Looking Good! FEELING GOOD!!!!!!

I was a fitness instructor at Lucille Roberts for the past 20 years. I am also a personal trainer and I work primarily with women and obese men who find the gym daunting. I know what a 'challenge' weight can pose. I also fight genetics every step of the way. (Don't let the cartoon profile fool you)! I come from a hefty gene pool of Greeks who LOVE to eat! Anyhoo, i hate to brag but i can literally gain 10 lbs in a week! M0st of my teenage life i was obsessed about weight. I grew up in the 80's with 'role models' like Farrah Fawcett, (God rest her soul), Suzanne Summers, Christie Brinkley, etc. Basically blonde skeletons with breasts who catapulted me into the throes of anorexia and bulimia. I was a very awkward looking teenager. Exotic before 'exotic' was a compliment....basically i looked like a foreigner from a distant land known as 'unf@@@able!' And yes, this made me feel inadequate and inferior! Determined to change my genetic path i chose a career in fitness. I've seen the transformation exercise can manifest on our bodies! Further more and more importantly I've seen the miracle exercise can perform on our minds!!!!

Most women are prone to depression due to hormonal imbalances. I've worked with many women who were severely depressed and were given an ultimatum by their Dr's. Its either medication to combat this funk OR exercise! I've seen the most amazing changes in my clients emotional state after they started exercising regularly. It is a fact that serotonin uplifts our moods. Better circulation (which is critical for mood enhancement), better flexibility (which prevents blockage in the body), and better body image which gives us confidence. I have worked with women who have reduced their meds significantly and other clients who have weaned themselves off their meds completely. C'mon ladies! Let's put those pharmaceutical companies out of business! Sadness is a natural emotion...you don't need Prozac to 'repress' it. Erase it with jumpin' jacks instead. Want to quit smoking? Screw wellbutrin! What better way to combat the weight gain accompanied with quitting smoking, than getting on a treadmill? Granted some people need to be on medication...I am a firm believer that most of us DON'T!!!

We've become a 'Valley Of The Dolls' society and have shamelessly been 'stepfordized' to the truth! We're LAZY and looking for a quick 'fix.' Yes we are junkies and the pharmaceutical companies are LEGAL PUSHERS!!! We need to take back control of our choices, bodies and MINDS!!! Exercising regularly 3-5 times a week can prevent the blues, mood swings and cravings! Ask yourself this: "if ALL these pills are suppose to make us happy or make us quit something...why do they ALWAYS end with: 'May cause suicide' as a possible side effect? Don't you want to be around to enjoy your 'new life?' SAY 'NO' TO DRUGS!!!!