Success Story #3:Family Fitness Makeover
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Success Story #3:Family Fitness Makeover
| Mon, 11-07-2005 - 2:49pm |
This particular article doesn't have a end yet, as it's ongoing - but I thought that some of you may be interested to read what one whole family is going through - they've got a whole team supporting them, but face many of the same issues we do!
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Family makeover diary: Month 1
Follow the Morfidis family on their yearlong wellness journey.


The Details:
Family wellness makeover: Month 1
Meet the Morfidis family and the coaching team that will help them on their journey to better living.
By Ylva van Buuren
Meet the Morfidis family
George, age 40
Health Hot Spots: risk factors for heart disease (overweight and high blood pressure and cholesterol).
Job: supervisor for Ontario Works in the social services division of the City of Toronto.
Pastimes: watches TV most evenings; weekend entertaining.
Fitness: enjoys skiing, cycling and running.
Favourite Food: steak, potatoes, chocolate bars.
Struggles: exercises sporadically and is "addicted" to food.
VITAL STATISTICS (MAY 5, 2005)
Blood Pressure: 130/88
Resting Heart Rate: 71
Height: 5 ft 8 in
Current Weight: 250 lbs (113.4 kg)
Body Fat (%): 30.4
Body Mass Index: 37
MEASUREMENTS (inches)
Arm: 15-1/4
Chest: 49
Waist: 49
Hips: 47-1/4
Thigh: 28
Calf: 19-1/2
Neck: 16
Pants Size: 42
Despina, age 42
Health Hot Spots: overweight; family history of heart problems and diabetes; increasing general aches and pains.
Job: supervisor of training and development in the social services division of the City of Toronto.
Pastimes: cooking; spending time on the computer; weekend entertaining.
Fitness: none.
Favourite Food: Cheese ("I love all kinds of cheese").
Struggles: failing at exercise efforts, time and again.
VITAL STATISTICS (MAY 5, 2005)
Blood Pressure: 138/76
Resting Heart Rate: 75
Height: 5 ft 6 in
Current Weight: 228.5 lbs (103.6 kg)
Body Fat (%): 42.2
Body Mass Index: 36
MEASUREMENTS (inches)
Arm: 15-1/4
Chest: 41
Waist: 39
Hips: 54-1/2
Thigh: 33-1/4
Calf: 20-1/2
Neck: 14-1/4
Dress Size: 18
Ria, age 13
Health Hot Spots: nut and peanut allergy (she carries an EpiPen).
Grade: 9
Favourite Subjects: math and science ("I want to be a neurologist because I've always been interested in the way the brain functions").
Pastimes: reading; working and playing on the computer; last year she was the deputy prime minister of student council; has babysitting certificate.
Fitness: on school gymnastics team last year; likes biking, swimming, snowboarding and running; plays volleyball Saturday mornings.
Favourite Food: Any kind of pizza and Twix bars.
Struggles: procrastinates at times.
Stefi, age 10
Health Hot Spots: none.
Grade: 6
Favourite Subjects: math, gym and social studies.
Pastimes: reading; playing on the computer; student council representative in Grade 5.
Fitness: gym three times a week; loves gymnastics (belongs to a club); plays volleyball Saturday mornings; likes swimming (in the backyard pool), running and biking.
Favourite Food: green apples; all vegetables except brussels sprouts; sour jujubes.
Struggles: feeling overwhelmed when things aren't working out.
Coaches' corner: Meet the physician
It's a typical weekday afternoon at the Morfidises' house in Bowmanville, Ont. Stefi, 10, and Ria, 13, have had their after-school snack (today, sliced strawberries and vanilla ice cream) and are unwinding in front of the TV. George, 40, just home from work, is talking on the phone in the kitchen with Despina, 42, who is just leaving her Toronto office for the hour-long drive home. "What do you feel like eating tonight?" he asks his wife as he peers into the fridge. Despina is thinking she can pick something up on her way home, and there's leftover salad from last night. She's home by 6:15 with a freshly roasted chicken, green beans (which take no time to steam) and ready-to-eat "I-couldn't-resist" creamy scalloped potatoes. In no time, dinner's on the table and the girls are talking about their day.
