From Weddings to Weight Loss - What Solange Shows Us

Photo:  Vogue

Before she whipped Jay Z, I had never paid much attention to Solange Knowles. Now, of course, the world knows not to mess with Beyoncé's little sister. 

And now, with her unconventional white wedding in Vogue, she's the star of her own beautiful, blazing moment.  

Solange thrashed the wedding rule book: the bike ride to the ceremony, the guests in white, the caped gown - showing us all that sometimes the best way to rock your life is by defying everything you've been taught. 

Speaking of vows...In a few weeks, we'll be inundated with ads from the billion-dollar diet industry seeking our dollars to help with our New Year's resolutions.  It might be time to take a page from Solange's playbook and say:  Screw your rules.

From weddings to weight loss, sometimes you have to be the game-changer.

Ditching the rules - and the scale - helped me lose 50 pounds after failing horribly with traditional dieting methods.  If common diets have left you starving, fatter than ever and burned out, why not take a note from Solange?  Forget the formulas. Do it your way.   

Below are some articles and blog posts I've written with unconventional ideas for weight loss:

Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life

When Fat Is Not Beautiful two-part blog series

Detox the Emotions Keeping You Unhealthy

You can bet when it's my time for nuptials, I'm following Solange's lead and re-writing the story there, too.  Congrats to the couple!  

Photo:  Vogue

 

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Runways and Red Carpets

Victoria Beckham.  Photo:  Elle Magazine 2014

Bring on the spice! Over the past year, I've been working with stylists and makeup artists and health experts who make the stars look so good.  They've been sharing secrets from the runway to the red carpet. 

I was never one of those girls who's obsessed with fashion or makeup or perfectly flat abs. Now I have a new appreciation for the creative ones who work in those industries. Instead of shunning the culture of beauty, my goal has been to embrace it in a way that's helpful to women. 

One of the God-given desires of a woman's heart is to feel beautiful. I was being handed so many helpful ways that have transformed my confidence that I wanted to share them. Here's a compilation of videos with guests from my lifestyle webisodes. For more on any of the A-list tips, you can check out full videos on my YouTube channel.

I'm so grateful for you, creative ones. And for you, for sharing this beautiful adventure!

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Five Rookie Tips for Your First Half Marathon

Starting line of the San Francisco Marathon. July 27, 2014 photo: GameFace Media

 Fifty pounds ago, I dreaded when the elevator in my building broke down.

You know you're in bad shape when you decide to wait at Starbucks for the repair man to fix it rather than climb seven flights of stairs to your apartment.

Now, a year later, I just ran my first half marathon! Even raised money for a charity that helps wounded soldiers.

FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE HAIGHT
On the flight from LA to San Francisco, I wrestled with fear of being escorted off the course on a stretcher. What was I thinking?! Maybe I could tell people my plane got hijacked...

Though the nerves never fully subsided, I finished the race in 2:12; fast enough to place in the top third of women in my age bracket and in the top half of all men and women.

Considering a year ago I hated climbing stairs, that's a miracle. Still, I felt post-race letdown from knowing I'd held back - partly because of the learning curve and partly because of fear of injury and failure.

Here are some lessons I learned, as well as products I used (unfortunately no one paid me) for other rookie runners.

Friends cheering me on at mile 6 of the San Francisco half marathon

1. Drink.
I decided to rely solely on the support stations for hydration. I don't carry water when I run in LA (my routes pass lots of drinking fountains) and the race was not the time to try to adapt to a bulky water belt (Geek alert: Google tips on how to run through water stations like a pro). While this worked for me, later runners complained of dry stations by the time they got there.

Also, volunteers had trouble keeping up with demand, meaning long lines. Runners impacted by the heat - the sun made a rare blazing appearance in a City famous for its summer fog - couldn't afford to skip stations. A runner in front of me collapsed a mile from the finish line.

No matter how many support stations, best to carry your own water - just in case.

