Changing For The Health Of It: A Simple and Sensible Guide To Heart-Healthy Diet and Exercise

By Ph.D. and Normand Ledoux

Formerly obese himself, Dr. Normand Ledoux presents the approachable method he used to lose 75 pounds - and keep it off - simply by adjusting his attitude and the way he approaches food. Do you think healthy living means sacrificing meals, recreation, and quality of life? Far from it! If you’re really willing to try, you’ll find that the wins will outweigh any perceived losses. With Changing for the Health of It, you will:• Eat delicious foods in hearty, filling portions - really!• Continue to enjoy parties, tailgating and life!• Discover simple ways to cut down your daily calorie intake.• Keep up with little ones in your life without being immediately out of breath.• Learn how it feels to be able to do more, go farther, and feel better, every day. Don’t sacrifice your health or life’s culinary pleasures. Take it from someone who’s been there: the only “losses” you’ll experience will be your shrinking waistline and your blood pressure!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hillcrest Media Group
• Release date: Dec 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781634130523

Book preview

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FOREWORD

Despite an ever-increasing body of knowledge linking exercise and nutrition to health improvements, many people are still unable to find a healthy lifestyle. The confusing jumble of messages and information presented to the public is partially to blame for the poor health of our country. Why try to make a change in your life, when a month later you will see a new media message that contradicts exactly what you were trying to do? The reality is that achieving better health and fitness is not complicated. These answers are not a secret, nor are they unattainable. The failure lies in the transfer of this information from the laboratory to your household. Changing for the Health of It bridges this gap in an easy-to-use and pioneering way.

The uniqueness of this text stems from its author and his genuine perspective. It is not uncommon for a health and fitness book to be written by a doctor; however, few if any are written by a school psychologist. This perspective into the behavioral aspects of the human mind is invaluable to making a lasting change. In addition, few if any authors have reported on their experiences with the same symptoms of poor health that you may be feeling. Dr. Ledoux knows firsthand what you are going through and has made a dramatic change to his own life following these exact principles.

If you have struggled with fad diets or mystical pieces of late-night TV fitness equipment, then I feel compelled to tell you that most people in the health industry mock such claims. In contrast, this book is a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand, must-have resource for anyone interested in making a realistic change in his or her life. The information contained in the following pages is based on scientific information from international governing bodies. While these principles have been published elsewhere, they have never been so eloquently displayed in a real-world resource.

It is as a college professor and practicing health professional (American College of Sports Medicine Clinical Exercise Specialist, Health Fitness Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, and National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) that I am confident in my ability to evaluate this text. I highly recommend Changing for the Health of It to all my clients, friends, and family seeking to make a lasting change to better their lives. Achieving health and fitness is not impossible, it is not complicated, and it is in your hands right now—get started today!

—Professor Gregory J. Ledoux, MS, CES, HFS, CSCS, ACSM-CPT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My very sincere appreciation and thanks to:

The Derby Line Ambulance crew for getting to our house so quickly on that December day, and for the excellent emergency and overnight care that I received at North Country Hospital in Newport, Vermont. Our community is fortunate to have such talented, dedicated, and caring people. This includes my physician since my ambulance ride, Dr. Peter Harris.

Dr. Bruce Hettleman for taking his talents to Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and spending an afternoon with me in the cath lab, giving me a second chance at positive health. Dr. John Jayne for emphasizing that my potbelly needed to become a thing of the past. Indeed, to all of the medical, nutrition, and support staff at Dartmouth– Hitchcock. The care was great.

Dr. Andrew Torkelson (cardiologist) for the support and encouragement over the course of my weight loss. His brother played for the Green Bay Packers and we also talked a fair amount of football. He agreed that being a Jets fan since 1965 had generally not helped my heart, but that I could not blame my health problems on this.

A mother and her young son (anonymous to me). During the first Christmas season following my weight loss, I was shopping at a local grocery store. They came to the same aisle that I was in. He looked at me (I do have a beard) and asked his mother, Is that Santa Claus? His mother answered, No, that is not Santa. Santa Claus is fat. Another jolt of encouragement.

Jeannine Young (author of Reflections: Learning Life’s Lessons) for her time and editing skills. She is tough, but fair. Professor Anthony Sgherza for his technical review of the manuscript and for playing such a big role in my son’s exercise science career.

