Dr. Jo Lichten PhD, RD
DrJo.com
When you read Dr. Jo’s impressive resume, you might be surprised at how approachable this very accomplished nutritionist really is! I caught her in her home office in Atlanta and we enjoyed a thoughtful and candid conversation.
As a prelude, let me tell you that Dr. Jo is the author of three books which include, Dining Lean: how to eat healthy in your favorite restaurants, Dr. Jo’s No Big Deal Diet, and one of this month’s prizes, How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road. She has appeared in and on every type of media hundreds of times…TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and websites. She has been a media spokesperson for “the big brands” you are all familiar with…Yoplait, SlimFast, NutraGrain, and many others. Her client listing is equally beefy both in the private sector, government and within the Fortune 100 leagues…Marriot, AT&T, US Border Patrol, IBM and a host of others.
But, let’s back up just a tad.
Losing and Regaining her Health
At 16, Jo became obsessed with being ultra thin like our fashion models and actresses and lost 40 pounds that shot her right into anorexia. To this food issue, bulimia was added and the cycle began. All the while she was working on her degrees in nutrition, she fought this debilitating syndrome. She gained mastery over these issues by reading every book on self-esteem and self confidence that she could find and actually DID all the work assigned in each of the books. Now, how many people do you know that actually DO what is suggested in these books? She attributes regaining her health to the hard work she did over a period of years. And, she writes extensively about the journey in her book, Dr. Jo’s No Big Deal Diet.
Just DO it!
When Jo was only 26 years old, while teaching at the University of Texas/Pan American, she put together a four year Coordinated Undergraduate Program in Dietetics. And, it was accredited her first go…an almost impossible feat that had her senior staff members asking how in the world she did that?! She simply didn’t know that she couldn’t do it and so she did (a good lesson for all of us.) This gave her the confidence to go after anything she wanted.
Lemons to Lemonade
Upon marriage, relocation and the birth of her daughter, the 1980’s educational career opportunities were simply not available, so she took a different and unplanned route. While building a nutrition consulting practice, she was invited to speak at her local Rotary Club. As a result, one of the members requested that she come and speak at Compaq Computer. Exxon followed, and a list of legendary companies was added to her resume.
A Life Examined
At 50, Jo turned her life up-side-down. When she mused, “Half of my life is over. Is my life working for me now?” she found the answer was no. Analyzing this, she determined that she wanted to surround herself with nurturing, positive people that appreciated her unique contribution. Then, came some gut wrenching decisions that had to be made which resulted in some major changes in her life. She moved, divorced and after curling up in fetal position for a period of time, took up her new life with vigor.
Eat Your Pleasers!
Jo believes that balance in one’s life is absolutely key. You must treat yourself right in every aspect of your life. She frequently talks about nurturing those healthy habits that you can sustain over a lifetime…especially when it comes to nutrition. She heralds, “Eat your Pleasers!” Give yourself permission to enjoy food. So, she continues to eat her beloved brownies (cut into 1” square pieces), but knows that she WILL have to step up her exercise as a result. Yes, your metabolism does change but it is never too late to start exercising. You must do it…and, regularly! But, she cautions, “There is NO reason to try to be perfect!” This is something that hopefully we all learn with the Fabulous maturity of our 50+ years. One of her favorite websites is Lisa McLeod’s http://www.ForgetPerfect.com. Check it out.
She says she is more motivated than ever before, has more energy, is making more money that any of the previous years, realizes she has no boundaries, and that it is all up to her now. She is living and loving her new life.
She invites you to visit her at http://www.DrJo.com.
Hot Flash!
Here’s a Hot Flash for you! Dr. Jo has some wonderful books including How to Stay Healthy and Fit on the Road, one of this months prizes! To enter for this prize drawing, go to our home page at http://www.50Fabulous.com register.
