Boot Camp Q & A

Start With The Inside is holding Boot Camp workouts 2X a week, starting Thursday, May 23rd:
* Thursday evening at 6:30 pm at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville [drive to playground area and keep going until you reach the end of the parking lot]
* Saturday morning at 8:00 am at Alexander Park in Lawrenceville [meet by restrooms]

Why should I do a Boot Camp workout? 
People like our Boot Camp workouts because they are different. We don't scream at you. We don't make you do unsafe exercises. Yes, those trainers are great to look at, they are fun to watch on tv, but it's not about the trainer, it's about you. What will motivate you to workout? What will be something fun that you can do and get a good workout at the same time?

What do you do in a Boot Camp workout? 
We will do different exercises in each workout. We will work with balls in a group, we will work on cardio, we will work on strength training using your own body weight, we will work on our core and posture. You will get a good workout. You will stretch. You will laugh. You may cry, but it won't be for long. You will leave feeling inspired and energized.

What should I wear/bring? 
Wear comfortable clothing. It will be warm in Atlanta, so best option is shorts and t-shirt, light jacket if cool, but you'll probably end up taking it off anyway! Wear good shoes and good socks. Bring a towel and water for during and after workout.

Is it just for women? 
No, men can come. We do not discriminate or intimidate. They will be sorely impressed by the women nevertheless. Kids can come as well, as long as they are over 12, with parent and parent signs a release.

How much does it cost? 
$50.00 for the 6-week series, 2X a week, starting Thursday, May 23rd through Saturday, June 29th. If you cannot commit to all of those dates, you can pay $5.00 per class and come to the ones you can make.

How can I sign up? 
Visit our website Start With The Inside and click on "Get fit for Summer". You can use PayPal option to pay for 6-week session.
Also visit our event page on Facebook. Use this event page to share with your friends and family and invite them to come as well.

Does it take a village to get a person healthy?

Sometimes. Or maybe just a push in the right direction. When it comes to weight loss and living healthy, accountability and motivation are very important. People like to meet set goals and they like to be inspired along the way. It is scary to take the steps to lose weight by yourself. Even with the help of an expert doctor or supportive family and friends, it is still up to you to make the ultimate changes.

In Gwinnett’s Losing It!, that village is there to help you make those changes. In this 12-week healthy weight loss program, we guide a group through the changes necessary for healthy, permanent weight loss. No pills or shakes. No crazy workouts. Just common sense education on nutrition and workouts. And getting your head into it. Start With The Inside focuses on making the emotional changes necessary for weight loss. I went through these changes in my own transformation 12 years ago and now helps others make their health transformation. 

“The most exciting part of a transformation is seeing the real person emerge from an unhealthy body. People lose who they really are or hide behind big clothes to cover themselves. When they make real change, it shows and not just in their clothes, but in every aspect of their lives.”

In this 12-week program, participants meet with a trainer once a month on nutrition and workouts, attend weekly teleconference calls and weigh-ins, attend monthly group events and workshops, and learn the essentials to living a healthy life. It’s not about getting to a certain size, but more about getting off medication, getting a healthy body and making those changes that hold a person back from a healthy life. Participants learn about proper body fat percentages, how to make healthy meals and how to exercise at any level. The group celebrates the end of the 12 week program with a 5K walk/run.

This will be the seventh season of Gwinnett’s Losing It! since 2011 and Start With The Inside is calling on local companies in Gwinnett who want to help their employees get healthy. Companies can sponsor employees in the 12-week program. The next Gwinnett’s Losing It! will begin April 8, 2013, and goes through the end of June. Registration opens on March 15, 2013. Cost is $249.00 for the 12-week program.

For more information or questions, visit website Start With The Inside and click on “Gwinnett’s Losing It!” or contact sandi@startwiththeinside.com or 404-925-2626.

Losing weight the healthy way

It's December and no one wants to think about their health right now, they have too much to do. They'll think about it in January, with everyone else. What better time to start registration for the next Gwinnett's Losing It!

What is Gwinnett's Losing It? 
GLI is a 12-week healthy, weight-loss program teaching people how to lose weight the healthy way, with no pills, shakes or gimmicks. A group of 20 people, all with the same goal - to lose weight, to improve their health, to change their lives.

How does it work? 
It's not magic. It's a lot of hard work. And trust. And common sense. According to the CDC, more than 69% of our population is overweight or obese. This affects more than our looks. This affects our health, our medical insurance rates, our performance on our jobs, our sickness and illness rate, our ability to care for our families. It seems as more conveniences are made - packaged foods, fad diets and crazy workouts - it is NOT addressing the true issue of being overweight and obese.

Our emotional health IS related to our physical health and vice versa. If the packaged foods, fad diets and crazy workouts are not working, then it's time to try something new. Something that addresses the emotional side of weight loss. Why can't you lose weight? Why can't you keep it off? Are you just destined to be overweight or obese? We have 12 weeks to show you how. Through weekly teleconference calls, monthly group meetings, monthly individual meetings, weekly weigh-in's and more, you learn how to take back control of your health. Many of the people in Gwinnett's Losing It! started because their doctor recommended they lose weight. They changed their lives through our program. Not just because of what they weighed, but because they got off medications, they started eating better, they started exercising. They started living better and doing what they were truly meant to do. Not just exist, but live a good and healthy life.

There is no better feeling that good health. 

This is our 6th season of Gwinnett's Losing It! and I am excited to start in January with 20 new people. I am excited to share, educate and watch as these people take the tools they need to change their lives. Will one of them be you?

If you are interested, visit our website for more info and to register:
Gwinnett's Losing It!

If you know someone who may be interested, send them this blog or website.
If you have questions, contact me directly at sandi@startwiththeinside.com.

I am here to help you - let's get started!

Sandi Porter

Can I lose weight and still eat chocolate? aka the Chocolate Nazi

It's October and you know what that means? 

It's chocolate-overload time. Chocolate mini-candies and chocolate bars. Chocolate everywhere. Half of Walmart is candy right now, in preparation for the ultimate chocolate holiday - Halloween. Forget the costumes, get the candy. Make sure you get the good stuff so there is enough left over for you after the trick-or-treaters. I know what you're going through. I'm a Chocoholic. I know.

Every year in October, I bring out my No-Candy Pledge and get it going. 31 days for the month of October. No Candy. No candy in the house, no candy in the car, no candy at work. Pretty extreme, huh? Not if you are a candy or chocoholic. When candy or chocolate is a trigger food for you, it's the best thing you can do. Because you can't just have one. Let me just make it clear:

- This article is not for those people who absolutely LOVE candy and chocolate and are offended when anyone won't partake in it like they do.
- This article is not for those people who are not trying to lose weight.
- This article is not for those people who are not interested in being healthy.

