of January 2007, Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket, may be a refreshing new influence.  Shoket, who posts daily on 'Ann's Blog', is launching a 'Body Peace Treaty' aimed to encourage teen girls to make peace with their bodies.  On a recent entertainment news segment, Shoket said that it was probably too much to ask girls to 'love their bodies', but that she hope the treaty will help girls to stem their self-criticism.

The idea for the Body Peace Treaty came to Shoket who overheard a conversation by two teens trying on jeans dressing room.  "'They make my butt look big'," Shoket overheard one girl lament. "It was such a heartbreak for me." The treaty, which will be online and in print, asks girls to vow not to obsess over their body shape, but rather "respect it for what it can do, treat it well and feed it well."

Shoket hopes to get a million girls to sign the treaty.  However, it remains to be seen if this new approach really have any positive effect on teen girls' body image or ends up just being cosmetic good will gesture.   The inherent problem of introducing such a treaty is that it does little to counteract the overall emphasis on beauty standards. For instance, Shoket doesn't say that the magazine will balance images of 'perfect' models with more realistic portrayals of women. And, notably, the August issue of Seventeen Magazine features an article on "The Best Jeans for Your Butt—And Budget!" Will articles such as these help those teens from the dressing room to stop obsessing about their bodies? Even if the treaty is a step in the right direction, a consistent message of body acceptance in both print and pictures is probably the only way to make a real - and lasting - difference.

By Laura Brooks

Tags: body image, negative body image, body peace treaty, Ann Shoket

Body Image: Model Health Inquiry Says Girls Under 16 'Should Not Model'

It has always been irksome (at the very least) how designers and modeling agencies try to pass off teenie boppers as adult women in advertisements and on the runway. Frankly, I don't care what cosmetic product or outfit is being pushed, telling adult women that they could or should look as slim and young as 14 year old is insulting and potentially damaging to their body image.

Furthermore, it is disconcerting to see emaciated adolescents made up in tons of makeup and sexy adult outfits. Just look at this picture of Lily Cole, who was a runway model at the age of 14. A little creepy, no?

This past spring, in response to concerns about the age and health of models on the catwalks at London Fashion Week, The Model Health Inquiry was established by the British Fashion Council (BFC). The probe was launched after controversy over the number of models aspiring to the U.S. size zero — the equivalent of a UK size four. The trend appears to have begun with celebrities such as Nicole Richie dieting down to the super-thin size.

What are initial results of the inquiry? Among other recommendations, the panel experts have advised organizers of London Fashion Week that girls under 16 should be banned from the catwalks.

It was "profoundly inappropriate" that young girls should be portrayed as adult women, said Panel chairwoman Baroness Kingsmill. "The risk of sexualising these children was high and designers could risk charges of sexual exploitation."

The panel of experts also called for greater protection for 17 and 18-year olds and strongly suggests that a union in the profession be created to bring oversight to the industry.

"During our investigations," reported Baroness Kingsmill, "members of the panel became increasingly concerned as we heard more details about the working conditions faced by many models and the vulnerability of young women working in an unregulated and scarcely-monitored work environment."

Startling Medical Evidence

A rigorous scientific study into the prevalence of eating disorders among fashion models has also been recommended by the panel. They had heard evidence that around 40 percent of models could have anorexia, bulimia or other food-related problems.

Baroness Kingsmill, the panel chairwoman, said that the inquiry heard from many models who described the fear of not being selected for work because they were not thin enough.

“We have been given startling medical evidence about the prevalence and impact of eating disorders in certain high-risk industries," said Baroness Kingsmill.

However, it was determined that the weighing all models is not a viable control, because this method has been considered ineffective in other countries and may even be counter-productive. An alternate approach, which is still being looked into, is whether models' Body Mass Index (BMI), or height/weight ratio, should be checked before they are employed. This approach has already been adopted by Madrid fashion week.

The members of the Model Health Inquiry panel include the fashion designers Betty Jackson and Giles Deacon, and Erin O’Connor, a model. Also on board are Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management; Charlotte Clark, the co-director of INCA Productions; Paula Reed, the style director of Grazia magazine; Professor Wendy Dagworthy, the head of the School of Fashion and Textiles at the Royal College of Art; and Dr Adrienne Key, a consultant psychiatrist and eating disorders expert.

