The Dallas Morning News | Fitness | How To Work Out As A Couple

INSIDE MUSICALLY SPEAKING: Al B. Sure returns 3E THE DOCTOR IS IN: Debunking diet myths 4E PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: Get mosquitoes before they get you 5E DOLLARWISE: Stretch your restaurant meals 12E

Arts, Entertainment & Life

The Dallas Morning News

Section E

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

HEALTHY LIVING

BOOKS

Beowulf Sheehan

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will appear at the DMA tonight.

Author’s writing does her talking

ELIZABETH M. CLAFFEY/Special Contributor

Jeremy Tyra and Melissa Truly work out at Fit214. Communication and cooperation are essential when couples train together.

Adichie uncomfortable in role as face of African literature

Couples therapy

By EDWARD NAWOTKA

Exercising together can be a kick, but watch your step By CHRISTY ROBINSON Special Contributor

M

ary Ellen Hicks gets irritated when her husband, David, cheats a little to keep up with her during their runs. J.D. Gonzales knows a whole lot more about fitness than his wife, Jennifer. Jeremy Tyra’s schedule clashes with fiance´e Melissa Truly’s. What do these couples have in common? They’ve overcome the barriers and annoyances of exercising with their significant other.

Working out as a couple can help keep bodies and relationships healthy. But lack of communication, personal baggage and tired gender stereotypes get in the way. For men, it can be a real challenge to work out with a partner who can

outperform them, said Rob Lord, owner of Fit214, a small-group personal training studio in Uptown. He’s seen some men try to fudge a bit. “Guys have such a big ego. It can be a very humbling experience for some men.”

Special Contributor

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has, perhaps reluctantly, become the new global face of African literature. “I’m not interested in being a spokesperson or in being anything more than a writer,” she says by phone from Toronto, where she is on a book tour that will bring her to the Dallas Museum of Art tonight as part of Arts & Letters Live. “The most important thing is that I have a readership.” It’s a readership that’s growing larger every year. The 32-year-old Nigerian author grew up in the former house of the famous author Chinua Achebe (the renowned 1958 novel Things Fall Apart) on the grounds of the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, where her parents were professors. Her first book, 2003’s Purple Hibiscus, tells the story of a 15-year old Nigerian girl growing up in a wealthy, hypocritical household run by a tyrant, and who later escapes to a better life with her aunt. It immediately put her on the literary map. But it was 2006’s Half of a Yellow Sun, an astounding historical epic about the bloody 1967 Nigerian-Biafran civil war, that made her reputation, winning her both the Orange Prize for Fiction in the United Kingdom and a $500,000 MacArthur genius grant in the United States. Her visit coincides with the publication of The Thing Around Your Neck, a collection of short stories. Adichie says she doesn’t plan ahead what to speak about. “Perhaps I’ll read a story,” she says. The dozen stories in The Thing Around Your Neck span a decade of

Gonzales, a personal trainer and weight-loss expert in Kennedale, agrees. He said it’s rare for couples to come to him together “simply because the husbands can’t handle it. Men, most of the time, are too prideful and too much of a know-it-all,” he said. Another frequent problem, Lord said, is that the partner who has the most fitness experience will often take on the role as trainer. “It shouldn’t be a deal where the guy becomes the trainer, or if the girl has more experience, she’s the trainer,” he said. “There will be conflict.” Even when one partner is qualified to lead the other, it’s still not a good idea. See COUPLES Page 12E

POP MUSIC

No idle time for ‘Idol’ alum With new album, Season 7’s Michael Johns is where he wants to be By DARLA ATLAS Special Contributor

G.J. McCARTHY/Staff Photographer

Aussie Michael Johns calls Fort Worth, where his in-laws live, “my family home in America.”

As soon as American Idol’s seventh season ended, Michael Johns got to work. Quickly. “Once you’re on Idol, you’d better know who you are and what you want to do,” says the Aussie, who finished eighth. “Otherwise, you get stuck in limbo writing [songs] with 50 million people, and all of the sudden two years have gone by. Once you get off that show, every month the light gets a little dimmer.” His work has paid off with a

debut album, Hold Back My Heart, which is out today. “I really had a vision for what this record was going to be — a Joe Cocker meets Otis Redding kind of thing,” says Johns, who wrote seven of the 12 tracks. “On the show, I got most of my reactions when I sang the soul stuff, so I want to give the ladies what they like.” Johns calls Fort Worth “my family home in America,” because his in-laws live in the city. He and his wife, Stacey, are now based in Los Angeles, “but we’re here every

time there’s a big meal: Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays,” he says. “My mother-in-law is one of the greatest cooks around.” Stacey, an interior designer, met Johns one day as they waited for a valet in Hollywood. “We started talking, and she was feisty,” he recalls. “I was feisty, so I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got to hang out with this girl for a little while longer.’ ” They wed at the Little White See JOHNS Page 3E

See ADICHIE Page 3E

LAST CHANCE TO WIN THE ST. JUDE DREAM HOME HOUSE FOR ONLY $100! $

00 9, 43

Free Tours This Week!

0

Monday – Friday, June 22 – 26, 9am – 9pm and Saturday, June 27, 9am – 5pm

Paid for by Dream Day Foundation.

