my JANUARY 2014 TM “Your physical health is the foundation on which you build your life.” NEW! CURVES WORKOUTS WITH —Jillian Michaels JILLIAN MICHAELS Plus: How to Make This Year’s Resolutions Stick ● BUST THROUGH PLATEAUS ● BURN CALORIES FASTER ● BE YOUR BEST EVERY DAY * TOC January 2014 “LOVE’S GREATEST GIFT IS ITS ABILITY TO MAKE EVERYTHING IT TOUCHES SACRED.” —Barbara de Angelis * Editorspeak for “Table of Contents” Come On In Move 18 4 New year, new you, new magazine. INBOX 6 Sharing your e-mails about the stories you’ve read. 24/7 8 VIDEO Read about Kathi Williams’s amazing weight-loss success, get health news for your heart, and meet the new Curves Science Advisory Board. Eat 13 VIDEO Introducing the new Curves Workouts with Jillian Michaels. Crave 20 You’ll be excited to work out just so you can wear these cool clothes. Share 22 Deborah Hudson’s words will bring tears; the Diva Warriors will make you laugh. A Meal in a Bowl 24 Enjoy summer fruits in winter smoothies, sesame seeds may relieve knee pain, this fat helps reduce fat, and more goodfood news. A new year’s recipe inspired by Italy: Herb Roasted Monkfish with Tomatoes and Green Lentils. Bloom An Interview with Jillian Michaels 16 Nancy Boulay finds her true self. FEATURE: 28 America’s health and wellness expert opens up about her childhood struggle with weight, how to strengthen selfimage, and the goals she wants to help all women achieve. FEATURE: How to Make This Year’s Resolutions Stick 32 page 28 Based on brain science, this strategy really works! FEATURE: The Secrets to Success 38 Experts say the secret to happiness and a healthy weight is to give yourself permission to enjoy life. page 13 FEATURE: Checking in with Barbara 40 You met her in December when she opened up about her struggles postweight-loss. Here, Barbara shares where she is today. page 24 BodyLove 44 Stacy Liebensohn smiles at the mirror. page 38 KICK START WEIGHT LOSS IN JUST 30 MINUTES With something new from Curves and Jillian Michaels “I’ve created a cutting-edge workout just for Curves so you get amazing results. Get in here!” JILLIAN MICHAELS COACHING FOR EVERYONE, EVERY WORKOUT RESULTS AT ANY FITNESS LEVEL LOSE WEIGHT © 2014 Curves International, Inc. *Limit one free 1 week fitness membership per person at participating locations. Not valid with any other offer, no cash value and new members only. First visit discount may be offered in exchange for 1 free week. © 2014 Curves International, BURN FAT INCREASE STRENGTH Try it for a week FREE! CURVES.COM / 1.800.CURVES30 * come on in NEW YEAR, NEW YOU… Live + Love + Laugh A magazine delivered to you by ( ) new magazine Happy New Year! It’s the time of year when we step forward with a refreshed outlook and plans for positive change. And in that spirit, we bring you a magazine with a fresh look, friendlier technology, and some new content. To start: a new name, MyCurves—a reflection of your relationship to your club, your magazine, and the beautiful curves you carry and shape. We now build the magazine on a digital platform that allows you to view all of it—pop-up boxes and recipes—on any device: your desktop, tablet, or e-reader. And we heard you when you told us that the type was too small; we increased its size and designed a more open, visual layout. Try it out as you check out the stories in this issue (on pages 32 and 36) that will help you realize your 2014 goals, and tell us what you think at [email protected]. Please be sure to read our interview with Jillian Michaels, the inspiration and the architect behind the new Curves workouts. This remarkable woman is passionate about helping women everywhere achieve their best life. And as you step into the new year, be bold, be brave, and go after your best life. Curves, Jillian, and MyCurves magazine are here to help you. Strengthening women THE TEAM Your friends at myCurves, working hard to bring you the best info, advice, and inspiration for healthy living Claire Kowalchik, editorial director Sandra DiPasqua, art director Rose Sullivan, managing editor Our story builders Denise Foley, editor EAT Barbara Loecher, editor 24/7 Jennifer Miller, editor SHARE Megan Othersen Gorman, editor MOVE and BODY LOVE Shelley Vance, copy editor Sara Vigneri, fact checker Kathy Carr, assistant editor Our chefs Erica DeMane Laurie Goldrich Wolf Our technical assistant Amber Rominger, flash designer We’d love to hear from you! Send your questions, stories, photos, and feedback to the team at [email protected]. Interested in advertising? Contact Nancy McEachern, director of advertising e-mail: [email protected] phone: 254-399-9285 curves.com Claire Kowalchik Editorial Director FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK 4/MyCurves/JANUARY Please click here to subscribe. Share Curves® with your mother or grandmother You want her to be fit and healthy. Invite her to join you at Curves – for free. There’s a good chance her Medicare health plan, Medicare Supplement carrier, or group retiree plan includes Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program. If so, she can join Curves at no cost beyond her health plan premium! SilverSneakers includes a basic membership and is a great way for active mature women to get fit, be healthy and stay young! For more information on SilverSneakers, visit silversneakers.com. Share your Curves workout with your mother or grandmother. Call today! Have the following information for your mother or grandmother handy and call 1-866-991-4134 to verify eligibility. •HealthplanIDnumberfrom membercard •Fullnameanddateofbirth •Mailingaddress RequesttheSilverSneakersIDcard tobemailed.Askforherpersonal SilverSneakersIDnumberand writeitdownforyourmotheror grandmothertouseuntilhercard arrivesinthemail. CRVSNAT_1 11.13 SilverSneakers® is a registered mark of Healthways, Inc. silversneakers.com Send comments to us at [email protected]. INBOX A SPECIAL REPORT INDEED Thank you so much for the “Losing Weight… Losing Yourself” article. I have been overweight for almost 20 years now and just recently have begun to realize that I am afraid to lose the extra 100 pounds I am carrying around. [I am dealing with some very difficult personal challenges] and beginning to see that I have been trying to protect myself in some twisted way by being overweight. Several of the points you made in your article hit home! —dvc71220 What an awesome, awesome article on adjusting to the “new” you after profound weight loss. I have gained and lost 65-plus pounds more than twice in my life. I am at my heaviest