Nutrition and Fitness
by Carrie Schapker

With every new fad diet and exercise craze comes the promise that THIS way of eating or THAT form of exercise is THE answer for anyone wanting to be healthier. Judging from the overall results of this short-term, one-size-fits-all thinking, many people are caught in the cycle of yo-yo weight loss and gain, and the accompanying physical and emotional stress. What can someone do who is seeking to have a healthier life over the long term?

Introducing Cristin O'Neal
In July of 2005, Cristin O'Neal, 36, of Rosendale, decided that she was ready to look and feel better. "I was just tired of living in the body I was in - an unhealthy body. I had gained weight over the course of 10 years, and wanted to lose it fast." The first step she made was to hire a personal trainer, Fred Borzumato, of Breathe Fitness in Stone Ridge. "I started lifting weights and doing cardio workouts. I didn't change my eating very much at first. Then, gradually, I started changing my diet and incorporating more healthful foods."

A Trainer's Viewpoint
As a Certified Personal Trainer and award-winning Natural Amateur Bodybuilder, Fred Borzumato has a lot of knowledge about nutrition and exercise. "Eating is as important as exercise. It goes hand-in-hand with your whole program. It's almost more important," says Borzumato. Key information for people starting or continuing to exercise, especially those using weights, is that "protein is for muscle and carbohydrates are for energy. Without enough protein you cannot support muscle growth and development. Without the right carbs at the right time, you won't have enough energy to have successful workouts or recover effectively."

Borzumato encourages his trainees to eat "small meals every 2-3 hours throughout the day that are balanced with protein, carbs, and healthy fats and provide steady fuel for your body's engine." He cautions that people often eat too many carbs in the evening, when they don't really need them, and suggests that meals taper off in size as the day goes on, but stay balanced. "When you eat more often, your metabolism is raised because your body burns calories when you digest food."

Weight training also raises the body's metabolism. Borzumato explains that "when you lift weights, you break down muscle tissue and your body needs to repair that. If you do one session of weight training, your body will spend the next 24 hours working, so your metabolism is higher." He encourages people to pay special attention to the meals right before and after a workout as they provide the energy and the recovery the body needs to become stronger.

O'Neal's Progress
O'Neal worked out for 5-6 days a week, but for the first three months saw no obvious results. "I felt better because I was moving my body and doing something positive, but I didn't see any change in weight, body fat, or inches. Fred said to be patient because it would take a little longer due to the muscle I was building doing weight training. Once I started seeing results, I really started to explore nutrition more and experiment using my body to see what worked and what didn't." For the first time, O'Neal started to have patience around the whole process. "I was in it for the long haul now.""

Around this time, O'Neal connected with Holly Shelowitz, a Certified Nutrition Counselor and Whole Foods Educator, whose Nourishing Wisdom Nutrition counseling practice is based in New Paltz and Rhinebeck. "Holly helped me to learn how to focus on what healthful choices were and how to listen to my body. I began to understand more fully the interconnectedness of my emotional, spiritual, and physical lives."

A Nutritionist's Viewpoint
"Physical activity is so important and goes hand-in-hand with eating nourishing foods in ways that support your health," says Shelowitz. "Regular physical activity that you love" is Shelowitz's definition of a good exercise regime. She also encourages clients to find a steady supply of self-care, like spending time in nature, getting massages, taking baths, and having quality time with friends and family.

In terms of her dietary guidance, "although everyone is different and for some people it's 3 meals a day, for some it's 6, across the board most people do really well eating protein throughout the day, along with vegetables, fruit, good quality fats, and whole grains. Those are the primary things." Shelowitz encourages clients to experiment by increasing these whole foods while reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates liked baked goods and pasta. "Let's create healthy versions of sweets so that we can still enjoy them," says Shelowitz. Some great natural sweeteners she recommends using are maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, stevia, xylitol, and sucanat (granulated evaporated cane juice).

"Ultimately you are in charge of your body," says Shelowitz. "You're going to know the most about how foods affect you. No book will tell you that." Shelowitz also invites clients to explore their emotional side. She notes that "often excess weight is an indication of emotional issues that are really important to address" in order to break free from the yo-yo weight loss and gain that is so familiar. "Finding a way of eating that is your lifestyle, not just a quick fix approach, is so excellent."

"Ultimately you are in charge of your body," says Shelowitz. "You're going to know the most about how foods affect you. No book will tell you that." Shelowitz also invites clients to explore their emotional side. She notes that "often excess weight is an indication of emotional issues that are really important to address" in order to break free from the yo-yo weight loss and gain that is so familiar. "Finding a way of eating that is your lifestyle, not just a quick fix approach, is so excellent."

O'Neal's Lessons
After completing her program with Nutrition Counselor Shelowitz, O'Neal continued to focus on nutrition and exercise. For about six months, she ate six small balanced meals each day and tracked her calories and macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats). "During that time I was lifting a lot of heavy weights to my maximum ability 3-4 times a week at the gym." O'Neal started to see the things she was putting into her body as a way to improve her workouts. "It was a real philosophical shift to be eating to maximize my performance."

One thing that O'Neal found really motivating was another major focus in her life: being a nursing student. "I didn't want to be in a healthcare setting and be an out-of-shape person trying to educate someone on how to be healthy. I wanted to be the person that I was asking others to be." Now that she's a Registered Nurse, O'Neal often works with patients who are diabetic or struggling to lose weight. "Now, I can approach them with compassion from my experience and help them to see that a year from now they don't have to be in the same place they are today."

O'Neal continues to exercise and eat healthy. She has lost 65 lbs, 40 inches (over 5 size measurements: hips, waist, thighs, biceps, and chest), and 13% of her body fat. "I'm more relaxed now and am maintaining my balance. I feel like I have a healthy lifestyle now. I go for hikes and bike rides and being active doesn't feel like a chore. It's now a part of who I am. I want to live a long, quality life."

Fred Borzumato, Certified Personal Trainer, Breathe Fitness, 3555 Main St., Stone Ridge, 845-687-0000, www.breathefitness.net

Holly Shelowitz, Certified Nutrition Counselor, Nourishing Wisdom Nutrition, Stone Ridge Office, 845-687-9666, www.nourishingwisdom.com