Acclaimed author Michelle May, M.D. brings perspective on dieting to Roseau

Public invited to "Eat What You Love" on September 24th

What goes up, and then down? And then up, and then down? Then up a little more? Then down and up again, only this time maybe a little higher than before? For many people across America, the answer is: their weight. It's known as yo-yo dieting, and for thousands of well-intentioned, yet rightfully frustrated dieters, the shedding and regaining of body weight gets them nowhere. Today, one former yo-yo dieter has found a better way, and she has a profound message for her fellow food fighters; a call to eat the foods you love. That woman is Michelle May, M.D., and she is bringing her message to northern Minnesota through at event sponsored by LifeCare Medical Center. Dr. May will present "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat" on September 24 at the Roseau High School theater. This sharing of personal experience is loaded with insight and a double helping of belly laughs, as well as clear perspective on how food fits into daily life. Free and open to the public, the event begins at 6:30 PM and concludes with a question and answer session in which the audience is invited to participate. Every family in attendance will also receive a free copy of Dr. May's book, bearing the same title as her presentation.

Acclaimed author, speaker, and recovered yo-yo dieter Michelle May, M.D., will present a free seminar on healthy eating Sept. 24 at the Roseau High School theater. She has been featured on the Discovery Health Channel, Oprah and Friends Radio, Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul, and more.

Her Own Story
Caught up in the stressful cycle of yo-yo dieting, Dr. May tried all types of fad weight loss techniques, hoping each time this would be the answer.
"I struggled with my weight for nearly 20 years," she recalled during a recent telephone interview with HealthMatters.
"I tried counting points, I tried measuring, I tried deprivation; which of course didn't work. As everyone knows, the minute you tell yourself you can't have something, the more you want it."
And so the struggle continued, only now a new adversary joined the battle.
Guilt.
"Being a doctor I told myself I should know better, yet there I was depriving my body of the nourishment it needed."

A Pivotal Moment
Then one day it happened.
Ten years ago, in what she describes as an "ah-ha moment" Dr. May turned her approach to eating upside down.
"I looked around only to realize that of myself, my husband, and our two children, I was the only one with a weight problem," she explains.
Dr. May says she realized her own children, who were very young at the time, had no trouble with their weight for one basic reason. They ate what they liked, but stopped when they were satisfied.
"Being young, they respond to hunger and fullness cues. Whereas we as a society have been conditioned to equate food with routine or stress or boredom. In some instances, we eat for no reason at all, or as I call it, eating mindlessly."
She adopted her newfound approach to eating and noticed almost immediately the guilt and the anxiety that had hovered around every mouthful were gone.

Enjoying Food
One of Dr. May's main points is rethinking how food fits into everyday life.
"It's important to understand why we eat in the first place," she says.
She also affirms there is nothing wrong with finding pleasure in eating.
"It's normal to enjoy food. What's not healthy is treating food like a science experiment. Eat this, don¹t eat that. We need to enjoy the foods that bring us pleasure."
The end comes when the body tells the brain it has been satisfied.
"We need to listen to those cues, just like an infant does with a bottle, and stop when the stomach says it is full."

About Michelle May, M.D.
Dr. May has touched thousands of lives in a decade of public speaking.
She was featured in the Discovery Health Channel special, "Adult
Obesity: Reversing the Trend" sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control.
She appeared as a guest for numerous television and radio programs on health-related topics including Oprah and Friends Radio and writes regularly for several publications.
Her personal story appears in Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul in January 2007.
As an expert in the cognitive-behavioral approach to weight management, she also advises corporations and organizations on issues of health, nutrition and obesity.
Dr. May is a Board Certified Family Physician with 14 years of clinical experience. She received her Bachelor¹s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University and her Medical Degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She completed a three-year Family Practice Residency at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona where she served as Chief Resident.

September 24 As a recovered yo-yo dieter, Dr. May has sound advice for those looking to break the cycle. "The people who attend my presentation have to come in prepared to have their minds changed on what it takes to be healthy." Dr. May describes her presentation as the inspiration to change one's eating habits. Her book, on the other hand, serves as the step-by-step guide to carrying out that desire to change. The book, divided into four sections, discusses food's place in daily life, balancing nourishment versus the pleasure of eating, the importance of physical activity in daily life, and ends with a collection of recipes. "Nothing is going to happen overnight," she clarifies, comparing her approach to the glut of weight loss programs filling the primetime slots of broadcast television.

Each family attending the Sept. 24 event will receive a free copy of Dr.May’s new book courtesy of LifeCare Medical Center.

"The cameras, the personal trainers, the all-day exercise programs; we don't live that way in real life."
As the corporate sponsor for the presentation, LifeCare encourages everyone to attend.
"Whether you struggle with your weight or simply desire to lead a healthy lifestyle, this presentation is for you," says LifeCare Wellness Coordinator Dawn Hedlund.
"Mark you calendar now and plan to spend an enjoyable evening with Dr.
May. Her message might be just the motivation you need to create the healthy lifestyle you¹ve been working to achieve."

For more information about the Sept 24 free presentation of "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat" at Roseau High School theater, contact LifeCare Wellness Coordinator Dawn Hedlund at (218) 463-2500.
Learn more about Dr. Michelle May on her website: www.AmIHungry.com.