The British Fashion Council has indicated that it will accept the Inquiry's final recommendations when they are published in September, in time for the next London Fashion Week which is held that month.

I wonder...What would the fashion industry look like if there was 'truth in advertising'? Where models needed to prove they we over the age of consent, practiced healthy eating, were drug-free, and didn't over exercise.  How many size zero models would be left? Food for thought.

by Laura Brooks

Tags: model health inquiry, london fashion week, healthy eating, body image.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

"What people think of me is none of my business" - Anonymous

I love that quote. It resonates with me, because even at 50, I struggle with it. Much less so than when I was younger, but the push and gravitational pull of others expectations can be very powerful. 

One of the biggest insecurities we have is often associated with how our body stacks up to what we perceive to be an accepted standard of beauty. This unrealistic comparison can do many of us in. However, building a better body image is paramount if we’re going to begin down the road to healthy weight loss.

Changing a negative body image and learning to be comfortable and content in our bodies is possible when we understand how we’ve learned to judge ourselves based on criteria that is impossible to achieve.

“A negative body image interferes with weight loss,” says Mimi Francis, MSN, behavioral health therapist at Green Mountain at Fox Run. “When our motivation to lose weight is appearance, it doesn’t hold up. It works against us because we get depressed. We think we have too far to go, or things aren’t changing quickly enough. When we compare ourselves to others, we’re likely to give up right then.”

“Other people’s comments hurt the most when they fit with what we already believe about ourselves,” says Teri Hirss, MEd, therapist in health psychology at Green Mountain. “It’s up to us to choose whether we’re going to take on what others say, or brush it off and get on with living our lives the way we want to.”

Here’s a great article by Sophis Dembling, of the Dallas Morning News, on this very topic - how bonding over poor body image is a no-win proposition.

Excerpt from:

The Skinny On 'Fat Talk' - It's A Way To Bond, But Is It Healthy?

"Guys know better.

When the woman in their life asks, "Do I look fat?" guys respond, "Gosh, I love you more every day, honey," or "Now would be a great time for me to start painting the kitchen, don't you think?" or, "Hey, is that a UFO up there?" Anything to avoid fat talk.

For women, however, fat talk is social currency."

Read more 'here'

Tags: positive body image , self acceptance , healthy lifestyles , perfectionism .

Funny Face

I've been feeling decidedly less secure about how I look recently. And that's never a good thing. In the mirror I see a woman looking back at me who I often don't recognize. It's the little things that start to take their toll on my psyche - the texture of my skin, new lines or wrinkes, freckles that become brown spots and, of course, the ever attractive visible pores. I appreciate it's just a simple combination of father time, genetics and a little too much sun worshipping - but sometimes hard to swallow none the less.

It was actually starting to get me down a little, until I watched an old Audrey Hepburn movie (Robin and Marian), and I was brought back to my senses. For me Audrey was always the epitome of grace, dignity and beauty from when I was a little girl to the day she died. She lived a full and wonderful life and in the end you could see it all written there - on that magical face of hers.

First of all, I wouldn't want to change one thing about the way I achieved all these imperfections on my face. I have had a lot of fun and many adventures in my 50 years on this planet. So, why not work on moving through the next 50 with as much beauty and grace as I can muster?

It is said that one of Audrey's favorite verses, which was written by her friend Sam Levenson, was read to her grandchildren the last Christmas Eve she was on this earth. I think its valuable to pull it out every now and then in an effort to gain some perspective about what's really important.

So, for any and all of you out there thinking your external beauty is fading, take a moment and remember what's really important about living and loving. It's what we do, and not what we are on the outside, that counts.

"Time Tested Beauty Tips"

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through
it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

- Sam Levenson

Tags: philanthropy , Audrey Hepburn , self esteem , perfectionism .

Body Image: Declaring Your Independence from Societal Standards of Beauty

It's hard to buck the system when you're deluged with messages of "thin" from television, film, commercials, the media, and even friends and family.  At a recent barbecue, I noticed how many people actually mentioned that they weren't going to eat a lot, or how delicious - but rich (aka fattening) - everything looked, or that they would have to work out extra hard at the gym the next day. And for one instant, I began to become self-conscious about the food that was on my plate.  I wondered - just for a moment - what everyone would think of the portions and selections I had made.

