BEHAVIOR CHANGES : Rome wasn't built in a day-- I know..I lived there for two years.

One of the things I learned about while living in Italy was balance; a concept that quite often we Americans have difficulty grasping. If a little is good, then more must be better. Italians for the most part, have a quality of life unparalleled in my opinion, mostly because of the balance in their lives when it comes to work, family, etc. Living among Italians I discovered the importance of sharing a meal; that it's what's on the plate that matters, not the plate; and where there's work, there's play.

Many of us expect to "pop a pill" and fix overnight what took years to create. That doesn't work when trying to lose weight or make lifestyle changes because there are feelings associated with those behaviors that have been ingrained in our personalities through years of practicing them. When these underlying (or unconscious) feelings surface, the behaviors associated with those feeling will also. That's when your resolve breaks down and you chastise yourself for being weak, when in fact, you just don't have the necessary skills or strategies to deal with what you are feeling, craving or what may even be a physiological manifestation.

GET A COACH : Don't go it alone.. you don't have to.

I had a mentor and so should you. Changing your nutrition habits or incorporating exercise into your life requires a commitment for several months in order for those changes to become permanent. If it came in a pill, everyone would be successful. Why is it then that some are successful and others are not? Successful behavior change requires accepting responsibility for your behavior and being accountable for that behavior. Quite often people are more successful when accountable to someone in addition to themselves. Having the support and guidance of a coach in whatever area of your life you are trying to change will increase the likelihood that you will be successful in your effort, and that through the process and the experience, your success will be permanent.

FITNESS COACHING: “All trainers are not created equal”.

I had the very good fortune to have as a mentor an exceptional man from Russia named Fima Feigin who ran a gym in Chicago called Body Elite Russian Fitness Method. Fima had trained Olympic bodybuilders and fencers before emigrating to the United States. I went to see him on the recommendation of a friend for back pain from an injury I sustained in an Amtrak Train derailment. This was in 1985 and his was one of the first personal training gyms anywhere. Everyone got Fima's personal attention and a program that included floor exercise, now commonly referred to as "core strengthening". You did it his way or took the highway. I did it his way and have used his valuable knowledge and training in my own practice ever since.

Babyboomers beware. Fitness Trainers are a dime a dozen these days and for those of us who have reached a half century, staying healthy and fit without injury is very important. Seek out a trainer whose personal philosophy of life and health agrees with yours. Find someone who understands your unique physiological and musculoskeletal needs and can relate to you.

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Geraldine Zatcoff,
M.S.Ed., M.S., C.N.S.

EDUCATION

M.S. Human Nutrition
University of Bridgeport

M.S.Ed. Exercise Science and Wellness
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA

CERTIFICATIONS

Nutrition Specialist
American College of Nutrition

Advanced Physical Trainer
Health/Fitness Instructor
Nutrition & Exercise:
From Health to Physical Performance
American College of Sports Medicine

Spinning Instructor
American Council on Exercise

Personal Trainer and Certified Fitness Instructor
Aerobics & Fitness Association of America