Kirstie Alley and me

Would love to hear how it goes Tara. And if the stuff is actually palatable.

Knowing me, I'd eat a day's worth of food for breakfast, and then wonder why it wasn't working.

Good luck.

[DCJenn]

Tara-

Do post how it goes- I had a colleague years ago (back when the food supposedly wasn't as good) and she lost ALL of her 'baby weight' with Jenny.

Jenn

[mommax3]

Good luck, Tara! I called Jenny after I had my first baby and lost 25 pounds. I went back right after we moved here, and lost ~12 (not as much as I had hoped!) and then quit going altogether when I got my job....the location was out of the way, and once I was working, I literally had *no* time to get there. It didn't help that I had 3 consultants over the course of a year, all under age 25, no kids, who had never had to lose more than 10 pounds or so. For me, the consultants are key. So I am going it on my own, with little success. I am hoping that this summer, I can get back on track, but since I jumped back into working, weight loss is on the back burner right now.

I always thought the food was great, although I agree with you regarding the shelf entrees. And the cost.....

Sally

[Stella]

My coworker was on NutriSystem but lasted less than a month. It got to be too... wierd... to keep eating packaged foods all the time. Now she's addicted to 5 Factor with me.

Good luck, Tara! I hope you get to your goal!

Now she's addicted to 5 Factor with me.

What is this 5 Factor that you speak of??

[Stella]

It's the Five Factor Fitness/Five Factor Diet I've been raving about everywhere I go. (Seriously, at happy hour the other night, my coworker and I were trying to convince some random guy at the dart board that he should go on it... )

It is pretty simple to follow and when I get the motivation, I'll post all the details. This is the website though: http://www.harleypasternak.com.

March 7, 2005 - Ever since physiologist Harley Pasternak appeared with Halle Berry on Oprah, telling how he transformed her body for "Catwoman" (and Reuters named Halle's Best Body in the World), folks have been anticipating the top celebrity fitness trainer's new book that reveals the secrets of his remarkably simple home diet and exercise program. Eating plans, workout regimens, recipes, how-to photos and before-and-after success stories are included in "5 Factor Fitness: The Diet and Fitness Secret of Hollywood's A-List."

People magazine recently named Pasternak's uncomplicated regimen of 5 meals and 25 minutes of exercise daily -- using little more than dumbells, and enabling you to transform your body in just 5 weeks - not just one of the most simple and sensible of the new year, but one that can prevent or control diabetes. His Hollywood "A-List" clientele includes Eve, Orlando Bloom, Rick Fox, Benjamin Bratt, Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff, Eliza Dushku, Jim Caviezel, Robert Downey, Jr., Lambert Wilson and Val Kilmer.

Last week's AP story "Doctors Urge Early, Aggressive Diabetes Care" (seen on CNN This Morning and available below) emphasizes the importance of including daily exercise in the management of diabetes as well as sticking to a daily meal plan. They estimate that more than 20 million Americans are diabetic, though as many as one-third don't know it. 41 million are believed to have pre-diabetes, an impaired sugar tolerance that can lead to diabetes.

At the same time Harley was getting her in shape to fit into that "Catwoman" suit, the actress, a Type 1 diabetic, was chosen to head a national 'Diabetes Aware' campaign to increase awareness, detection, treatment and control of the disease. Pasternak's grazing diet and simple daily exercise program was largely inspired by growing up with two brothers who were type 1 diabetics. "I can tell you that if they don't have their regular small meals they are easily agitated, become irrational, and can't focus on anything! This is also what happens to low-carb dieters," he writes. "Many of us are almost as strongly affected by the low blood-sugar phenomenon and may exhibit similar behavior when we've gone too long without food." (Hmmm--agitated, irrational people running around ... could these be low-carb dieters?!)

Harley Pasternak contributed to the top-selling book, ABSolution: The Practical Solution for Building Your Best Abs. In his capacity as a trainer, he has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Access Hollywood, E! and in People, Glamour, InStyle, Us Weekly, InTouch, Men's Health, Jane, New York Post, among other publications.

One of the most sought after trainers among celebrities, Harley Pasternak holds a masters of science in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Sciences, an honors degree in Kinesiology, and certification by the American College of Sports Medicine. He is among a team of scientists who recently completed exercise and nutrition research on soldiers for the Canadian Department of National Defense.

"Harley's intelligent and innovative approach to health and fitness inspired me to get excited about working out again," says Halle Berry. "I have more energy, more knowledge, and I am hands down in the best shape of my life -- thanks to Harley." "Armed with a vast understanding of physiology and body mechanics, he has developed an exercise program that is intense yet remarkably simple," explains Benjamin Bratt, also trained by Pasternak. "One that proves anyone can get the desired results in less time and with greater efficiency."

"My tendency was to overtrain," says Rick Fox. "Harley has taught me to eat healthier, simplify my workouts, and maximize results."

The food component of 5-FACTOR FITNESS calls for 5 simple meals a day to maintain blood sugar levels, yet there's no counting carbs or calories. Most meals require only five easy-to-find ingredients and take just five minutes to prepare. No exotic high-priced foods, just a balance of lean protein and fibrous carbohydrates (grains, fruits, and vegetables). It builds in one "cheat" day per week when you can indulge your cravings and eat the foods you love. Backed by scientific research, the author explains how this groundbreaking program keeps the "junk" you eat that day from turning into fat while it paves the way for lean muscle preservation.

Along with illustrated step-by-step instructions, and appealing recipes like "I Can't Believe It's Not Pizza" and "Asian Lettuce Wraps," 5-FACTOR FITNESS chronicles real-life success stories of people who saw dramatic improvement in their body tone, energy levels, and all-around health after five weeks on this program. It also explains:

# The five reasons why fad diets fail where 5-FACTOR succeeds...
# Why it's important to limit your cardio workout...
# The five essential elements to every meal...
# Why 5-FACTOR's short, intense workouts assist immune system function...
# How intensity is more significant than duration in transforming the body...
# Why dumbbells are better for you than exercise machines...
# How to read food labels...

Whether you want to improve your appearance, energy level, coordination, or confidence, 5-FACTOR FITNESS supplies everything you'll ever need in an accessible, easy-to-follow guide. For more info visit http://www.harleypasternak.com.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectio ... id=2827421

[DCJenn]

So, how's the Plan going? Would you still recommend it? I'm curious to see how it works later in the process.

Jenn

[PrincessFiona]

Tara,

Are you still doing the program? I've been considering doing JC or Nutrisystem...

How is it going?

kris