After only one term as Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco announced Tuesday (March 20, 2007) she would not be running for reelection in October. Blanco was in the hot seat when Hurricane Katrina hit. She was criticized for her immediate response to the disaster, and for the slow recovery that followed. Blanco says Hurricane Katrina “drowned” her plans for the state. Tell us your thoughts. Could she have kept any agenda on track after Hurricane Katrina? What should she have done differently in regards to disaster response? What do you expect in the next governor’s race now that Blanco is out of the picture, and for the future of Louisiana in general?

Crime was one of the big issues on the minds of people Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover’s Town Hall Meetings a few weeks ago. The next Shreveport Police Chief will face the immediate challenge to stop crimes already being committed, as well as create a sense of continued security for people in areas free of crime for now, where neighbors worry crime is going to become a problem.

The Civil Service Board meets in Shreveport Tuesday, March 20, 2007 to certify 27 people applying for Shreveport Police Chief. The list of candidates is long and diverse. One is from Florida, another from Arkansas, a third from New Orleans, but most already work for the police department. KTBS 3’s Chris Redford talked to some of the people who say they’re ready for the job.

Homicide Det. Rod Demery already knows what it means to be chief. He led the police department in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, for two years before coming to Shreveport in 1999. “I think it’s an exciting time for it,” Demery says. “I think Shreveport’s going through a transition and I want to be a part of that. The progressive ideas that come out of the new mayor and administration are pretty interesting.” Det. Sgt. Kevin Crowe says, “Felt like the time was right, if nothing else, to try.” Crowe has spent most of his 22 years on the force investigating violent crimes. He hopes to use his experience as chief to stop the violence. “[I’m] well aware of the things we do well and the things that we could do better.”

Det. Michael Carter says he feels like he’s at a point in his life where he has a lot to offer. Right now Carter is the president of the police union, and he says that gives him a lot to bring to the table as a chief. “I would like to move up and make a significant change within the Shreveport Police Department.”

Corp. Jim Taliaferro is the Crime Stoppers Coordinator for Shreveport-Caddo. He says, “You have to be within the organization in order to affect the organizational change.” Taliaferro says as chief, he’d make sure fair treatment started inside the department, to give officers inspiration to bring fair treatment to the streets. “Then we can develop our internal customer service, which transcends to an external customer service, giving better services to the public.”

All the candidates Redford talked to agreed public service is the most important part of being a police chief.

The last person to get an application in before Monday’s 5:00pm deadline is a man already in charge of leading officers in Louisiana. State Police Commander Henry Whitehorn was the 27th person to turn in an application.

Once the Civil Service Board certified the people who have applied, those people have to pass a Civil Service Exam on April 4, 2007. The results could come in up to six weeks later.

For a complete list of all the candidates, click here.

Post a comment about what you expect from the next top cop in Shreveport.

100 days since he made history in Shreveport. Now Mayor Cedric Glover is reflecting over his term so far as the city’s first African-American mayor. Ed Walsh talked with the mayor in the studio on KTBS 3 First News Thursday, March 8, 2007.

Ed: “You look back now on 100 days, do you have any accomplishments so far in your administration?”

Mayor: “Just the fact that we’ve been able to get out, and meet and talk to and interact with so many people in this great city. I won’t sit here and list for you all the things we think we’ve accomplished within these first hundred days, although we think we’ve done some significant things. But the opportunity to be able to get out, talk to, hear from, and interact with folks from every segment of this city, and to hear from them what it is they want to see the city of Shreveport/Northwest Louisiana become. I think it’s probably the most significant thing that we’ve done so far, but there’s so much more that we’ve got in store.”

Ed: “Tonight is the last of your town hall meetings, that series. A lot of times we’re hearing the same themes coming up at all these meetings: code enforcements, crime. In terms of dilapidated houses and other problems in neighborhoods, what can your administration do, what is your administration planning to do?”

Mayor: “Well, the other reason as to why I decided to go about undertaking the town hall meetings was to make sure that those things that I believe are the priorities for our city are, in fact, the things that the people of this city want to see done as well. When you’re talking about public safety, code enforcement, improving the quality of life, growing the economy, I mean, that’s what’s been the wonderful thing about it: I’ve seen just that. When it comes to code enforcement, we’ve got some problems here, and I’ve shared that with the folks that we’ve spoken to throughout the previous six town hall meetings, and we’re going to go and fix that problem. We’ve got some good people in there, but I’ve told them that we’ve got to do better. And we’re going to accept the challenge of retooling, revising, and revamping, how we go about doing the job of improving our neighborhoods throughout the city.”

Ed: “Mayor, is that a city problem or does this also fall in the state, because I understand the state legislature also dictates time frames in which the city can act on dealing with dilapidated and other abandoned housing.”

Mayor: “Well, the state addresses in terms of how you can go about adjudicated property, and being able to take possession of it and then put it back into use. And so there are some issues around there that we’ve dealt with down in Baton Rouge over the years. Senator Jackson and others have taken some steps that have made that process a little bit better. One of the things that we’re looking at for this upcoming legislative session is how we can make that process a little cleaner, and a little smoother, because one of our objectives is to reduce the number of problems and issues that code enforcement has to deal with, by putting many of these adjudicated properties back into use, either as a housing development, or as a commercial development.”

Ed: “Let’s talk about crime now. Although crime rates are dropping here in the city you say it’s a perception issue when it comes to crime in Shreveport. What do you hope to do, what do you hope to accomplish with the police department, to give residents the feeling that they are safe in their neighborhoods?”

