"Help Me Lose 20 Pounds"

How I Did This Month

I love working out with Leslie! We do mostly strength training together, using things like a stability ball to "engage my core." (I do my cardio -- a few gym classes and my elliptical machine -- on my own.) I'm a little tired, but I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be. During one stretching and breathing exercise with Leslie, I broke down and started crying -- it was such a stress release!

Eating more fish has been difficult (I don't really like seafood). So has cutting back on my late-night cereal habit. But I'm getting better. Lois, my life coach, gave me a great mantra to remember: "Chocolate isn't fattening, self-criticism is." I tend to beat myself up when I have a diet or exercise lapse -- like eating a brownie the night before my 30-day weigh-in. But Lois pointed out that when a child is learning to walk, you don't yell at her for falling down; you remove sharp objects, close cabinet doors, and do anything you can to make it easier for her. Now when I slip up, I say, "Hmm. I chose to eat a brownie today. I wonder why I did that...."

My new mind-set (and workout) has started to pay off: I lost four pounds! People have said they notice a difference in me: My face is a little slimmer, and my self-esteem is inching up from the compliments!

• Have a healthy morning snack before work every day.
• Eat two servings each of fruit and dairy and three servings of vegetables each day.
• Have fish three times a week.
• Do 100 minutes of cardio and 120 minutes of strength training per week.
• Plan next week's meals each Sunday afternoon.
• Reconnect with husband via monthly date night.
• Avoid self-criticism after slipups.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, June 2006.