Stacy Kaiser

MY BACKGROUND
Hometown: Los Angeles
Marital status: Single
Kids: Two, ages 13 and 10
Can you describe your family? A family full of women! Even our dogs are girls!
Education: Pepperdine University
Pets: Two dogs, Lucy and Charlotte. We rescued them, a mom and daughter.

THE REAL ME
How were you described as a kid? Kind of shy, outgoing when I got to know you. Some kids made fun of me because I was overweight. It made me withdraw when that happened.
How are you described by your family/friends now? Outgoing, personable and goal-oriented
Why do you think you’re easy to live with? I love to cook and am pretty easygoing.
Why aren’t you easy to live with? I keep late hours — I don’t like to go to bed too early!
Hobbies: Spending time with my kids, coaching my daughter’s soccer team, talking on the phone with friends, baking and cooking
Favorite TV shows: All reality shows, “Dexter” and “Weeds”
Favorite movies: Movies from the 1980s, and chick flicks or psychological thrillers
Favorite books and authors: Anything by Malcolm Gladwell, and self-help books
Favorite websites: Facebook, YouTube, educational websites
MySpace or Facebook? Both!
iPhone or BlackBerry? iPhone
Wii or PlayStation? Wii and Wii Fit!
Fast food or gourmet? I love every kind of food.
Cooking or takeout? Cooking
Favorite food: French fries, steak and sushi — not together.
Beer or wine? Wine
Guiltiest pleasure: Going to Las Vegas
Biggest pet peeve: People who don’t tell the truth

MY HEALTH
Which foods do you love that are the worst calorie offenders? Chips, French fries, salty foods.
What have you done in the past to try to lose weight? I followed a few diets that I found in books, worked at one major diet company and attempted to follow their plan, and ultimately discovered that consistent exercise and a healthy diet were the keys to my past successes.
Have you been able to maintain a healthy weight? I have maintained a healthy weight for the past 12 years.
What, if anything, do you think you were doing incorrectly in the past when it came to having a healthy lifestyle? Trying quick fixes.
Do you turn to food when you’re not in a good mood? I used to in the past, but now I reach out to friends and family to vent about what is troubling me or to get support.
How has your family and/or love life (relationship) contributed positively or negatively to your weight and eating? Neither — I really try to make my weight my own battle and focus.
Who is the most positive health influence in your life and why? The most positive influence is myself, because ultimately when I was not on board with being healthy, I was not successful.
Who is the most negative health influence in your life and why? Some of my friends try to get me to pig out with them, but in the past several years I won’t do it unless it is a special occasion.
What is your worst temptation when you go grocery shopping? The sweet food ladies who try to ask me to sample something unhealthy. It’s so hard to tell them no!
Favorite healthy food choice: Salads and soybeans
Favorite way to exercise: Listening to music or watching TV on the elliptical or treadmill. I also love spinning/cycling classes and yoga.

GOING ON THE SHOW
What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of coaching women through something like this? The most challenging aspect is keeping them motivated and encouraged when they are feeling down. Also, it’s challenging to break through to those who are guarded so that I can help them.
What’s most rewarding about doing this show? Watching them work toward success and achieving their goals, and being a part of them changing their lives.
Who was the most dominant personality of the women during your sessions, and who was the most timid? Dominant was Shawna; most timid was Anna — it was hard to get Anna to talk when the other ladies were around.
Do you feel that your own weight-loss success reinforces your relationship with these women through their struggles? Yes. It helps them see that I can relate to what they are going though, and it better helps me understand the difficulties that they face.