Christine Fortin for her helpful suggestions and expertise in typing the final manuscript in the needed computer format. Computer savvy I am not. The staff at Two Harbors Press for their help in so many ways, including the internal and external looks of the book.

My grandchildren, Kayla, Hannah, and Matthew, for the love, inspiration, joy, and great fun they always bring. What a blessing to be able to keep up with them and to enjoy all that they do and accomplish.

My children, Alicia and Greg, for their ongoing love and support, not to mention their manuscript reading, info contributions, advice, and suggestions. My daughter can make so many old favorites that are even tastier and now good for you. Our Super Bowl Feast remains a fan favorite through her healthy cooking and baking skills. My son’s professional expertise came in very handy for technical reviewing. He outdid himself when it came to my exercise program. After all, at first I did not give him much to work with. I am glad he knows what to do when starting from scratch.

My wife and best friend, Madalyn, for her constant love, support, encouragement, prayers, and more prayers during this endeavor and always. For so unselfishly venturing out into the world of healthy shopping and cooking, and getting us started down the healthy road. For being with me every step of the way. I am truly blessed. Also, for the hours and hours of manuscript typing, and most importantly, even more prayers (supersizing isn’t always bad).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ledoux received his PhD from the Marquette University School of Education in 1981. This followed a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Marshall University. He has worked as a school psychologist for thirty years.

He previously developed a primary prevention stress management program for students, teachers, and parents. This school-based program was the first of its kind in the country. This led to being a member of a research team centered at the University of Vermont for a period of time, with resulting publications regarding the effectiveness of the program and the overall topic of family stress.

However, over the course of his adult life, there was a growing problem—in more ways than one. He became heavier and heavier and increasingly out of shape. He ended up 75 pounds overweight and with some very clogged arteries. Following his ambulance ride (12/6/05), it was found that he was lucky not to have had a heart attack. He did need an angioplasty and four stents.

At that point, he finally decided to give positive lifestyle change a real try. He got great diet, nutrition, and exercise advice from many expert sources, which he easily put into practice, along with his own unique touches and perspectives. He lost 75 pounds in ten months and has not gained any of it back. Being active is now very enjoyable and no longer a chore.

Dr. Ledoux lives with his wife of thirty-eight years in Derby Line, Vermont. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. Being able to do all sorts of things with his loved ones was and is the primary reason for achieving and maintaining positive lifestyle change. He hopes that this book will help you and yours to do the same. He found out that it is not hard and very much worth it.

The Author Then

The Author Now with His Granddaughter

INTRODUCTION

Please allow me to let you in on what seems to be a well-kept secret to so many. It certainly was to me for a long time. It is much easier than you think to lose all the weight you need to, keep it off, and have a healthy fitness level. You will be surprised at how little you give up and how much you receive in so many ways. You just have to give it a real try. This book will help you do just that.

Before I finally decided to give it a real try (motivated by a near heart attack caused by extremely clogged arteries), I was 75 pounds above my ideal weight (obese by any definition) and totally out of shape. In fact, I had been obese and out of shape for close to thirty years. For a long time, I had been right where so many of you are now, maybe even more so—not just weight-and fitness-wise, but also with respect to the attitudes and misconceptions that so often keep people (like me) from making any attempt at healthy lifestyle change, or result in so many getting discouraged and giving up very quickly.

In the past, I ignored most health warnings and nutrition recommendations. The laws of health couldn’t possibly apply to me. In fact, it went beyond ignoring and was typically more like ridiculing. On the rare occasions when I could get past this, I generally thought losing a lot of weight would be extremely hard, if possible at all.

Even if it were possible, who would want to do it? After all, I would have to endure small portions of tasteless food, little variety in my diet, always being hungry, and basically just being able to watch other people eat all the good stuff. Even if I somehow lost weight, keeping it off would be unbearable. I love my pet rabbits, but I did not want to share the same diet.

The fact is, it is not hard. You will end up with more variety in your diet, not less. Many of the good stuff recipes you now enjoy can be made with healthy ingredients, with the recipes tasting every bit as good.

Do not worry about microscopic portions—your large plate will still be covered with delicious food. If you like to tailgate, have cookouts, go to restaurants, host Super Bowl parties, and have holiday feasts, you will still enjoy these just as much.

I lost the 75 pounds I needed to in ten months. Along the way, I found that I was eating a lot of great food and still losing weight. It was hard to believe how wrong my thinking and lack of giving it a real try had been. I ended up feeling so