Give Yourself a Hand! A "Handy" Portion-Control Guide

By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6^®

To achieve weight loss—and maintain that healthy weight once you've achieved it—it's crucial to really understand what a portion is. Here's what may prove to be an indispensible tip: use your hand as a guideline for portion sizes. (If your hands happen to be extra-large or extra-small for your size, adjust accordingly.)

• Palm = Proteins: Make protein portions the size of your palm. Protein is found in animal products, like fish, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggie protein sources include legumes (beans, etc.), tofu, tempeh, and wheat glutens.
• Thumb = Fats: Fats are important, but they're also very dense, so match fat portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
• Fist = Fruits, Grains, etc.: Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about equal to the size of your closed fist. Remember that it's always preferable to consume whole grains.
• Hand = Veggies: Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That's a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients, and they contain very few calories.

How I Overcame Compulsive Overeating

By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6^®

My biggest challenge in life so far has been conquering my compulsive eating habit. I remember so clearly the hopelessness I felt because I had no control over my impulses. I would literally sit down to a pint of Häagen-Dazs^® every day and swear that tomorrow I would start my diet. There are also vivid memories of me downing an entire bag of Chips Ahoy!^® chocolate chip cookies and an entire big bag of Doritos^®! I had those moments of sitting in my car, opening a jar of peanut butter, and polishing off almost half of it, and then driving to a fast food place for a burger and fries. And let's not forget the CHEESE! I am a Cheesehead, after all, and I would eat blocks of it at a time.

When I think of that now, it truly makes me sick to my stomach. How could my poor body handle that? No wonder my digestion was so screwed up and I have cellulite so bad—even now. You can't possibly expect to abuse your body like that and put such demands on your digestive system and not have major issues. I remember jogging around my block at 4:00 AM, desperate to burn off those calories, and then dropping down to the ground into a heap of tears praying for control and the strength to get my life on track. I do know that I was eating out of emotion—not knowing how to cope with certain feelings I was having.

I knew I had to confront my demons head on and figure it out. I'm not sure of the exact moment I decided to change. It was an accumulation of emotion and just being fed up with feeling and looking bad. Enough was enough! So, I joined a support group and through that program I learned how to eat properly. I learned about portion control.

Growing up, I was never taught any of those things. My mother had been severely overweight when I was growing up, and she loved to bake. And I mean BAKE EVERYTHING you can possibly think of. I would wake up every Saturday morning to hot chocolate chip cookies, gooey brownies, pies, homemade bread, you name it. I would stuff myself until I couldn't eat another bite. Having that support group made me accountable and got me on track. The first 12 pounds came off pretty easily. Then, it was a bit slower, but because I stuck with the program, it consistently came off.

When I moved to Los Angeles at 21, I was on my way to better health and felt more in control. I was a secretary at that time, so I sat most of the day. I definitely had bumps and challenges along the way, but I was determined to get the once lean, fit body back that I had when I was in high school as a cheerleader, gymnast, and sprinter! It was when I joined a gym and began working out with weights that I really started to see the changes. Unfortunately, I made a lot of the mistakes that many women do when they don't really understand how to exercise properly. I worked with heavy weights and didn't do enough cardio. So I got really strong, but I was very bulky! Also, I still was in the bad habit of eating three big meals a day instead of small little mini-meals throughout the day. It really wasn't until I was in my late thirties that I figured it out.

The last thing I needed to get control of was my love for sweets, and it wasn't easy . . . I decided to just starve myself of all carbs and sugars for about 2 weeks. It was truly amazing what happened. I sincerely didn't crave them anymore! I would never have believed in a million years that I would actually desire a delicious piece of fish with vegetables over a pizza!

I think having so much energy and feeling my body toned and lean also gave me extra incentive. Then, when I became a personal trainer at the gym I was working out at, I was literally exercising with my clients all day long doing ab and midsection routines with them. Before I knew it, my waist was tiny and my abs were ripped. I had a six-pack for the first time, and I was pumped!

Now if I really want to have a chocolate chip cookie, I'll have one . . . but only one. And sometimes, I don't even eat the whole thing. I am satisfied with a bite or two. For me, it was a major shift in the way I associated and looked at food. Also, the more educated and aware I became, the easier it was to treat my body with respect. I got into "right-thinking" mode and didn't want to sabotage myself anymore. Some of the tools that helped me along the way were thought-provoking, motivational, and inspirational books and tapes that would put me in the present moment. Now, there is such a wealth of extra support at your fingertips. Beachbody^® has developed such an amazing community that you're crazy if you don't take advantage of it.

