If Lady Gaga showed up behind you in the grocery store line wearing jeans and a sweater, would you recognize her without the telltale glowing lights or beef jerky accessories?  When Robin Williams, Jim Carey and Eddie Murphy ditched their comedic personas to take on dramatic roles, did you praise this new direction or wish they just stick with hyperactive standup routines?  It seems that the expectations society creates for pop culture icons can be pretty rigid. But they’ve got nothing on the labels we give ourselves.

For the first 26 years of my life, I was the funny fat girl. Cracking a joke while diving into a packet of Oreo cookies was my standard response for just about any occasion - romantic disappointments, challenges at work, financial struggles and the like. Hiding behind that label kept me from dealing with important issues. And once I decided to lose weight, I had to think about myself in a different manner. I became the “girl who liked to exercise before work” and a “healthy eater” - first in my own mind and then by describing myself that way to others.

Have you ever created labels for yourself that proved to be detrimental? How did you undo these descriptions and replace them with new terms that make your life better, healthier or happier?

Sure, I love living in these times when just about any book can be downloaded and my entire music collection fits in the palm of my hand. But bring up some good, old-fashioned 1980’s pop culture and my heart soars.  Like seeing Tom Cruise dance around in his tighty-whities in Risky Business, playing the cassette single of Cameo’s “Word Up” so many times it broke and loading up on stirrup pants and shoulder pads galore for college style.  Well, there is a reason why many people enjoy being nostalgic – according to scientific studies, reveling in retro delights can actually be good for you.  

For the past 30 years, Harvard Social Psychologist Ellen Langer, Ph.D., has been pondering the notion that turning back the clock psychologically can also help you turn it back physically. The theory first developed during her landmark 1979 “counterclockwise” study in which elderly men lived for a week as though it was 1959 - with movies, music, and memorabilia from the past - and seemed to grow younger. Now in her book "Counterclockwise," Langer has found that opening our minds to what’s possible can lead to better physical health and fundamental happiness at any age.

But these findings don’t mean you should necessarily adopt that mullet haircut you rocked in high school or preach the virtues of those newfangled Reaganomics.  Instead, think about how you can bring parts of your past into daily life to add zing. Like including a Duran Duran track on your latest workout playlist or watching “Breakfast Club” to beat a case of the blues.

What time in your life makes you feel the most nostalgic? What kind of memorabilia do you incorporate now from those happy times?

Jason, the son of my cousin Steven, just turned 13 years old. He can’t vote, drive or drink, but after pulling off an amazing Bar Mitzvah last weekend in Charleston, the kid is now considered – at least by Jewish tradition – a man.  Hey, I was impressed. His flawless Torah reading at the coming of age ceremony probably would have made Moses, Abraham and a couple of the other “old school” major Israelites take notice.

The best way I describe myself spiritually now is “Newish” – a combination of primarily New Age and Jewish cultural beliefs that guide my open-minded, sometimes irreverent view of the world.   Having forgotten my own Hebrew studies from over 30 years ago, I understood maybe 25% of the religious service. But I’ll tell you what resonated all too well last weekend - the food.

You’re never going to go hungry at a Jewish celebration – which according to my Catholic, Italian and friends of other ethnicities, is true for their families too.  While making the long drive to Charleston, S.C., I stayed in my “normal” state of health consciousness. Snacked on a handful of raw nuts and enjoyed a grilled chicken sandwich and salad for lunch. Then that all vaporized when my inner Sugar Monster spotted the Key Lime Pie at Friday night’s dinner. The rest of the weekend was a blur of chocolate and peanut butter treats, mini-cupcakes, pasta and all sorts of other items that made my cholesterol score shake its head disapprovingly. Unfortunately, I brought these habits back with me – it took two days for the sugar cravings to finally dissipate.   And the sad thing is that for many other celebrations – weddings, birthday parties and more – I seem to also find myself eating more too.

Do you get the special occasion munchies? If so, how do you handle them?

Now that we’re squarely in swimsuit season, I constantly hear cheesy radio advertisements about liposuction. The predictable script goes something like this - Vapid Girl #1: Oh no, I have to attend a pool party next month and hate my (thighs/tummy/rear).  How do you look so good? Vapid Girl #2: Dieting and exercise didn’t do it for me. My secret is liposuction with (generic medical practice). Vapid Girl #3: Wow, this is better than world peace. I will call them and be bikini-ready in no time!  Okay, so I made up the part about world peace. But a growing number of people consider lipo to be a primary weight loss tool when that was never the intention.

Just ask Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Liposuction is no better as a weight-loss technique than a leg amputation,”  he explained on a Sharecare post.  “Liposuction is a sculpting technique; it'll help remove fat from problem areas, but it won't help you lose a significant number of pounds.”

