July 2, 2007 - Charise Lindo

Charise’s Success: 
Charise grew up in Florida where it is hot, but she decided as early as 5 years old that she wouldn’t wear shorts or sleeveless tops because of her size.  By the time she was in high school she was 190 pounds and in her early twenties she hit 235.  It wasn’t until two of her relatives with diabetes had their legs amputated that she changed her belief that she could do something about her weight. 

She lost 100 pounds slowly and steadily with small changes, and proudly wore her first bikini to the beach.  She chose a diet plan that allowed her to enjoy the foods she liked best and that she could maintain, and she still eats triple-chocolate ice cream by finding a brand that has no sugar.  She also learned that variety in her exercise is what kept her interested, so she mixes things up and tries new things. 

She used to believe her weight and health were beyond her control, but once she decided to take control of her life she learned that isn’t true.  Now she feels strong inside and out and believes she can do anything! 

July 9, 2007 - Karen Kelly

Karen’s Success: 
Karen Kelly found herself in the job from hell and turned to food for comfort.  She gained 40 pounds during the 18 months she was with the company, and after she left she continued putting on another 20 pounds during the next 8 years.  She became depressed and withdrew from everyone but her husband, family and very close friends.  She was aware of the health risks, but it wasn’t until she was discriminated against for her size that she faced herself and what was driving her to eat.  In a year she lost the 60 pounds.  She says the most important step was her commitment to exercising daily and getting help from a personal trainer.  But it was her first step of reducing how many calories she ate that got her moving in the right direction.

Now a freelance writer and author of a new book coming out this July, she is maintaining her healthy life.

July 16, 2007 - Debra Greene

Debra’s Success: 
Debra Greene has dedicated her life to studying and mastering energy work as a teacher, researcher, and practitioner. After living a life in a state of unhappiness, depression, and as a victim she was able to pull herself out of these states through energy work.  She experienced and then educated herself in energy kinesiology and saw life changing results.

Debra has a rare dual Ph.D. in Communication and Somatic Studies from Ohio State University. She is an energy healer and professionally trained kinesiologist. This unique combination positions her as a bridge-builder who takes complex information about the unseen world and translates it into a more usable form.  During the past 14 years, she has been able to maintain her good health by using these subtle energies and taking responsibility of her health.

July 23, 2007 - Abby Ellin
www.teenagewaistland.com

Abby’s Success: 
Abby grew up with pressure from her mother and grandmother to be thin and they closely monitored her weight.  She wasn’t ever that fat, but even the slightest increase on the scale was met with her grandmother’s disapproval and rejection.  They taught her that “the world judges on first appearances” and that what you weigh matters.  By the time she was a teen she too was obsessed with food and her weight, which was high enough that she chose to go to a “fat camp”.  She lost weight there, so she did it again for another 6 summers.  But the camps didn’t solve her issues with food.  Years later she finally dealt with her dysfunctional dieting and learned how to address the emotional eating that was driving her.

She wrote about her experience going to the fat camps in Teenage Waistland:  A Former Fat Kid Weighs In On Living Large, Losing Weight, and How Parents Can (and can’t) Help. 

Abby regularly writes the "Vows" column in the New York Times Sunday Styles section, as well as feature assignments for the New York Times Magazine. Her work has appeared in a range of publications, including Time, the Village Voice, Marie Claire, More, Self, Glamour, the Boston Phoenix, and Spy (RIP). She's an editor-at-large for Gotham magazine and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. But her greatest claim to fame is naming "Karamel Sutra" ice cream for Ben and Jerry's.

July 30, 2007 - Mary Bolster
www.naturalhealthmag.com

Mary’s Success: 
After nearly twenty years of eating behaviors that see-sawed from week-long fasts to all out bingeing, she finally realized she couldn’t ignore her eating problem.  In her mid thirties, she was at a point where her overeating was too painful and disruptive that she had to do something about it.  She turned to self help books and found just what she was looking for – a book on emotional eating.  Overcoming Overeating, by Carol Munter and Jane Hirschmann, spoke to her and gave her the guidance she needed to distinguish between physical and psychological hunger and how to deal with her emotions differently. 

She began to listen to her thoughts when she was tempted to overeat and stopped eating out of boredom or loneliness.  It changed the way she ate by making her more conscious, and today she no longer obsesses about food.  Through the process she learned how to lose weight without going on a diet, and she now eats in a healthy way that includes the foods she wants.

Mary is the Editor in Chief of Natural Health Magazine, where she can help others gain insights about healthy lifestyles and a healthy relationship with food.