Why do you think health clubs are so successful in January? If you answered because people make New Year's resolutions to get fit, you're right. Why do most people fail to meet their resolutions? The answer is because they have not successfully implemented a plan of action.

Why do you think health clubs are so successful in January? If you answered because people make New Year's resolutions to get fit, you're right. Why do most people fail to meet their resolutions? The answer is because they have not successfully implemented a plan of action.

Am I Hungry? Progress Notes: Colleen is taking it one step at a time. She has started asking herself, "Am I hungry?" whenever she feels like eating. Colleen says that for her, "hunger is a subtle feeling, like an emptiness." She's now eating more regularly but less often. In the past, being too hungry was a high-risk time for eating too much too fast. Now if she's overly hungry, she eats a small amount of food then waits awhile to allow her blood sugar to come back up. She is then able to make better decisions about what and how much to eat. Colleen has decided to take a walk after dinner to break her habit of having seconds or thirds when food tastes really good. If she still wants more when she gets back, she'll have it. This is important because like many yo-yo dieters, Colleen thinks of herself as "bad" when she breaks a "rule." Since deprivation and guilt are powerful triggers, learning a more flexible approach will help her establish healthier lifelong habits. Colleen is also becoming more aware of her other triggers, such as stress and boredom. One of her goals is to find at least five ways to nurture herself besides eating. She has also discovered the Telegraph Pass hiking trail. Although she says she can't make it up the hill yet, she knows that by going a little farther each time she'll eventually make it to the top. She's on her way! To join the next Am I Hungry? Workshop with Dr. Michelle May beginning Jan. 23, visit www.AmIHungry.com or call (480) 704-7811. * Desert Foothills Bootcamp Progress Notes: "Let's work our core!" Colleen, the AFN Get Fit for the Holiday's winner, hears that phrase from her outdoor personal trainer three times a week. You may be asking yourself, "What is my core and how do I work it?" Your "core" consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities. At Desert Foothills Boot Camp participants perform several core training exercises. A favorite of whose group is the "Plank." When you are in the plank position, pull your lower abdomen in toward the spine and lift your body onto your forearms. Our goal is to have participant hold this position for one minute. Three weeks ago Colleen was able to perform the plank for 25 seconds. During her fourth week of camp Colleen made it one full minute. Colleen screamed with delight as her classmates cheered. She stated she feels stronger and can tell a difference in her posture in such a short time. If you would like to join Colleen in boot camp, visit us online at www.desertfoothillsbootcamp.com. Class begins Jan. 7.

It’s August. Schools are gearing up for the return of students, and mothers everywhere are exhaling a huge sigh of exhaustion. Finally, a few hours in the day free from “I’m bored,” “I’m hungry,” and “He hit me.” Now you can focus on you.

Do heavy guys have it easier than the girls? Is it more difficult to be a fat woman? I'd say yes, but I'm changing my mind.

Do heavy guys have it easier than the girls? Is it more difficult to be a fat woman? I'd say yes, but I'm changing my mind.

We spend a lot of time and money trying to get healthy. We go to a gym, order a bunch of pre-packaged food, or even hire other people to whip us into shape. Some make the necessary life changes successfully. Others fail.

Karen Miles started a comprehensive fitness program for herself four years ago and now she says she couldn’t be happier working out every day. “I could feel I was losing the strength I once had,” Miles said. Miles was on osteoporosis medication for about 15 years before she started working out regularly, but she no longer needs to take it because the exercise helped build up bone strength. Her clothes fit better, too. “It makes you feel younger,” she said.

The gym is the biggest part of your closet and a major accessory. If you're not fit, you're not fitting into your clothes. Trimming your waistline could mean big profits for your bottom-line. When you gain weight, you buy larger-sized clothes, when you buy larger-sized clothes, you spend more money. This is an expensive cycle that adds up to big dollars when the clothes are collecting dust.

The gym is the biggest part of your closet and a major accessory. If you're not fit, you're not fitting into your clothes. Trimming your waistline could mean big profits for your bottom-line. When you gain weight, you buy larger-sized clothes, when you buy larger-sized clothes, you spend more money. This is an expensive cycle that adds up to big dollars when the clothes are collecting dust.

The research is conclusive. The fountain of youth is exercise. A fit heart feeds the mind.

In a previous column I discussed the PACER, a test of cardiovascular fitness that is part of the national youth physical fitness test battery (FITNESSGRAM). FITNESSGRAM, was developed at the Cooper Institute in Dallas and is now offered as a cooperative program with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition (PCFSN) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD). In addition to assessing cardiovascular fitness, the FITNESSGRAM Test Battery includes tests of muscle fitness, flexibility, and body composition.

Apparently we’ve found a gluttony gene (published online in the journal Nature Medicine). For those that have compulsive needs to eat non-stop, some scientists believe this gene, and its role in signaling fullness, is implicated. A genetic role of the dice could be to blame for our poundage.

Apparently we’ve found a gluttony gene (published online in the journal Nature Medicine). For those that have compulsive needs to eat non-stop, some scientists believe this gene, and its role in signaling fullness, is implicated. A genetic role of the dice could be to blame for our poundage.