On May 23, GNC and Discovery Fit and Health announced the launch of “Transformation Diaries,” a web series following four women with health and weight loss goals through their journey.

One of those women is 31-year-old Simona from Washington, D.C. who is working to lose weight and set healthier habits after the birth of her second child. Simona is on her way to success, despite the complications of being a working mom with very young children, and she took a quick break to answer some of our questions.

What was the most concerning part of the game plan for you when you started?

The plan required a lot of significant change, which concerned me given that we were already introducing so much change to our family with the new baby. It also required me to balance my needs against those of my family, which was difficult for me personally.

How do your children interfere with your goals and plan?

For me personally, children and family come first. That means that I need to think about what my children’s schedules, likes/dislikes, and needs before I think of my own. The lack of a schedule with a newborn in particular kept me from establishing a good fitness routine initially because I could never predict exactly when she would wake for feedings. Additionally, the stress of childbirth was harder this time than it was last time, so I wasn’t cleared by my doctor for exercise until about eight weeks after the baby was born.
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Yet again it seems that mass media is not accurately portraying scientific research. This time the research is by Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. The headlines are claiming that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) damages memory or “makes you stupid“. Unfortunately, the study was not done with a control group on a regular diet, just rats eating HFCS and other rats eating HFCS with omega-3 fatty acids, so it is difficult to draw any solid conclusions from the research.

When trying to navigate a maze learned six weeks earlier, the rats that had only been eating HFCS “were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity. Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the route they’d learned six weeks earlier,” according to researcher Gomez-Pinilla. This could imply that:

• HFCS causes memory loss
• Or it could be interpreted that HFCS interferes with focus and attention span
• Or it could mean that omega-3 fatty acids counteract the harmful effects of HFCS
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One thing I noticed on my journey to eating a wheat free/gluten-free diet is that consequences matter. For me, the decision to restrict my diet in this way is mostly about health. I do not have celiac disease, and I don’t believe I have a gluten allergy. For some of my mom friends though if their child got ahold of a single Cheerio or Teddy Graham they could have serious health issues as a result. “Cheating” on the gluten-free diet does not even occur to those moms, even if they are away from their children, but the consequences are less severe for me. We see the same thing on the Biggest Loser over and over when someone is motivated to lose weight after a medical professional tells them their weight is killing them. What are the consequences for you for not sticking to your goal?

If you are good at self-talk and rational (REBT) thinking, you can use the consequences to your advantage. Maybe it won’t hurt me to try the famous sugar cream pie, but how will I ever really track the effects of gluten on my body if I don’t eliminate it entirely for at least two to three weeks? If you are tempted to skip a workout, you probably won’t see a reverse in your progress, but you can remind yourself that you could feel guilty or lethargic or even lose the habit entirely since every time we “cheat” we are practicing the opposite of the habit we want to reinforce.
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I want to thank City Yoga here in Indianapolis for inviting me to the special workshop weekend with Kathryn Budig. Kathryn teaches yoga all around the world and wants to make yoga practice fun for each of her students. She is also scheduled to release The Big Book of Yoga in December.

I attended the Sunday backbends workshop because it was the only one that I could fit into my busy weekend schedule. I was not sure what to expect since I have only attended a few yoga classes, and I have not done backbends much since I was a kid. However, I utilize and love the Authentic Yoga iPhone app when I travel and some days at home, so I feel pretty familiar with yoga in general. I find I am able to complete the intermediate routines, so I went into the class with an open mind.
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April 30th through May 6th is Screen Free Week, originally known as TV-Turnoff Week starting in 1994. As we have grown more and more dependent on technology for entertainment with the growth of the internet, smart phones, and apps targeting children and even toddlers, TV-Turnoff Week became Digital Detox Week in 2008 and Screen Free Week in 2010.

Screen Free Week is supported by more than 70 organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of American, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the YMCA. Screen Free Week is a great opportunity to save money on electricity, build family relationships, and get a few other projects done around the house. It may be tempting to think that a technology-free week will be impossible and you will run out of things to do, but here are 30 things you can do that do not require technology and may even make you a little fitter.

1. Take a walk
2. Go camping
3. Climb a tree
4. Re-paint your kitchen
5. Catch up on your laundry
6. Get a massage
7. Mow the lawn
8. Try a project (or twenty) you found on Pinterest*
9. Take a yoga class
10. Take a dance class
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