What are you worth?

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, 'Who would like this $20 bill?'

Hand s started going up.

He said, 'I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, 'Who still wants it?'

Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, 'What if I do this?' And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. 'Now, who still wants it?'

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our live s comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE. You are special. Don't EVER forget it.

Source: Unknown

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Advice to hold on to your self-esteem while dieting

Remind yourself every single day that your outward appearance is irrelevant to who you are inside. Think about what you would say to a close friend if she were overweight and feeling badly about herself. Giving yourself credit for what you accomplish each day-even running errands-can boost your mood, make you feel better about yourself and help keep your difficulty with weight in perspective. Judith Beck, author of The Beck Diet Solution Parade-May 11,'08

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Jesse gives advice on fitting in

I was watching WE-TV's High School Confidential and fell in love with something Jesse said when she delivered the commencement speech at her high school graduation. Here is what she said:

Don't try to fit in. We were all born to stand out. Be yourself and if others don't accept you for it they're the ones that are missing out.

Honor your feelings with love not food

It's all about quality of life and loving ourselves.

I saw a show recently where they said something that resonated so clearly to me. If we allow food to control us - and we can tell that we are letting food control us if we are obese (30 lbs over prime bmi) - there are some emotions we are covering up by stuffing our face with unhealthy choices. It made me think that whenever we get the urge to eat those chips or sweets we should stop and ask ourselves what feelings we are trying to avoid. Stick with it because sometimes it takes awhile for us to be able to get in touch with those feelings. Once we recognize the feeling/s we should then try and just feel them. In fact hold them in our arms as if they were a baby and just rock those feelings. We don't have to judge the feelings, analyze the feelings, we need to just acknowledge them and honor them.

We DESERVE to give our feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, lower back, heart, kidneys, etc. all the love and support that we give our family and friends. Our bodies have been there for us and we need to show our gratitude and love by caring for it as the fine gem that it is.

Jess Weiner's cool advice in Seventeen Mag - Check it out!

I don't know about you, but I love Seventeen Magazine. They have some of the coolest stories and their May 2008 issue is no exception. In the issue Jess Weiner - an author, self-esteem expert, and the Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund - gives advice on how moms and their daughters can both give their bodies a break. Here is what she said:

For as long as I can remember, my mom was on a diet. I didn't need to lose weight, but at age 11, I joined in her calorie-counting crusade. We shared the same taste in music, love of shopping, and, eventually, negative body image. My mom thought she was helping me feel good about how I looked, but instead I thought that I could never look good enough. I learned to loathe my body at a young age, and as a result, I later struggled with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

Because we value their opinions so much, our mothers have a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves. Even a compliment ("Wow, you look so thin!") can make us think we're more lovable when we look a certain way.

For years, I blamed my mom for passing her body issues down to me. Then as I recovered, I realized that our mothers also face pressure to fit in and look pretty. They don't realize that by degrading themselves ('My butt looks huge!") or commenting on our bodies, they're hurting us. So instead of blaming them, let's invite them to accept their bodies too!

You can start by telling your Mom that you both need support --not criticism. (The next time she makes a negative remark, let her know that you're trying to feel good about yourself--and her comments don't help.) Then become allies in changing how you view your bodies by finding healthier ways to bond. (See "This Month's Goal" below). As you find more ways to relate to each other outside of calorie counting and body bashing, the better off you'll both be.

"THIS MONTH'S GOAL":
I VOW TO: Quit bonding with my mom over body issues. Show support for each other by cutting out negative thoughts and words.

HOW TO DO IT: Invite Mom to make peace by signing her own vows at seventeen.com/momvows! Then find positive ways to bond: Try taking a jewelry-making class, starting a book club, or planning a mother-daughter-themed movie night (see Freaky Friday-classic!).

Chloe Lattanzi gives advice to those w/eating disorders

In the April 21, 2008 issue of People Magazine, recording artist and daughter of Olivia Newton-John, Chloe Lattanzi talks about her struggle with food and how she overcame it. Following is an excerpt of her advice:

Why do you think a person develops an eating disorder? Why does someone choose drugs? It's to find something that helps you escape. [Restricting food] helped me escape. It had nothing to do with food; there were deeper issues in my family I had buried. Don't take eating disorders at face value; there's true dysfunction going on.

So what should parents look out for? Just because you're skinny does not mean you have an eating disorder. The warning signs to look for are the arms--if someone is sick, her arms don't have that nice little coating of of feminine flesh. It's more behavioral things, though--they're really obsessive about things like food, and usually people with a problem will always prepare meals themselves. I think people who are perfectionists can develop issues like that.