That being said, can you still lose weight and eat chocolate? 

Not exactly. Well, let's be more specific. Not really. I don't think so. Okay, now I'm turning into a Chocolate Nazi. Just a little bit.

There is a big difference between LOSING weight and MAINTAINING weight.
There is a big difference between a toned, fit body and a skinny body.
There is a big difference between a healthy lifestyle and an unhealthy lifestyle.

When you are losing weight, you need to have a plan. How you are going to lose the weight, what workouts you are going to do, what nutrition you are going to have. It's better than just waking up every day and saying "Hey, I think I'll lose some weight today". However, when you are maintaining your weight, you have some flexibility. You can miss a workout and not worry. You can have a little extra when it comes to eating. You are not trying to lose weight - or gain it - you are just maintaining your weight. And that's where some of the problems come in. You may be trying to lose weight and your friend, you know, the one who loves candy and chocolate is just maintaining. Therefore, she can eat candy and not worry about it. But you cannot. Or you may be trying to lose weight and your friend, the one who loves candy and chocolate doesn't care about her health.

It doesn't matter.

This is your weight and your health. 

If candy and chocolate is a trigger food for you, meaning when you have one you just have to have another and 10 candies later, you are still eating it, then it's okay to just stay away from it. Instead of being teased by friends, "You can have just one", "One is not going to kill you" and "That seems kind of extreme not to have any"; buck up and be strong. Who cares what people say about you not eating candy or chocolate? Do they have to fit into the jeans you are trying to fit into? Do they see your doctor about your health?

So now let's talk about the actual "health" of eating candy and chocolate. We are told that "it is okay" and that "dark chocolate is actually healthy for you". Bought and paid for by our chocolate producers. Chocolate CAN be good for you. The actual cacao bean that is. Not the over-processed, highly chemical additives, nonsense chocolate that is in 98% of our products today. Dark or milk or white. It's not the cacao bean. In it's natural form, chocolate is healthy, but we don't see it in that form today. In the typical "Snickers", "M&M's" and other candy bars, there is no form of healthy chocolate. But there is marketing and advertising, as well as our childhood habits of stuffing ourselves with chocolate and candy starting in October every year. Funny, that's when people start getting sick too. Hmmm.

Can you lose weight and eat chocolate? Tell me your story. 

How to handle trigger foods

When it comes to weight loss, most of us have a trigger food. A food that when you eat it, it causes you to eat more. A food that when you try to stop eating it, it is very hard to do so. A food that when you don't eat it, you want it all the time. Chips, candy bars, brownies, ice cream, chocolate Easter eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies. Typically, a trigger food is one that is not so healthy for you. High in fat, high in sugar, high in something not so good for you. Most of the time, a trigger food is not a healthy, clean food. You don't typically say "Oh, give me some asparagus now" or "What I wouldn't do for some broccoli right now".

So, how can you handle trigger foods? 

Here are three steps that I teach to my clients:

1. Substitution. Find a healthy substitute for an unhealthy food. What is the emotional attraction to the trigger food? Is it the texture? Is it a childhood memory? Find out what attracts you to this food and try to duplicate it. Examples:
Ice cream - cold and creamy. Start to experiment with making your own desserts with cottage cheese by blending it to remove curds, mixing yogurt with frozen fruit, or protein pudding. Healthier options that are not so high in sugar and fat.
Candy bars - chocolately and sweet. Replace with protein bars that are similar to candy bars. There are some good ones out there that still have sugar in them, but not as much as a candy bar. Try Luna or Clif or Lara bars.
M&M's - not so bad when you have just a couple, but who ever has just a couple? When I had a huge problem with M&M's [everyday], I started getting edamame [soy beans]. I would get a bag and boil it in a pan, rinse and drain and then put in small ziploc bags. When I had that craving for M&M's, I would eat edamame instead and it solved that craving. No, it wasn't a chocolate M&M, but it was similar to a M&M in size and texture and that was enough for me.

2. Moderation. After you find a healthy substitution for an unhealthy food, next is learning moderation. Portion control. Here's the deal - you can overeat a healthy food just like you can an unhealthy food. Except for maybe asparagus or broccoli. Learn proper portions.
Ice cream - after making healthy substitutions and happy with my cottage cheese and yogurts and protein puddings, I learned I was lactose-intolerant and had to cut back. Jeez! So, I tried it every other day instead of every day.
Protein bars - when I was getting closer to my goal, I also had to cut back on the protein bars I was consuming. It is easy to do because you tell yourself that they are healthier than a candy bar. So, I would cut a bar in half and have the rest the next day. Or I would have one every other day.
Same thing with edamame or any other trigger food. Learn to moderate and not focus on the food so much. What are the emotions that cause you to go to that food? It is more important to find that out during this time.

3. Elimination. Okay, here's the part where all the diet snobs roll their eyes and will have the sugary comments about depriving themselves and how it will hurt you to eliminate anything or restrict yourself in any way. You know, it's okay to go without once in a while. We live in a fast-pace, give it to me now, whatever I want society and along the way, we have forgotten self-control, self-discipline and common sense. If you have a problem with a certain food, say chocolate like me, is it okay not to have it for a certain amount of time? Um, who the hell cares? It's nobody's business what you eat or don't eat. Oh, except for the people around you who tell you it's okay to have a chocolate treat because you've worked so hard. Or the friend who can eat anything and not gain a pound, but criticizes your choices.

Elimination is tough. Some people can go straight to the elimination stage, skipping 1. substitution and 2. moderation. That's fine, if it works for you.

Elimination can be a temporary thing.

It doesn't have to be permanent. There are certain periods of time when I give up chocolate completely. When I am training for a race, when I have a photoshoot or big event coming up.

Find the reason WHY you have an emotional tie to a trigger food and then find your way to deal with it.

It's okay to not have a trigger food for a period of time if you take that time to figure out WHY it is a trigger for you and WHAT you can do about it. Will I ever have chocolate again? Of course, I do now. But I don't focus on it. And I can handle it now. It's not a problem for me now. It is still a trigger food, but I handle it in a healthy way. I use substitution when I need to. I use moderation when I need to. I use elimination when I need to. It works for me. It can work for you too. So, will you try?

Super Bowl Healthy Eating Strategies

It's on a Sunday. It's filled with a big game and fun commercials and a big half-time show. It's friends and family and cheering on your team. It's just another Sunday afternoon football game, right?

Wrong. 

It's Super Bowl Sunday and it's all about the food.