Then I got real and snapped out of it.  I've been down that road too many times to let myself end up there again: it's a dead end of insecurity and anxiety, and probably compulsive overeating.  I reflected on Independence Day, and what personal freedom really means, especially in regards to modern day society and weight.  To me, that's fostering a healthy body image by accepting myself and my food choices. 

This holiday, declare independence from stereotypes and celebrate by freeing your spirit! Here is a wonderful list of actions and attitudes from The National Eating Disorders Association that can help you with your own mini-revolution:   

• Consciously choose to avoid making comments about other people or yourself on the basis of body size or shape.
• Compliment someone else for a skill, talent, or characteristic they have that you appreciate. Remind yourself that a person’s value is not determined by their shape or size.
• Enjoy your favorite meal without feelings of guilt or anxiety over calories and fat grams.
• Donate your jeans and other old clothes that no longer fit your body comfortably to charity. Someone else will appreciate them, and you won’t have to worry about the way they fit anymore.
• Start each morning by looking in the mirror and saying something nice about yourself out loud.
• Put away or throw away your bathroom scale.
• Look through magazines and newspapers, ripping out advertisements, photos and articles that promote negative feelings about weight, body image and food. Talk back to the TV when you see or hear an ad that makes you feel dissatisfied with your body.
• Read a book that lifts your self-esteem, promotes positive body image, encourages healthy living or helps you overcome stereotypes about social standards of beauty.
• If you know someone who is struggling with an eating disorder, take the time to reassure them of your friendship and support for their recovery process.
• Throw out all of the diet products in your house.
• Remind yourself and others that It’s What’s Inside That Counts!

By Laura Brooks

Tags: healthy body image, positive body image, healthy eating.

Body Image: Being Compared to Kate Moss Can Make You Feel Like A Zero

You may not know who Lily Allen is, but I'll bet you can empathize with her predicament.  Lily Allen, 22 year old rising singer/songwriter from the UK had the unfortunate timing of launching her new clothing line Lily Loves at the same time Kate Moss was unveiling her own new line. The media naturally drew comparisons, but they went further than just discussing fashion and printed pictures of both women side by side for the public to weigh in on their appearance.

"As far as I was concerned," says Lily (a 'whopping' size 8) about her clothing line, "I was trying to do something positive, you know, promote women of a larger size and make people feel better about their physical appearance. But there were all these photos of me next to Kate and it made me feel a bit sh*t about myself. I felt grotesque. Everyone knows that Kate is one of the most beautiful women in the world and everyone was comparing me directly with her, and I was like 'wait a second, how did this happen." (Celebrity Gossip Fashion Blog, 2007).

Despite her talent, rising success, and commitment to change the fashion world's size 0 culture, the public scrutiny momentarily shook Lily to the core.  While touring the US to promote her Alright, Still album, Lily vented in her MySpace blog about how horrible her body image had become and that she was even considering gastric bypass surgery and liposuction.

"In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have done it but I'm actually quite glad I did," she explains. "It's good to be honest and say what's on your mind. I think the whole thing highlighted the issues and pressures of being a young woman in today's society."

A deluge of almost 3,000 comments of support letting Lily know that she was beautiful just the way she was prompted her to apologize to her fans the next day.

"It was just a stupid thing that crossed my mind at that minute," she is quoted as saying. "It's not how I feel now. There's nothing wrong with the way I look. I'm not overweight. I'm just not really, really thin. I don't feel that I over-eat, I'm just not someone who wants to live on a diet.”

I hear that Lily Allen's fan base is growing exponentially. Count me in. Obviously her popularity is not only based on her music and style, but her ability to express herself in genuine lyrics and through candid interviews. I applauder you, Lily, for promoting self-acceptance instead of conforming to unrealistic and often unattainable standards of beauty.

"I'd rather encourage people who are reading all this stuff in the newspapers and magazines that they shouldn't feel bad about themselves." Lily Allen told reporters. "Everyone looks fine."