Live Giveaway on NBC 5 at 6:00pm on Saturday, June 27, 2009! Register FREE at the house to win a Home Entertainment Package, including a 50" Panasonic Plasma TV, 32" Panasonic LCD TV and Home Theater System, courtesy of Best Buy!

Home built by Graham Hart Home Builder

_

www.stjudedreamhome.org 1-800-535-6748 Toll-free telephone services and Internet services are provided as a convenience to St. Jude supporters and friends. Reservations do not constitute the sale of a ticket by telephone or by mail. Reservations will be verified and processed by your local St. Jude representatives. Giveaway conducted by ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

. . . . . . . .

B0623SE001PQ B0623SE001PK B0623SE001PY B0623SE001PM B0623SE001PC

E1 _ 06-23-2009 Set: 18:15:49 Sent by: ajharrisjr Lifestyles

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

12E

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

HEALTHY LIVING

_

Couples therapy Continued from Page 1E

Gonzales said he initially set his expectations too high for his workouts with his wife. Once he began viewing her as an exercise partner and not a client, he said, “we actually have been working out well together.” Lord also said some women need to watch out for tendencies that can sabotage a routine, such as giggling when the workouts get intense. “There’s a dynamic where the woman will get embarrassed, like, ‘I don’t want to have my boyfriend see me straining,’ ” he said. Hicks, a marathon runner who’s in her 50s, doesn’t have that problem. “If you give me a challenge, I’m going to try to do it and do my best,” she said. Her husband’s attitude was an issue, though. She said she called him a jerk when he tried to cheat during one of their workout sprints on the trail. “His attitude is like, ‘I’m not taking it seriously. I’m just going to be the clown.’ That annoys me,” she said. “He tries to egg me on, like, ‘Oh, I’m just trying to make you run harder. If you get angry, you’ll be a little a more competitive.’ ”

Working it out How can couples who want to work out together make it work? Fit214’s program for the Hickses, as well as for engaged couple Tyra and Truly of Dallas, both 27, intersperses weights with running. They can work out with each other in the same group while working on their own personal level. With the barbell lunges they do outside the studio, David’s “is heavier, which is fine. But we’re doing the same thing together, even though it’s at a different level of weight,” Mary

[email protected]

GETTING FIT TOGETHER Ready to work out with your significant other? Here’s advice from trainers and others:

DO

DON’T

■ Join a gym together if you’re on different fitness levels. Both of you can run or walk together but at different speeds. ■ Agree on a fitness plan and the goal of each workout so you’re on the same page and tension doesn’t simmer. ■ Communicate to each other what you need from the other before each particular workout. ■ Try to make it fun; make it an adventure as opposed to a chore. If it’s work, you’re going to be irritated. ■ Eat right, too. Make healthy recipes you both like. Share entrees when you go out to eat. ■ Be each other’s accountability partner. Striving to get fit together is easier than going alone.

■ Let different levels of fitness keep you from working out together. ■ Try to be your partner’s personal trainer. ■ Let gender stereotypes inhibit or intimidate you. ■ Be afraid to push each other and encourage each other. ■ Get offended when your partner communicates what he or she needs from you during a workout.

Use doggie bags to stretch your food budget By MARY JACOBS Special Contributor

A

my and John Forbus of Carrollton celebrate their anniversary every year with the same ritual. They go to Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and each orders a steak. When the steaks arrive, they cut them in half right away. They enjoy one half for dinner, and the other half goes straight to the doggie bag. The leftovers turn up in breakfast (steak and eggs) or lunch (steak sandwiches) the next day. “This way, we get to celebrate our anniversary with two meals, and we don’t overindulge,” said Amy. The Forbuses are employing “doggie-bag economics,” a dining-out strategy that’s good for both your budget and your health. Doggie-bagging “is not only a great way to save money, but also the secret to eating out without overeating,” said Annette Hudson, a personal trainer and owner of MyFitnessTrainer.com. Many restaurants have supersized their portions over the last 10 to 20 years, and some restaurants serve much more than most people need or want, said Jamie Pope, an instructor in nutrition at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. A few chains have even tried smaller portions, she notes, only to get push-back from their customers. Take Macaroni Grill’s Primo Chicken Parmesan: A dinner portion will cost you 1,510 calories. If you’re an average person on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, Pope says, 500 calories is about right for a dinner entree. Do the math. “Most restaurant meals would feed us for two to three meals,” she says. And many restaurants have embraced doggie-bagging. Many will wrap your leftovers, tableside, with a bit of flair. It’s almost an insult to refuse. So, be cheap and be smart. Here are a few of our favorite doggie-bag strategies.

LOSE THAT GUT in our boot camp style workout program IN PRIVATE.

Buy online at: www.privateworkout.com

Our scales accurate to 440 lbs.