What's the best way to help someone who has an eating disorder? It doesn't help to say, "We're scared for you. You're going to die." That just makes the eating disorder thrive, because fear is at the core of it. The more scared my parents got, the worse I got. It's key to let the person know that they're beautiful as they are. It helps to say, "You're strong. We believe in you."

What helped you through recovery? I was reading THE POWER OF NOW [by Eckhart Tolle]. I read I AM THAT [by Nisargadatta Maharaj'. I did a lot of journaling and took a lot of time to go deep within myself. I was medicating during that time too.

Are you afraid of relapses? No. My relationship with food is good now. But I don't like to eat in front of people. Every time I sit in front of someone with food I get anxiety. I feel like they're judging me. So i eat by myself--which I'd like to fix one day.

What's your diet like now? I'm very picky. I eat all organic vegetables, whole-grain bread--stuff that's amazing for you well-being. I value my body so much now, and I want to live a really long time.

Coolio is cookin'

Just heard that Coolio has a cooking show where he says he's ... "Taken a lot of traditional black recipes and made them healthy-taking the cholesterol out, taking the butter out. I also do fusion: Mex-Italian, Blasion [black Asian]."

Check out the latest teen hangout. How cool is this!!

Latest teen hangout:
the nearest gym
High school students find perfect combination of fitness and flirtation

GYM HANGOUTS

Kamil Broda, 17, (behind gate) chats with Kellie Cristofaro,18, and Kelsey Bratanch, 17, (front) at Pavillion Fitness in Elk Grove Village. (Tribune photo by Terry Harris / March 20, 2008)

By Megan Twohey Chicago Tribune reporter

Gaggles of teenage girls rounded the indoor track engrossed in conversation while boys in baggy shorts swarmed on a basketball court below. In a nearby weight room, other young males cracked jokes while strutting among the machines.

As he took a break from a triceps machine, JP O'Connor, a 17-year-old in a sleeveless T-shirt, said that for many teens local health clubs like Pavilion Fitness in Elk Grove Village have become social gathering spots.

"The gym is like the mall," he said. "It's where everyone likes to hang out."

It used to be that the only teens seen at a gym were students on athletic teams, intent on additional training.

But in recent years, some Chicago-area gyms have become preferred hangouts for a growing number of high school students who want to be fit and healthy. Many also have discovered that gyms provide something equally important: a place to gossip, flirt and socialize with peers.

The teenage presence is being felt at places like Pavilion Fitness, Lifetime Fitness in Skokie and Five Seasons in Burr Ridge.

"Sometimes we have to break them up," said Joe Algana, a manager at Pavilion Fitness, where the number of high school-age members has jumped to 360 from 210 in the past two years, most of them from Elk Grove and Conant High Schools. "They're using it more like a social gathering than a gym."

Even with its schmoozing aspects, health experts see it as a positive trend for the MySpace generation, which has been plagued by childhood obesity. Between 1987 and 2006, the number of people under 18 who belonged to health clubs grew to 4.1 million from 1.4 million, according to the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, which has nearly 9,000 members nationwide. Many Chicago-area gyms report similar spikes, especially within the past couple of years.

"Even if it takes a health club being a social entity to get them there, it's great news," said Joel Press, associate professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and a medical director at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. "A lot of the health-care costs are because of problems associated with obesity. If you can get kids exercising as part of their lifestyle, it will be beneficial to society as a whole."

In the 1980s, most people who belonged to a gym were bodybuilders, said Rosemary Lavery, spokeswoman for the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association. It was rare to see an average person, let alone an average teen, using a weight machine, she said.

That began to change in the 1990s. In an effort to increase membership, gyms began marketing themselves as wellness centers that could serve everyone, not just the pumping-iron set. Studies showing the health benefits of exercise and the risks of obesity helped draw in a variety of people.

Meanwhile, as childhood obesity grew, health and fitness became a hot topic in schools.

"We hear a lot about obesity in health class," said Katie Lullo, 16, who works out at Pavilion Fitness three or four days a week. "I don't want to be like that."

Many teens want to look fit and strong even if they do not participate in sports, said O'Connor, a student at Elk Grove High School.

"I want to be able to take my shirt off at the beach and feel good," he said as he resumed working his triceps.

There's a ripple effect. When teens sign up, their friends follow. Before long, the gym is known as a place to mingle and be seen. At school, students discuss what time they are going.