weight and need to lose 80 pounds, and I now realize that some of the fears listed in the article have kept me heavy and sabotaged me at my thinnest. Good stuff! —chrissycolemanmiles I loved the article about Barbara, as well as “Losing Weight…Losing Yourself.” Articles like these help me understand that I’m not a freak; the fears I have of losing weight, getting fit, and taking care of me are real; and there is help in relearning how to be. —teresa.delcore THANK YOU, BARBARA I enjoyed everything in the December issue, but Barbara’s story hit home for me—I am experiencing the same issues. Thank you for the help. —dcharlebous 6/MyCurves/JANUARY COMING NEXT MONTH The results of our comfortfood recipe contest—yum! Yes, after weight loss, there’s a whole new set of problems to deal with. Congratulations, Barbara. Keep up the good work, encouraging us all to talk to each other about the next step. —Anonymous WOW, VIRGINIA! The story about Virginia Lane—what an inspiration! I’m wondering if she has any other tips for how she manages to look 40 years younger than she is. —magia76 Love this 96-year-old gal! She looks terrific and has such a great attitude. It shows how stay ing active keeps you feeling well, helping you stay connected to your community and able to live a fulfilling life even after you lose many friends and family members. I totally believe I will live to that age and that I’ll still be going to Curves, too. —Bonnie DEAR SANTA I loved the whole magazine, but what I really like is the Terri 1 bicycle seat. I hope I get one for Christmas from Santa. :) —Jan Finlay Follow-up from Jan: Sadly, I did not get the bicycle seat this year, but I am not giving up. There is always next year! You’ve got a friend. Lots of them! Browse our fabulous website for health news and blogs from trusted experts, recipes, videos, advice from Nurse Mary, quizzes and more! Join our online community today. • Make Sure Your Exercise Program Is Well-Balanced A world of wisdom awaits you! Sign up for our free monthly enewsletter to get features and recipes like (click on links below): • Stick to Snacks Under 200 Calories • Keep Your Skin Looking Healthy During Menopause • Wild Guacamole Recipe Consult our calendar for conferences and events celebrating health, wellness and womanhood. Be Strong. Be Healthy. Be in Charge. LOG ON to speakingofwomenshealth.com SIGN UP for our free enewsletter on speakingofwomenshealth.com LIKE US at facebook.com/speakingofwomenshealth FOLLOW US at twitter.com/SPKwomenshealth WATCH US at youtube.com/SPKwomenshealth PIN US at pinterest.com/SPKwomenshealth GIVE SUPPORT US speakingofwomenshealth.com/give “Food no longer consumes me. I consume it and enjoy every minute of it.” —Kathi Williams 8/MyCurves/JANUARY JOSEPH GAMBLE 24/7 NEWS ADVICE INSPIRATION / FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE / 40 The percentage of adults who make resolutions (to learn how to make them stick, see page 32) Lifesaving News! Finding the Person Inside For much of Kathi Williams’s adult life, she lost and regained about 100 pounds a year. She’d pop diet pills, run until her feet couldn’t take another step, and nearly starve herself to lose the weight. But eventually she couldn’t stand the deprivation any longer and started bingeing again, regaining what she’d lost. By the time she retired from nursing in upstate New York and moved to Winter Haven, Florida, in 2004, Kathie, at 5-foot-6, weighed over 250 pounds, then put on another 100. Not surprisingly, she developed serious health problems. “I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, and fibromyalgia, and I was depressed,” she recalls. “I often spent an entire weekend in bed, getting up only to gorge on junk food.” Then one fortuitous day in 2006, Kathi and a friend noticed that the Curves near her home was running a two-for-one membership promotion. Though Kathi had tried almost every weight-loss program, she’d never tried Curves. So she signed up. At first her size prevented her from using some of the machines, Oat Cereal or Oatmeal? A bowl of either is a good source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, but if you want a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast, choose the hot stuff. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, found that volunteers who ate cooked oatmeal were less likely to want to eat 4 hours later than those who ate oat cereal out of the box for the same calorie cost. The reason? The hot cereal’s soluble oat fiber, or beta-glucan, thickens as the oats cook in liquid, creating a more satisfying bowlful. SMARTER FOR YOUR HEART JANUARY/MyCurves/00 JANUARY MyCurves/9 Helping You Be Your Best When it comes to building a healthy lifestyle—one that makes it possible for you to live your best life—you want the best advice, supported by the most current and well-researched science, right? MyCurves magazine delivers that kind of quality in every issue, but with the addition of the new Curves Science Advisory Board, our team is even stronger. Our board members are nationally recognized experts in nutrition, exercise, metabolism, and wellness coaching. They will provide Curves with ongoing expert counsel on fitness, meal plans, and coaching, and throughout the year, they will contribute articles to MyCurves with information and advice on new research that can benefit you. Without further ado, let us introduce our advisors. Liz Applegate, Ph. Elizabeth Frates, MD Russell Pate, PhD Pamela M. Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP 10/MyCurves/JANUARY James O. Hill, PhD Margaret Moore, MBA James Rippe, MD Judith Rodriguez, PhD, RD, FADA The sweeTesT way To keep you on Track Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight NEW Curves Meal Bars & 100-calorie Snack Bars* Conveniently healthy and incredibly tasty, each protein bar is a decadent combination of the deliciously nutritious ingredients your body craves. And each amazing flavor was designed for women, by women. All you have to do is grab the one you love the best. Peanut Butter Oat Crunch T fec per se rnion! pcou mpa Oats & Chocolate Berry Bliss available now Ask your loCAl Club for detAils curves.com *Available only in the us at participating Curves Clubs. THE WHOLE SOLUTION THAT MAKES BURNING FAT SIMPLE AS 1, 2, 3. FITNESS MEAL PLANS COACHING The Curves 30 minute Circuit that combines cardio and strength training for a full body workout. Customizable Meal Plans that show you how to cook in or eat out on any budget. Weekly one-on-one coaching with a Curves