The Whole Life Makeover: Q & A with Kathy Salmon Farstad

In the March 2005 issue of Canadian Living magazine, Kathy Salmon Farstad explains how she's fared in upholding her healthy-living lifestyle. Without the regular help of the six-person Whole Life Makeover professional team, find out how Kathy is keeping her life-change success intact.

What has been the most challenging part of your transformation?
The most challenging part has been keeping the balance. For example, maintaining the workout time of 5 - 7 hrs a week while working full-time and having a busy schedule with the kids too! Also as stress rises, so does my tendency to snack and binge. It has been tough keeping my weight balanced, let alone losing another 10 pounds like I had hoped.

What/who have been your sources of strength and/or support?
Michelle Cederberg kept working with me once a week. My family has been supportive in letting me have some time to exercise while we are all at home together or for me to go out for a jog and for them to ride their bikes beside me.

What's your advice to anyone striving to give their life a makeover?
Change happens over time. Sometimes there are little bursts of success but most of it comes gradually so give yourself time. When you jump into something too hard and too fast it may be so different from your old regular routine that you may have a hard time keeping it up; so if you pick one thing to change at a time until it becomes your new regular routine, you've habituated it and then you can pick another thing to change.

I'd start with looking at your food routines and concentrate on that for the first week or so and then build in exercise and gradually increase the exercise while maintaining control over your intake. After that, start looking at your personal schedule. See when it is best for you to exercise and what requirements your new food habits have on your schedule and revamp your schedule -- include family commitments, personal commitments and at least one hour just for you to "do nothing or something."