Get involved in the live chats and the Message Boards. Join the WOWY SuperGym^®. Keep that journal every day to help you stay accountable. Empower yourself with knowledge and invest in YOU! You deserve it. You deserve to be happy and healthy! I know if I could do it, you can, too . . . we are all here to help cheer you on and support you to live your best life!

Now . . . GO PUSH PLAY!!

XXOO,
Debbie

Test Your Beachbody® Trainer IQ!

By D. V. Donatelli

Beachbody's celebrity trainers have a wonderful wealth of knowledge about fitness, nutrition, and how to get us into the best shape of our lives, but what else are they into? What's behind that statuesque physicality? Seeking to get a better understanding of the human depths of these inspirational exercisers, we asked four of our top trainers this question: "If you could teach a college class that wasn't about fitness or nutrition, what would you want to teach?" See if you can match the trainer with the answer he or she provided.

1. Brett Hoebel – Physics. That's right—the creator of RevAbs™ has great interest in one of humanity's oldest and most challenging intellectual pursuits. Hoebel explained, "[It is] one of my favorite classes, and now I know how to apply it to real-life things, like fitness, so that it's easier to understand!" Perhaps I could use a few lessons from Mr. Hoebel's class, because I had a huge crush on an astrophysicist once but she wouldn't give me the spacetime of day.

2. Shaun T – Communications. I loved INSANITY^® creator Shaun T's answer, so here it is in full: "If I were able to teach a college course, it would have to be a communications course—specifically TV broadcasting—only because I originally started my college career as a communications major, and it was, and still is, my dream to do what Anderson Cooper does!" Shaun's got charisma, and he can communicate—I know this for a fact because I've come to employ his "Tilt, Tuck & Tighten" technique in virtually everything I do, from skateboarding to paying taxes—so I wish Shaun all the luck in the world in his dream of hosting the first two seasons of the underrated reality TV show The Mole.

3. Debbie Siebers – Art/Drawing. The Slim in 6^® guru Debbie has stopped by Beachbody^® Headquarters a number of times, and on each visit she's always exhibited a certain style about her. It's clear the woman knows aesthetics, and she herself is a work of art, so this answer is not surprising. What I found surprising, however, was that she, an artist, wasn't flattered or impressed when I cut off my ear and sent it to her. Everyone's a critic!

4. Chalene Johnson – Justice, Morality, and Constitutional Democracy. No offense to the others, but this is my favorite answer. Why? Because now I can't stop picturing Chalene, whose Turbo Jam^® workouts are so punch- and kick-heavy, naming her left fist "Justice," her right fist "Morality," and her plant leg, upon which the whole dynamic system is based, "Constitutional Democracy." Hi-ya!

My Top Five: Debbie Siebers

Sometimes the best thing to get you off the couch and motivated to start getting active is a hot tune to get you energized. Here is the first in a continuing series of what some of our favorite Beachbody personalities are putting on their MP3 players and stereos to get them moving.

Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6

Slim in 6 creator Debbie Siebers describes what a big part music plays in her life. While she has eclectic tastes from all styles of music, she gravitates toward the classic Motown sounds to put herself in motion. Check out what's in heavy rotation on Debbie's playlist.

1. "Mercy" by Duffy

   This song has such a rockin' beat! It really energizes me and motivates me to kick it up a notch and challenge myself.

2. "Crash" by Gwen Stefani

   I love this song! It has a fantastic beat and is a fun groove that really gets me moving.

3. "Got to Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye

   Every single time I hear this song, I must, and I MEAN I MUST GET UP AND DANCE . . . no matter where I am. It is truly one of my favorite songs of all time! So you can imagine how excited I was when the band at the Four Seasons Hotel played it this New Year's Eve! I was in heaven!

4. "Little Ramona" by BR5-49

   What can I say? This brings out the rockabilly girl inside of me. I sing it out loud when I'm working out on the elliptical and don't even care who hears me! So fun and brings me back to my Midwestern roots.

5. "Do You Love Me" by The Contours

   This song has extra meaning for me because Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, who is like family to me and a mentor in my life, wrote this! I remember dancing to it with him in Maui. What a great night that was! I've even come up with my own cardio/dance moves to this song!

Check back with the newsletter to see what other trainers are listening to. Coming up: Shaun T!