Certified Coach that keeps you on track. FR4SEucE cess Tools Kit* $20 Value GET FITNESS, MEAL PLANS AND COACHING CALL OR VISIT TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE NO OBLIGATION APPOINTMENT. CURVES.COM 1.800.CURVES30 *Only free for first-time visitors who sign up for Curves Complete. Kit available for limited time only. © 2014 Curves International, Inc. ® eat ➥ SMOOTHIE RULES CLICK FOR RECIPES. GREEN AND GROOVY NOT JUST PEACHY BERRY GOOD THAT’S A DATE THE SMOOTHIE SOLUTION Smoothies offer a simple way to bring together several nutritious foods in one thick, satisfying, delicious drink. And using frozen fruits during the winter months delivers servings of spring and summer produce. Chef Laurie Wolf whirred up four recipes full of fiber, nutrients, and—best of all—great taste. Enjoy them when you want a not-so-guilty pleasure. Photograph by Bruce Wolf JANUARY/MyCurves/13 eatbody love WORDS HERE WORD COLLARD GREENS KALE READ MORE. SWISS CHARD KALE COLLARD GREENS SWISS CHARD In Season: Leafy Greens While most of the country is in a deep freeze this month, our friends in the Deep South and California are supplying us with greens, including lettuce, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and collard and turnip greens. They’re all nutritional powerhouses, chock-full of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as carotenoids (antioxidants that short-circuit cancer in its early stages) and folate 14/MyCurves/JANUARY Heal, Sesame! KNEE PAIN CURBING YOUR CURVES WORKOUTS? FAT THAT CAN REDUCE BELLY FAT? Acid vs. Alkaline: The Risks Confused by all the talk about acidic and alkaline diets? Science is on it, and a French study recently found that women whose diets were more acidic had a 70 percent greater risk of developing diabetes than those whose diets were more alkaline. No knowledge of chemistry is needed to make your meals alkaline. Just cut back on fat, animal protein, bread, and soft drinks, and substitute dairy, fruits, vegetables, and—surprise!—coffee. JANUARY/MyCurves/15 bloom 16/MyCurves/JANUARY Grâce à Curves In the summer of 2010, Nancy Boulay, now 43, walked into Curves Neufchâtel in Quebec, résumé in hand. She had returned to Quebec after 4 years’ absence, during which she ate to assuage her feelings. “For too long,” she says, “boredom and all kinds of emotions went through my stomach to find a home in my abdomen, my arms, my thighs, my buttocks—surtout les buttocks. I was ashamed of my image—of how I looked—but I desperately wanted to be a Coach. I had studied physical rehabilitation and had a good foundation in anatomy, and I had lived every day being overweight. I knew what the women who entered Curves were looking for. I thought, These people need me, and I need them.”During her interview, the owner of Curves Neufchâtel, France Larose, assured Nancy that all women at the club were accepted and loved. “I remember saying then, ‘You see me like this now, at 191 pounds—wait until you see what I’m capable of,’ ” she says, hinting at the motivational powerhouse she would become. “I will not stay like this.’” And she didn’t. As a new Coach, Nancy felt she needed to prove to her members that the Curves method works, so she Photograph by Pascale Simard JANUARY/MyCurves/17 move NEW Moves This month, Jillian Michaels joins Curves to debut her muscle-pumping, plateau-busting version of the Circuit— Curves Workouts with Jillian Michaels, a total-body workout that combines the original Curves Circuit with functional, body-weight-based exercises that raise intensity, amp up metabolism, build lean muscle, and kick-start weight loss. “It’s a workout that will get you the results you want—no matter where you start,” says Jillian. Sumo Touchdown Benefit: Builds core strength Stand with your feet more than hip-width apart and your toes turned out, and place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointing out. Keep your knees bent and hips lowered. Hold this sumo stance while reaching side to side, touching your fingertips to the floor or ankle on either side of the foot. Modification: Slow down and reach to the calf on each leg instead of to the floor or ankle. 18/MyCurves/JANUARY 3 The itty-bitty percentage of your waking hours (16, assuming 8 for sleep) your 30-minutes Curves workout takes—a breeze to sneak in, right? The Shoulder Press pssst: Why we love it: This machine exercises muscles in the back that help protect and move the shoulder, including the deltoid and trapezius and the latissimus dorsi. Make it count: For best results, push the handles above your head quickly, and then pull them down to shoulder height quickly. Boost Your Heart Rate— And Your Libido Ambivalent about getting busy in the bedroom? Try coupling your Curves workout with your, er, couple’s workout. New research out of the University of Texas at Austin revealed that 30 minutes of exercise just before sex boosts libido in women who take antidepressants, which tend to dampen interest in sex. Exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, which facilitates that lovely, shudder-inducing blood flow down below. JANUARY/MyCurves/19 crave STUFF YOU REALLY WANT Eternity Jacket The plum Eternity Jacket is semifitted for a feminine, flattering look. It features ultrabreathable, moisture-wicking fabric and underarm mesh vents. A dropped hem provides extra coverage in back. MSRP: $39.95 Strength Capri This fitted capri pant features tummy-taming power-mesh technology and a no-slip waistband. The straight, cropped legs show off your shapely calves. MSRP: $$34.95 20/MyCurves/JANUARY 3/4 Sleeve Top Passion The Passion 3/4 Sleeve top features side seams and a shirttail back for a lovely, feminine silhouette. The lightweight performance fabric wicks away moisture to keep you cool and has the feel of cotton. A dropped hem provides more coverage in back. MSRP: $22.95 Tummy Control Pant Crossover The Crossover Tummy Control Pant uses power-mesh technology to provide figure-flattering control, and the no-slip waistband stays in place during your workouts. The boot cut looks fabulous on every body. MSRP: $35.95 High Control Sports Bra The High Control Sports Bra provides full support for a comfortable workout. It features cushioned frontadjustable straps, wireless cups, and mesh panels for ventilation, and it’s made from a high-performance fabric that wicks away sweat and dries quickly. Also available in turquoise. MSRP: $24.95 Bottle Water Keep hydrated on the go with this colorful 24-ounce water bottle. The convenient screwon lid features