2. Eat.
I ate a simple breakfast a couple hours before the race: trail mix with almonds, cranberries, raisins, a banana and an energy bar. Enough to prevent "hitting the wall" but not enough for a full stomach.

I didn't change my eating habits or carbo-load but I did carry a power bar during the race. Discovered about mile 7 why it wasn't the best choice - felt like swallowing pebbles AND made me thirsty.

While the course did have energy gel stations, I skipped those since I'd never used gels; best not to try anything new during a race.  

Whatever you choose for fuel, make sure it's easy to swallow like gummies. Some marathoners on YouTube suggest baby food in tubes. Whatever works.

3.  Pace.
Runner friends had warned me not to start too fast; don't want to hit the wall or be in pain later.

Unfortunately, I was way too cautious.

Big races are divided into waves, or groups, based on estimated finish time. Organizers put me in the last wave (about 3 hours) given factors like inexperience, age and gender.

I made a last-minute decision to move up a full wave as the race started but the pace was still slow for me. I wasted time learning protocol on the packed course: Is it ok to run in the grass to pass people? Do I need to stay in my wave? What if teams blocking the lanes won't move?

A lack of mile markers also caused problems. I was saving energy for the hills and last half, not realizing I was way further along than I thought. I usually sprint the last stretch so got ready to "kick it" - only to find I was literally crossing the finish line!

Talk about anti-climactic.

Make sure to have a good idea of your finish time. Training in the mountains, I focus on endurance (and avoiding mountain lions!) rather than speed so I had no idea of my race pace.

A smart watch might be a good investment; makes a huge difference knowing if you're at mile 7 or 10.

Melted my heart seeing "Go, Shay, go!!!" signs.

4. Tunes.
Race Organizers didn't want runners wearing headphones - makes sense safety-wise for a crowded urban event - so I decided to skip my tunes. I did wear a fanny pack to carry my phone and keys since there was no place to check valuables.  

I really wished I'd had my power jams (Jake Hamilton's top of my playlist) in the boring industrial areas. Running with music definitely helps but maybe use one ear bud.

5. Gear.
I'm not fussy about brands - comfort is key - but did upgrade a few things for the race.

One problem is finding good running socks for small feet. Scored with Experia Thorlo micro minis. Best $15 purchase ever. No slipping socks, no blisters.

While hot weather was forecast, it was cool and foggy at start time. I made a last-minute decision to wear the official polyester race jersey over my tank since I hate running cold.

If you do start out wearing long sleeves, consider something you can literally throw on the side of the road if you don't want to run with it tied around your waist (most races donate the left-behinds to shelters).  Just know it'll cost time re-pinning your bib.

Also, a note on hair and makeup (diva!). Hair in the eyes is a big distraction but baseball caps make your head hot and sweaty. I wore a pinned up ponytail and dab of makeup (Lancôme Teinte Idole foundation, lip gloss, mascara).

Bubble! San Francisco Marathon. photo:  GameFace Media

POST RACE
Can't beat finish line food and beer!  Coconut water, muffins, bananas and Sierra Nevada in the beer garden. Make sure to get a wristband at the pre-race bib pickup so you can skip the longer line to show I.D.

I was concerned about soreness as I could feel my quads straining on the steep downhills. Two days of stretching and rest and I was back on the trails.

I plan to run another race to push my limits.  There's a verse that keeps me going: Run the race that lies before us and never give up.*

Good luck on your rookie race!

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So how did I go from hoarding chocolate chip cookies to running a half marathon? Read my weight loss story here: Feel Rich and here When Fat is Not Beautiful

*Hebrews 12:1

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Running for the Rangers!

This is happening! After losing 50 pounds, I got this crazy idea to run a half-marathon!  And, with your help, every step will be supporting our wounded military heroes.

As the daughter of a retired U.S. Army officer, I drew on the perseverance and faith my dad modeled to kick obesity's butt.  My dad wasn't the strongest or biggest soldier, but he had the courage to fight segregation and rise through the ranks.