"It's like it's the cool, social thing to do," said Dawn Hanson, fitness director of Five Seasons in Burr Ridge, where the number of teen members has doubled since 2001. "They come in with friends and hang out in groups."

Ryan Ring, 16, a Loyola Academy student who was lifting weights with a friend at Lifetime Fitness in Skokie, said he enjoys encountering classmates and other students from Glenbrook South, Evanston Township and New Trier high schools while at the gym.

Sydney Levin, a New Trier freshman who works out at Lifetime, said she sees it as "multi-tasking."

"I want to lead a healthy lifestyle and look good," she said. "And there are also really hot guys here who are fun to flirt with."

The boys tend to congregate in the free-weight areas and basketball courts, while the girls stick to treadmills and other cardiovascular machines, but there are plenty of opportunities to cross paths, Levin said. It's not unusual for her to make eye contact with boys as they pass by a machine.

"They'll smile and say, 'What's up?' " she said. "And I'll be like, 'Hey, what's up?' "

Cool Exercise Tips by Kimberly Flynn

1. ALWAYS DOING THE SAME WORKOUT.

“People often fall into the trap of hitting the treadmill for 30 minutes every time they work out,” says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, Calif. “It works at first, but then your body starts to adjust to the routine, and you burn fewer calories.” To keep seeing results, change one workout factor like intensity or duration every trip to the gym, then completely switch your activity every three to four weeks.

2. DISTRACTIONS.

If you can watch TV during your workout, you’re not working hard enough. Instead of relaxing while you run, try interval training. After a five- to six-minute warm-up on a cardio machine, work as hard as you can for one minute, then reduce the intensity for two minutes. Alternate back and forth for five rounds, making sure to increase the number of intervals you do each workout.

3. HOLDING ON TO THE HANDLEBARS.

When your arms take your body weight off your legs, you burn fewer calories. “If you have to hold on or lean, go slower,” says Cosgrove. (Supporting yourself without assistance gives you a better core workout as well.)

4. NOT USING THE INCLINE.

Setting the treadmill on an incline increases the activity of your glutes and hamstrings so you make them even stronger and burn more calories. Depending on your fitness level, set the incline at between 6% and 10%.

5. OVERFUELING.

You don’t need to sip sports drinks all afternoon, then eat an energy bar at the gym, and then follow that up with a post-workout shake. Instead, limit yourself to about 300 calories—the same number you burn in an average 30-minute workout. Any more and you’re not going to get thinner.

If you have any exercise tips send them to us at HeyUGLY411@aol.com. If we post them you'll get a free T-shirt.

Breakfast helps teens loose weight

MINNEAPOLIS, March 5 (UPI) -- Moms always advise eating breakfast, but a U.S. study proves skipping breakfast is unhealthy and is linked to teen obesity.

University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers examined the association between breakfast frequency and five-year body weight change in more than 2,200 adolescents.

The study, published in Pediatrics, finds teens who eat breakfast daily have a healthier diet overall and are more physically active than teens who skip breakfast. Five years later, compared to breakfast skippers, the breakfast eaters gained less weight.
"Although adolescents may think that skipping breakfast seems like a good way to save on calories, findings suggest the opposite," principal investigator Dianne Neumark-Sztainer says in a statement. "Eating a healthy breakfast may help adolescents avoid overeating later in the day and disrupt unhealthy eating patterns, such as not eating early in the day and eating a lot late in the evening."

It is estimated that between 12 percent and 24 percent of U.S. children and adolescents regularly skip breakfast, and this percentage increases with age, Neumark-Sztainer says.

Queen Latifah takes first step to getting healthy

Living a healthier lifestyle is important to me – and it’s simpler than you think. Just losing 5-10 percent of your weight and getting a little more active is a great first step that can really reduce your risk of diabetes and other health problems. It’s pretty amazing that a small change can make such a big difference.

Question for us all to answer

I read this quote in Glamour Magazine by Christian Wright. It made so much sense to me and I hope it inspires you. Take a read:

"Few of us measure our intelligence against the bar set by Albert Einstein, or our tennis ability by Venus Williams' trophy case. We're inspired, not discouraged, by their achievements: We still go to college, and we still pick up our rackets and play. So why do we get so down on ourselves when we don't stack up physically to the genetic anomality that is Gisele Bundchen?" Christian Wright

PS-The picture to the right is of some students who attended our eM-POWERment Day Presentation where we talk about the importance of recognizing when you are judging yourself and others negatively.