a push/pull sipper to help prevent leaks. MSRP: $5.95 Inspire Printed Tee Get inspired with this printed tee! The lightweight performance fabric feels like cotton yet wicks moisture away from your skin to keep you cool. A dropped hem provides more coverage in back. Available in raspberry (shown), coral, and seafoam. MSRP: $16.95 JANUARY/MyCurves/21 share you/ told us Last month we asked you, what’s the one very arduous and self-shaming New Year’s resolution you will not make this year? Here’s what you told us. “I do not resolve to hike the entire Appalachian Trail this year. Maybe next year.” —Beck Kelly Diva Warriors For the past 5 years, Diva Warriors—a group of Curves members from the Orangevale, Granite Bay, Folsom, Citrus Heights, and Roseville clubs— participated in a Curves Triathlon to raise money for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The triathlon includes a 30-minute Curves workout, a 30minute walk, and 30 minutes of Zumba. The Diva Warriors (so named because, as Pat Dayton, owner of the Orangevale and Granite Bay clubs, says: “It takes a warrior to fight breast cancer, and we are all divas!”) have raised $12,000 over the years. Go Divas! you/ tell us “This year, I’m not resolving to lose weight. Of course, I will still resolve to work out more and eat healthier—and drink a bit more with my girlfriends!” — Kathy Christiansen “I am not resolving to declutter my house again this year! It’s just too depressing when I don’t do it!” —Sue Harvey “Every year, I say I’m going to remember people’s birthdays (especially family’s) and send cards or call them—and every year I don’t do it! So I will not be resolving to remember them this year. Everyone hear that?” —Patti Peet First line: “How is it possible to bring order out of memory?” JANUARY BOOK PICK The actress Kristen Stewart has said: “When I’m about to blow the candles on my birthday cake and everybody is telling me I must make a wish, I go into a tailspin. I’m thinking: What do I wish? And I just can’t seem to think about anything. Then I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and there comes my wish. I don’t know how to explain what goes on inside of me, but that’s what happens: Breathing is the key to understanding what’s really important to me.” In the spirit of the new year, take a deep breath—then share with us what’s really important to you. E-mail us at [email protected]. 22/MyCurves/JANUARY * Jenn dear I adore holiday food, and I’m always sad when the season ends. Any suggestions for extending the gustatory celebration without extending the calorie splurge? Actually, I do have one. Ginny Haralson of Dallas sent me this recipe for a pumpkin pie smoothie that’s as delicious as it is nutritious, and it’s low in fat. Try it and let me know if it adequately conjures the holidays without deep-sixing your diet. CLICK FOR RECIPE. styles,” laughs Deborah, who also cops to constantly wearing purple. “When people ask me why I joined Curves, I say it’s because Curves has purple products!” Ask Deborah, 47, why she decided to buy the Okotoks Curves last Deborah Hudson October, however, and the recent breast cancer Hair Style survivor gets serious. “I Deborah Hudson, new bought my Curves beowner of the Okotoks cause Curves brought me Curves in Alberta, through a double mastecrecently got this “hair tomy and chemotherapy,” tattoo”—meaning it’s she says. “I can’t stop carved out with a clipper living. I have to keep blade, freehand. “I’m very going. And I decided I’m outgoing with my hairtaking people with me.” e v fi H G I H 3 2 THE CHURCH OF CURVES Rita Hurley Rita Hurley 4 5 Click on a finger to read a shout-out from one MyCurves gal to another. Have a virtual high five you want to send? Write to us at [email protected]. Be sure to include your full name and the city and state in which you live. 1 JANUARY/MyCurves/23 24/MyCurves/JANUARY /MyCurves/January 00 Photographs by Lisa Silvestri A Meal in a Bowl: January Herb-Roasted Monkfish with Tomatoes and Green Lentils by Erica De Mane Every New Year’s Day, I eat lentils. It’s a tradition in Italy, where lentils are thought to resemble coins, so, according to custom, eating them brings you wealth and good fortune in the new year. Who would want to gamble with that, especially during this lingering postrecession? As a superstitious Italian, I happily eat lentils not only every New Year’s Day but several times during January, just to make sure the good luck takes hold. In Italy, good luck lentils are always served with a big, juicy, very fatty Italian pork sausage called a cotechino. That’s a grand pairing, but this year, for my healthy version, I wanted a good stand-in, something low-cal but satisfyingly rich. Monkfish has a lobsterlike texture and a taste that makes it seem fancy, so I went with that, with great success. I love lentils. They give off a deep, nutty aroma when they simmer. They need no soaking and take only about 20 minutes to cook. When I make a lentil salad or a warm braise, as in this recipe, I go out of my way to find French or Italian lentils. They stay firm. American and Indian ones are perfect for soup, since they break down into a slightly lumpy puree, but for this dish, I wanted beans with integrity and beauty that would cook up looking like the little coins they’re supposed to signify. Green Le Puy lentils from France are fairly easy to locate in this country, and they’re what I used for this dish. I’ve found the best prices on Amazon (what don’t they sell?). TIP for the weightconscious cook JANUARY/MyCurves/25 1 cup green lentils 1 bay leaf, fresh if available 1½ pounds monkfish fillet (1 big fillet is best for slicing, but 2 smaller ones will work fine) 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 10 thyme sprigs, leaves chopped 6 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped, plus 4 small sprigs for garnish Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large leek, white and tender light green parts only, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice 1 celery stalk, cut into small dice 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced ½ cup salt- and fat-free chicken broth 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar 20 red grape tomatoes Place the lentils in a medium pot and cover with at least 3 inches of cool water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook at a low bubble, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. Drain and remove the bay leaf. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the leek, carrots, and celery and sauté for 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and sauté about half a minute longer. Add the lentils and the rest of the thyme and rosemary, and season with about ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sauté a minute to blend the flavors. Add the broth and mustard. Give it a good stir and simmer, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar. In an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is perfect), heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the monkfish and brown on both sides. Scatter the tomatoes around the fish. Transfer to the oven and roast until the fish is just cooked through—6 to 8 minutes, depending on its thickness. Take the fish from the oven and cut into thick slices on an angle. Divide the lentils into 4 bowls. Place the fish slices on top. Garnish each serving with 5 tomatoes and top with rosemary sprigs. Rub the monkfish fillets all over with the fennel seed, half the thyme, half the rosemary, about ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside. Serves 4. Per serving: 423 calories, 10 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 87 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrates, 13.5 g fiber, 37 g protein Heat the oven to 425°F. Curves Complete: Enjoy for lunch or dinner on Phase 1 or 2. 26/MyCurves/JANUARY JANUARY/MyCurves/00 America’s health and wellness expert, Jillian Michaels, lately of NBC’s blockbuster The Biggest Loser, has teamed up with Curves to launch a total-body workout that combines the traditional Circuit with functional, body-weight-based exercises that raise intensity—just like the dynamo behind them. 28/MyCurves/JANUARY JANUARY/MyCurves/29 This month, Jillian Michaels joins Curves to debut her musclepumping, plateau-busting version of the Circuit—Curves Workouts with Jillian Michaels. (See “New Moves” on page 18 for details on the exercise-enhanced Circuit.) But Jillian isn’t just about the lunge, the push-up, or the sit-up. The coach best known for dishing out the tough stuff on The Biggest Loser is, honestly, all about the love: selflove—the very quality she herself was missing when she struggled with her weight as an adolescent. —Megan Othersen Gorman MyCurves: You were bullied as a child for, as you’ve said, being a “5-foot-2inch, 175-pound eighth grader.” Can you tell us a little bit about that time in your life? Jillian Michaels: “I always struggled with being a chubby kid, but when I was around 12, my parents got divorced, and I ate to feel better: My weight ballooned to 175. Middle school is a notoriously difficult age for most kids, and I was no exception. Bullying is extremely hurtful, and I would never want to see anyone endure what I did. But it definitely gave me, as an adult, greater empathy and played an integral role in the ways I now help empower people.” Many, many people carry wounds from their childhood into adulthood. Have you been able to mentally move beyond your “fat kid” identity? “I really have. I think of myself as a bit of an outsider but not a fat kid. I still have all the same issues with food I did as a kid—much like an alcoholic, who will 30/MyCurves/JANUARY always be an alcoholic—only now I have the tools to manage these issues in healthy ways that allow me to lead a balanced and fulfilled life.” Our readers who, like you, have lost a significant amount of weight sometimes have trouble changing their selfperceptions. Do you have any advice for them? “The key is to take stock of your accomplishments. A big part of rebuilding selfesteem is to redefine your self-image, and a great way to do that is by listing and truly owning all your accomplishments. Weight loss is actually a great place to start. Owning that huge accomplishment as well as all the little successes you’ve had along the way is an important first step. You’ll realize that you’re not the ‘fat girl’ anymore—you’re the fit girl who ran a mile, lost 40 pounds, and became an inspiration to others! “I won’t lie: Changing your self-perception is a really tough thing to do, and I think I ultimately grew to see myself as others do in large part by attrition. I had years of falling down and getting back up and tons of life lessons that a few key teachers in my life helped me to interpret positively. But I always got back up. You always have to get back up. You have to fight for yourself.” What would you say is your biggest strength as a personal trainer? “I care; that’s key. But more than that, I am my audience. I get them. I’ve been where they are, and for this reason, I know how to help them achieve their goals. If someone can dream it, I know they can do it. I’m simply there to help them on their journey in the same ways that I was helped over the course of my life.” You’re known as a “tough love” kind of trainer. Do you agree with that assessment? “On the surface, sure. I push people because they have no concept of what they are truly capable of. And I am not sympathetic—sympathy is an acknowledgement of someone’s limitations. I am, however, empathetic. I know it’s hard, but I know they can do it. When you push people to realize and recognize their potential, the possibilities are limitless—and not just with their fitness but in every facet of their lives. Strength is transcendent. It changes everything.” Describe yourself in three words—go: “Fun, fighter, blessed.” What’s the best advice you were ever given concerning health and fitness? “You have to eat fewer calories than you burn. I can’t remember who convinced me of this fact, but the reality is that weight loss is, in fact, this simple. And that’s great: The fact that it’s so simple means that there’s a concrete answer and a solution to how to lose weight. It cuts through the nonsense and empowers people. It’s not overwhelming, and it is manageable for all.” Your body is amazing. What’s your favorite part of your body? “Honestly, my abs. They are the easiest thing for me to keep fit, because my body stores fat in my bottom half—and not in the sexy, J.Lo way.” Do you have a favorite exercise, something you reliably feel great after doing? “I actually don’t love to exercise—are you surprised?