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Tips to boost your healthy habits

Breast cancer survivor revamps her lifestyle

BY Ruth Cook, Classic Steering Committee Member and Volunteer

Fort Wayne, Indiana (June 15, 2009) — Louisiana native Alex Cooper was no stranger to the word cancer. Her beloved brother was only 23 years old when he died of brain cancer, and Alex’s maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 80s. Still, at the young age of 38, this beautiful, vibrant mother of three was stunned when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

There was no lump, no warning signs, and no reason to suspect a problem. At age 35, Alex had a baseline mammogram and wasn’t due for another one until her 40th birthday. However, during a routine annual exam in January 2003, Alex felt compelled to ask her physician for a mammogram. One week later, she went back for a second mammogram and then for a series of appointments, which led to her breast cancer diagnosis—Grade 2, infiltrating ductal carcinoma in her right breast. Alex’s treatment involved a sentinel lymph node biopsy, a lumpectomy and seven weeks of radiation therapy followed by five years of taking the drugs Tamoxifen® and Lupron®.

On her fifth anniversary of being cancer-free, Alex’s life was full and happy. Her husband Jerry, a physician, and their children Trent, Caroline and Luke were the center of her life. Alex’s typical day was filled with carpooling her children to football, lacrosse, basketball, cross country, violin and piano lessons and church activities, and her own volunteering … whew! The five-year milestone gave her a moment to pause and reflect on the path she was traveling.

At this time, Alex found research suggesting that a diet low in fat coupled with exercise may help reduce the chances of recurrence in breast cancer survivors. While seeing her husband and children engage in the healthy lifestyle she was reading about, but ignoring the advice for herself, Alex decided that she owed it to her family to make big changes in her life. Those changes have resulted in incredible physical and emotional rewards—for Alex and for her cherished family!

Meet Alex
A breast cancer survivor of six years!

Dropped 45 pounds and five dress sizes in four and a half months, and has maintained her healthy weight for more than six months.

She thoroughly enjoyed shopping for a new wardrobe.

Hasn’t had a fast food burger since April 2008.

Can do 25 regular pushups! Before, she could do only eight to 10 “girl pushups” on her knees.

Ran a half-marathon in September in 2 hours 10 minutes.
Feels healthier, stronger and more empowered to face anything the future might bring.

Simple Tips from Alex

1. Give yourself a jump-start by signing up for a program that teaches portion control. Alex chose Jenny Craig®.



2. Two or three times a week, indulge yourself in a small portion of a treat you love, like chocolate.



3. If your lifestyle involves fast food restaurants, order a salad with grilled chicken and light dressing, or toss a slice of the bun from a sandwich.



4. Give up your soda habit! Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Put carbonated sugary drinks in the once-in-a-while category.



5. Carry convenient condiments and snacks, like packets of fat-free dressing, pretzels and apple slices in your purse.



6. Keep only one pair of your “before” jeans! That way you’ll remember how far you’ve come and won’t be tempted to slide back.

Changing Habits
OLD Inconsistent exercise
Some weeks would fly by and Alex wouldn’t exercise at all; other weeks she would walk or play tennis once or twice.

NEW Making exercise a priority
Alex now runs or walks five miles a day. She also cross-trains by mixing spinning classes, Turbo Jam® DVDs (her personal favorites), classes, weight training and kickboxing into her week. After all, variety is the spice of life!

OLD Mindless snacking and eating
Sampling while cooking meals, stopping for fast food in between her children’s activities, eating portions that were too big, as well as snacking on “empty” foods like French fries, chips and sweets were habits to kick.

NEW Healthy snacking
She keeps a supply of pretzels, apples, carrots and mushrooms on hand for healthy snacking.
OLD Neglecting her own needs
While making sure that her children were getting the exercise and nutrition they needed, Alex allowed four to five pounds to creep on each year.

NEW Making eating right a priority
Alex began eating smaller portions on a regular basis throughout the day in order to avoid feeling so hungry that she would mindlessly snack and eat. While losing weight she tried to eat 1,200 calories a day; now in maintenance mode, she consumes 1,700-2,000 calories a day.

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