At least that is what we are told. I wanted to write an article giving my clients a heads-up and a way to help them - recipes they could try, food to avoid, a what-to-eat-at-the-buffet-table kind of article. And then I realized, we are already bombarded with those articles. At least I am. Every health or fitness company I know has sent me "10 Best Healthy Eats for the Super Bowl" and "Top 10 Tips to Survive your Super Bowl Party" and it goes on and on. 7 recipes, 3 things to try, 9 things you won't believe. Blah, blah, blah.

What does this mean for the average American who just wants to not wake up on Monday morning hung over and bloated from a chip-fest or wants to be healthy and avoid the bad stuff?

It means you must be a freak.

A freak.

This came to mind when I met with a client this week who has done really well. We took her progress report [measurements, bodyfat%, BMI] and photos, and I sat down and asked her, "What have you done in the last four weeks?" She looked me straight in the eye [a very good sign] and said "Every single thing you told me to do" [another very good sign]. After a very good meeting, she told me about her next challenge, a girls weekend with her friends. Previously, this would have been a time to relax with her friends, eat and drink. But this time, she wanted to do things differently. One of their friends was what she called a "freak". This "freak" exercised every day while they were there. This "freak" brought her own food and ate well. This "freak" did not drink alcohol because she didn't want to "drink her calories".

"I want to be a freak" is the next statement out of my client's mouth. She told me of her plans to take her own food, to stay on her healthy nutrition plan, to exercise while she was there [took her weights in the car] and her desire to be a "freak".

A freak. 

• Someone who exercises daily.
• Someone who eats healthy. 
• Someone who drinks healthy. 

I'm a freak too. I'm a freak who goes to a Super Bowl Party and doesn't make it about the food. I don't have plate after plate of chips and dip and then complain the next morning because my jeans don't fit. I eat in moderation and I avoid the foods that are too fatty or are not right for me. I eat fruits and veggies and lean meats. I talk with people. I enjoy the game and the commercials and the half-time show.

I'm a freak. 

So, instead of giving you my top recipes that are going to "save" you from this football holiday, I will challenge you and ask you,  

"Are you willing to be a freak?"

Sacrificing for your health

Are you sacrificing your health or are you willing to sacrifice for your health?

In our quick weight loss, pill and shake-dominant society, what is considered a sacrifice anymore? 

• A strict diet plan?

• A regimented workout plan? 

• Not eating chocolate? 

Oh no, she brought up the subject of chocolate again. But another research just came out that said chocolate is good, so good for you. Uh huh. Take a look at our chocolate-laden, sugar-addicted society and ask yourself a question - "Who is making money on these 'health surveys' and 'research' that shows that chocolate is good for you?" Anyway, back to the subject. You know I shouldn't have brought up the "C" word. 

We sacrifice in other areas of our life. We put ourselves on a budget and try to stay within it. We work at a job and are successful at it. We have children and teach them right. Is that a sacrifice? Yet, when it comes to our health, egads, it becomes a sacrifice. Oh no, I have to work out or oh no, I cannot eat a candy bar every day. It's a sacrifice. We don't like being told we cannot do something. Because we work hard in all those other areas - we handle our money, we work hard at our jobs and we love our children. But when it comes to the thing we have to do every day regardless of if we want to or not - we have to eat and we want to do it our way. And so we do it our way. 

• The stores make it easy for us - unhealthy food is cheap. 

• The fast food restaurants make it easy for us - unhealthy food is fast [and cheap]. 

• The medical community make it easy for us - they have pills and shakes and if that doesn't work, surgery for obesity will cure all. 

But what about what our heart says? 

What about that inside voice telling you that you know it is not right. You know it not right to overeat. You know it is not right to be sedentary. And yet, the easy way is to sit on the sofa and watch TV with your chocolate and your glass of wine. And forget about sacrifice, it's too hard. 

So, are you sacrificing your health, day by day, and hoping it will get better by magic some day? 

Or, are you willing to make a sacrifice for your health?

Why do we have to give up so much to be healthy?

When it comes to weight loss, why is it more about deprivation than enjoyment? Why is it more about hard work than just getting by? Why can't it be smiles and balloons instead of crying and cravings?

One of the most common complaints I hear when someone starts a weight-loss program is the deprivation factor. The fact that they cannot eat like they used to. The fact that it is so hard to get workouts in a busy schedule. The fact that they can never have a certain food again, ever. But is it really forever?

• Do you have to give up the 'forbidden' foods forever? 
• Do you have to give up having an occasional treat of sugar or alcohol? 
• Do you have to work out every day for the rest of your life? 

NO.

But, do you want to lose weight or what? 

No, you don't have to give up the 'forbidden' foods forever. But, what's wrong with limiting them for a short period of time and seeing if you can overcome the EMOTIONAL obstacles associated with that food. Instead of thinking of it as a chore to 'give up' that food, look at it realistically. Could that food or over-indulgence of that food be stalling your weight loss efforts? Sometimes you don't have to give it up. Sometimes you can just limit or moderate it. But other times, it seems to have a hold over you. Why? If you have been trying to lose weight for many, many years and what you have been doing DOESN'T work, then doesn't it make sense to try something else that may work? Think about it...

No, you don't have to give up having an occasional treat of sugar or alcohol. But, again, what's wrong with limiting them for a short period of time and seeing if you can overcome the EMOTIONAL obstacles associated with that food or drink? We are a give-me-everything-now society and what has that done for us? We have what we want when we want it. We don't take care of what we have and we get rid of things we don't need to. Is it working for us? No, we are more overweight and more obese as a society. So, if it's not working for you, why not try something else.


No, you don't have to work out every day for the rest of your life. But are you trying to lose weight or are you trying to maintain your weight? I have been lucky enough to maintain my weight for the last 10 years and I can tell you, I haven't worked every day during those 10 years. I've taken days off, sometimes weeks off. But, I am not trying to lose weight. When you make the commitment to LOSE weight, you are going to have to do something different. So, if you had to work out 5-6 days a week for a short period of time to lose the weight, is that so bad? It's not going to kill you. It's going to save your life. It's going to make exercise a habit and help your body so much.

Why do we have to give up so much to be healthy?

Who is giving up? When you make the commitment to lose weight, you are not giving up your life. You are living it. You are changing it. You are proud of it. You are becoming the person you were meant to be. So do it. Will you?

Gwinnett's Losing It! takes it to another level

Weight loss is hard. Permanent weight loss. Not the temporary, here take this pill or drink this shake 3 times a day weight loss. The kind of weight loss that changes your life. With our national obesity rate rising every year along with the increase marketing and promotion of "special" products designed to help you lose weight, why is it so hard? If all of these pills, shakes and workout equipment worked, then wouldn't we as a society be healthier? We can be. It starts with the inside and Gwinnett's Losing It! is a good example of that.