Now I plan to run the San Francisco half marathon to raise funds for an incredible non-profit called Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund. Created by the family of Sgt. James Regan who was killed in action in Iraq, the Fund helps active duty and wounded Special Operations U.S. Army Rangers and families of soldiers killed in combat.

Here's a video if you want to hear more about why I'm running:

Also, please check out my GoFundMe page and thanks for helping me run for the Rangers!
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If you want to read the story of how I lost 50 pounds, click here.

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Katie Couric's No Sugar Challenge: My Astonishing Results

Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't feed her kids sugar, gluten, dairy or soy. Photo from her cookbook, "It's All Good" www.linenme.com

Going sugar-free like Gwyneth Paltrow or vegan like Beyoncé is too extreme for me.  That's why I didn't immediately commit when I heard about Katie Couric's challenge to give up added sugar for 10 days (I also did a video for Katie's "Co-host for a Day" contest).

Fed Up is Katie's new film about our health crisis. The challenge, promoting the movie's launch, intrigued me because of my own struggle with obesity and family history of stroke, diabetes and weight-related issues.

Afraid I'd be setting myself up for failure, I decided to try it for three days instead of 10.  While I've mostly beaten food cravings, some of my choices are still high in sugar:  flavored yogurt, chocolate, fruit juice. I'd already given up most processed junk foods and sodas, so what was the benefit in going totally sugar-free?

Turns out there were plenty!  Starting with a shrinking gut, clearer skin, weight loss, shinier hair.

photo www.katiecouric.com

I share more about how I'm beating genetic obesity on the health and fitness site, Feel Rich, started by music mogul Quincy Jones' son but suffice it to say my body was showing astonishing benefits from being sugar-free for the first time ever.

Most surprising was the rapid weight loss. I wish I'd taken measurements on the first day of the challenge. I didn't expect to firm up and get toned like Kelly Ripa (ok, that might be overstating the results a bit).

Surprisingly, I felt compelled to keep going after the first three days.  It wasn't nearly as brutal as I'd feared; no major withdrawal like headaches or jitters.

the amount of sugar I'd normally consume in just three days!
a 'Katie' viewer suggested putting what you give up in a jar - stunning visual

I believe in listening to our bodies, which is how I lost 50 pounds defying traditional diet wisdom (read my article, Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life) and why I kept going for 10 days.

I did feel VERY deprived at first. I especially missed drinking tea with sugar, which I replaced with sparkling water.  I also missed fruit juice - particularly since I'd already given up soda.

Quitting desserts was the hardest part. I'd already swapped super poor choices - cookies, cupcakes, Ben & Jerry's - for healthier ones like frozen yogurt and power bars but those were taboo since they have added sugar.

There were some drawbacks like afternoon exhaustion (managed with a nap) and intense sweet cravings (tamed with fresh berries).

My conclusion?  My body wants far less sugar than I've been eating - even the 'good' kinds like honey and 100% fruit juices.

So will I religiously avoid sugar like Gwyneth Paltrow and other Hollywood stars? Nah, a girl needs her occasional red velvet cupcake. But I do plan to make some permanent changes, like avoiding sweetened salad dressings and peanut butter.

Check out the challenge at www.fedupmovie.com - start your own if you missed this one!

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Detox the Emotions Keeping You Unhealthy

My article below appears on the health and fitness site, Feel Rich, created by music mogul Quincy Jones' son!

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Seems just about everyone's on some sort of health/weight loss kick - juicing, Crossfit, Paleo (Google 'caveman diet' if you don't know what it is). Goodbye, Krispy Kremes; hello, kale.

Even with all the tools, rules and resources available to us, the weight loss battle isn't won in the gym, it's won in our hearts. Heal the emotions, begin to heal the body.

The number on the scale isn't the real issue. Most of us - stats say up to 95% - will regain any weight we do lose.

