Rita Butler, a 57-year-old executive administrative assistant, used to struggle with emotional eating and poor food choices--until she found The Best Life. Now 22 pounds lighter and only nine pounds from her goal, Rita has overcome her battles with food once and for all! Not only has The Best Life helped Rita lose weight, but it also helped her get past a devastating cancer diagnosis and regain her zest for life. Check out her story below.
The Struggle with Food
"I was the chubby kid in a family of thin people. My mother and my 10 siblings were all thin growing up, and seemed to remain so effortlessly well into their adult years. I went on my first diet, which basically entailed counting calories, in high school when I was 180 pounds. I lost 40 pounds but I never incorporated good eating habits into my life, so once I hit my goal weight, I slipped back into fast foods, bad portions, snacking and sweets. By the time I got to college, my weight had crept back up into the 150's. During my junior year, I again went on a diet, this time eating just 1,000- to 1,200-calories per day. I got down to 128, but of course, after such restriction, I went back to my usual eating habits and the weight came back on.
With the stress of getting out into the working world, my weight once again climbed, but this time I wasn't able to lose it by dieting. By my late 20's (in the early 1980's), I weighed more than 200 pounds. I remember lying in bed and thinking that if I didn't do something, I would wake up on my 40th birthday really overweight and really unhappy. I started bike riding and took up cross-country skiing, and again, started counting calories. While my weight went up and down in the years that followed, it never again approached that high mark of 207 pounds. Exercise was my saving grace, but at 160, I still felt I was carrying around too much weight for my 5-foot-6-inch frame.
My struggle was (and still is, to an extent) emotional eating. I also tended to make a lot of poor food choices--I got used to eating certain foods (I had a bad sweet tooth, for instance) even though I knew they were bad for me. And even though my mother fed us well, I think I also overdid it on portion sizes. As for exercise, I definitely wasn't getting enough.
Plus, I don't think I ever really considered the connection between what I was eating and how I felt until I went to Weight Watchers around 2000. A bad day at work, a relationship that didn't work out, being disappointed with my weight and feeling unable to do something about it were all good reasons to eat. Huge portions of pizza, cheese, crackers and candy were all responsible for adding on the pounds.
The Turning Point
On July 17, 2007, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. At that point, my primary focus turned to surviving the disease. I didn't start thinking about getting control of my life again until a year later--after I'd had a hysterectomy and underwent 5 weeks of radiation treatment. I realized that getting my weight down to a healthy range from where I was (160 pounds) was important, because being overweight is a risk factor for all kinds of cancer.
I've been an occasional Oprah watcher, and I caught Bob Greene on one of her shows. Afterwards, I checked The Best Life Diet out of the library and read it, and was struck by its simple approach. I also liked the idea of being able to track my food and goals online. Discovering the online community has been such an unexpected bonus. The encouragement I get from the other members is priceless.
The memory of being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing surgery and radiation is what keeps me most motivated, though. Twenty-five days of walking into the radiation treatment center, and lying still as the machine made its 360-degree circumference of my body really got my attention. Thinking of this keeps me focused on what's important--taking care of my health and my body.
Best Life Benefits
In the past, I've counted calories, fat grams, and done Weight Watchers, but the Best Life is by far the most effective program for me. I like the way the Best Life stresses a balanced approach of delicious, nutritious food, calorie reduction, and exercise. And the Best Life program helped me figure out how my emotional state impacted my eating habits. Reading the posts on the message boards from other members helped me realize that I engage in some of the same emotional eating behaviors myself. Now when a munchies attack hits, I stop and examine what brought it on: Boredom, bad day at work, feeling lonely?
I've been working hard this past year, reading a lot on diet and nutrition. I've become much more aware of the nutritional value of the food I put in my body. I'm even known in my office as "the healthy eater!" When you eat less, the food really has to be nourishing as well as yummy. As much as possible, I try to stay away from processed foods and cook for myself. I used the Best Life recipes, and since going vegetarian/vegan, I go to a vegan support group as well. Being single makes it a challenge, but if I'm not worth the effort, who is?
