Dumping Calories
It’s time to stop those plump little sugarplums from dancing in your head and to assess the damage done by all that fudge, those star-shaped cookies and whatever was stuffed inside all those delicious appetizers you couldn’t stop eating at the party last night.
And let’s face it. You’ve got more to lose than what you gained over the holidays.
Over the years, New Year’s resolutions about dieting may have come and gone--mostly without success. But this is the new millennium, and maybe there is something magical about writing “00” as a date.
Moorpark resident Suzanne Manlet says it can be done.
The high school coach made losing weight her New Year’s resolution last year and had shed 55 pounds by July, going from a size 14 to a 6.
“I did this for myself,” Manlet said. “I knew I needed help. I’d tried it on my own with fad diets and couldn’t lose it.”
The 46-year-old went to Jenny Craig because she wanted support and because she found it simpler than other diets, since she could purchase the food.
“Now I feel 100% better and have more energy,” Manlet said.
For the new year, Jenny Craig is offering a program to “lose 20 pounds for a $20 fee.”
This does not include the prepared meals, which cost Manlet about $80 a week. She also went on the Platinum plan, which costs more but provides maintenance support.
Debra Shelford, 47, lost about 40 pounds six years ago and is now a Weight Watchers leader and ambassador. Shelford, a Thousand Oaks resident, recalled going to her doctor after she turned 40 and asking for help losing weight.
“I was uncomfortable with my appearance and my limitation of physical activity,” Shelford said. “I wanted to go to a nutritionist, and my doctor recommended Weight Watchers.”
She found the program simple and livable with her busy lifestyle, she said.
Weight Watchers is offering free registration, which usually costs $15. Weekly fees are $8.95 for those who sign up to attend regularly or $12 a meeting for those who want to drop in on a not-so-regular basis.
Shelford suggests drinking water for those who are determined to lose weight.
“I keep a tall glass of water close by and sip it all day long,” she said. “Water gets rid of toxins and hunger.”
In Ventura, Dr. Milton Beck runs MD Weight Control, offering medical solutions to weight loss. He has been in Ventura about six years, in the weight-loss business for 35 years and in family practice for 50 years, he said.
His medical method consists of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet, exercise and prescribed medication, Beck said.
The cost of the MD Weight Control varies but usually begins with a $75 doctor visit and a weekly cost of $25 to $40, depending on the medication prescribed.
Those who want to keep their New Year’s resolution with sheer will power but are already feeling a little weak might want to call Overeaters Anonymous at 647-9483.
Overeaters Anonymous is a 12-step program, with no dues or fees, that offers support groups for compulsive eaters at various sites and times.
Nancy Needham can be reached by e-mail at nancy.needham@reporters.net.