—but I do love how it makes me feel. That’s the key. Just like I don’t love chicken or broccoli, but I do love skinny jeans and the idea of being around for my grandchildren. For me, it’s not just about the lunge or the push-up or the sit-up. It’s about the bigger picture, always. When you’re strong physically, you’re strong in every facet of your life, because your physical health is the foundation on which you build your life. Curves is an empowered way of life.” Maximize Your Life JANUARY/MyCurves/31 NEW YEAR NEW HABITS NEW YOU Learn how your brain forms new behaviors and routines and you’ll make smarter choices in the coming year. By Carol Day 32/MyCurves/JANUARY ILLUSTRATION BY JULIETTE BORDA JANUARY/MyCurves/33 The ancient Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god with two faces--one looking back at the old year and the other looking forward into the new. January is traditionally when we look to the next 12 months and all the changes we want for ourselves, our relationships, and our health. The custom of making New Year’s resolutions provides structure and motivation to change old habits and develop healthier ones. But the fact is, by the time the next year dawns and the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” are fading, most resolutions are but a distant memory. Essentially, New Year’s resolutions are hopes we have for ourselves, cloaked in terms of our decisions to eat less junk and enjoy more veggies, sit less and move more, spend less and save more, stress less and relax more, devote less time to the TV and more with family. The key to making healthy behaviors stick is to turn them into habits--something you do almost without thinking. To accomplish that, you need to understand how the brain forms habits--and that can mean the difference between New Year’s resolutions that stand and those that fall. What are habits, anyway? Habits are modes of behavior that have become nearly or completely automatic over time through repetition. Neuroscientists and psychologists have been studying how we acquire them and if it’s possible to turn them on and off. The brain is a fascinating machine. Our 34/MyCurves/JANUARY brains are constantly scanning the environment, looking for ways to increase pleasure and avoid pain, handle all the demands of our everyday lives, and help us navigate daily routines and tasks. Habits let us rely on actions that we don’t need to think about, so we manage our time and energy without having to consciously decide how to do something routine. They take over as we get up and get ready for work or school, navigate familiar routes, conduct daily tasks, and come home and deal with end-of-theday activities, including de-stressing. We may think we are making choices and acting on decisions, but as many as 40 to 50 percent of the actions we take from dawn to dusk are habits our brains have established so that we can function optimally. Healthy habits have immediate and longterm benefits, but unhealthy ones offer only immediate fixes and in the long term can work against us. Taking a break for a midafternoon high-fat, high-sugar snack works in the short term because it offers the reward the brain seeks--distraction, a burst of energy, relaxation. In the long term, however, it makes us tired, adds empty calories, and frustrates our weight-loss and fitness goals. Cue-routine-reward The brain is always looking for the reward, which in the case of an afternoon cookie can be the pleasure of the taste, the boost of glucose released in the body, or the relief of a break from work. The way we create a habit like this is called a habit loop: a cue, followed by a routine, followed by the reward. Over time, the learned process is so automatic, so ingrained in our behavior, that we develop cravings triggered solely by the cue (divorced from the original need), indulged in by the routine, and reinforced by the reward. Almost half of human behavior occurs in the same location every day, cued by the environment--for example, the proximity of a candy vending machine at school, a stocked office refrigerator, or a fast-food drive-thru on the commute home. Each environment cues the routine (habit) that leads to a reward. Awareness of how the environment triggers the acting out of the habit is key to knowing how to exert some control over habits that don’t serve us well. MIT neuroscientists at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research have found that a small region of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the site of most thinking and planning, is where the switching on of habitual behavior at a specific time takes place without a conscious decision. As Institute professor Ann Graybiel says, some habits are valuable to us, and the brain still has some control over when to activate or shut off even deeply ingrained ones. Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, became fascinated by how habits are formed when, as a newspaper reporter in Baghdad, he saw how an army major was able to discourage people from assembling in a plaza that was frequently the site of violence simply by banning food vendors from the area. He decided to study the power of habits when he returned to the United States and did extensive research on how companies use habit formation to influence what we buy. In the process of studying these techniques, Duhigg reports, he lost about 30 pounds, developed the habit of running every other morning, and became much more productive. He learned to diagnose his habits and how to change them. For example, he habitually headed to the cafeteria every afternoon for a cookie, but by analyzing his actions, he realized that he went there not because he craved the cookie but because he wanted social interaction, the payoff of talking to his colleagues while munching. The Habit Loop You can use the cue-routinereward cycle to change a behavior or create a brand new one. Here are a few examples: To change an existing bad habit to a healthier one, change the routine and/or the cue. Cue: An emotionally painful event Routine: Eat an entire pint of ice cream. Reward: Comfort Fix the loop: Change the routine to something else that brings you comfort: Call a friend or family member; go for a brisk walk or run in the park. Cue: Too tired and/or too little time to make dinner Routine: Order fast-food takeout. Reward: Satisfying meal on the table quickly Fix the loop: Change the routine. When you shop for groceries, include quick-fix items such as healthy frozen meals or marinated meats that you can cook in minutes and serve with steamed veggies. If you are driving home from work, steer clear of Fast Food Lane and follow a route that takes you past a market where you can pick up a rotisserie chicken or a healthy prepared meal. Cue: Box of cookies on the kitchen counter Routine: Eat several cookies to quell afternoon hunger. Rewards: Pleasure; sugar rush; satisfaction Fix the loop: Change the cue. Don’t buy cookies; keep a box of Curves snack bars or a bowl of fruit on the counter for an afternoon snack. JANUARY/MyCurves/00 myCURVES JANUARY/00 He reconstructed the habit so that instead of going to the cafeteria, he substituted a 10-minute chat with coworkers, and he hasn’t had a cookie break since. He formed a new habit from an old one, with the same cue and reward but a different routine. The same thing occurs when someone responds to the cue signaled by the end of the workday by crashing on the couch, turning on the TV, and grabbing a bag of chips, seeking the reward of relaxation and detachment from the daily grind. If that person replaces the couch-TV-vegging-out routine, cued by coming home, by throwing on workout clothes and speed-walking around the neighborhood, the habit loop of cue-routine-reward still functions, but the outcome is much healthier and ultimately more rewarding. In the language of habit formation, this switch is known as differentially reinforced incompatible behavior. Essentially, DRI training involves the controlled substitution of one behavior for another, as Duhigg did with the social break that replaced the cookie break. What about willpower? Can you will one habit to end and another to start? Willpower is popularly thought to be something that we can call into action by deciding strongly enough to summon up this intangible substance of self-control. We often hear people talk of a person who has incredible willpower, who has accomplished a remarkable feat like climbing Mount Everest, sailing solo around the world, or 36/MyCurves/JANUARY successfully battling chronic addiction or alcoholism. On the other hand, you may think of a person who fails to respond to a challenge or takes the so-called easy way out as lacking willpower, or you may hear someone (maybe even yourself ) say, “I have no willpower.” These stereotypical notions betray a lack of understanding of how willpower really works. Willpower can help us form good habits or replace bad ones, and we all have it. It can help us reinforce a positive behavior by consciously choosing to repeat the substitution in response to a cue; the behavior (routine) then elicits the reward and, over time, the new habit becomes ingrained. But willpower is not a limitless resource always at our beck and call. Research over the past decade reveals a finite store of mental energy for exerting self-control. Overuse it and it runs out. Apply it wisely and it becomes replenished. Social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister conducted a series of experiments on mental discipline, first at Case Western and then at Florida State University. He asked people to call on their willpower over and over (for example, to turn down offers of candy); he then asked them to resist other temptations and found that they were less able to do so. They had used up their willpower, at least for the present. Baumeister coined the term “ego depletion” (after Freud’s ideas that the self, or ego, depends on mental activities that involve the transfer of energy). His experiments confirmed the notion that willpower is like a muscle that is fatigued with continuous use; to reinvigorate itself, it needs a break from challenges. You can use Baumeister’s scientific findings, which he and science writer John Tierney apply to everyday life in Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, to help resist temptation and maximize your willpower. Don’t set yourself up for failure by repeatedly challenging your ego with difficult tasks, tempting situations, and trigger environments. Make it a habit! Armed with the knowledge that you can alter the cue-routine-reward loop and use willpower to choose and continue to choose that new healthy cycle, you have the power to create a new habit this year--a resolution that will stick around past Valentine’s Day. Here’s how: 1.Replace. Substituting a new habit for an old one takes advantage of your brain’s established habit loop. Analyze the habit you want to replace. What are the cues that prompt it and the rewards it offers? When the environment cues the old habit, substitute the new behavior (like Duhigg’s chat in place of the cookie). Keep it simple, but keep repeating it; over time, it will become your default response to the cue. 2. Define. Set a single well-defined objective. Instead of vaguely deciding to eat “healthier,” choose something specific, such as snacking on a piece of fruit in the afternoon, drinking four more glasses of water at work, or having another serving of vegetables at dinner. Make the new habit specific, simple, and small. You have only so much willpower at your disposal, so use it well. 3.Commit. Make sure you choose a habit you really want to develop; otherwise, you won’t follow through. Tell yourself, I want to do this--it’s my choice. Write your decision down and let others know you’re committed to it. Share your goal on self-help online forums and tell your friends. 4. Control. You know the importance of “location, location, location” when buying a house, but it’s also important when dealing with habits. Your environment cues routines, very often without your awareness, so put away the cookie jar, store The Habit Loop You can use the cue-routinereward cycle to change a behavior or create a brand new one. Here are a few examples: To build a new habit, create a cue-routine-reward loop. Healthy habit: Exercise daily. Cue: Pick a time of day that will be easiest for you in terms of both convenience and motivation, and set recurring appointments on your paper or digital calendar. Routine: When you view or hear the reminder, you head out for 30 minutes of Curves, a walk, a bike ride--whatever activity you enjoy. Rewards: Better health; more energy; weight management Healthy habit: Eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Cue: Place a colored rubber band or string around your wrist for each serving of produce you eat. Routine: Seeing the number of colored bands on your wrist reminds you to grab an apple for a snack or to include another vegetable with your meal. Rewards: Reaching your five-a-day goal; better health; better weight management Healthy habit: Drink another 16 ounces of water daily for good health and hydration. Cue: Place a glass next to your toothbrush as a new visual cue. Routine: Drink 8 ounces of water after you brush your teeth in the morning and again at night. Rewards: Reaching your daily hydration goal and maintaining better health JANUARY/MyCurves/00 Experts say the secret to happiness and a healthy weight is to start giving yourself permission to enjoy life. By Karen Cicero Making New Year’s resolutions is the first step toward a happier, healthier you. But if you go after your goals with too much rigidity—denying yourself dessert after every meal or rest when your energy is spent—positive change can become a negative experience, and you might join the majority who end up veering off their plan entirely. So this year, try a different approach. Give yourself a break every now and then with these “permissions” from weight-loss experts. You just might find that the number on the scale is lower by this time next year. PERMISSION Play like a kid. PERMISSION Eat cake with friends. PERMISSION Eat when you’re hungry. ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY HOVLAND 38/MyCurves/JANUARY PERMISSION Spend money on a veggie tray every week. PERMISSION Schedule an appointment with yourself. PERMISSION Hit the sack already. PERMISSION Take your emotional temperature. PERMISSION Leave the dishes in the sink. PERMISSION Feel good about your body. PERMISSION Escape for 10 minutes. PERMISSION Eat only foods you like. JANUARY/MyCurves/39 You met Barbara Lehman last issue. Four years ago, the Comox, British Columbia–based mother of two had lost 32 pounds, winnowing her 204-pound frame to a long-coveted 172. But it was there her weight loss stalled, in part because she seemed to lose her sense of herself along with those 32 pounds. Now 47, Barbara is trying again—and we’re right alongside her. Be with Barbara: Look for news from Barbara in our next issue as she shares her weight-loss journey with us monthly. In the meantime, e-mail her your questions and sisterly support at [email protected]. Photographs by Stuart McCall 40/MyCurves/JANUARY /MyCurves JANUARY 00 JANUARY/MyCurves/00 I “I’m determined that I will not let the attention of the article block my way to losing weight—I will use it to help keep me focused on my goal. Of course, the real test will come when I’ve lost more weight and shed more onion layers than I “I know this is the month for did before. But until then, I don’t resolutions, but I don’t have any even try to wrap my arms around this year. Honestly, I’m wary of the big picture. I just keep running, them. But I do have goals, and I’m focusing on the forest floor—so as very close to meeting another one: not to fall on my face—leaving my losing 20 more pounds. I don’t look worries there, and working all the way down the road now (ex- out hard. cept when I’m running!). I just try “At the Comox Curves, some to lose 20 pounds at a time. And at of the girls and I challenge each 176.5 pounds, I’m about 5 pounds other to burn more calories by away from losing another 20— working out harder. We leave our which also means I’m almost where results at the desk before we head I was when I fell apart 4 years ago. out and compare our numbers “Last time, the attention I when we come back for another received after I lost weight made workout. It’s just a fun little comme horribly uncomfortable. And petition, but it’s helped me (and I have to admit that the attention them, too, I imagine) understand the article has garnered is a little that I can really push myself and overwhelming. I’m not sure how that I feel so much better when I to process all of it. But I do know do. Plus, I love the kinship. We are I’m proud of what I look like in the helping each other do better. We’re photos. I actually see the weight in this together. We’re pulling each I’ve lost—I don’t just know it other along. because the scale says so. I see it. “Now I’m off to buy a new And that’s progress. pair of pants!” —Barbara Lehman 42/MyCurves/JANUARY Thanks for baring your soul to us, Barbara. Your story [in the December issue] and the article that followed are very timely for me. Just the other day, I was discussing these very issues —how difficult it is to lose weight as we get closer to our goals—at Curves. Again, thanks for being so brave to speak out, and I wish you continued success in your journey. We are all behind you, and I look forward to further updates. —Take care. Georgia Abela, Toronto, Ontario I think most of us are surprised at the bodies we have now. In our heads, we have a notion that once we lose the weight, we will be as beautiful as a model. Nobody ever talks about the extra skin, etc., that we end up with. Don’t get me wrong: I know I am beautiful, but physically, it is a struggle to see where my belly button has gone to. Also, what I find a bit difficult at times is that so many folks comment on how beautiful I am now. I laugh and say that I was beautiful before; I was just carrying extra weight. Barbara is a very brave woman to share her thoughts with us. After you lose weight, it is sometimes very hard to get accustomed to your new look. The compliments are great, but then you have family and friends watching every morsel you eat. I had difficulty with that. After reading Barb’s story, I have gotten right back on track to lose the 10 pounds I had gained. —Pedgy VanBuren, Geneseo, New York JANUARY/MyCurve43 JANUARY/MyCurves/00 JANUARY/MyCurves/43 PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT CARR bodylove WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR BODY? Stacy Liebensohn Age: 50 (“and fabulous!”) Hometown: Westchester, New York 9 to 5: “Nine to five? It’s more like 24/7,” laughs wife, mother, and businesswoman Stacy, longtime owner of the Riverdale, New York, Curves. 44/MyCurves/JANUARY SMILING AT THE MIRROR ❛❛ I love my legs most! They’re one of the first things that caught my husband’s eye more than 20 years ago, when we first met. Of course, Curves has helped along my legs, as well as every part of me, as I’ve aged. I love it that people can never guess my age and actually don’t believe me when I tell them I have two teenage daughters, one of them in college! I attribute a lot of that to Curves and all that we encourage: exercise, eating healthfully, keeping up with preventive care, enjoying family, and taking care of you. It’s a lot, but we’re worth it, aren’t we? If I had a soundtrack for my life, it would be that old Helen Reddy song, ‘I Am Woman.’ I always hear it playing in my head: ‘I am woman, hear me roar… I am strong (strong), I am invincible (invincible), I am woman!’ Sing it with me! ❛❛ Tell us what you think... What do you like about this issue of DIANE magazine? What would you love to see in a future issue? Email SUBMIT
© Copyright 2024