Makes sense, right? It depends. In the past couple of years, I’ve had two friends, successful career women, turn to liposuction to lose pounds instead of cutting back on wine or tortilla chips. The pain level and expense was high in both cases. And now, almost two years after surgery, neither of them look any slimmer. Probably because they didn't adopt healthy practices after the procedure.

I believe there is a time and place for lipo. After a massive weight loss, some people need it to remove the excess fat.  Personally, it would feel like cheating to me.  For the past 18 years, I’ve worked harder to maintain my weight loss than I did to lose the pounds in the first place.  Still it doesn’t matter how much my pants size shrinks  – DNA has ensured that roll around my tummy (albeit much smaller now) is always going to be present.  But generally speaking, I’m fine with having a healthy body that doesn’t have to be super perfect.  You know, on most days that don’t involve PMS.

What is your opinion of liposuction? Does it suck or would you get it in a heartbeat?

I don’t know who first put pineapple on pizza or wrapped a scallop in a slice of bacon. It probably seemed counter-intuitive at the time to combine such different flavors. But you can’t deny the tasty goodness created by those gastric combinations. That’s kind of how I feel today in presenting you with a workout playlist that mashes up pop music and country songs. You see, I’ve been a dance music diva since first practicing smooth moves in my bedroom mirror to the late 1970’s soundtrack to  “Thank God It’s Friday.” Country music was a different story.

Back in the day, I thought most songs involved a redneck lamenting his cheating heart or broken-down pick-up truck. Shania Twain and Faith Hill opened my mind with their cross-over hits in the 1990’s. Everything changed for me, though, with Carrie Underwood. Soon I started adding other upbeat country tunes to my playlists for maximum cardio impact.  And that’s what I hope you will enjoy with today’s playlist.

Do you combine different musical genres for workout music? What are some of your greatest musical mash-ups?

• Marry the Night – Lady Gaga
• Country Girl – Luke Bryant
• Flat on the Floor – Carrie Underwood
• Dream On (Live) – Aerosmith
• Barefoot Blue Jean Night – Jake Owen
• Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce
• Barbara Streisand – Duck Sauce
• Light Up the World – Glee Cast
• Hicktown – Jason Aldean
• Turn on the Radio – Reba McEntire
• You and I – Lady Gaga
• Down – Miranda Lambert

I come from a long line of strong women. My great, great grandmother in Poland was a chicken plucker, which apparently was quite the impressive career path back in the day. My mom managed to juggle three of us in diapers at the same time before working full-time at the family deli, back when many of her contemporaries focused exclusively on carpool and mahjong. Spending a lot of time writing in front of my computer sometimes pales in comparison those these pioneers of my DNA.  That’s one of the reasons I enjoy lifting weights so much. The process of picking up a heavy metal object for three sets of 15 reps each somehow makes me feel strong.

Strength, though, isn’t just about being able to get all Incredible Hulk-like and lift a car with your index finger or karate chop a concrete block. (Though admittedly it would be cool to do both.)  I believe it is also a state of mind. Take the survivors of the recent tornadoes in Missouri and Alabama. I’ve seen interviews with people who lost everything and rightly demonstrated their grief – but then they moved on to help neighbors cope. While I don’t know what’s happening in Maria Shriver’s daily life, it took strength for her to appear on Oprah’s farewell special as news broke about the former Governator’s indiscretions.

The act of asking for help from others can also take strength. Realizing that you need support in losing weight, encouragement to pursue the career of your dreams or seek counseling to gain better self-esteem are all major milestones on the road to wellness.

What makes you feel strong? How do you help others recognize and/or gain their own strength?

I’ve never worn a dress made of meat, or entered an awards ceremony encased in a translucent egg. But that doesn’t stop me from admiring Lady Gaga.  A great entertainer, her “Born this Way” song has become a rallying cry for acceptance and diversity. During Lady Gaga’s interview on David Letterman last night, amidst lots of corny jokes about the egg/vessel that debuted so dramatically at the Grammy Awards, she talked about how we could all constantly reinvent ourselves.  I wholeheartedly agree, especially when it comes to health and wellness.

A lot of people, depressed by failed diets, rationalize that they were “born this way” – destined to be overweight and unhappy with themselves. However, it doesn’t matter if your entire family is composed of world-class emotional eaters or if your first word was “cookie” (that really was mine).  It is never too late to reinvent yourself as a healthier person. I’ve spoken with people who made major lifestyle changes in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, losing over 100 pounds in the process – and keeping it off for good.