Afterward, Ria and Stefi pull out their homework, Despina sits at the family computer to surf and correspond with family and friends, and George takes a quick run to Tim Hortons for an after-dinner snack before settling in for another night of TV.
Like many time-squeezed two-income families in Canada, weekday meals are always a mad dash at the Morfidises' home. Although the couple has good intentions, food choices are often last minute and less healthy than they would prefer. But issues around teaching their children healthy lifestyle habits go deeper than that. While the Morfidises' home is a happy one and weekends are filled with visiting family and friends, George and Despina also worry that they're not good role models. George exercises fairly regularly but opts for high-fat, quick foods; Despina chooses well-balanced meals but eats too much and doesn't exercise at all.
Yikes -- there is cause for concern, and when Canadian Living invited the Morfidises to participate in a yearlong Family Wellness Makeover, they were delighted, excited and just a little bit scared. With a goal to improve fitness and nutrition habits and solve some of their work-life balance problems, George and Despina knew their lifestyles were in for a shakeup, while the girls wondered what it would be like to share their family's progress in the magazine. It all seemed worth it because the Morfidises came back with a big yes!
To get the Family Wellness Makeover started, Canadian Living Magazine assembled an expert team of coaches: Sue Forest, a fitness expert at GoodLife Fitness Clubs; Fran Berkoff, a registered dietitian; and Cassandra Gierden, a certified life coach. We also asked the Morfidises' doctor, Dr. Suzanne Buchanan, a family physician at Rouge Valley Health System Centenary Site in Scarborough, Ont., to be involved. Then, the coaches met with the family and the makeover began.
Click here to read the Morfidis family diaries and to follow their progress.
Coaches' corner: Meet the physician
Dr. Suzanne Buchanan is a family physician at the Rouge Valley Health System Centenary Site in Scarborough, Ont., and is the Morfidises' doctor. She makes the following health-related recommendations.
• LOSE WEIGHT (George and Despina). to lower risk of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, cirrhosis of the liver and weight-related joint problems. (An overweight sedentary person who loses weight and becomes physically active, for example, can decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes by more than 50 per cent.)
• LOWER HEART-DISEASE RISK (George). Even though he is taking medication for high cholesterol, it's still important to make other lifestyle modifications (losing weight, eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising consistently).
• DON'T FOCUS ON THE GIRLS' WEIGHT at this point, says Buchanan -- reinforce their healthy eating and activity habits, since teens can fall into bad habits.
• LEARN BETTER WEIGHT CONTROL (the whole family). Several studies have shown that when parents are overweight, there is an increased risk of passing unhealthy lifestyle habits on to their children. "Even if you're eating healthy foods," says Buchanan, "if portion size is too big, you're eating too much."
• BALANCE FOOD (calories-in) AND ACTIVITY (calories-out) for healthy weight (the family). Just because you are active doesn't mean you can eat what you want.
• DON'T USE FOOD AS A REWARD (the family). Shift the focus to an activity -- instead of a dinner party, have a bowling party.
• DE-EMPHASIZE EMPTY CALORIES (Ria and Stefi). Buchanan warns that children often drink too much juice, which provides extra calories. Instead of drinking juice, have water.
• FOCUS ON GETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM (the family). The girls are still developing bone health, while Despina may start experiencing bone loss, which typically begins before menopause.
Coaches' corner: Meet the dietitian
Coaches' corner: Meet the dietitian
Fran Berkoff is the outpatient dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and nutrition columnist for the Toronto Sun and Canadian Living Magazine. She is coauthor of three Canadian bestsellers (Power Eating: How to Play Hard and Eat Smart for the Time of Your Life, The Vitality Cookbook and More Vitality Cooking) and a regular contributor to a variety of radio and television programs. She is a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario, the Dietitians of Canada, the American Dietetic Association and the Consulting Dietitians of Canada.
FAMILY OBJECTIVES
• Improve meal planning.
• Learn more about how eating habits affect health.
• Support one another's nutrition goals.
Strategies:
• Hold weekly family meetings to discuss menus.
• Work with our panel of experts to develop lower-
fat meals.
DESPINA'S OBJECTIVES
• Lose weight.
• Reduce portion sizes.
Strategies:
• Keep a food journal.
• Use bowls, cups, etc., to measure foods.