A second round of Gwinnett's Losing It! started August 15, 2001 in Gwinnett County and ends 12 weeks later on November 4, 2011. 20 participants have 12 weeks to change their bodies, and their lives. How do they do this?

• By learning how to incorporate strength training into their workouts
• By learning how to do effective cardio workouts
• By learning proper nutrition strategies for their daily life
• By attending weekly teleconference calls
• By attending monthly group meetings
• By competing against other people with the same goals and same frustrations

The participants met for an afternoon at Lake Lanier Islands Resort for a kick-off in August, which included a boot camp workout and hike, a healthy lunch and emotional boot camp workshops. They train for a 5K in September, in which many complete for the first time. They attend another boot camp workout in October and conclude at a ceremony in November to celebrate their success.

But let's hear it from the participants themselves:

•  "The past eight weeks have been very exciting. They flew by and I am wishing this contest was much longer as I am having too much fun! Training for the 5K unified us as a team. I am extremely proud of myself that I have worked hard to consistently lose 1 lb a week and pushed myself to run the entire 5K. I am feeling healthier and happier."
• "I have not lost a lot of weight during this contest, but I am losing inches and gaining muscle. I am wearing two sizes smaller. This contest has helped me 'like' myself again. Overall, I try to be a positive person around other people and they think I am happy. When I am by myself, I do not smile much. I have been unhappy with myself for quite a while. Because of this contest, however, I am eating right, treating myself right and seeing some results. The other day, I caught myself smiling inside."
• "My workout routine is now becoming a way of life. I never realized how important weight training was before but now I plan to make this a forever thing. I can't and don't even use the term 'diet' anymore. I still enjoy an occasional bite of dessert or special 'family' food, but really don't enjoy stuffing myself with bad nutrition choices. It has been very valuable to me to know that I'm not in this battle alone!"
• "I am learning how to take better care of myself in various ways. Learning to jog has been great. Running the entire 5K with my friends was very special and motivating. Seems like I am surrounded by sick people, however I am staying healthy and strong. Sometimes, I just giggle to myself about what I am becoming. I like her."
• "When the 12 weeks are up, I will have a plan that I can continue to follow and that I can live with. Because I am not in this just for the 12 weeks. I am in this for the rest of my life. I am not on a diet, I am living healthy. Sure I will still have days when I will struggle to get my workouts in, I will still forget lunch and be tempted by those chicken fingers, but I have learned that I have to be a priority in my life and that taking care of myself is as important, no really, more important than anything else I do. And I think I have made strides that will make this easier in the future." 
• "I am so excited by my week 8 results. I have lost a total of 9" and lost 24 lbs. I completed my first 5K race and ran a mile for the first time in 30 years. My blood pressure remains normal and migraines appear to be a thing of the past. While these physical changes are impressive, I have found the emotional changes to be even more important. I have learned how to really push myself. I have consistently planned and cooked healthy meals for my family, even when fast food restaurants called to me on the drive home from work. I have found an inner strength that I never knew I had and intend to use that strength to achieve my weight loss and fitness goals long after this competition is over."
• "The past eight weeks, I have made major improvements to my nutrition. I have completely cut out soda and junk food. I think making the decision to cut those two things completely out has been one of my best decisions ever. Knowing that my life will and always be changed from doing this competition. I can't wait to continue my life on the right track."
• "It has been an amazing eight weeks. I have dropped 14 lbs in a plain ol healthy way with good food and exercise. The best part is I have done this in a realistic approach that I can live with. I have not done any extreme fad dieting, taken any pills or even extreme workouts. I have not given up every food I've ever enjoyed, I'm simply learning how to use moderation in my eating. This time is different. I have no special occasion goal, I have a life goal. I am learning, slowly but surely, how to 'start with the inside' and I am confident that I will continue losing at least 1 lb a week until I'm at my goal and maintain it." 

Congratulations Gwinnett's Losing It! participants and good luck during the last three weeks! Cannot wait for the Finale Celebration on Wednesday, November 9th at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville! Stay tuned for more details.

Why so hard on chocolate and candy?

It's that time of year again, time for October and chocolate overload. The stores are jam packed with chocolate candy bar bags, candy corn, candy pumpkins. All designed to lure you [and your kids] to the other side. The candy sugar side. Don't worry. Only 70% of our population is overweight and obese. Sugar has nothing to do with it. Chocolate is good for you. They keep telling us that.

So why is Sandi so hard on chocolate and candy?
Why does she have to ruin all the good chocolate holidays?

Because I have a job to do and I do it well. I do my research, I love my job. I deal every day with overweight and obese people who are addicted to these things. I deal every day with overweight and obese people who have bought into the idea that chocolate is good for you and helps with PMS and helps you get antioxidants into your body. Because I have been there myself. As a chocolate devotee myself, I know the devastating affect it can have on your body when you are trying to be fit and healthy. Now don't get me wrong, I have chocolate. But not like I used to. And not all the time. I believe in moderation in all things. HOWEVER, there are times when you have to take it a step further than moderation and steer towards elimination. Temporary elimination. Why?

• Chocolate/candy is a trigger food for you. Meaning you have one and you want another one immediately.
• Chocolate/candy is an emotional food for you. You eat it when upset, or when PMS strikes, or when you celebrate. The food is linked to good times and bad and it is a HABIT.
• Chocolate is a unhealthy food for you. The chocolate in today's candy is NOT the healthy chocolate all the research articles are talking about. The cacao bean is healthy, but the FORM of cacao bean that they are talking about, the healthy one, is not even present in today's chocolate. It is full of preservatives, unhealthy additives and unnecessary ingredients to make it palpable for our sweet-loving palates.

I know, stop already. I'm like a chocolate nazi.

I don't care. I am going to keep speaking the truth, even when it hurts. I care about my client's health and well-being. I care about our children and the unhealthy habits we carry on to them. I care about our nation's obesity rate and the link between unhealthy foods and habits.

Hence the No-Candy Pledge. What started as a joke last year around this time became a fun thing to do. Could you not eat candy or chocolate for one month? Would it be good for your health? Would you be willing to try? If chocolate is a trigger food or problem for you, I challenge you to try it. Visit my fanpage on Facebook to download the pledge. Print it out, sign it and put it somewhere so you can see it. Challenge yourself. And then tell me what it does for your health. Will you?

What to do when everything goes wrong

Life is hard. Weight loss is hard. Put the two together and yikes, double-hard. Everything goes okay for a while, and then bam - chaos happens, somebody dies or gets hurt, people change, events happen - and before you know it, everything seems to be going wrong and you lose focus. Or lose your mind. Or so it seems.