So forget quick external fixes. Resolve to be gentle with yourself. Let go of condemnation and guilt. Give yourself grace.

These are three keys to begin detoxing emotions that may be keeping you unhealthy:

1. Be gentle with yourself.
Being gentle with yourself happens when you can stop laying blame and instead take responsibility for your health.

Our culture tells us fat is not our fault. Blame genetics. Stress. Metabolism. Hormones. TV. Medications...

After gaining nearly 50 pounds, I blamed a family obesity curse and a demanding job.

But truthfully, I needed to admit that I was a food addict who would choose Red Velvet cupcakes over lifting weights any day.

Saying "It's my fault that I'm overweight" is very different from saying, "I am responsible for doing something about my weight." The former causes you to look back; the latter faces you forward toward healing.

2. Let go of condemnation and guilt.
Science has proven that forgiving others and ourselves can help fight off diseases like depression, stroke and high blood pressure.

We just don't hear much about it largely because the multi-billion dollar weight-loss industry doesn't make money off of forgiveness - and we're too busy chasing empty promises.

One day as I was watching people run up a hill, the thought came to me, 'Who told you that you would always be fat?'

...the saleswoman who  bluntly told my mother no one sells size 14 dresses for little girls...TV viewers who said I was too fat...a co-worker who put my face on a pig roast invitation...

I'd been teased and bullied about my body for so long that I believed the lie that I could never. run. up a hill. Sobbing, my heart was finally released from the prison of self-hatred and guilt.

It's hard to look at yourself and hate what you see. To get free, you have to forgive - and that may include the person looking back at you in the mirror.

(Do not be ashamed if you need a therapist's help at this point.)

3. Give yourself grace.
"The number one reason people regain weight," says Dr. Jennifer Landa, "is the diet mentality. If we live in a state of constantly feeling deprived, we will eventually rebel."

Giving yourself grace is the opposite - a way to adopt a mindset of abundance and plenty.

I grew up afraid of starving. To escape that poverty mindset, I took a radical approach: I let myself eat anything I wanted for a week. ANYTHING.

Instead of spiraling out of control, you know what happened? Grace. I didn't have to fear starving anymore - not for food or love or forgiveness.

You'll find your new mindset spills over into wanting to rid yourself of destructive habits, excess stuff and even toxic relationships that don't support the best version of you.

 
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As your spirit heals, you'll find that your body begins to tell you the healthy things that it wants; you may be hearing it speak for the first time.

You really can ditch the scale and lose weight from the inside out. Detox your emotions and you're well on the way to a life rich in health.

And that hill that left me in tears? I run up it all the time now.  

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'Ditch Your Scale!' - Lent Event: Getting Started

'Ditch Your Scale!' Lent event is underway over on my Facebook page.  Here's how to get started if you want to join us.  We're not going to be on a diet. No gimmicks. No short-term fixes. Just you and God on a faith-based journey to lifelong health for the next 40 days.

Most of these ideas are in my 'Getting Started' video and there are a few more below:

1.  Take starting weight/measurements if you want.

2.  Set aside time for a daily date with God.

3.  Ask God for a verse, poem, song, art, watever speaks to you about His love for you.

4.  Read my article, 'Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life' about changing a deprivation mindset (www.feelrich.com).

5.  Journal.

6.  Ask others to pray for you, or join you!

7.  Seek God about setting healthy goals - but don't worry about making them happen just yet, we'll get to external changes later.

8.  I'll be posting healthy recipes from contributors, inspirational stories and more on my Facebook page - like it to join us daily.

Get creative!  I believe God has a plan tailored for you.  Come discover it!

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Ditch Your Scale! Lent event

Starting a health-focused Lent event tomorrow! The vision is to spend the 40 days of Lent on a faith-based journey toward lifelong health.

