My Cookbook is Back—Lean & Luscious 3rd Edition

     Once upon a time, my cookbook Lean & Luscious sold over several thousand copies, and finally, after 20 years, it’s back! I’ve wanted to resurrect Lean & Luscious for a few years now (read The Cookbook Comeback), and after some minor bumps in the road, I can now say my dream has come to life.  This fall, Lean & Luscious 3^rd Edition will be available!

Obesogenic

Obeso-what? The Time to Embrace a Lean & Luscious Lifestyle is Now! Have you heard the word obesogenic? It’s a word that wasn’t even in the dictionary until recently. It refers to conditions that lead people to become excessively fat, like eating too much of the wrong things and not getting enough exercise. I hope you agree with me that it’s a terrible word—a word that doesn’t belong in our vocabulary. I have too much faith in our ability to choose health over bad habits to believe that we need a word like obesogenic to describe anything in our lives.

Life's Funny Moments

I know there are a lot of people in the Weight Watchers organization that are just not aware of my everyday experiences, so I thought I would share what happened to me on Saturday afternoon, June 23, 2012.

Following a very successful Open Meeting in Ridgeley, WV I decided to run some personal errands along Route 68 between Cumberland and Hagerstown, MD.  I stopped at the Log Cabin Inn to use the facilities.  My car keys were in the jacket pocket of the suit I was wearing.  As I finished I heard the metal of the keys hit the porcelain of the toilet and you guessed it - I flushed my keys – never to be found again.

Did you know rental car places close down at 12:00 o’clock on Saturday afternoons?  Well, I didn’t either!  I even asked the man at the bar and grill if I could borrow his truck.  Guess what he said!  I didn’t call my children because, while they would have come, I would have heard about my escapades until my last day on earth.  The roadside assistance offered by the vehicle I drive was of no value either.

So?  What to do?  I called Rick Bragg, a trusted employee for over 27 years.  He went to my house, found the spare key and began his journey to Hancock, MD.  It would have been easy to drown myself in bar and grill foods since I blundered so with my keys – resting somewhere within a specific septic tank.  Weight Watchers taught me what to do when there’s trouble and you want to drown your sorrows by eating everything.

I settled on a huge salad, grilled chicken, dressing on the side and a baked potato.  I could smell those fries and, of course, the place that harbored me for almost 6 ½ hours had such tempting onion rings!  Nope – I’m not going there.  I wanted to win this battle by being strong and not using my unfortunate turn of events against myself.  It’s so easy to do.

Rick Bragg and his girlfriend arrived in Hancock at 7:00 p.m. to great cheers from everyone at the bar that had now filled with neighboring people ready to get their Saturday night drinking on to a more serious note.  Rick was my hero.  He stayed at the Log Cabin Inn for dinner and I began the journey home.  My garage looked so good at 12:35 a.m. and my bed was the most welcome spot in the world.

I now wear my keys on a lariat around my neck after paying $306.86 for their replacement.  I think I learned a lesson . . . or at least I hope so!

Laugh Your Way to Better Health!

I always wanted to be a comedian. I’m a very funny person! Finding the humorous side of life and making people laugh—I absolutely love it. Well, a funny thing happened on my way to a life in comedy: I found Weight Watchers.

My humor has been a key ingredient in my success inspiring people to be their best. Drawing a crowd, sharing my story with people, getting them to open up. I just have that ability to talk about the things I talk about in a very funny way. It helps people feel more understood and not so hard on themselves. When you can laugh at yourself you feel better about taking the next step. That’s part of my purpose.

The transformation that happens when you change your life—the kind of change that takes you from being overweight and unhealthy to fit, trim, and feeling fully alive—is serious business. You’ve got to learn new skills, establish new habits, and many times confront some emotional pain. It takes commitment, time, and effort. For as tough as it can be, sometimes it’s just darn funny and you’ve got to laugh. Laugh at yourself, at the process, or whatever tickles your funny bone and makes it easier to move on.

Change doesn’t have to be painful, and finding the humor in it can be refreshing. This is what I tap into when I’m leading meetings. I believe that when you laugh, you loosen up so you’re more open to loving yourself and accepting that you can achieve your goals. You might have a challenge in front of you, but there’s a way to get healthy and enjoy the process.

