Well, this week has been a bit of a challenge. You guys are about to learn a little more about me than perhaps you’d like to know! ;)  Due to polyps, I have been getting colonoscopies for over fifteen years now. I am scheduled for my fourth colonoscopy this Friday. Many people do not have routine colonoscopies because they are either afraid of the prep, which is the worst part, or they are allergic to it like me! The colonoscopy itself, in my opinion, is virtually harmless. You go to sleep for a little while, wake up and eat a big lunch! It is the prep that makes it almost unbearable!

Because of my allergies, I have been on a liquid diet for three days now with two more days to go! I must say that the first two days were the worst. I have been drinking lots of water, green tea, Gatorade and chicken broth. Today has been the easiest by far. I think my body finally stopped being hungry. Yesterday you could hear my stomach a mile away! People think I’m crazy for living on liquids for five days, but for me, it is a breeze over the normal prep! Perhaps this can be an alternative for you as well. Ask your doctor.

Why is getting a colonoscopy so important?  Colorectal cancer claimed over 50,000 American lives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters in 2006, and the numbers continue to grow. A good website to visit is: digestivediseasecenter.com

In terms of diet, red meat contains conjugated linoleic acid, the fatty acid that has been linked to colon cancer. I do eat red meat, just not a lot of it. Please go to cookingwithelise.com for some wonderful and delicious chicken, fish and vegetable recipes. You can also watch me on My Carolina Today on NBC 17 every Wednesday at 11:00 am. Today for example I made Green Chili Three Cheese Chicken Enchiladas!

Think about your family! What would they do without you? Being proactive saves lives! Call your doctor today.

Catherine Pulsifer said it best, "Everyone can think of the one thing that would make life better for them. But people are not so quick to answer the second question: 'What are you doing to make that change come true'."

Knowing you have to take better care of yourself is not the answer.  Taking better care of yourself is!  This week Kathy and I worked diligently together!  I did have the wrong time for one of our workouts, but Kathy generously fit me in, and due to my error, I got to meet Susan, for which I am grateful.  I really enjoyed my challenging workouts with Kathy and then my Tai Chi class with Michelle, which allowed me to relax a bit, put things into perspective, and as always, appreciate each breath.

Although I knew I worked out hard with Kathy and did my elliptical at home every other day, I still awoke yesterday knowing that the inevitable was about to become reality.  I was preparing to get weighed in and measured.  It would be my first weigh in since I began working out with Club Worx two weeks ago.  Kathy had all of my stats taken during the very thorough health assessment she gave me two weeks before.  I thought, "Oh, Lord, I pray those numbers moved…and in the right direction!”  I must admit, I was a bit nervous knowing that many were waiting and watching.  My goal is to not only change my habits and ultimately live a healthier lifestyle especially for my family’s benefit, but to encourage those around me, because if a wife, mom, chef, culinary instructor and cookbook author can do it, anyone can!  Food is an important part of my life, but it is certainly not the most important part.

I showed up with a feeling of nausea and we hadn’t even begun working out yet! How I despise weigh-ins!  What if my numbers didn’t reflect the effort made in the last two weeks.  Going to the gym Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  Working on my elliptical when at home and eating all of the right foods, with the exception of the Goodberry's Custard I ate with my family and friends this weekend.  Why did I eat that custard, WHY?  Perhaps I should have eaten less! No, Kathy said I need to eat more and gain muscle to burn fat.  Kathy said that it was more important to focus on building muscle, eating right and ENOUGH than shedding pounds at this point.  Was she right?  If I was doing my job, I’d most likely lose inches and if not I was "closet eating”.  Well, I knew I had eaten right and exercised, so I got on the scale knowing that I had done well. Could I have worked out a few more minutes each day?  Yes.  Could have skipped the frozen custard I so adore?  Yes.  Oh boy, I was in trouble!

What did you say, "I lost four pounds and one inch off of my waist?” YES!!!  I could feel my blood begin to flow through my veins again. The weigh in was over and we began our workout on the gym floor.  Boy, it felt good!  And this week, I noticed I was able to push myself a little bit more.  All in all, I was glad that enjoyed that frozen custard with my family.  I was glad that I chose the small cup and enjoyed a nice afternoon with my family.  I knew that I could enjoy myself because I worked hard this week.  I knew that I could walk later on that evening.  Sure I indulged a bit, but I knew it was exactly what the doctor ordered.  I was in a sense celebrating the hard work I put into working out that week. I hadn’t eaten an ice cream sundae…just a cup of custard.

I also knew that I was diligent with my home workouts as well, but I decided to work out 45 minutes this week instead of thirty.  I can always do better.  I know that I’ll have days when I eat something I choose not the resist, but that is the key.  I will "choose” to eat just a bit, not too much.  THIS is how to lose weight, aha, I think I got it!

Try making an effort to work out three times this week.  You’ll feel so good!