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For many of us, grasping the practices that lead to a healthier lifestyle tends to creep to the top of our list every New Year. While some of us stick to that health goal, others get distracted with matters pertaining to our demanding careers or personal life. But for career woman Mara Schiavocampo, living a healthy lifestyle became a goal that she was determined to keep at the top of her priority list.
You may recognize Schiavocampo as the Emmy award-winning journalist working for ABC News who has been dubbed by many as “the next Diane Sawyer.” But aside from a career in front of the camera, this news correspondent is now expanding her brand with a recently published book titled, Thinspired: How I Lost 90 Pounds– My Plan for Lasting Weight Loss and Self- Acceptance.
In an exclusive interview with BlackEnterprise.com, Schiavocampo opens up about what readers can learn from her new book and how her determination to live a healthier lifestyle has helped her find balance in juggling a demanding career and personal life.
How does Thinspired differ from other weight loss books and what can readers expect to learn?
The book is a combination of a weight loss book, but also a weight loss memoir. So it recounts my struggling history with my weight and those issues. It also shares the tips I learned in losing 90 pounds and I wanted to be really honest and I wanted to make it really simple. Not easy, but simple. So that’s why I developed what I call the formula, which is kind of a breakdown of how I did it.
Did you think that by writing this book you would motivate so many other people who are on their own personal fitness journey?
No, I never in a million years imagined that when I was setting out to lose baby weight after having my daughter that it would lead me down this path. It all came about very organically. You know people really wanted to know what I was doing when they noticed the change in me and my life. I knew they were asking me because they wanted to change their life in some way as well. So my motivation has always been to just be as honest as possible so that other people can see some of the success and benefits that I have seen.
As a successful journalist, can you talk about finding that balance between meeting your fitness goals while also maintaining a demanding career?
Yes, for me it’s really simple. Me comes first. My priority in life is to stay away from the foods that I have abused in life and to make sure that I get regular exercise.
So, it’s God, family and then my health and fitness. I have to prioritize myself very highly on that list because I can’t do anything else well if I’m not okay. The biggest thing for me is the exercise. The exercise has nothing to do with weight loss or looking good. I work out every day because it keeps me sane. Sweat is my sanity. It’s a stress reliever. It puts everything into perspective. It is the most valuable thing that I do every day, and so I have to do that. Not doing it is not an option, I just have to figure out when and how.
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What tangible tips do you have for women who are trying to figure out when and how they can start their fitness journey while juggling a busy career?
The first thing I will say is don’t give yourself any excuses because if you look for an excuse you will find it. In terms of tangible tips, when it comes to meal prep you don’t have to cook every day. It’s really hard to come home from a long day of work and cook dinner because you are tired. My suggestion is to cook once a week. For me it’s Saturday or Sunday. Spend a good chunk of time in the kitchen preparing the food that you will eat for the entire week and then freeze half of it and put the other half in the fridge so when you come home from a long day you don’t have to cook. All you have to do is microwave. So that’s been one of the key things for me.
In terms of working out, I really strongly recommend that people work out first thing in the morning because the longer you put it off the more opportunity there is for things to get in the way.
While on this fitness journey, have you seen how being healthy has played a role in your career success?
It’s interesting because it’s a completely different coping mechanism. So it’s not that the job or the stresses of the job have changed, I have changed in the way that I respond to them. I respond in a much healthier way and very practical way in that I’m more resilient. I’m able to deal with things more effectively. I’m able to bounce back from particular stresses or disappointments much more effectively. So it’s helped me in dealing with some of the stresses of work.
When people go pick up Thinspired, what’s one of the big take aways you want them to have when reading about your fitness journey?
That small goals are the key to every success in life, and that they can do it if I have done it and am doing it. There is nothing unique about me. I’m not strong or athletic. I’ve had this struggle my whole life. I want people to feel really empowered on this journey and to have the tools they need to move forward and reach their goals.