Countdown
To Summer Wellness
Our “Chance for a New You” Contest Winners
Share Their Progress
By Mary Ellen Walsh
Spring is nearing and our “Countdown to Summer Wellness” series continues with participants, Dianne Vitucci, Vivian O’Mara and Ben Carenza, Jr. working towards a healthier lifestyle. Their program, under the guidance of the Wellness Advisory Board (life coach, fitness trainer and nutritionist team), began January 1, 2008
and will continue as summer nears.
Nutritionists, Lauren Slayton and Caren Tishfield say the average weight loss for clients is about one pound a week.Our participants have lost an amazing cumulative 23 pounds so far.
Expert Advice at Work
Lauren Slayton, MS RD and Caren Tishfield, RD
of Foodtrainers and
Mindful Menus showed the group how to be better label readers, by checking fat content and grams of sugar.
Fitness Trainer Jane Petix devised an exercise plan for each, recommending 30 to 40 minutes of cardio workout, at least three to five days a week on an elliptical trainer or treadmill, working within their target zone. (To calculate your own target zone, subtract your age from 220, multiply that sum by .65 and .85). As you exercise, you want your heart rate to be within those two numbers.
Life Coach Lori Snyder of Image Coach is working with each contestant to mentally gear up while moving through this physical transformation.
 Dianne Vitucci:
This 47-year old mother of two from Deer Park who teaches pre-school in Dix Hills, has lost eight pounds and feels great.
“I make a priority to go to the gym just about every day.”
Diet: Slayton and Tishfield are helping Vitucci become accountable by having her send her food journal to them every week so they can see if she is making good choices—including salads and fish in meal planning. A tip that helped Vitucci is to celebrate your meal experience by serving food on a pretty plate and not going back for seconds. “Now I eat oatmeal on crystal Lenox. I eat slowly and enjoy my meal.”
Exercise: Fitness Trainer, Jane Petix has Vitucci using free weights to build biceps and triceps; 10 repetitions on alternate days. It is best to do overall body weights with a day’s rest in between.
Lifestyle: Life coach, Lori Snyder is counseling Vitucci on breaking free of
low self-esteem issues, by encouraging
her to embrace her wonderful, unique qualities and not focus on former negative self images.
 Vivian O’Mara:
This 57-year-old from Garden City has lost two pounds so far. O’Mara, a teacher’s aide at Strafford Elementary School in Garden City, like many of us, is an emotional eater, reaching for food when bored or anxious. O’Mara’s most challenging time comes when she gets home from work around 3:30 and has to wait many hours to eat dinner with her husband who works late.
Diet: Slayton and Tishfield’s advice is to know what snack you are having before you even walk in the door after work.
“Eat a low-fat yogurt or carrots slowly
and wait 30 minutes before you eat anything else. Chances are you won’t
be hungry anymore.”
Exercise: Petix, impressed with O’Mara’s muscle tone, set her on a course of using the treadmill in her home everyday, and is working with all three participants to strengthen the core of the body—back and abdominal muscles. Petix uses bosu (half) ball and full balls for stability training. O’Mara admits to feeling stronger already and says, “I’m moving about the house at a quicker, more lively pace.”
Lifestyle: Snyder is trying to help O’Mara overcome mindless eating by encouraging her to keep busy doing something she loves to do instead of reaching for food.
 Ben Carenza Jr.:
A Business Agent for Local 237 Teamsters Union representing the Town of Babylon, Carenza lives in Lindenhurst. This 42-year-old has issues with portion control. Since beginning the program, he is amazed at how much food he can eat and still lose weight—13 pounds to date!
Diet: With three meals a day and healthy snacks, including an occasional Skinny Cow ice cream bar (only 100 calories) Carenza says, “I don’t say I’m on a diet. I call it the right way to eat.” Nutritionists Slayton and Tishfield suggested substituting white starches with whole grains and one grain-free meal a day.
Exercise: Petix has Carenza using
multi-station machines at his gym for
back, chest and leg exercises, as well
as doing cardio training.
Lifestyle: Snyder worked with Carenza on ways to reduce stress in his life by choosing relaxing hobbies. “I’ve been fixing up my old blue “62 Chevy,” says Carenza. “It lets me unwind from a
hectic day.”
Look for another update in the May issue of Wellness.
Mary Ellen Walsh is a freelance writer
from Syosset.
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