April 2, 2007- Anita Gustis & Deborah Arneson

Anita's Success:
Anita wanted to eat better, despite her relatively good healthy habits, and she turned to Deborah Arneson to help her make changes that she could live with as a lifestyle.  She discovered how to eat in a healthy balanced manner and how important it was to pay attention to nutrition, as well as getting enough water and sleep.  She now feels better than before and has been successful in managing her weight. 

Deborah's Success:
Deborah Arneson, BS, MS, LCN, is a licensed nutritional counselor, health educator, national speaker and seminar leader.  She has a BS in Food Science and Biochemistry, an MS in Counseling Psychology, and practices nutritional counseling at her Healing Quest Center in Chicago. She is also the author of Fries, Thighs and Lies: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Getting the Skinny on Fat and a book for children called Heart Smart Kid’s.  She is well known for her national magazine and newspaper columns, and radio and television appearances that focus on fitness, healthy diet and lifestyle, food myths, motivation and nutritional healing.  She is also the producer of Chicago’s Channel 25 Health Quest consumer health awareness show, and she is a monthly contributing editor on health concerns for Today’s Chicago Women.

April 10, 2007- Barb Gau

Barb’s Success:
Barb was obsessed with her weight and checking the scale constantly in her early 20s, leading to a short period of bulimia. She found her inner strength and stopped, and then looked for healthier ways to be slim. Ultimately she discovered this meant changing her beliefs about food, exercise and herself.

She realized her all or nothing behavior and obsession with a number was the problem. She found that moderation and loving herself were really the answer. She has maintained her healthy lifestyle activities for nearly 30 years and had to learn that this is a lifelong commitment, which requires adjustments along the way. 

April 16, 2007- Shann Vander Leek

Shann’s Success:
After years of being sedentary, she got two wake up calls that propelled her into action.  Thanks to her healthy changes, she no longer has to take prescriptions for high cholesterol or worry about how fat she looks in the mirror.  She now enjoys activities such as yoga, Pilates, martial arts, walking, and snowboarding!  She also enjoys getting the complements about how great she looks.

She discovered that it was ok to take time for herself and for being active, even if it meant time away from her family.  The more active she became the more she enjoyed life, and the better she slept and felt.  It also helped her become a better person.  She has been on this journey since 2003 and while she did have a setback in 2005 she has learned what she needs to do to get back on track and is currently maintaining her success.

April 23, 2007- Sandra Garth

Sandra’s Success:
Sandra has maintained healthy lifestyle habits for over 2 years by learning how to give her self permission to be fit and that it is ok to feel well.  She will share that you can start from anywhere and take back your own well-being.  She wants to be a service to others and share her story so that you may find it helpful in your own journey to better health and wellness.  Sandra has been able to manage her arthritis without prescribed medications and has found most importantly that the little things she does for her wellness add up in the long run.

April 30, 2007- Sharon Lund

Sharon’s Success:
Sharon was in an abusive marriage and became infected with HIV/AIDS by her husband.  For the past 24 years she has been living as “HIV positive” Her biggest challenge to overcome was forgiveness.  She also had to overcome anorexia.  She has done both.

She says, “I have a choice how I want to act or react to my situations. It doesn’t matter what challenges a person is faced with, there are always lessons to be learned. You can become a victim or you can become a person who takes responsibility for their well-being and happiness. I don’t take life for granted. A lot of the answers are within ourselves. I’ve embraced life and death due to all of my situations. Self-esteem and self-love is extremely important.”

Sharon has maintained her success, through a mind-body-spirit connection and techniques that have kept her healthy, well balanced, and given her a sense of inner peace. These techniques have also kept her alive.