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Prevention magazine's Fitness Director Michele Stanten walked the equivalent of 2.25 marathons in three days to raise money for breast cancer research. She is a certified trainer by the American Council on Exercise and a member of IDEA: Health and Fitness Association. Michele is the author of Firm Up in Three Weeks and creator of five exercise videos.

Name:  Michele Stanten

Birthday: Sept 1, 1968

Location: business—Emmaus, PA

Q: Tell us how you got to where you are now. 

A: Hard work and a love of what I do.

Q: What is your most influential story, fiction or nonfiction, from a film, book, magazine, newspaper or parable? Explain its impact on your life. What's you're favorite saying?

A: There are too many to choose the most influential, and I think they change throughout your life. At this point one of the books I keep going back to is Anna Quindlen’s “Being Perfect” as a reminder to myself that I don’t have to do everything perfectly—especially when I’m juggling as many roles as I do as a working mom.

Q: Was there a defining moment in your life when you made a decision that changed the course of the rest of your life forever?

A: Having my son! I’ve never laughed so much. Every emotion is magnified when you have a child, and all your priorities are reorganized…for the better.

Q: What's the most bodacious chance you've ever taken?

A: There have been several, but my most recent one was challenging Prevention readers to walk a marathon with me, and then coaching them through it. I had never done one myself so it was a learning experience for all of us, and I felt a tremendous amount of responsibility to make it a successful experience for everyone—and for the most part it was. Hundreds of readers, many of them women who were only sporadic exercisers at the beginning, completed full and half marathons across the country, including a team of 100 of us (including my 66-year-old mom) who crossed the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. It was a life changing experience for most. And this year, Prevention is hosting teams at the Portland, OR, and Hartford, CT, marathons. If you’d like to join us, go to www.prevention.com/walking.

Q: What's the biggest lesson you've learned about yourself?

A: That I’m often too hard on myself.

Q: What's the biggest lesson you haven't learned?

A: That I’m often too hard on myself.

Q: What keeps you going (your motivation)? 

A: My family

Q: What dessert do you dream about?

A: None. When I was growing up, we only had dessert on special occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas. So I don’t expect it. The ice cream before bed and junk food snacks are another story though.

Q: If there were one healthy food item (something you love) that you had to eat every day, what would it be?

A: Salmon

Q: What’s the best book about health that you’ve read?

A: Too many to choose—I read dozens every year as part of my job

Q: What are your two favorite health magazines? 

A: Unfair question since I work at Prevention, the largest health magazine in the US

Q: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food?

A: I don’t believe that there are any perfect foods. You need a combination of foods to meet all your needs. If I had to pick something, though, I’d say black beans because they’re high in fiber, antioxidants, and protein, and they’re easy to add to lots of different dishes (pasta, rice, wraps, etc) to give them an extra health boost. And they fill you up for few calories.

Q: What physical activity do you do to keep yourself in shape?

A: Chasing my 4-year-old on his bike as he’s learning to ride without training wheels. Walking, cycling, yoga, weights, cardio exercise videos. I don’t do all of them regularly; I fit them in when I can. If I had more time, I’d swim, play tennis, and go hiking.

Q: Do you have a favorite healthy recipe or cooking tip? If so would you share it?

A: Chicken black bean wrap: Toss canned or pre-cooked chicken, canned black beans (rinsed), and cheese (I prefer to use less of the full-fat version than more of a low-fat version, especially when I melt it) onto a whole grain wrap. Fold/roll wrap and heat in toaster oven (about 350 for about 15 min). Top with salsa and enjoy.

Q: How do you stick to your diet on days when you really don’t want to? What are techniques you use to stay on track? 

A: I’m not on any particular diet. I just try to generally eat healthy most of time—skim milk, 5-9 servings of fruits/veggies a day, beans, fish, lots of water, limit processed foods, whole grains—no white bread, etc. If I really want something I usually let myself have it and then get right back on track. To help me avoid overdoing it on the not so healthy stuff, I try not to keep those foods that can set me off  (potato chips, candy-like energy bars, ice cream) in the house

Q: If you could eat one forbidden food whenever you wanted without gaining weight, what would it be?

A: I don’t really have any forbidden foods, and some of the foods that I love the taste of and wish I could eat more often (Philly cheese steaks, cheeseburgers) I avoid for health reasons (clogged arteries) beyond weight gain. So if I wouldn’t gain weight and wouldn’t develop heart disease (got a family history) then I’d say cheese steaks.

Q: What do you think is the most important thing that makes or breaks a diet for someone? 

A: Their attitude toward it and being realistic. If you think you have to be perfect every day or never ever eat chocolate again, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Or letting one slip lead to a downward spiral. Even a day of bingeing won’t have lasting results if you get yourself back on track the next day. Even if it’s a week or month of falling off the wagon, you can recover. It’s a balancing act. If I’m doing the right thing 80-90% of the time, I’m doing my best and I don’t feel guilty about the other 10-20%.

Q: How did you come to your conclusions about weight loss and dieting?

A: Fifteen plus years of covering fitness and weight loss for Prevention magazine. Attending conferences, reading studies, talking to experts and people who’ve both succeeded and failed at weight loss and/or making healthy lifestyle changes, and my personal experiences.

Q: Do you think that failed attempts have influenced you approach to dieting?  How have past struggles help you find a system that works for you?

A: Absolutely, that’s how you learn what works and what doesn’t for you. And everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for the next person, and what works for you today may not be what works for you a year, 5 years, 10 years down the road.

Q: Have you dealt with weight issues personally?

A: Most of my issues revolve around maintenance. Both of my parents were overweight/obese while I was growing and my grandmothers were obese. So I know it can happen to me. After college (tuna melts and vanilla milkshakes were my bedtime snacks practically every night my freshman year) and after the birth of my son, I had to pay more attention to my diet and be more committed to exercise in order to take off the extra pounds. Most of the time I focus on maintaining my weight within about a 5- pound range. If my weight starts to creep up, it’s usually because I’m below 80% on doing what I know I should be doing. Once I get back on track, I’m back in the weight range that I know is right for me.

Q: Do you have a Calorie Bargain? What food did it replace? Was that an important food in your diet, since you ate it so often?

A: I replaced my 2 peanut butter cookie afternoon snack (200+ calories) with a Luna bar (140 cal). There’s a little chocolate on the bar so that satisfies my sweet tooth, but there are a lot more healthy things like fiber in the bar than in the cookies.