Here's how to get involved:

1. Commit to a RADICAL approach to health during Lent.  But get this - no fasting required!

Instead, we'll ditch our scales and entrust these areas to God...and end up healthier than ever. How? I'll share more later but there's insight in my article on the health & fitness site, Feel Rich (click here)

2. Share your creativity, passion & gifts.
You might have a song, a recipe, a verse, a fitness tip to encourage others. I'd love to share these on my Facebook page.

Here's more about 'Ditch Your Scale in my introductory video.

Starting on Lent March 5th, I hope you'll check out the videos and posts on topics like forgiveness and health, cultivating an abundant mindset, loving others to maintain health. Ditch your scale and get healthy for life!

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Oscars-Inspired Looks

We all want to know the secrets to how the stars get that red carpet glow. With the Oscars this week, I interviewed a celebrity makeup artist about Oscars-inspired looks to do at home. Check out the video below.  

We also answer beauty questions you've asked on my Facebook page. Flaking mascara?  Dark undereye circles? Solutions to those problems and more for an A-list look - anytime you feel like it!

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Get Fit. Get Gorgeous!

Hop on over to my Facebook page and check out a special beauty offer and my latest video with celeb beauty expert Dana Waldie.  We're getting fit and gorgeous! 

Here's the video below (or here on YouTube):

Also working on another article about the critical role of detoxing unhealthy emotions to help lose weight. You can read some of my previous articles on the health and fitness site, Feel Rich. 

Doing a little change each day will make a big difference.  Let's do this! 

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Awards Season & Body Image Video

Attending a screening of 'August: Osage County' with George Clooney, Julia Roberts & cast 

It's that time of year again - Hollywood awards season!  

The studios host screenings to boost their film's chances to take home statues at the Oscars, SAG Awards, Golden Globes and more. Being a member of the Screen Actors Guild pays for itself this time of year when invites outnumber spam in the inbox.

My co-host, Danika Brysha, and I sat a few feet from George Clooney, Julia Roberts and cast members of August: Osage County at a recent screening. 

Danika and I were celebrating our last night together in LA since she's heading East to rock the plus size modeling world. Before she left, we shot this video on handling body image issues. 

I've written pretty extensively on the topic here in my blog since it's been an on-going struggle for me and I know for many of you. You can read more by clicking "body image" on the topics section.  Also, I'm contributing to the health and fitness site, Feel Rich, so check that out for ideas about becoming your best self. 

Have a fabulous holiday season!

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'Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life' Article Published!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season! Wanted to share some exciting news.  My article, "Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life," is on the front of the health and fitness website, Feel Rich.  Feel Rich is run by music mogul Quincy Jones' son to promote health as the new wealth. 

Check out the full article here:  Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life.  Thanks for your support everyone!

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The Image in the Mirror

Thrilled to be shooting a web series with Wilhelmina Models Danika Brysha!  Danika's a plus-size model helping girls and women fight eating disorders and body image issues. 

I think every woman wrestles with the reflection in the mirror at some time.  At my first TV job, viewers would tell me I was too fat. To my face.  And then I'd go home and look in a mirror that also condemned me...

I still don't own a full length mirror. 

I've written about the pressure to be thin in TV before and how it nearly sabotaged my career (click here to read) but I've never really shared the depth of the issue.  

That's why I love partnering with Danika - because she's so vulnerable and honest about her journey as you'll see in our latest video:

We plan to shoot a few videos before she heads to New York to take her modeling career to the next level. We'd love your feedback and check out my Facebook page for more.

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When Fat is not Beautiful - Part 2

 photo: by Danika Brysha

Almost ready to launch a YouTube series with Wilhelmina models Danika Brysha!  Body image issues are paramount in our careers so when I saw the image above from a photo shoot, I wanted to share the story behind it.  

I wrote in, When Fat is Not Beautiful part 1, about the wakeup call that forced me to admit I was on my way to becoming obese.  People keep asking me how I lost weight so here's how I did it - without dieting or stepping on a scale!