• Combine dieting plans with regular physical activity.
GEORGE'S OBJECTIVES
• Lose weight.
• Control impulse eating.
Strategies:
• Eat breakfast; don't go to work hungry.
• Reduce refined carbohydrates in diet.
• Keep a food journal.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Replace one TV show with an activity period.
RIA'S OBJECTIVES
• Continue to eat a healthy diet according to a teenager's nutrition needs.
• Make sure she's getting adequate intake of calcium- and iron-rich foods.
Strategies:
• Keep a food journal.
• Try a new vegetable at least once a week.
• Make food choices appealing and fun, not a source of anxiety.
STEFI'S OBJECTIVE:
• Continue to eat according to a 10-year-old's needs.
Strategies:
• Keep a food journal.
• Replace juice with milk at least once a day.
• Eat plenty of iron- and calcium-rich foods daily.
• Make healthy food choices appealing and fun, not a source of anxiety
Coaches' corner: Meet the life coach
Coaches' corner: Meet the life coach
Cassandra Gierden is a professionally trained and certified life coach and founder and owner of Prophet Coaching in Toronto. She has provided tele-coaching for the past six years and does coaching work with corporations at leadership retreats and with youth by cofacilitating youth leadership programs. She is a member of the International Coaching Federation and past president of its Greater Toronto Area Chapter. Cassandra was born in Calgary, grew up on Gabriola Island, B.C., and in Vancouver, and now lives in Toronto. Her goal is to help her clients create emotional, spiritual and physical balance in their lives.
FAMILY OBJECTIVE
• Encourage and support one another as a family.
Strategies:
• Use creative brainstorming to develop family activities.
• Make a fun activities list -- and follow it.
• Meet with the coach once every five weeks for an hour.
DESPINA'S OBJECTIVE
• Work up to skiing with family and friends.
Strategies:
• Visualize this change; for example, write a paragraph about "my first ski day with my family."
• Have a half-hour one-on-one coaching session over the phone, once a week for three weeks, then one week off.
• Discuss ways to get encouragement and support from others and herself.
• Create an accomplishment sheet to visually take in all her achievements.
GEORGE'S OBJECTIVE
• Have a more positive attitude with self and others.
Strategies:
• Have a coaching session once a week for three weeks, then one week off.
• Give himself permission to eat three chocolate bars a week for three weeks (rather than eating them without thinking about it).
• Tell his friends about the decision to be more positive.
• Ask a friend or Despina to go to the gym with him.
RIA'S OBJECTIVE
• Stop procrastinating and improve time management.
Strategies:
• Have coaching session over the phone once a week for three weeks, then one week off.
• List things that support and things that stop her from getting things done.
• Discuss ways to deal with distractions (she could ask her parents to put a desk in her room for privacy while she does homework).
• Set deadlines for getting each step of a project done -- and give herself rewards, such as reading a favourite book, for meeting them.
STEFI'S OBJECTIVE
• Cope better with busy life (gymnastics, homework, family and friends).
Strategies:
• Have a coaching session over the phone, once a week for three weeks, then one week off.
• List all the things she wants to manage better.
• Learn better ways to handle feelings of frustration; for example, putting on a favourite song and dancing or counting to 10 and breathing slowly.
Click here to find out how you can give your own family a makeover with tips from Cassandra.
Coaches' corner: Meet the personal trainer
Coaches' corner: Meet the personal trainer
Sue Forest is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor for GoodLife Fitness Clubs. She is a Can-Fit-Pro personal trainer specialist and fitness instructor specialist, and has special training in pre- and postnatal fitness, Pilates mat work, yoga, CPR and first aid. Combining eastern and western philosophies helps her bring a new perspective on achieving a healthful balance in our daily lives.
FAMILY OBJECTIVE
• Do something active together at least three times a week for at least half an hour.
Strategies:
• Go for a walk together after dinner once a week.
• Go for a neighbourhood outing on the weekends -- the girls can ride their bikes while George and Despina walk.
• Visit parks and conservation areas in the area for a half-hour nature hike.
• Support Despina's efforts to become more active while pursuing individual favourite activities.
DESPINA'S OBJECTIVES
• Become more physically active to promote weight loss.
• Participate in various physical activities with her family.
Strategies:
• Begin "active living" (for example, park farther away at work or take the stairs).
• Walk 30 minutes a day.
• Consider resistance training as well as yoga and Pilates training.
• Arrange training sessions with Sue for resistance training two to three times a week.
• Use her complimentary one-year membership to GoodLife Fitness Club in Bowmanville.
• Keep in touch with coach daily, if necessary, via e-mail or phone for support, questions and motivation.
• Keep an exercise journal.
GEORGE'S OBJECTIVES
• Be more consistent in remaining active.
• Cycle in the advanced group more often in weekly cycling group.
Strategies:
• Work with a personal trainer once a week.
• Do something "active" for at least half an hour every day.
• Go to the gym instead of watching TV in the evening (at least once or twice a week).
• Start a personalized resistance-training program (three times a week).
• Use complimentary one-year GoodLife Fitness Club membership.
• Keep an exercise journal.
• Keep in touch with coach daily, if necessary, via e-mail or phone for support, questions and motivation.
RIA'S OBJECTIVES
• Continue to stay active to maintain her health and great self-image.
• Learn to run.
• Improve flexibility.
Strategies:
• Start by walking; then walk/run with a goal of running for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Participate in some runs with Sue.
• Meet with coach once a week and keep in touch daily via e-mail or phone for support.
• Keep a running/ activity journal.
STEFI'S OBJECTIVES
• Continue to stay active to maintain health benefits.
• Increase upper body strength to support interest in gymnastics.
Strategies:
• Learn about running.
• Run with her coach.
• Meet with coach once a week and keep in touch daily via e-mail or phone for support.
• Learn specific upper body strengthening workouts.
• Keep a running/ activity journal.
Edited 11/14/2005 11:16 pm ET by cl-iv_miranda_d
The Details:
Family wellness makeover: Month 2
The program provides immediate results for the Morfidis family.
By Ylva Van Buuren
Despina: Her new regular fitness program (a daily half-hour walk) is paying off: she has lost 11 pounds and eight inches since she started the program last month, and had the stamina to do a 10-kilometre walk.
She suffered her first sports-related injury, though: all that walking aggravated a condition called plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of tissue supporting the arch of the foot. As a result, she had to cut back on walking for a few weeks and is now wearing a special supportive heel cup
in her shoe, which she says helps.
George: He's more consistent than he used to be with fitness. He is getting to the gym three times a week, often in the evening when he would otherwise be home in front of the TV eating snacks. But George continues to struggle with his eating habits.
Ria (13): For the first time ever, she ran 800 metres without stopping and came in fifth out of 15 at her school's track-and-field day. She was ecstatic and e-mailed her trainer, Sue Forest, to thank her for teaching her how to breathe and run properly.
Stefi (10): She came first overall in her advanced recreational group in the Clarington Gymnastics Academy intra-club gymnastics competition (she won two gold, a silver and one bronze medal). She has accepted an invitation to join the club's competitive team. Congratulations Stefi!
Edited 11/14/2005 11:17 pm ET by cl-iv_miranda_d
Family makeover diary: Month 3
Continue to track the Morfidis family's quest for a healthier lifestyle
George's journal
George's journal
Month 3 is upon us and up until now, I have seen small results with my weight loss. I have only lost a few pounds and I am very discouraged by my results. With Fran's ongoing encouragement and "lecturing" on what kinds of food to eat, the portion size and learning how to control the portions, it seems I am finally getting my eating in line with my goals -- to lose weight, decrease my cholesterol and keep my blood pressure healthy.
I have spent a couple of phone sessions with Fran discussing stressful food situations -- for example, what can I do when I am grocery shopping and want to buy all the "bad" food? And how can I get through a meeting at work when people always bring in cookies, cakes and donuts and -- more importantly -- how can I keep my mind off food; my constant, non-stop thinking about food?
I am now on a regular schedule for meals and snacking. I have my cereal at 6:30 a.m. before I leave for work, fruit at 8:30 a.m., low-fat fruit yogurt at 10 a.m., and a mixture of seeds and nuts -- only 1/2 a cup of course. I usually eat my lunch between 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. and then for the afternoon a diet pop helps me get to dinner. I find spacing my food out throughout the day keeps me full and occupied with lower-fat/healthier options. It beats going to the coffee shop during my break where they have donuts and other things that I would love to have!
Sue's ongoing support at the gym has finally paid off. A couple of days ago it was time for another assessment. I wanted to see how I had done weight-wise and measurement-wise. It was amazing! It has just been over 2 months and it's working, I am down 11 pounds and 6 inches! The exciting part is there are 2 inches off my waist! I was so happy! WOW, all the salads and chicken do pay off.
I am very pleased with the results because I did not think it could possibly work. I kept thinking turning 40 is tough and since I have had problems losing the weight in the past it was going to be harder now. But it was not as bad as I thought; I am down in size and I'm starting to feel really strong and confident.
Confidence is something that I was lacking a couple of months ago. I was at my heaviest weight ever, my clothes were not fitting properly and getting to the gym was a battle that I lost every day.
Cassandra our life coach has helped in the confidence part, she has assisted me in dealing with stress at work, helping me deal with the daily challenges of parenting and helped me realize some of my strengths.
Despina's diary
It is hard to believe we are already into Month 3 of our makeover. It sure has been a busy couple of months! In fact, I am finding it difficult getting used to a new routine. It seems we are so busy now.
George and I have both incorporated regular exercise into our lives, both of us going to the gym minimally 3 times a week. I have changed my workout time to the mornings so I am getting up at 5:15 a.m. in order to be at the gym at 5:45. I do a 10 to 15 minute workout on the cross-trainer and then Sue meets me at 6 a.m. for the weight training part. Because of the early hours, I have to get to bed earlier. This has been a big change for me. I used to stay up until midnight, maybe even 12:30 a.m. but not anymore. That was one of the first things Sue wanted me to change. My body needs rest with all the workouts. I found out pretty quickly that I couldn't manage on 5 hours sleep!
George, on the other hand, prefers going to the gym in the evening. He usually heads out at 8:30 or so and isn't back until 10-ish. Just around the time I am heading to bed. Our schedules are very mixed up at this point.
I am "time starved" at this point. The expression "time starved" seems so appropriate. I need more time in the day to make everything work. We were busy before but now we have added a lot more. In a 24-hour day, I am trying to fit in an eight-hour workday, plus the drive to and back from Toronto every day, plus workouts in the morning 3 times per week, plus 1/2 an hour of cardio workouts another 3 times a week, plus 2 very active girls, plus a house, plus family, plus LIFE. Ahhhhh!
I really want this makeover to work. I am so excited about what this could mean for all of us. I have talked with Cassandra a couple of times about figuring out how to make this work in my life. We have come up with some strategies that I am trying out and will talk about over the next few months.
One thing that keeps me going and makes me work even harder is seeing the changes, seeing the successes, concrete evidence that my workouts are making a difference. This is definitely a high point for me because after 9 weeks of going to the gym I have lost 13-1/2 pounds and 12-1/2 inches!!! I am so excited! Family and friends are noticing the difference too and that gives more validity to the process. Yeah!!!
Ria's writings and Stefi's story
In Month 3 there were some highs and lows. I think the best part about this month was going to Olympia Sports Camp. All the running and conditioning I have been doing really helped. Stefi and I did the triathlon camp. Running and swimming were the easiest! But cycling was a bit of a challenge. I am not used to cycling up some big hills. Camp was really fun but a lot of work. Every day we swam, cycled and ran but in the final triathlon I swam 350 m, I cycled 10 km and ran 3 km. I completed it in 1:10. I was very happy with that.
The weeks before camp it was hard to run. School had just finished and I didn't have a new routine yet so it was hard to organize myself. After I got into a routine for the summer it was easier to get back on track.
Stefi's story
I think Month 3 is my favourite month because I have a lot of highs but I do have one low. The one low that I had this month was that Sue wasn't here for half of the month and I got a little off track with the running but I did pretty well.
One high this month is that Ria and I went to Olympia Sports Camp and did the triathlon camp. We trained for the whole week then we did an actual triathlon. The triathlon we did was a 350 m swim, 10 km bike ride and a 3 km run. I completed this in an hour and 26 minutes but I wish I could have done better. I think part of the problem was my knee really hurt and I had really bad cramps for part of the race. But I am very happy that I finished and that I did it under 1 hour and 30 minutes.