I see this all the time with my clients. In reviewing their weight loss history, there always seems to be a time when everything goes wrong. Something happens that sets them back - an event, a person - something happens to them and they just let themselves go. They lose priority in their lives. And their health suffers. I deal with this all the time - trying to help clients overcome the emotional chaos that keeps them from living a healthy life and having a fit, healthy body. It happens to everybody, it happens to me.

In July, everything pretty much went wrong. At least it seems that way. Less than two weeks out from doing a tri with a client and coming home from a great ride with a friend, I crashed my bike. Totaled it. No big deal, right? At least that's what those around me said. "Just get another one". Um, I don't just ride any bike. It's my baby. I ride 100+ miles a week. It's my workout partner. I love my bike. And it's expensive. Boom, just like that, starting over. I ended up backing out of the tri because I am too stubborn to borrow a bike from anyone and ended up letting down my client as well.

Just like the United States right now, I am having debt and financial difficulties. Like everyone else around me. Every time I hear something about the US debt in the news, I think about my situation and how to apply what they are doing to what I am doing. It doesn't work that way. But the pressure is on and I feel it all the time. It feels overwhelming and never seems to end.

Ups and downs in relationships. I don't believe in true love because it's too much work. Seriously, when will I ever get a fraction back of what I give? I know, that's not the intent of love. You are supposed to give and give and give and not worry about getting back. But crap, you'd think I'd get a little something back more than this. I see relationships around me crumble and wonder if I am next?

So through the stress and the time when everything goes wrong, what happens to my health? What happens to my fitness? Nothing. I don't win in the triathlon with my great bike. I don't pay off all my bills in a flurry. I don't get the love I deserve. I just muddle on through it. I'll figure it out. I still eat clean, pretty much anyway. I had a brief sorrowful return to the 'ol ice cream solitude, but got over that quick. I still get in my workouts. Dropped the tri schedule, quit the bike rides, but found some other workouts that I hadn't done in a while, so kept moving. I'll figure it out. Kept doing the things you are supposed to be doing. Kept my family intact and kept my faith that someday I'll be rewarded for doing good. I'll figure it out.

It doesn't all have to make sense. But you can't lose your health over it. You can't just stop working out because things happen. You can't just start eating crap because things happen. You can't just give up because bad things happen and everything goes wrong. You just have to pick yourself up, believe in the good in people and situations, and go on. You'll figure it out.

It's August and I still don't have a bike yet. I'll figure it out.
They cancelled my upcoming Olympic tri in September [who cancels a tri?], so now I am raceless goal-wise. I'll figure it out.
The bills keep on coming and I keep paying them. I'll figure it out.
The relationships keep going up and down. I'll figure it out.

But while I'm figuring it out, I'll stay healthy, I'll stay fit. I'll keep living a healthy lifestyle because otherwise, I'm just a statistic that happens when everything goes wrong.

The big egg debate

We are approaching Easter weekend and the eggs are plenty, which brings us to the big egg debate. Yes, big egg debate. Okay, you knew it was coming. I'm taking on the "Cadbury Egg". You expect as much, right? Not only did I author the "Candy Pledge" during Halloween, call for moderation during the holidays and the ever-popular "Let's find an alternative healthy present instead of chocolate" on Valentine's Day, but now I am attacking another sacred holiday, Easter.

• Chocolate Easter bunnies
• Chocolate Malt Balls
• Jelly Beans of every color and size
• Marshmallow Peeps
• And of course...Chocolate Eggs, Reese's, Cadbury, Russell Stover, just name a brand, they have chocolate eggs galore

Let's look at the regular egg. Okay, we decorated it up a little bit for the Easter celebration.

Nutrition Facts:
90 calories
7g fat
0.4g carbohydrate
6.3g protein
Ingredient: Egg

An egg is a healthy food, right? Let's compare it to one of our friendly chocolate counterparts, a Reese's chocolate egg...

Nutrition Facts:
180 calories
11g fat
18 carbohydrate
4g protein
25g sugar
Ingredients: Milk chocolate made with sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, nonfat milk, lactose, soy lecithin and PGPR [emulsifiers], peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, TBHQ [preservative].

Okay, a little bit of difference. Yes, calories for our little Reese's chocolate egg are double that of a regular egg. Yes, there are more carbs and less protein. Yes, if you have attended my Healthy Shopping 101 class, you know that the chocolate egg has some "-ose's" in there and what that means. You have to come to class to find that out. Okay, I'll give you a clue. If an ingredient ends in "-ose", it is a processed sugar. You can remember that by -ose = Gross.

But, let's take it a step further. What's the most important part of this comparison? The ingredients! What's in an egg? Yes, that's right, an egg. No additives. No preservatives or emulsifiers. What's in a chocolate egg? Not only that, but picture eating an egg. How is that egg processed through your body? Picture eating a normal egg. It's natural, it breaks down easily, it goes thru your body. Picture eating a chocolate egg. It's processed, it sticks, it doesn't go thru your body easily. Oh, and the chocolate egg has 25 grams of added sugar. 32 grams is daily recommended. That could be a problem.

Here's the hard part. We as a society are programmed, marketed heavily to, convinced that "chocolate is healthy" and that eating one of these sales and marketing wonder eggs is going to make us healthy. But it's not. And most of the time, we can't just eat one. If you eat one of these, fine, but what about 2 or 3 or more. Multiply that 25 grams x the amount you eat. And now we are talking sugar overload and guess how your body processes that? Ever wonder why when you wave goodbye, the upper part of your arm goes with the wave? Ever wonder why when you walk up the stairs, somethings jiggle a little bit more than they should? Ever wonder why you look in the mirror and are unhappy with your body and the way it looks?

Hey, now I am not blaming the lowly chocolate Easter egg for all of those things. But, it plays a part. The egg, the natural egg, is healthy for you. The chocolate egg, the processed egg, is not healthy for you. So if we know that, then the next step is finding out how we can convince our mind so that when we are at the grocery store, we reach for the healthy egg and not the unhealthy one. And then when we are at a friend's house for a meal and there are chocolate eggs abound, we use moderation or control because we care about our bodies. And then when we decide what to give our kids pretty Easter baskets filled with goodies, we use moderation and control and focus on the reason for the holiday, or the reason for showing our love to them.

Love does not equal a chocolate egg
Love does not equal a chocolate bunny

Still with me? I know this is hard. I know I am attacking something that is very near and dear to people's hearts - chocolate goodies. It takes time to overcome a habit and eating chocolate eggs is and has become a habit for many people. It's just something we do every Easter. And then beat ourselves up because it makes us feel awful. There is an easier way. There is a way to overcome our chocolate obstacles and it start with the inside. What are our emotional ties to chocolate? What are our emotional habits? Why are we afraid of being good and sticking to what we know we should eat?

There is no real definite answer to these questions. All you can do is start today. Start doing what you know you should be doing. Start making healthier choices for your body, your health, your life. And no sales and marketing company is going to do that for you, you have to. So my question to you is, will you? 

Gwinnett's Losing It! Videos

Here are the links to the two videos that were shown on the Finale...

Yes, it's the "Rocky" theme, you know I was going to put that in it! The participants talking about what they want to accomplish and why during the 12-week contest. Honest talk from honest people. Can you relate to any of them?

Another theme song, this time from "The Biggest Loser". This time after 12 weeks. Do they look different to you? The 14th participant is "Miss Kit", my black and white kitty who is a prima donna and who wanted desperately to show off for the camera. Notice what the last participant Vicki says at the end of the video, "I AM GOING to be..." Wow.

Celebrating Success - Part Two

An update for Gwinnett's Losing It! continues...

Gwinnett's Losing It! is not just about losing weight. It's about changing your body and improving your health. The participants in this program were judged on four criteria:

• Weight, starting and ending
• Photos, starting and ending
• Essays, including goals and 3 other essays every 4 weeks in the competition
• Progress Reports taken every 4 weeks, including measurements, clothing size and bodyfat percentage

This is important to remember because losing pounds alone does not make you a healthy person. Our society places too much emphasis on weight alone, when we should really be looking at the whole health of the person as well, which is what this contest was striving to do. So, while the person who lost the most amount of weight did not win 1st place, he certainly made a lot of other changes as well.

January 2011

After 12 weeks

Winning 3rd place is Mickey Hamilton. Mickey is married and has 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren. As the only man in the competition, he has enjoyed it immensely. His goal was to live longer and be here for his family and friends and to start walking 3 miles a day with the family and liking it. His obstacle was travel and eating in restaurants. His biggest accomplishment for this competition was conquering the nutrition challenge. Mickey has lost 52 lbs., 12% bodyfat and untold amount of inches in this 12-week competition. While the weight loss is impressive, even more impressive is the fact that Mickey has drastically reduced his diabetes medication, he has made remarkable progress in that when he started he could not walk for short distances and recently, he just completed his first two 5K's. He is amazing! He has truly changed his life and I look forward to working with him even more as he continues his weight loss/health journey! These photos are of his legs when we started and after 12 weeks.

Winning 2nd place is Velma Busby. Velma has been married for 30 years. She has 2 sons and 3 grandchildren. Her goal was to lose weight and get healthy and make this a permanent loss and lifestyle change. Her obstacle was to not give in and eat the way she used to. Her biggest accomplishment for this competition was learning how to eat clean and put workouts in her everyday life and enjoying it. Velma has lost 24 lbs, 10% bodyfat and 8 inches. Velma is a hot grandma! When Velma started with me, she was discouraged about her body and her energy level. She is not now! Velma has stuck like glue to her workouts and nutrition changes and has really changed her life. She no longer has to take medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, and has truly made the changes to better her body and her health.

Winning 1st place is Vicki Rice. Vicki is a widow and has 2 sons and 3 grandsons. Her goal was to be able to do the exercise program and reach set goals. Her obstacle was food and eating out at restaurants. Her biggest accomplishment in this competition was running a 5K and reaching her weight goals. Vicki has lost 26 lbs, 8% bodyfat and 16 inches. Vicki is a powerhouse. 6 years ago, Vicki's husband died unexpectedly. She took it hard and was not good to her body. This contest changed the way she looked at her body. She overcame bad habits and learned new ways to deal with the hurt in her life. She, like all of the 13 contestants, learned to share with our group in a private, safe setting, the hurt that has held her back for so long. She let it go. And in doing so, she flourished in this contest. My nickname for Vicki is "Ms. Consistent" because she is. She is consistent in her workouts. She is consistent in her nutrition. She is consistent in setting and meeting her goals. Week after week, she continued to make progress and set the standard high for herself and those around her. I am so unbelievably proud of Vicki and her accomplishments. And she was on the front page of the Gwinnett Daily Post, which I absolutely loved!

There is so much to tell you about this contest that I think I will have to do a "Part Three" to truly show you what we accomplished as a team. So I will do that. But in closing, I want to point out that these three individuals have many things in common:

• They are all grandparents [can you believe that? Do you understand why I always say that AGE is just a number!]
• They all had obstacles and they overcame them. 
• They all had goals and they met them. 
• They all had to deal with special situations-traveling, stress in the job, eating out at restaurants, time constraints, life. And they did it anyway. 
• They are all winners - they have their bodies and their lives back. 

I hope when you read their profiles, you see something that strikes you - either for you or for someone you know - that gives you a glimmer of hope. Hope that you too - or that someone you know - can finally overcome the obstacles of losing weight. Hope that you too can set and make weight loss goals with success. Hope that you too can change your body and life. So, now will you?

Our next Gwinnett's Losing It! will be August 15, 2011 through November 4, 2011. See my website for more details. Part three to come...

Celebrating Success - a Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

Wow - what an amazing 12 weeks! Our Gwinnett's Losing It! team finished their weight-loss journey, but ended up changing more than just their weight. As a group, they lost 293 lbs. As a group, they lost an average of 7% bodyfat and 10.5". In 12 weeks! But they won more than they lost...[in their words]

• No more blood pressure medication. This may mark the end of a competition, but not the end of a journey as a team and family.
• I'm learning not to focus on the scale so much but the total picture of becoming healthy and building lean muscle. The change in nutrition has made the biggest difference for me. 
• After starting this challenge, it was like my life started coming together and gave me the ambition to get out and do something with my life. I no longer have to take my diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure medicine.
• I have gone from a person who thought they were going to die by overeating to a person that is in total control of what goes in my mouth. 
• I have more self confidence and self esteem than I have ever had in my life. I don't ever recall being happy with me. I can finally say "I love me". 
• I have finally taken control of many cravings that I thought I would never be able to overcome. I have accepted that I cannot passively live my life, I have to be an active, attentive participant.
• I now know that my body is capable of. I am now on the road to recovery for a lifetime. I feel awesome. 
• I have found me again. I have learned I should come first. My health allows me to take care of my family and my business. 
• I am proud of myself. Proud to have met a great group of new folks from our community, and proud to have been given the chance to change my life forever. 
• I am better, fitter and stronger because of this challenge. Although I've lost a few pounds and a few inches, I've gained a new perspective on what being a winner means. It means finishing the race. 
• I have a newfound respect for my body and soul and what I do with it and put into it. 
• I have learned that by sticking to routine and being mindful of my nutrition is the way to make my goal. I have learned that by setting smaller goals to reach for is better than looking for that end result. 
• We no longer have the identity of extra pounds to hide behind. Instead we are a group who have changed for the better. I am going to live to see so many other journeys because I made the change and became the winner. 

Do you see what I mean now? This was NOT just a weight loss contest. This was a contest to change lives. I'll have another post with photos of our celebration night as well as additional information on the winners, but I'd like to end this blog with a portion of my speech on that special night, directed towards the competitors of Gwinnett's Losing It!:

"Every single one of you has made an impact in my life. Every single one of you deserves to win this contest. You have given me your trust. You have given me your health. You have given me your lives. And I am truly grateful for that. I have worked hard to not let you down and I can tell you, you didn't let me down. I truly love all of you and I wish the best for all of you. Whether you win 1st, 2nd or 3rd, you all deserve winning and you already have the prize you need - you have your body and your life back. And one last thing, I will be watching you, I know where you live and I will come and beat you if I have to."

Yeah, I know, I had to add that last line. That's just me. Congratulations to Gwinnett's Losing It! competitors who changed their lives. So, now are you ready to take the plunge? Stay tuned...

Realizing a dream - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

We are going into Week 10 of Gwinnett's Losing It!, a 12-week weight loss contest in Gwinnett County. Week by week, the stakes are higher as we get closer to the end of the contest and the realization. Realization that this is going to be over soon and realization of a dream. The dream of losing weight.

It hasn't been easy. At all. The battles are still there. Outside forces, inside forces, you name them, all of the reasons why 60-70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Not these people. They have decided to realize their weight-loss dreams and actually enjoy part of the process. They completed a 5K together. From Week 8 Progress Reports:

• "The past 8 weeks of my journey to weight loss has been filled with what I know realize is "fear". I realized that I have been afraid to push my cardio workouts. Why? Simply put, I have been afraid of being alone and collapsing."
• "I thought even looking at cupcakes and dessert would be my biggest temptation. No, that wasn't it. It was the outside influencers who just don't care and are annoyed that I'm taking parts of my life back. That was scary, difficult to rationalize and sad. There were tears this time and hurt feelings that not everyone got what I was doing to change my life."
• "I've had hard times when I didn't think I could do another minute on the treadmill or when I made a bad nutrition choice. Reality has set in. The newness factor is gone. This is it, no going back."
• "This contest has shown me that what I'm really hungry for can't be found in the bottom of a bag. I'm hungry for a healthy lifestyle, which includes coming to terms with my emotional eating, changing my relationship with food and fitness and improving my body image."
• "Why is it so difficult for me to stay concentrated and my head aiming forward? I allow my blinders to become transparent. I have not gotten into the full mindset that I can do this; that I can lose the weight once and for all. I have been trapped for so long now it is like an affliction that is hard to let go of."
• "My body has finally responded to the change in nutrition. The cravings have subsided and I have embraced a healthier eating lifestyle. It was tough mentally more so than anything else."
• "I haven't been concentrating on setting the examples per se, because I have learned that losing weight and getting yourself right physically and mentally is a very selfish process and until I get myself right, I can't fully devote myself to helping someone else, even if she is my child."
• "The day Sandi told me that nutrition was 80% of the battle saved my life. I went from the person who thought they were going to die by overeating to a person that is in total control of what goes in his mouth."
• "This has truly been a life changing experience for me. My health and habits get stronger and better every day."
• "These last 8 weeks is proof positive that the weight loss journey is not an easy one. I believe that you must have your heart in this process and that doesn't mean you have to be perfect but it does mean that every day I have choices to make with what I put in my mouth and what time I have planned to get my workouts in just as if it were a Dr's appointment."
• "I am putting on the blinders and removing all negative thoughts. Week 12, here I come."
• "I think the most valuable thing I have learned so far is to listen to my body. My body has been screaming at me for years. I chose not to listen. I was sluggish all the time. Exhausted all the time. It never occurred to me that I was so sick inside. A bad diet and lack of exercise is toxic. Just as if it were hazardous waste."
• "I have found a strength and perseverance that normally I would have given into self pity and indulgence. I have learned that life surely has it challenges and it is how I respond to them that will make me stronger and better."

Do you believe these people? Do you believe that they winning their battle at weight loss? They are. Please help me encourage them as we face the last two weeks of this contest. After 9 weeks, they have lost a total of 244 lbs. Want to see it in person? Come to our Finale Event and Health Fair at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville, hope to see you there!

sandi@startwiththeinside.com

16 Principles of losing weight

Do you want the honest truth? Losing weight is hard work and it is an emotional battle, as well as a physical battle. Yes, you can try to work out. Yes, you can try to eat right. Yes, you can try to get your head into it.

But - if you cannot do all three of those things - you won't lose weight!

Here are 16 principles I shared with the Gwinnett's Losing It! group on our conference call this week:

1. You have to forgive yourself for getting to this point in your physical life. You got overweight, but it’s in the past. You have to get over it. 
2. You have to realize that you have what it takes inside of you to get healthy. You have to start listening to your inside voice, your instincts about what is good for you and what is not. Stop listening to outside forces that are out to make a quick buck.
3. You have to push yourself past your preconceived limitations. You have to realize that in order to make progress, you must push yourself to go beyond what you have been doing in the past. Esp. in weight loss mode, which is where you are right now. When you get to maintenance mode, you won’t have to work this hard, but get there first. 
4. You have to realize that to take care of everyone else, you must also take care of yourself. You have to understand that being flippant about your health is not going to help you lose weight. 
5. You have to realize that you are worth this. 
6. You have to realize that this is not a temporary change. This is a lifestyle change. 
7. You have to give yourself a break if you are not perfect. 
8. You have to stop making excuses. If you get injured, you deal with it and move on. You can still make changes in your nutrition to offset an injury. 
9. You have to leave the drama behind and change your reaction to people around you that are stressing you out so that you are healthy and you are positive, no matter what is going on around you. 
10. You have to forget the past and what you have done in the past to lose weight. It didn’t work, because you are overweight now. You have to stop looking for an outside thing to help you lose weight and focus on just getting the job done. Get your workouts done, eat right, just get it done. 
11. You have to realize that it takes time to get your journey finished. Celebrate the small things along the way that happen. 
12. You have to not quit. Ever. 
13. You have to be open to change. 
14. You have to not be fearful of your future, whether you are alone with someone. Be healthy for you, for your life. 
15. You have to keep the good stuff going. Ask when you need help. Call on your friends when you need help. You can’t do it all alone. 
16. You have to stop thinking that just because you are in a contest, you are going to lose weight. It takes work – both in your workout as well as your nutrition, but mostly in your nutrition. If you are not going to make any nutritional changes, then you will not see a change in your body or your weight.

Do any of these apply to you? Which ones? 


What can you do today to make the changes necessary so you CAN workout, you CAN eat right and you CAN get your head into it? Will you do it today?

Tears and fears - Gwinnett's Losing It! Update

We are going into Week 7 of Gwinnett's Losing It!, a 12-week weight loss program in Gwinnett County, Georgia. There's been plenty of tears, screaming, frustration, facing fears and success in the first six weeks. But enough about me, let's talk about the contest...here's what I've learned at the halfway point of our contest:

• All 16 participants have come from different backgrounds, but we all connect in some way or another. 
• All 16 participants want to win the contest. From our 55-year old grandmother to our 36-year old single mom, they want to win. 
• All 16 participants are working hard to overcome obstacles of every day life during this contest, some more than others. They are finding out that most of the time, the emotional obstacles are even harder to overcome than the physical obstacles.
• All 16 participants are learning about healthy weight loss and that it is not always as it seems out there in the real world. Our media glamorizes weight loss and continually bombards us with crazy diets and programs that are designed for a quick, temporary fix. They are learning to put on their blinders and focus on their own success, as small as it may be from week to week

It has been a battle of tears and fears:

• "I know that I have set a better example to my family and friends who are watching me"
• "I'm learning to take time to plan meals and prepare for the following week. This is a lifestyle change and I realize it takes time to be fit and healthy"
• "What an eye-opening experience these first four weeks has been. I never would have thought that I would be eating clean and working out"
• "More difficult than cutting out fried foods is the mental struggle of removing the words 'I can't' from my vocabulary"
• "My doctor decreased all my medicines by 25% and eliminated one that I have taken for 4 years now and this is only the beginning"
• "I have heard 100's of times that nutrition is the key to weight loss. I have always believe that if I work out hard enough, I can eat whatever I want. With this contest, I have paid close attention to my eating habits and have made some real substantive changes"
• "I have learned how proper nutrition is mandatory to how your body feels. I look forward to working out every day. I don't feel deprived, hungry or tired. I feel clean mind, body and soul"
• "Although competing against other contestants, my toughest opponent is myself. It is a daily struggle, fighting against bad habits, busy schedules and lack of confidence"
• "I am loving how my clothes are fitting and the comments I am beginning to get from people who are noticing how I am looking"
• "It was frustrating to realize that it wasn't the food that was the problem, it was me"

Tears have come - tears of frustration, tears of happiness, tears of realization
Fears have come - fears of the past, fears of the future, fears of the unknown "Can I do this?"

And the answers are still to come. We are halfway through this journey. And it is exciting. It is exciting to see each person literally and physically change during these 12 weeks. It is challenging, it is heart-breaking, it is life. Each of these 16 people, these hard-working, beautiful inside and out, people, all came to Start With The Inside to change their life. Inside and out. And they are doing it. And I'm so proud of them! After 6 weeks, 180 lbs. have been shed!

Please make plans to come to our Finale Reveal/Health Fair on Thursday, March 31st at 550 Trackside in Lawrenceville. More details to come...

Also, please help me encourage these courageous 16 people for wanting to change their lives and then doing it.

Chocolate Lies - The Truth about Dark Chocolate

Oh, there she goes again. Before I go into my next tirade about the un-benefits of chocolate, let me explain a little of my writing style...

• Start With The Inside Fanpage - Updated daily with tips, recipes, motivation, quotes and facts to keep you educated about the emotional battle of losing weight. 
• Examiner.com/Atlanta Articles - Two to three published articles per week, one is Biggest Loser Recap and others are geared toward losing weight. More education and facts and some opinion. 
• Start With The Inside Blog - All opinion, most of it biased because of my experience in losing a large amount of weight and being successful at keeping it off. May have a tendancy to piss someone off because here, I don't like to mince words. 

Okay, thought I would give you some options in case you are one of those tender hearts who just can't hear anything bad about chocolate. And you don't want to hear the truth. The truth is that as a fitness professional, I am like a square peg that doesn't fit in the round holes of society.

I don't think that chocolate is good for you.

I know. Unbelievable. Every day, we hear of a new "study" - surprise - "chocolate is good for you" and leading the pack now is "dark chocolate is good for you". Blah, blah, blah. I guess it would go over better if I hadn't so much experience in the chocolate arena myself. I used to be a chocolate addict. Every day. Every occasion. Just name a month. I can tell you something chocolate-related in that month. So can you, I bet. Our society is fixated on chocolate, esp. women. As women, we are bombarded daily with:

• Chocolate helps PMS
• Chocolate helps stress
• Chocolate is good for you
• Chocolate has vitamins

The chocolate of older days, remember I am the "horse and buggy", old-fashioned girl, was healthier. It actually had cocoa in it, healthy cocoa, which in today's product has been so overloaded with sugar and added preservatives that it is now officially "crap". Sugar and fat crap.

Now, before I lose you completely, do I still have chocolate today? Yes. I do. But I don't have it every day. And if I do have it, it is a portion, not a overload of it. I still love chocolate. I still consider myself a chocolate addict. But moderation is KEY! And it is not a daily or weekly part of my life now.

And, I love the feeling of being healthy and fit.

I don't feel that way when I eat chocolate. Here's what it does to my body:

• It affects my bodyfat percentage and how my body burns fat
• It affects my emotional wellbeing, makes me feel depressed
• It affects my body, makes me feel like crap

Granted, I am super-sensitive now because I live my life as a fit and healthy person, so I notice much more now then I did in my chocolate-addicted days. Back then, it was just a tool that I used to get me through my day.

• Don't deal with reality, just have chocolate
• Don't make the changes you need to, just have chocolate
• Don't open your eyes, just have chocolate

I got tired of it. I don't want to have chocolate run my life again. And so I challenge you to see what role chocolate has in your life. It doesn't mean you can never have it again, I do. But, is it a crutch that has you not dealing with certain issues? If it is, then guess what? You can live without it. It's not socially acceptable. It's not fun. But it is possible and if I can do it, so can you.

The chocolate "studies" are going to keep coming out because someone's going to make money from it. Who do you think is behind all of these studies? Do you think they would actually say that chocolate is bad for you? What would that do to food retailers and other companies who rely on our addictions to make money? What would that do to Valentine's Day? Would we actually have to find another substitute for love, or for showing our love?

Okay, biased opinion done. It is possible to have a chocolate-free Valentine's Day. Just thought I would throw that out there. Now here come the chocolate-lover hate e-mails and smart-ass responses. Go ahead, I'm a big girl, well not as big as I used to be, but go ahead, I can handle it. Criticize me, blow me off, but if you have an inkling in your heart that what I said might be true, I say go with it. Will you?