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Q:  What made you decide to lose weight?
I'd been a yo-yo dieter since I was a teenager but over the years I'd lost the energy and motivation to even try to maintain a healthy weight. I was in denial about how much I was gaining until I saw a family photo and didn't recognize myself in it.

Q:  How much had you gained?
About 50 pounds - which is hard to hide when you're only 5'2"!

Q:  Did you feel out of place working in Hollywood with women who are size 0-2?
Women here often lose too much weight but, yes, I did feel self-conscious. Unhappiness was a big factor. I was working a super stressful job that paid well but left no time for my TV career.  I'd go to bed in tears on Sunday dreading the pressure I'd face at work the next day.  I was eating meals at my desk, skipping exercise and numbing emotions with desserts from a nearby French bakery.

Q:  What made you realize you were out of control?
Last year I decided to exercise more.  I'd played sports in school so jogging seemed like a good place to start.  I thought I was going to have a heart attack after two blocks!  Morbid obesity runs in my family but I never thought it could happen to me.  Yet, without some sort of intervention, I had to admit that I could wind up like my relatives who died of weight-related causes. Fat is not beautiful when it's a killer.

Q:  So you went on a diet?
Well, I didn't know how to diet in a healthy way.  In the past, I'd starved to lose weight. I knew I needed to change my mindset if I was going to change my life for good.

Q:  What do you mean?
I needed to educate myself.  For example, I'd never paid attention to calories.  I thought I was eating healthy since I shopped at Whole Foods.  I was shocked to learn some foods packed a whopping 1,000 calories for the serving size I was eating!  I had to learn portion control; growing up that had simply meant stopping after the third or fourth plate at the all-you-can-eat-buffet!

Q:  Were you losing weight?
Not right away but that was okay since I didn't have the pressure of trying to see a number drop on a scale since I had decided not to weigh myself.

Q:  Not weigh yourself? That doesn't add up!
The scale had always been 'the enemy.'  I wanted to weigh less than what those body mass charts recommended - like Zoe Saldana and other stars - but the scale always made me feel like a failure since I could never lose enough.  This time I judged success differently. When I ran four blocks instead of two, that was success.  When I chose vegetables instead of processed foods, that was success.

Q:  I can't wrap my mind around not weighing yourself or going on a diet to lose weight.
I know, it's counterintuitive. It took me a while, too, but I had to take the focus off a number - off of getting skinny - and focus on prolonging my life.

Q:  What else did you do?
I didn't make any changes unless I could maintain them for life.  That was a major shift because "bad" foods had been off-limits when my goal was to be thin at any cost.  For example, I didn't want to quit chocolate so I learned to savor small amounts.  It was a radical new relationship with food! 

Q:  So it was lifestyle and attitude changes?
Exactly.  And instead of coming from that place of condemnation and self-hatred like diets often make you feel, it came from treating myself well, being okay when I screw up, not hating myself because of my jean size.

Q:  So how did you know when you reached your goal if you don't know what you weigh?
The day I ran 13 miles.

Q:  Wow!  How long did that take?
I'd been running about a year at that point.  I needed time to develop a healthy relationship with exercise, too. I'd been compulsive about it in the past, like punishing myself for overindulging by working out until 3:00 a.m. Now, exercise is a gift I give myself; plus resting a day or two each week.  Running long distances takes time but I figure if my friends who are moms can do it, I can, too.

Q:  What would you tell someone who feels hopeless and hates their body?
Give yourself grace.  It's hard to look in the mirror and hate the image you see but be gentle with yourself.  Maybe like me, you need to heal your mind and spirit before your body can change.  Growing up I despised my thick 'runner's legs' as a date called them. hips. knees.  Now I celebrate that those parts of my body carry me to places I never dreamed.  You are special because you are God's divine creation, not because of how you look.  You are eternally loved.  You can do yoga or bike or diet all you want but those things can never show you heaven's view of you.

