What she’s doing now(February 2004): Elise’s attempt to take it off was derailed suddenly and uncontrollably halfway through Season Two when she became pregnant and subsequently broke up with her fiance. But despite her fears, becoming the mother to a baby boy early in 2003 was a confidence-building turning point for her. "I’m really happy with everything in my life," says the former business student who plans to open a day-home once her son is a bit older. " I feel so fulfilled."
Buoyed by her new sense of worth and a pent-up desire to complete her fitness journey, Elise joined a strollercise class just three weeks after giving birth. She attends the 90-minute program of cardio and core stability exercises twice a week. "You push your stroller around the track and when you get to the stairs you can leave your babies at the bottom and sprint up because there’s about 25 moms around -- you don’t have to worry about your baby," says Elise. By the time her son began walking himself, Elise had lost not only the 30 pounds she gained during pregnancy, but an additional 30. Her current goal is to drop a further 30 pounds
Elise attributes her turnaround to a change in her environment. She now lives on her own and keeps most junk food out of her home. Plus, her son has given her life a powerful new focus. "There’s a reason why people gain weight," she opines. "Most of the time it’s because you’re not happy. A lot of people have to lose weight to be happy. I did the opposite. I don’t go to food for comfort now."
Love for her baby has also compelled Elise to stick with healthy choices when dining out. "He’s really wanting (to taste) my food now. So when I go to a restaurant, I won’t have pancakes covered with syrup, I have eggs, because he can eat that." It’s easy to pass up fast food because, "I’m not going to rip off a piece of Big Mac for him."
Elise’s favourite fitness strategies: -Make sure you’re getting fit completely for you, not for anyone else.
If you feel like snacking, go out for a walk. "Even if it’s only half an hour, it’s half an hour you’re exercising and half an hour you’re not eating."
If high-calorie foods make it into your house (for a party, for instance) throw leftovers into the garbage and make sure they’re covered in something disgusting, like coffee grounds.
Don’t let a one-day lapse give you an excuse for quitting. "You can have a horrible day, eating pizza, eating cake, and yet if you pick it up (your exercise routine), the next day, you won’t have gained a pound."
Elise’s favourite food strategies: Granola bars with chocolate are the one junk food Elise keeps in her house, albeit only in boxes of six. They fulfill her craving for chocolate when she allows herself a treat, yet contain mostly oatmeal.
Elise’s favourite exercise strategies: Elise recommends strollercise to new mothers because day care isn’t necessary, breast-feeding breaks are commonplace, and the length of a 90-minute class makes it "worth it to pack up the baby and leave the house." She’s also enthusiastic about taking long walks, several times a week. If the weather’s bad, she and other mothers do early morning mall-walks.