Laughter can’t take away your hardships, of course, but it can lighten the load, especially when you’re with other people who are going through the same transformation. A shared laugh can be so liberating! It says, “Yes! You understand what I’m going through—and we can have some fun with it together!” One of my favorite things about running Weight Watchers meetings is seeing people connect (and laugh!) over their common experiences.

One of my mottos is “if you work hard, you’re going to make it at something.” I may have wanted a life in comedy, but for me, that “something” was Weight Watchers. I think that to a large degree, Weight Watchers has shown me to be a storyteller, to fulfill my need to be a comedian. My love for comedy didn’t go away just because I became a Weight Watchers franchisor—it blossomed! Who knew making people laugh would go hand-and-hand with helping them be their best?

Humor me—share how a little laughter has gone a long way in your life!

From The Mouth of Babes

My grandson, Jackson, was a reporter for his summer camp’s newspaper. Imagine my delight when I read his article called “The Benefits of Eating Healthy." Take a look:

Opinion: The Benefits of Eating Healthy by Jackson Briant

Eating healthy can help you through life. You will be in shape when you’re older. You can have a treat every now and then but not every day. Eating healthy is the best way to help your body. Don’t eat or drink junk food every day be healthy and have a good life!

What Happens At Grandma's Stays At Grandma's

 It doesn’t matter whether I have them for an evening or an entire weekend—I love spending time with my grandchildren. I have to tell you they are the best-behaved children in the world. They are just great children. I love them, I love the idea of them, and I love my time with them.

It’s funny how your perspective changes from the time you’re a parent to the time you become a grandparent: Grandkids give us the opportunity to have fun in a whole new way. Having raised our own kids, we have the insight and wisdom to savor the special moments with our grandchildren we might have missed—or didn’t have time to appreciate—while whirling through the jam-packed days of parenthood.

Barbra—The Spark on My Firecracker

Everyone who knows me—and probably many who don’t!—knows of my deep adoration for Barbra Streisand. She has been my inspiration for nearly 50 years. From my days as an overweight teenager through my years as a Weight Watchers leader and businesswoman, she has shown me that it’s possible to make your dreams come true.

Call For Courage

We all just need a little support...

Exciting News!

I wanted to share with you my article that was featured in The Charleston Gazette... I am very excited for it's appearance.  I love helping people embrace the possibilities of eating healthfully and taking control of their lives!

The Quest for the Perfect Recipe

I love finding a delicious new recipe, don’t you? Before I even head into the kitchen, I have fun anticipating the end result. I imagine the ingredients blending together, the distinctive aroma they create, the taste and feel of the food in my mouth, and of course, the warm feeling inside knowing I’ve fed my body and soul with a healthy meal.

For me, great recipes are about more than the food. They give me a chance to play! That’s why I love cookbooks. Thumbing through a new cookbook—or revisiting an old one—has always been a ritual for me. I mark recipes I want to try or share with my family and friends, and I think of ways to add my own personal twist on a recipe. Page after page of inspiration, a cookbook is a place to escape and get my creative juices flowing.

The Cookbook Comeback

I’ve made it my life’s work to help people make positive changes in their life. Whether it’s a simple change like learning how whip up a healthy breakfast or a more monumental change like overcoming obesity through the Weight Watchers program, I’m blessed to be a part of these people’s transformation. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone reach their goals and knowing I’m even a small part of it.

When it comes to myself, I’m no stranger to change—and I’ve been known to chase my dreams! That’s why I’m overjoyed to share with you the realization of one of my goals: I’m bringing my Lean & Luscious cookbook series back! I’ve wanted to resurrect Lean & Luscious for nearly 20 years, but for various reasons my best attempts never got off the ground. While I’m not one to take defeat lightly, it seemed something always got in my way or the timing was never right..

The tides changed in May of 2010 while I was guest speaking at a Women’s Empowerment event in Beckley, WV.  When I mentioned I was the author of Lean & Luscious cookbooks, a woman in the audience let out a little scream of acknowledgement—and after the meeting she told me that the Lean & Luscious cookbooks were her most favorite. I was elated! I was so proud that after all of these years my books continued to hold a special place with readers. Energized by this encounter, I decided to give the cookbook comeback another go. 

