SUPPORT SYSTEMS

ONCE you start looking, you will find support systems everywhere. Your local YMCA is one place to start, but there are others--ranging from informal neighborhood "run for fun" groups to national commercial organizations like Weight Watchers. It would be difficult on this Web site to list all the resources available to you in your city or town, so you'll have to do a little research yourself. You will find that searching the Web with keywords and phrases like "support groups," "fitness," and "health" will bring a number of results. We hope to establish a national database on this Web site, so if you do find a good organization or group please write to us with the details:

info@myrnahaag.com

People

I'VE WORKED with people in all walks of life and it's always enjoyable to see how their lives change once they understand the concepts of balanced nutrition and sensible exercise. Everyone seems to have a slightly different twist on the six-step process, but you will see that the basic concepts are all still the same.

ALLISON breaks out of the exercise/diet mentality.
BEVERLY learns how not to be hungry.
KIM stops being a "thin fat person."
NATALIE finally gets control.

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ALLISON breaks out of the exercise/diet mentality.

IT WASN'T until Allison reached her forties that she finally reached her goal of becoming a size four. It seemed to her like a mixed blessing though. In order to maintain her weight she would go through periods of intense exercise followed by food deprivation. When she did eat, she never ate enough of the right kinds of foods--foods that could build muscle and provide the energy she needed for the amount of exercise she was performing. She was constantly afraid that eating would make her gain weight and become less fit.

Allison was able to break out of this "diet/exercise" mentality by increasing the amount of time she exercised at the base level and rethinking her attitudes towards food and body image. She had become accustomed to viewing exercise as a regimented and punishing ordeal, but she now began to work out with friends in enjoyable social settings. Also, she began to understand that great bodies are built by eating the right foods, not by depriving yourself of food altogether.

BEVERLY learns how not to be hungry.

BEING HUNGRY is a terrible thing. It means being deprived, not being able to fulfill a basic human need. Many people have told me that the fear of being hungry has been a major difficulty in following many diet programs. When they learn that they can have leaner, more energetic bodies without constantly feeling hungry, their lives can change dramatically.

After her second child, Beverly felt that she had sixty pounds to lose. She tried several weight-loss programs, all of which stressed food deprivation and eventually left her tired and heartbroken. From the six-steps perspective, Beverly had never known what it was like to have food balance. Deprivation led to eating the wrong foods, which led to guilt then to deprivation again. The cycle seemed endless and impossible to break.

Then she started on a slow, muscle base building program combined with a diet of balanced protein/fiber combinations. She says that the most critical factor for her and other people who are overweight is portion control. If the portions are correctly balanced then controlling them is effortless and, most importantly, you don't feel hungry when you eat less food. Americans always seems to be told that they should larger and larger portions ("Supersize me!") and larger amounts of unbalanced food only increase our appetites. Beverly believes that she is always in danger of falling back into her old habits, but that portion control and making time for exercise--even if only twenty minutes a day--are her keys to success.

KIM stops being a thin fat person and enters an Ironman competition.

Kim had always equated health with an ideal body weight, which for her meant being as thin as a soda straw. Having muscle seemed out of the question: muscle typically weighs almost three times as much as fat! Kim was chronically short of energy, but she still wanted to work out with me in some of my training runs. I explained to her that she would never be able to keep up unless she gained ten to fifteen pounds of muscle, but that although she would be heavier she would also be leaner. Kim was a "thin fat person." Her body was shapeless and while she was incredibly thin, she still had cellulite in some areas. Once she began to gain muscle, the cellulite melted away. She is still the same dress size as before, but now she has a beautiful shapely body. She is fifteen pounds heavier and has a ton of energy. She eats five to six times a day (protein and fiber balanced combinations) and has spent several years exercising at the base level with friends.

Kim has just finished her first Ironman competition under twelve hours, placing tenth in her age group. She credits her success to good nutrition and many fun hours of base exercise.

NATALIE finally gets control.

In her own words...

"After the birth of each of three children I struggled terribly to lose each and every pound that I had gained while pregnant. When I didn't eat I felt empowered and in control. My calories were so few that I lost weight of course, but I was also very tired. It took me months to lose the weight, but only weeks to gain it back. I felt helpless. I felt that I was trapped in my own body without any control over what I was doing. The worse I felt the more I ate. Before I knew it I had gained back all the weight and then some. Eventually I would get disgusted with myself and try something different. I tried everything: diet pills, diet shots, low carb foods, low fat foods, and pre-packaged meals. I was a very successful dieter, but I just couldn't keep the weight off."

"As my children grew older I began to see the importance of taking better care of myself--not just for their sake, but also for my own. I decided to stop dieting and to begin to exercise. With the help and inspiration from Myrna, and with the support of my family, I was determined to live and eat as healthy as I possible could. I vowed not to ever diet or deprive myself again."

"Myrna told me that I would not reach my goals overnight, but I was okay with that. I started out slowly, increasing my food intake a little at a time and following Myrna's advice about a balanced food plan. I was thrilled to find that I didn't crave carbs or sugar and that I wasn't hungry all the time. I started to exercise by walking 10 minutes a day until I felt stronger. I increased my exercise every week. Then I started to bike and lift weights. As I began to feel stronger, I wanted to do more. After a few months a wonderful thing happened: I started to feel great and I had lost some weight. As the weight dropped off of me I thought 'This is it! I won't lose anymore,' but then I did lose more. It was like a bonus to feeling great, I have successfully kept the weight off for over two years and I hope that I can inspire others to do the same."