Samantha, one of my lifelong best friends, never throws anything away. While that sucked the last time we helped her unpack after a move, it certainly benefitted me this past weekend. I was asked to dig up more “before” shots during my heaviest days for an upcoming project. Didn’t have many here and Samantha proved to be a lifesaver in locating plenty of great pre-1992 photos. That trip down memory lane prompted me to take out the baby albums and look at the past 44 years of my life.  The photos of me as a small baby and child soon morphed into 20 years of pinging back and forth between being “pudgy” and normal sized to obese.  Whatever way I was born to be, the healthy course correction I made starting in 1992 changed the rest of my life.

me in 1991

Do you believe people are born to be healthy or unhealthy? What wellness course corrections have you made in your life?

Stretching is often seen as the red-headed stepchild of the exercise world (yes, the auburn sheen of my hair means I can get away with this comment). Running, spin classes, hard core aerobics and intense interval strength training often get all of the glory.  But the post “burn” cool down and stretching is important in reducing injuries and improving flexibility.  That's why this playlist focuses on sharing some great songs to start slowing down the pace and giving your muscles a little extra love.  Whether you play them in order or snag a few tracks for your favorite treadmill mix, hope there is something you enjoy!

Do you cool down and stretch after exercise or often bypass it because of time limits or boredom? What are some of your favorite post-exercise tunes to lower your heart rate?

• Trouble Is – Allison Ihareta
• Coastin’ – Zion I
• What Part of Forever – CeeLo Green
• Rocketeer – Far East Movement
• We Used to Be Friends – The Dandy Warhols
• Rescue Me – Madonna
• Halo – Beyonce
• All the Right Moves – OneRepublic
• Angels – Robbie Williams
• I Believe – Simian Mobile Disco
• Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
• Daydream in Blue – I Monster

Growing concerns over childhood obesity are causing a lot of restaurants and food brands to jump on the “healthy” bandwagon. Applebee’s is advertising a shrimp and steak meal for 500 calories. Pepsi got a lot of publicity for its “throwback” brands that used real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Heck, even the Golden Arches is now pushing breakfast oatmeal and salads along with supersized fries on its menu. Sounds terrific, right? Well maybe not so much. To paraphrase a line from the movie Clueless, it is like a Monet painting – looks great from a distance but a closer inspection will give you pause.

Over the years, nutrition experts have shown me that all calories are not created equal. An apple does a whole lot more for your body than a donut. You’ll get more energy from a grilled chicken breast than a bag of barbeque-flavored potato chips. As this Time Magazine story illustrates, there is a downside to some of the seemingly healthier items bought and/or eaten on the run.

That bowl of McDonald’s oatmeal has more sugar than a Snickers bar. While Applebee’s new signature dish appears on its below 550 calories menu, it comes with 21 grams of fat and more than a day’s dose of sodium. Even Subway, the place that inspired Jared’s 200 pound weight loss, isn’t immune from this problem. Their low fat menu includes a foot-long Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub with 760 calories and 2,020 mg of sodium — more than 500 mg more salt than the USDA recommends for kids or people with high blood pressure.

What do you think about healthy items at fast food restaurants? Are they real progress or pure BS?

Despite how they are depicted by NeNe Leakes, Star Jones or any other woman on a Donald Trump-infused reality show, I believe girlfriends are wonderful.  My buddies are cheerleaders, secret-keepers, sources of wisdom and snarky wit. I’ve turned to them for just about everything in the past, from surviving breakups to fashion advice.  And now, I’m getting an unexpected assist in an area near and dear to my heart (literally, for cardiovascular reasons) – exercise.

Girlfriends initially piqued my interest in step aerobics back in 1992, which started my weight loss journey. But since that time, I’ve gone it alone for the most part.  You know, like Rocky running up those stairs in Philadelphia – only without the raw egg drinks, boxing practice using sides of meat and yeah, the actual running part itself. Even after joining buddies in spin classes, everything else would be done to the beat of my own drum. And that tune, lately, has gotten pretty boring. Until help came in the form of my triathletes buddies at the gym – Marsha, Kate and Janelle.

Ranging in age from their early thirties to their late fifties, they are amazing.  These “steel magnolias” with six packs run and cycle distances I’d have trouble covering in my car.  Despite winning age category awards and staying on the cutting edge of fitness, what really motivates these ladies is having fun. Almost a month ago they invited me to join their regular strength training sessions. I was excited and a bit intimidated – did they drag ship anchors or execute thousands of one-handed push-ups?  

I showed up anyway to the session, which involved a smart combination of free weights and core exercises. Sure it bitch-slapped my lactic acid into overdrive.  But it was fun. Like singing lyrics from “We will rock you” or “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” during squats or cracking corny jokes while executing hard core movements. Now I’m committed to joining them about once a week, which keeps moves fresh and makes exercise overall more interesting.  

When it comes to exercise, do you prefer to go solo or seek a group dynamic to stay motivated?  How have your friends helped you overcome a challenge or issue lately?