Tags: body image, size acceptance, Lily Allen

See a video of Lily Allen on Body Image:

Lily Allen 'Smile' Video:

By Laura Brooks

Don’t Tell Me It’s Over! – The Therapeutic Benefits of Massage

I love getting a massage. Yet, I’m always surprised to learn how many women have never had a real massage. Often times (certainly not always), this reaction to massage is due to issues around self and size acceptance.  Most of us spend a lot of time and consideration disguising our lumps and bumps, only to visit a perfect stranger, disrobe (you don’t have to by the way), and let them go where no man has gone before – even if you’ve begged him to!  If legitimate shyness is keeping you from having one of the most wonderful experiences in your life, consider this:

• Massage reduces stress
• Massage provides general relaxation
• Massage reduces muscle tension throughout the body    
• Massage can relieve acute and chronic pain 
• Massage can promote recovery from muscle fatigue and from minor aches and pains
• Massage reduces swelling
• Massage improves blood circulation 
• Massage can increase oxygen capacity of the blood
• Massage induces better lymph movement 
• Massage can increase mobility and range of motion of joints
• Massage stimulates or soothes the nervous system 
• Massage can enhance the condition of the skin
• Massage can assist with better digestion and intestinal function 
• Massage can aid in improving physical health and the quality of life
• Massage feels really GOOD!

There are other benefits you can receive from regular massage. Read more about massage therapy at Holistic.com. You can also get more information about massage, therapies, techniques and what to expect from a credited massage therapist at The American Medical Association.

Source: (Benefits of massage) Holisticonline.com.

Tags: massage , deep tissue massage , healthy lifestyles , reflexology .

Your Body Image - Through The Mind’s Eye

According to the Eating Disorder Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Denver, our body image exists in the mind’s eye and emerges from our collective memories and experiences. This powerful combination creates positive and/or negative feelings about how we perceive our height, weight and shape.

Marie Dalloway, PhD, talks about ‘visualization techniques’ as a language that builds success.  Visualization techniques are often used by elite athletes to enhance performance.  Although, positive internal dialogue is an important tool in creating changes in behavior and beliefs, visualization involves use of mental images, not just our thoughts. Dalloway says, “Images or pictures are the primary content of visualizations because words cannot be generated at a fast enough rate to describe events as they occur.”  There’s a physical reaction within our bodies that occurs when we think this way -- a link between belief and behavior.

Einstein said, "What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve." Visualization somehow seems to activate a unique power within our brains that tells us what we see is real, even if it hasn’t materialized itself just yet. There’s a significant difference between talking to ourselves about wanting to be healthy, fit and more active and creating a realistic and detailed movie inside our head creating that scenario. Think of it, you’re the producer of your own theatrical production where you’re the writer, director and star! 

We all look for inspiration, motivation and support when trying to make important changes in our lives. So, why not stop thinking about being happier and start visualizing it?  For even more interesting insights around how this practice may help you meet your healthy lifestyle goals visit the e-zine article written by Dr. Annette Colby, RD, on Creative Visualization.

Tags: self image , visualization , healthy lifestyles , body image .

Healthy Living: The Dressing Room Project

Who hasn't anticipated a trip to the clothing store, only to stand in front of the dressing room mirror feeling more and more depressed?  I don't know what it is about dressing room mirrors, but they never seem to show me to myself the same way mirrors at home do.  And it's not always worse than at home -- sometimes the clothes look better on me at the store, sometimes not.  Either way, I often have to remind myself not to revert to those old negative messages that can truly damage self-esteem when I don't like the way things look.

The Dressing Room Project recognizes this behavior.  It's an effort to help young girls, who arguably may be the most body image challenged of us all, help themselves change that negative self talk in dressing rooms. Along with workshops that help girls focus on their positive qualities and expand the defintion of 'beautiful,' they provide cards to post on mirrors in dressing rooms, the gym, school bathrooms, at home.  Messages like "Worry about the size of your heart, not the size of your body."  And "You will be beautiful if you believe it."  And "Beauty is within."

While it's targeted at teenage girls, we could probably all benefit from seeing those messages every day as we look in the mirror. 

Tags: body image , negative self talk , Dressing Room Project ,