INTRODUCTION-CHANGING YOUR LIFE-STYLE: NOT DIETING

But this book is not about motivating you with disgusting medical facts, scaring you, making you feel guilty, or sending you to a 12 Step program. A born-again ex-fatty I'm not. Changing your body doesn't solve the problems we all face—the kids, the husband, the job. Life doesn't get magically better when you change your body, but it's all a whole lot easier to cope with when you're lean, strong, and healthy. Sophie Tucker said it best: "I've been rich and I've been poor, and rich is better." Excuse me, Sophie, but I've rewritten you: "I've been fit and I've been fat, and fit is better."

The insanity in my life has stopped. I have created my foundation of wellness and know what it takes to maintain it. The strength I have gained, the cardio-endurance, and the healthy percentage of body fat I have, the way I look and feel, are why I believe this is the most important information you can have. "Skinny" and "diet" are two words that no longer control me. They don't have to control you any longer.

Stopping the insanity means relearning what we've all been taught and learning how to eat, breathe, and move and get LEANER, STRONGER, AND HEALTHIER. Unless you're in an iron lung, you can get fit. If you can move anything, you can get fit. You can and will change the quality and direction of your life. Let's stop the insanity together.

This information will change the way you look and feel forever. You can go from an unfit person to a fit person. It's changed my life, and it will change yours.

My life has changed. I have choices now that I never dreamed I'd have.

My kids asked me the other day to go bike riding with them. You should see me in a helmet—it's a sight.

Down the street we go, pedaling like mad. One of my sons, with the most beautiful face you've ever seen (it's okay to say your kid is prettier than mine, but please don't tell me about some distant cousin who is prettier), looks back and yells, "Hey, Mom, this is so much fun riding with you—I love you!"

Now add to the picture the crazy-looking mom in the helmet with tears streaming down her face.

There was a time when I couldn't bike ride with my sons.

I didn't have the choice.

I was too fat and unfit to think about getting a bike, forget about riding it.

Bike riding may be one thing, but flying from Los Angeles to Dallas sitting two seats away from Dolly Parton is another.

We met when she introduced herself at LAX.

"Hi, I'm Dolly Parton."

No joke—who else could you possibly be?

Five-inch stiletto heels at eleven in the morning.

The biggest hair I've ever seen.

Nails so long they could kill you.

And unbelievably beautiful.

Dolly Parton is my idol. My nails need just a bit more acrylic, and the high heels, I've got them down (see my "after" picture). I'll never be able to match the big hair, but let me strive. Strive to be Dolly.

During our flight a couple of people asked Dolly for her autograph. She was so polite, accommodating and sweet, but what was going on two seats behind her was blowing my mind. At least sixteen people came up to me asking questions, wanting an autograph, or just telling me that they were eating, breathing, and moving, and their lives were changing.

Wow. People changing their lives. Looking and feeling better. What a strange feeling. I'm not a movie star, I'm not in the entertainment business, and as hard as I try, I'll never be Dolly Parton.

During that flight I realized that this message must get out to as many people as possible. I was so grateful for the changes and choices in my life. The job that I love so much, the bike rides with the kids, the fabulous women I meet everywhere I go who are stopping the insanity in their lives, and to top it all off, to be sitting two seats behind Dolly Parton.

Yeah, I'm passionate about women getting well.

Passionate.

Not angry.

Men are strong, women are bitches. Men are focused, women are obsessed. Blah, blah, blah.

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