Q:  Anything else?
Change carries a price. I quit my day job. It was hard to give up the security but I had to in order to change my life and chase my dreams - that's another story though.
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Harder to lose weight than walk on water? Seems like it!  Read about the crisis of faith that led me to lose weight in When Fat is Not Beautiful here.  

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When Fat is not Beautiful

People who say losing weight won't change your life have probably never been fat. Really fat. Like when your company sends out a flyer about a pig roast and someone puts a picture of your face on it...

Obesity was hereditary in my family long before it became our national epidemic. Many relatives have died prematurely of weight-related causes. Stroke. Diabetes. Heart disease.

Fat is not beautiful when it is an ugly, unforgiving killer...

...like when the doctors cut off my grandmother's legs to try to save her from the ravages of diabetes. Like when I found a cousin collapsed on the stairs and thought she'd died in a fall. "When you got this much weight to carry," she said, "you gotta rest." (there were only about 20 steps). Like when my favorite uncle got burned up in a grease fire cooking foods doctors had warned him to stop eating.

About two years ago I saw a family Christmas photo and didn't recognize myself in it. Who moves to Hollywood and GAINS 50 pounds?! At just over 5' tall, there's not much room to hide the fact that you've put on the weight of a baby hippo.

But, hey, society said I could blame an obesity gene. hormones. poor school lunches. McDonald's. So I did.

Until I couldn't anymore.

One evening I decided to jog (something I hadn't done in about a decade)...made it a block and a half before I had to stop - breathing heavy, pulse pounding, afraid I might die of a heart attack on the sidewalk.

What had I done to myself?

No mystery there. High-stress job. Chained to a desk all day. Crappy diet. Lack of exercise. That stubborn obesity gene.

I've always been curvy - probably lost and gained 500 pounds in my life - but I knew this time that if something didn't change radically, I'd be the one collapsing on the stairs. 

I was at a crisis of fat. And faith.

See, I believed in God, even believed He could do miracles. But help me overcome a fat gene? Or a tub of hot-buttered movie theater popcorn? He had bigger problems than jiggly thighs.

And yet, without divine intervention, I saw myself lying in that hospital bed - body wracked with obesity-related diseases, legs cut off, heart straining to pump blood through clogged arteries.

Night after night I'd go to the beach, look up into the heavens and wrestle with my relationship with God. And Panda Express Orange Chicken. 

Scientists say our genes seal our future - sexual orientation, addict, cancer, obesity - set at birth. The Bible says with God we can conquer anything.

Scientists say for women of a certain age hormones virtually guarantee weight gain. The Bible says God is the author of our lives.

One night a story came to me. A wicked storm at sea. A boat of terrified fishermen. A ghost walking on the waves. "Jesus?" Peter, the impulsive one, is at a crisis of faith. "If it's you," Peter says, "bid me come to you." If it's you, Jesus, help me do the impossible...

"Come," Jesus says. 

We know what Peter does next...

In my neighborhood there's a place called the California Incline. For six years I'd watched ridiculously fit people run up that quarter-mile hill. 

Then leaving the beach one night, I looked up the hill and heard Peter's words echo in my heart. "If it's you, Jesus, bid me come..."

...A year later I run up that incline all the time - AND I'm getting ready for my first half-marathon!

Yes, the weight's gone but it was never about a number or a size.  I'll be writing more about the changes I made for a health and fitness website and hope my story will inspire others to wrestle with their faith when it comes to obesity.

Because losing weight may not only change your life, it may save it.

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Seem radical to throw away your scale and quit dieting to lose weight?  How it worked for me in part 2 of "When Fat is Not Beautiful," click here.

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Hollywood Love/Hate

In case you missed it, here's my article Camera Shy?  Tips to Photograph Like a Celebrity that appears in a Dartmouth alumni publication. Read it by clicking here.

I'm writing more articles, including Five Reasons to Stop Hating Hollywood so tell me what you love or hate about it and you may be featured in my next piece!

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