What surprised me the most about the Best Life was that it's about more than just food. Granted, you do have to address what and how much eat, but living your best life also means thinking about what you really need. What do you really want out of life? What makes you happy? What really satisfies you? I hope that by taking control of my health as much as I can, that I will have the strength and energy to continue enjoying an active lifestyle--biking, hiking, running, cross-country skiing. I am happy that my choices are not limited by my physical health. I have met so many interesting people through the years thanks to an active lifestyle.
Rita's Rewards
With the Best Life, I'm eating better and exercising more. I used to think nothing of eating half a pizza or a huge omelet for breakfast. Now I consider portions sizes and I check my hunger. At work, I have an hour for lunch and since spring, I've been walking about 30 minutes, at least three days a week, during my lunch break. In fact, I've probably walked more than 100 miles just on my lunch break since I started. I also joined a running club, and I run 12 to 15 miles a week.
All these changes have enabled me to reach one of my goals--I had a pair of size eight pants that I really wanted to be able to wear again. Now, I can fit into them and just putting them on makes me happy. It doesn't sound all that exciting, but I feel better--both physically and emotionally. What's more important than that? After being ill, I really felt out of control. Eating better and exercising brought me back in touch with myself, and back to feeling well again. For instance, I try to be aware of real hunger versus hunger brought on by being stressed or being tired. I tend to overeat when I'm tired, so getting at least 6.5 to ideally 7.5 hours of sleep is really important for me. I really credit my active lifestyle and being in tune with my body as keys to my good health. Other than the cancer, I am the healthiest I've ever been. My doctors have told me that I can consider myself 95 percent cured (my chance of getting another cancer is the same as about anyone else now).
But my biggest Best Life reward has been meeting so many other members of the Best Life community. My online friends are so important to my success. We share our triumphs and struggles, and I love when my friends post suggestions or words of encouragement. The best part is they are there 24 hours a day--whenever you need a little encouragement, or to share a success, someone will respond. I had the opportunity to meet some of my online friends in person at the Best Life Get-Together in Chicago, and it was terrific to meet all of these women who had become so important to me. Thanks to all my Best Life friends! Where would we be without each other?
Looking Forward to the Future
With the Best Life, as with any program, you have to accept that it is a lifelong change. I don'
The Struggle with Food
"I was the chubby kid in a family of thin people. My mother and my 10 siblings were all thin growing up, and seemed to remain so effortlessly well into their adult years. I went on my first diet, which basically entailed counting calories, in high school when I was 180 pounds. I lost 40 pounds but I never incorporated good eating habits into my life, so once I hit my goal weight, I slipped back into fast foods, bad portions, snacking and sweets. By the time I got to college, my weight had crept back up into the 150's. During my junior year, I again went on a diet, this time eating just 1,000- to 1,200-calories per day. I got down to 128, but of course, after such restriction, I went back to my usual eating habits and the weight came back on.
With the stress of getting out into the working world, my weight once again climbed, but this time I wasn't able to lose it by dieting. By my late 20's (in the early 1980's), I weighed more than 200 pounds. I remember lying in bed and thinking that if I didn't do something, I would wake up on my 40th birthday really overweight and really unhappy. I started bike riding and took up cross-country skiing, and again, started counting calories. While my weight went up and down in the years that followed, it never again approached that high mark of 207 pounds. Exercise was my saving grace, but at 160, I still felt I was carrying around too much weight for my 5-foot-6-inch frame.
My struggle was (and still is, to an extent) emotional eating. I also tended to make a lot of poor food choices--I got used to eating certain foods (I had a bad sweet tooth, for instance) even though I knew they were bad for me. And even though my mother fed us well, I think I also overdid it on portion sizes. As for exercise, I definitely wasn't getting enough.
Plus, I don't think I ever really considered the connection between what I was eating and how I felt until I went to Weight Watchers around 2000. A bad day at work, a relationship that didn't work out, being disappointed with my weight and feeling unable to do something about it were all good reasons to eat. Huge portions of pizza, cheese, crackers and candy were all responsible for adding on the pounds.