Plano Las Colinas Dallas Flower Mound

Restaurant: Romano’s Macaroni Grill Menu item: Chef’s Trio with salad, dessert and lasagna — $11.99 Leftover strategy: Eat the salad and about one-third of the lasagna. Share the dessert. Reheat leftovers for one or two nice lunches. Per-meal price: $4 plus tip The wrap: foil tin with cardboard lid, in a plastic bag, tied for easy carrying Bonus: reheating instructions right there on the lid

Mary Jacobs is a Dallas freelance writer. [email protected]

A 30 minute weight/cardio circuit program designed by Cooper Institute Certified Personal Trainers to exceed the results achieved by a typical 90 minute workout or with a personal trainer, and it’s done in PRIVATE.

• 972.398.2827 • 2412 Preston Rd. @ Park Blvd. • 972.870.0123 • 4835 N. O’Connor @114 • 214.515.5517 • 5400 E. Mockingbird Ln. @ 75 • 972.355.4795 • 1221 Flower Mound Rd. @ Morris

Restaurant: Pei Wei Menu item: Chicken Fried Rice, with choice of meat — $6.75 Leftover strategy: Pei Wei’s Web site says one order has two servings — 525 calories each. But every time I’ve ordered, it’s a mountain of food, easily stretched to four meals. The wrap: Pei Wei nixed the traditional Chinese takeout boxes for plastic boxes. They aren’t as cool, but they do keep the food fresh longer. Per-meal price: $1.69 Bonus: You can opt for brown rice instead of white.

Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory Menu item: Santa Fe Salad — $11.99 Leftover strategy: Eat half the salad for dinner; the other half is tomorrow’s lunch. The wrap: plastic box with a lid Per-meal price: $6 Bonus: salad surprisingly crunchy and tasty the next day

call now and start

being thinner tomorrow!! Before Slim4Life I felt fat, ugly and depressed. Now, after losing 50 pounds, I feel attractive, skinny and accomplished. My friends call me Skinny Minnie and my husband says I look awesome, sexy and very beautiful. I am really loving myself again; you can too!! Join Slim4Life today and begin being thinner tomorrow!! – Wanda Chormicle Fort Worth, TX

Restaurant: Corner Bakery Menu item: Salad trio with D.C. Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad and Seasonal Fruit Medley — $7.99 Leftover strategy: Eat the chicken and fruit salad for lunch. Take the tuna salad home, slap it on a slice of bread for tomorrow’s lunch Per-meal price: $4 Bonus: Both meals about 300 calories

AFTER ~ SIZE 8

SlimDFW.com LOSE 3 to 5 POUNDS PER WEEK!

Now $6 Per Week!* Program Service Fee BEFORE ~ SIZE 16

Restaurant: Spring Creek Barbeque Menu item: Combo dinner, two meats, two sides, rolls — $8.99 Leftover strategy: Eat the sides, rolls and one meat for dinner. Ask for an extra roll to take home, and there’s your sandwich. Per-meal price: $4.50 Bonus: Strategy works at any number of barbecue joints.

• Doctor Recommended • Guaranteed Results - Easy to Follow • Personal One-to-One Counseling • No Hunger - Real Food - Fast Results • No Exercise Required • Individualized Programs • Men, Women, Children

CALL TODAY FOR FREE CONSULTATION FRISCO OPENING SOON!!

The Dallas Morning News

DOLLARWISE: RESTAURANTS

Ellen said. “You scale your ability.” During a recent workout on the studio’s outdoor patio, which is just eight yards from the Katy Trail, Tyra and Truly completed ring push-ups together. However, the intensity suited each at his or her own level, because they were working against their own body weights. Gonzales prescribes workouts differently for couples. “Men want something that’s tough and makes them feel like they’re a man. Women don’t want to feel like they’re doing anything crazy,” said Gonzales, who creates two different strength plans of action for couples. Gonzales said the main key to success is to communicate fitness goals. “Let’s say my wife can run longer and faster than I can. Do I want to let my wife run ahead of me and train as hard as she can? Or does she want to stick with me and encourage me to press on?” he said. “Have a good emotional line of communication where you can say, ‘OK, this is where I’m at today. I really need your help.’ Me and my wife, we’ve had to learn that.” Even couples who occasionally spat about their workout routine can benefit from the quality time, goal-setting and shared common interest that working out together provides. “It’s a nice walk afterwards, and we’re all ‘endorphinated’ together,” Mary Ellen said of the Hickses’ walk back home to Victory Park. “We go over things you’d normally have to make time to talk about.” Christy Robinson is a freelance writer in Dallas. She runs with her husband, Brian Peters.

60 DAY GUT-BUSTER BOOT CAMP for only $66

GuideLive.com

Restaurant: California Pizza Kitchen Menu item: Original BBQ Chicken Pizza — $12.99 Leftover strategy: six slices — two for now, four to take home for two more meals Per-meal price: $4.50 The wrap: Yellow-and-white pizza box

Arlington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817-468-4048 Fort Worth/City View . . . . . . . . 817-294-8884 Lake Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817-237-4862 Lewisville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214-488-7700 N. Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972-930-9755 Southlake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817-310-3455 Mesquite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972-270-0511 *On Program basis. Exclusive of products.

B0623SE012PQ B0623SE012PK B0623SE012PY B0623SE012PM B0623SE012PC

E12 _ 06-23-2009 Set: 18:15:01 Sent by: ajharrisjr Lifestyles

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN