Best friends makeover: Month 9

Nutrition
•Tracy
Tracy now eats breakfast within an hour of getting up and eats part of her dinner before working out (so she doesn’t go to the gym hungry) and the rest afterward. Not working in an office anymore has helped decrease her coffee intake.

Coach’s Notes:
Tracy’s healthy, balanced diet ensures adequate fuel for her training, says nutrition coach Rory Hornstein, who recommends healthy carbohydrates (whole grain bread, cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes and fresh fruit and vegetables), protein (dried beans, peas, lean meats and low-fat dairy products) and moderate amounts of fat from unsaturated sources. Calcium (from supplements and/or diet) is good for her bones.

•Tanya
Tanya started the low sodium, high-fruit-and-vegetables DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet two years ago and initially lost 30 pounds. For the makeover program, Hornstein suggested Tanya continue with the diet and keep a food checklist to help her avoid “mindless eating.” Tanya also budgets $5 a few times a month to purchase meal plans from a website. “I find organizing my meals a killer. We’re busy every night at classes or at the gym.”

Coach’s Notes:
Dieting just to lose weight was not an initial makeover goal for Tanya. Instead, she wanted to make changes in her life and to improve her health – which, the coaches agree, she has succeeded in doing. But now, armed with newfound confidence, she’s more motivated to explore eating habits that may be affecting her weight.

One important recommendation is to eat morning and afternoon low glycemic snacks such as apples, dried apricots, bananas, grapefruits, oranges, pears, 100 per cent whole wheat kernels, rice bran, sweet potatoes, skim milk, soy beverages or low-fat yogurt. These foods are digested slowly, which helps keep blood-sugar levels stable and makes the body feel full longer.

Family
We’re All happier
Both women wanted to improve their relationships with their children – and they have. After Spencer, who is now 17, moved out of the house for a while and then moved back, his mom, Tracy, worked hard to let him do his own thing – and make his own mistakes. “I’m allowing him that freedom but focusing more on myself, too. As a result, our relationship has definitely improved.”

Downstairs, in Tanya’s area of the house, Kesler, 12, and his mom are having more fun together, too, because “I’m no longer worried and cranky all the time,” she says.

“He’s being a spontaneous boy again, and I’m sure it’s in response to my more positive mood.”

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