Picture this: You're at work, on a deadline, stressed out, and unable to concentrate. Suddenly, you find yourself at the candy machine fishing for a Snickers Bar. Or, perhaps, you're sprawled out on the couch watching Monday night football and your hand robotically moves from the Doritos bag to your mouth without much acknowledgement of what you're munching.

If either of these scenarios sounds familiar, and you are struggling with your weight, then you need to meet Sheela Calhoun, a certified wellness coach and personal trainer who offers 'weight management and lifestyle coaching', a program that integrates dietary habits, fitness habits, and an individual's emotional relationship with food. If you're eating when you are not hungry, chances are something in your environment is triggering the behavior, notes Sheela, who has a background in nursing, nutrition and a master's degree in counseling psychology.

Her business, Healthy Options Coaching, teaches 'mindful weight management' either through individual coaching or the eight-week "Am I Hungry?®" workshops at her office in Hanover and other locations. The goal is to stop the yo-yo dieting cycle that contributes to weight gain and establish a more positive relationship with food and eating.

It may sound overwhelming at first, but the good news is it means ditching the diet! (Best thing we've heard in a long time!) Of course, calories do count (calories in vs. calories out is weight management). But fad diets, like the ones that cut carbohydrates--the main source of glucose, or fuel for our brain--can lead to an imbalance that is unhealthy for our mind and body.

"Diets don't work," Sheela says. "People cannot sustain restrictive eating for a long time. And when they fall off the diet, all bets are off."  Instead, Sheela retrains people to become 'instinctive eaters' again.

For example, a baby cries when he's hungry and spits the food out when he's full. Adults, on the other hand, associate food with socializing (grazing on all of the appetizers at a party). Or, they turn to food for comfort. When eating is done for reasons other than to satisfy nutritional needs, it often leads to some extra layers of fat. "It's about paying attention to eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied," Sheela says.

It is also about not eating when you are not hungry. (Why am I making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at midnight, anyway?)

Chances are you just need to break old habits. But sometimes a client is under doctor supervision for a medical condition, or even an eating disorder, in which case Sheela's professional and personal background turns her into a trusted advisor.

Sheela understands the pain associated with eating disorders because she spent much of her teenage and young adult years battling with bouts of anorexia and bulimia. "I started my first diet when I was 12 or 13," she remembers. "I went from being a chronic dieter to struggling with eating disorders. Then, in my early-to-mid 20s, I decided I had enough of the craziness and just wanted to get healthy."

Now, she wants to help others who are seeking to improve their health and wellness. To that end, she also offers Mila, a FDA classified whole raw food which is gluten-free, has no trans-fats, no sugar, and is high in omega-3's, fiber and protein. In fact, this miracle seed was used by the ancient Aztecs as their 'running food'. They would put it in a pouch before heading out on hunting expeditions, using the whole grain natural seed to sustain their dietary needs for days. Mila is an easy way to increase your omega-3's and balance the body by providing the nutrients it needs. Sheela offers Mila as a healthy option to her counseling services. Ultimately, what she wants to do is teach her clients how to take back control -- to empower them.

"I've made health and lifestyle coaching my career because I came from a place of 'dis-ease'. I struggled for years with poor eating habits and a poor body image, and I overcame that," Sheela says. "I want to help people improve their health, feel good, and overcome their own personal struggles with weight, eating, and food-related issues. I'm passionate about it, because I believe change is possible."

For more information on Healthy Options Coaching, the 'Am I Hungry?' workshops, or Mila, go to: www.healthyoptionscoaching.com

Or, contact Sheela directly at: 781-740-4552,

info@healthyoptionscoaching.com

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil

Comments(1):

1. Healthy Options

   Hi Steph! Love the article about Healthy Options. Sheela has so much great info to share to help us all take better care of ourselves, and I was psyched to see her highlighted in your new mag. It looks great, by the way! Miss you! Gwen

   Sunday, September 27, 2009 gwen