The Turning Point
On July 17, 2007, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. At that point, my primary focus turned to surviving the disease. I didn't start thinking about getting control of my life again until a year later--after I'd had a hysterectomy and underwent 5 weeks of radiation treatment. I realized that getting my weight down to a healthy range from where I was (160 pounds) was important, because being overweight is a risk factor for all kinds of cancer.
I've been an occasional Oprah watcher, and I caught Bob Greene on one of her shows. Afterwards, I checked The Best Life Diet out of the library and read it, and was struck by its simple approach. I also liked the idea of being able to track my food and goals online. Discovering the online community has been such an unexpected bonus. The encouragement I get from the other members is priceless.
The memory of being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing surgery and radiation is what keeps me most motivated, though. Twenty-five days of walking into the radiation treatment center, and lying still as the machine made its 360-degree circumference of my body really got my attention. Thinking of this keeps me focused on what's important--taking care of my health and my body.
Best Life Benefits
In the past, I've counted calories, fat grams, and done Weight Watchers, but the Best Life is by far the most effective program for me. I like the way the Best Life stresses a balanced approach of delicious, nutritious food, calorie reduction, and exercise. And the Best Life program helped me figure out how my emotional state impacted my eating habits. Reading the posts on the message boards from other members helped me realize that I engage in some of the same emotional eating behaviors myself. Now when a munchies attack hits, I stop and examine what brought it on: Boredom, bad day at work, feeling lonely?
I've been working hard this past year, reading a lot on diet and nutrition. I've become much more aware of the nutritional value of the food I put in my body. I'm even known in my office as "the healthy eater!" When you eat less, the food really has to be nourishing as well as yummy. As much as possible, I try to stay away from processed foods and cook for myself. I used the Best Life recipes, and since going vegetarian/vegan, I go to a vegan support group as well. Being single makes it a challenge, but if I'm not worth the effort, who is?
What surprised me the most about the Best Life was that it's about more than just food. Granted, you do have to address what and how much eat, but living your best life also means thinking about what you really need. What do you really want out of life? What makes you happy? What really satisfies you? I hope that by taking control of my health as much as I can, that I will have the strength and energy to continue enjoying an active lifestyle--biking, hiking, running, cross-country skiing. I am happy that my choices are not limited by my physical health. I have met so many interesting people through the years thanks to an active lifestyle.
Rita's Rewards
With the Best Life, I'm eating better and exercising more. I used to think nothing of eating half a pizza or a huge omelet for breakfast. Now I consider portions sizes and I check my hunger. At work, I have an hour for lunch and since spring, I've been walking about 30 minutes, at least three days a week, during my lunch break. In fact, I've probably walked more than 100 miles just on my lunch break since I started. I also joined a running club, and I run 12 to 15 miles a week.
All these changes have enabled me to reach one of my goals--I had a pair of size eight pants that I really wanted to be able to wear again. Now, I can fit into them and just putting them on makes me happy. It doesn't sound all that exciting, but I feel better--both physically and emotionally. What's more important than that? After being ill, I really felt out of control. Eating better and exercising brought me back in touch with myself, and back to feeling well again. For instance, I try to be aware of real hunger versus hunger brought on by being stressed or being tired. I tend to overeat when I'm tired, so getting at least 6.5 to ideally 7.5 hours of sleep is really important for me. I really credit my active lifestyle and being in tune with my body as keys to my good health. Other than the cancer, I am the healthiest I've ever been. My doctors have told me that I can consider myself 95 percent cured (my chance of getting another cancer is the same as about anyone else now).
But my biggest Best Life reward has been meeting so many other members of the Best Life community. My online friends are so important to my success. We share our triumphs and struggles, and I love when my friends post suggestions or words of encouragement. The best part is they are there 24 hours a day--whenever you need a little encouragement, or to share a success, someone will respond. I had the opportunity to meet some of my online friends in person at the Best Life Get-Together in Chicago, and it was terrific to meet all of these women who had become so important to me. Thanks to all my Best Life friends! Where would we be without each other?
Looking Forward to the Future
With the Best Life, as with any program, you have to accept that it is a lifelong change. I don'
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