132 the rice diet renewal
To get ready for the climb, Jan worked hard with her personal
trainer, Greg McElveen, at Duke ’ s Sports Performance Lab.
“ I eat more at night when I ’ m home by myself, ” says Jan. “ When
I have someone to talk to who has similar issues as me, I don ’ t feel so
alone. ” Jan says that she has learned a lot from the nutrition classes
at the Rice Diet and really likes the psychological support classes that
teach her craving management and coping skills.
When asked what keeps her going, Jan says that her biggest
motivation is health. “ I don ’ t want to be in a wheelchair or nursing
home like my mother was, ” confesses Jan. “ I know that if I stay
focused, I ’ ll stay healthy. Cancer taught me a lot: that the healing
process is powerful and real. It also taught me to appreciate life
more and about the importance of living every day like it really
matters. Of course, it helped me conquer cancer to have an optimistic
and hard - driving approach. I prefer to say that I have conquered it,
not just survived it; this says to me that it ’ s gone. I have conquered
it and it ’ s over. And I can spend my time and mental energy think-
ing about trekking the mountains I have yet to climb. I relate more
to the verb conquering , which is the word that mountain climbers
use when they describe a summit that they have reached. I believe
if I keep my focus on the next elevation or peak I want to reach,
I will be going in that direction, not only with my feet but with my
life and health. ”
Check out Jan ’ s before and after photos (on the previous page),
which say more than words can about creating paradigm shifts, opening
to new possibilities, and conquering the mountains of our choice.
“ Shift Happens ” with All of Our Senses
One of our star Ricers, Jean, shared with us that an addiction pro-
gram had taught her how helpful a craving - management kit could
be in inspiring a shift in her obsessive thoughts to overeat. She
engaged us with her enthusiasm about how quickly and effectively
the kit ’ s contents could inspire her shift from obsessive thoughts