                                                                                 

The Shape Shops

It isn’t always easy to make healthy food choices. We start the day with the best intentions of eating right, but all too often, something derails our efforts. The vending machines at the office are filled with candy bars and soda pop, and someone’s always bringing in donuts or homemade brownies. Driving down the street, fast food restaurant signs shine at us like beacons. Even at home, we’re confronted with commercials enticing us to eat bacon cheeseburgers, French fries, and enormous chocolate sundaes.
What is a health-conscious person to do when it seems like everywhere they go, they’re tempted with high-calorie, high-fat treats? Especially if they’re working hard to lose excess weight and get in shape!

Leadership Needed? Look No Further.

When I read the April 1^st Valley State Gazette article reporting the 2011 Gallup Healthways survey results, I hoped it was an April Fool’s joke. Does West Virginia really lead the country in obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and eight other chronic conditions? Sadly, yes, and much to my chagrin.

As I read the article, Leadership Needed, Health Officials Say, I became more and more distraught. My State has the country’s worst statistics in 10 of 12 survey categories, and obesity is at the root of most of the conditions. This hits close to home for me. My life’s work has been in helping families take better care of themselves through healthy eating. I know all too well that as long as people continue to make poor food choices and skimp on physical activity they’ll gain weight and develop the chronic conditions reported on in the study.

My Lean & Luscious Philosophy

As a child, I struggled with my weight. Kids called me “Atom Bomb.” It’s no wonder I ate too much food and had very little self-esteem. After years of feeling bad about myself, I eventually became determined to take control of my life and my relationship with food. The moment came when the pain to stay the same was greater than the pain to change—I was ready for a breakthrough. But like most people standing at the precipice of change, I needed support. 

                                                                            

Weight Watchers and Me

I came to West Virginia from Baltimore via Virginia Beach in 1969. What a time! The sixties were rounding the corner into the seventies, and I was starting a brand-new life. As a successful Weight Watchers member and group leader, I was tasked with bringing the program—with my husband and belongings in tow—to West Virginia. What a remarkable journey it’s been!

Welcome to Lean & Luscious Corner!

Welcome to Lean & Luscious Corner—Our Place to Meet, Share, Care, and Inspire

I am delighted to welcome you to Lean & Luscious Corner! What a wonderful way to share with you my passion for helping people embrace the possibilities of eating healthfully and taking control of their lives.

There’s no greater reward than knowing I’ve played a part in someone’s journey toward greater health—learning to be kind to themselves; experiencing the joy that comes along with a fuller, more active life; and, of course, enjoying tasty, satisfying good-for-you food with their families!  

When I started my own journey toward living a healthy lifestyle, tackling my food issues and learning to love myself, I didn’t have the Internet as a resource. But today, I can get online to support people as they explore a new, healthier way to eat. Plus, it’s a fun new way for me to spread my wings, too: I’m an Area Director of Weight Watchers, a public speaker, a restaurateur, an author of the Lean & Luscious Cookbook series, and a women’s health activist, and now—a blogger in the great big world of the Internet! I love the sound of that.

After all, I’m always thinking of the next thing to do to make someone’s life easier, and there are so many things I want to tell the world about creating a healthy life! In my work as a Weight Watchers franchisee and owner of The Shape Shop restaurants in West Virginia, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting new people every day. But with so many of us turning to the web for information about healthy eating, is there a better place than the Internet to make new friends and extend my mission to help people? 

                                                                            

So many of you are looking up low-fat recipes, searching for health tips and participating in food-focused online communities in an effort to feel good and share our stories. I want to be a part of the conversation, and I want us to take our journey toward a healthy lifestyle together. I hope to bring you information, inspiration, and motivation—but I want to learn from you too! We have a tremendous capacity to help one another.

Just as my Lean & Luscious Cookbook series provides a roadmap to a life of delicious, good-for-you eating the whole family can enjoy, my vision for the Lean & Luscious Corner blog is that it helps you pick up the tools and motivation you need to change. My hope is that you’ll share these insights with your entire family, so you can learn and grow together. Think of Lean & Luscious Corner as a cozy spot on the web where you’re always welcome. I look forward to building a safe, kind, and inspiring community where we can share our ideas and successes...and celebrate a lean and luscious life!  

And if you like Lean & Luscious Corner, please tell your friends!