Learn to live your Best Life

Elizabeth Pacheco Sports Editor

In a society where thin is always in and a new diet fad is continually on the rise, Bob Greene built a successful career in the fitness business. No, he has not developed a weight-loss pill or created a five-minute ab workout; rather he has designed a life plan for Americans to follow. Entitled “The Best Life,” the program is based on his most recent book The Best Life Plan and carries a message meant to inspire more than just the shedding of pounds. Greene’s philosophy is “that all of us have the inner strength to make beneficial changes to improve our lives. My goal is to help you find that strength and to guide you along the way to good health.”

Greene brought his skills as an exercise physiologist to the public in 1996, when he and Oprah co-authored Make the Connection: Ten Steps to a Better Body—And a Better Life, which climbed to number one on the New York Times Bestseller List. Known for her talk show as well as for her public struggle with weight, Oprah hired Greene in 1992 as her personal trainer, bringing him from a spa in Telluride, Colo. to her hometown Chicago. There he opened his own training practice and promoted his weight loss program through Oprah appearances, sparking further publicity in the form of books, articles, and even a spot as Health and Fitness Correspondent for Good Morning America.

“The Best Life” diet program is described as “a way of living,” where one eats, exercises and identifies the problems in his or her life so that the healthiest standard of living can be reached. Before one even begins the diet, Greene has the participant delve into their emotions by honestly asking themselves why they’re overweight, why they want to lose weight, and why they haven’t been able to do so in the past.

Broken down into three phases, the diet starts by changing eating habits, beginning a regular exercise regimen, and placing “strictures” on one’s lifestyle, such as eliminating alcohol and drinking water with every meal. Phase two is when the weight loss begins, as exercise increases and six specific foods are cut out, including soft drinks and foods with trans fat. Last is phase three, which Greene describes as “the rest of your life.” Here the same principles of exercise and healthy eating are used, but one is able to indulge in those foods previously eliminated, including alcohol. To help one follow the program, Greene has even created a Web site to help participants track their success while receiving support from others following the program.

Greene’s plan is meant to be not just a weight loss program, but also a way to try to live a healthier lifestyle. This idea has been carried over into supermarkets, where Greene has recently teamed up with food manufacturers across the country to mark products with “The Best Life” labels. These foods include everything from Cheerios, Lipton Teas, Green Giant frozen vegetables and Yoplait yogurt.

Greene said, “It’s my goal to help as many people as possible commit to a healthier—and happier—lifestyle.” His “Best Life Plan” does just that by creating a program that looks beyond the ideal body size to a realistic, yet enjoyable standard of living.

For more information on the “The Best Life” visit www.thebestlife.com.