Mayor: “I think the problem exists at both levels. If you live in a neighborhood, right now, where there are burglaries or armed robberies or drive-by shootings, then certainly the problem is real. There are other folks though, who live in portions of this city that will never be touched by crime. However, they fear the potential. And so we’ve got to address the problem at two different levels; both in terms of reality, and in perception. My belief, is that what we need to do, is be more pro-active in terms of how we go about engaging our crime problem in this city. And that is to go out, and have our police officers actively seeking to prevent bigger crimes, by focusing on some of the smaller and more minor issues before they become bigger problems. One of the concepts is referred to as the “Broken Windows” concept, used by Mayor Guiliani in the city of New York in the early ’90s. It’s also been used in Boston and other cities. Where we focus on how it is we deal with things like broken windows, code enforcement issues, loud music, other things that represent disturbances that rob people in our communities of quality of life, and prevent us from being able to feel safe and secure where we are. So that’s where we’re going to start our focus: being more pro-active, and not just simply waiting for crime to happen. And that’s something I’ve heard from every segment and sector of this city, whether we’re dealing with neighborhoods in District A, or neighborhoods in District D. All of them voiced the same things. They want us to have a safer city. They want us to grow our economy. They want us to improve our quality of life.”

Ed: “You’re also being an advocate for allowing more police officers to be able to take home their vehicles, actually offering them tax credits, if they purchase a house in the city.”

Mayor: “Certainly, we want to increase the level of police presence throughout our neighborhoods. We want to encourage those police officers to be active parts of the neighborhoods in which they live. To become a part of the neighborhood watches, the neighborhood associations, so that we create a larger presence throughout the city of Shreveport. We also want to encourage police officers to come out, and really engage our young people as well. To not just see them as law enforcement officials on the job during the daytime, but also someone they can relate to, as individuals. So, we’ve got a lot of things we’re looking forward to doing in terms of law enforcement. Also, we want to look at terms of how we can increase the number of officers that we have in the city of Shreveport. One of the things that we’ve done for years is simply acquire new police officers by having new classes at the academy. But we also saw for years, before we were able to increase the salaries for our officers and improve the benefits, many of the departments who came from outside of this region, who recruited our officers because they knew that they were well-trained and well-qualified and brought them into their communities, whether that was Kenner, down in Southwest Louisiana, or cities over in East Texas. Now we’re looking at the possibility of being able to say, not only do we want to grow our own new police officers, but in order to increase our numbers at a quicker pace, is it possible for us to be able to go into some other areas, find some officers who may be a little less-paid, a little less-compensated, and say to them ‘there’s a great opportunity for you to come to Shreveport, if you’re willing to come in and join the level excellence that we want to have in our police department.’ “

There’s a common thread running through Shreveport neighborhoods, and it appears to be crime and dilapidated houses that are often used by drug dealers. Thursday night, residents of district “A” faced the mayor with their concerns. It was the third of seven town hall meetings Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover is hosting. He’s asking the people to step forward with what troubles them the most about their communities. And the people are speaking up. So what can you and the city do if you live next to one of those dilapidated houses or trash heaps? Wardell Bowie heads up Shreveport’s Code Enforcement. “Narcotics or any other type of illegal activities, they need to contact the police first, then the second thing they need to do is call code enforcement.” A city inspector will see if the structure violates any of the city’s code. If it does, the city will start the legal process to notify the owner. That notification process takes between four to six months. “If the owner doesn’t contest, the city forces will come in a tear the house down and put a lien against the property,” Bowie said. If the owner does fight, you have to wait while the case creeps its way through the legal system taking years. And what about junked cars? Again, an inspector will issue a citation. If the owner contests, it could be months or even years of legal wrangling. Bowie calls his job huge, as many as 16,000 complaints a year and only a dozen or so inspectors and one newly hired paralegal. The city’s looking at rewriting some of its code to make it easier to deal with eyesores. Here is a list of the remaing town hall meetings:

–Thursday, Feb. 22; Council District A; Southern University Science Lecture Hall, SUS Campus

– Thursday, March 1; Council District B; Highland Center Child Development Center, 520 Olive St.

– Monday, March 5; Council District D; Caddo Middle Magnet School, 7600 Cornelious Lane

– Tuesday, March 6; Council District E; Summer Grove Baptist Church, Jewella Avenue at Inner Loop

– Thursday, March 8; Council District C; Captain Shreve High School, 6115 E. Kings Hwy.

Blogs Entries from Novembers “Family Fitness Challenge”

“Family Fitness Challenge” Stories. http://www.ktbs.com/health/fitness

Friday 12/01/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
The segments on KTBS are over until our follow up in early ‘07, but the changes have just begun! True change that will last takes time and cannot be done in a minute, hour, or even a month!The Gorhams have made HUGE changes in their eating but they know that if they don’t add in daily 30 minutes exercise (or at least working towards that as the goal) they have only made 1/2 the difference they could potentially make. When the muscles are more active from exercise, they burn calories much faster and more efficiently. If you are trying to begin an exercise program, walk around your block or just down to the street 3 or 4 times (break it into small segments). Get up during the commercials and walk around the house - not to the refrigerator though. When you are on the phone, use the cordless and walk while you talk. If you want something more strenuous, check with your doctor to get his/her okay before starting. It is a great plan to set a goal to exercise for at least a short while everyday during the holidays.We all can do things to make us more healthy. Don’t be intimidated because of all the changes you need to make. Start on one and then, once you have a handle on that one, move to the next one.Amy Yates

Wednesday 11/29/06 Kayla Gorham
Hello Everyone!

We had a wonderfully Blessed Month by winning The Family Fitness Challenge Contest! Our family has changed our lifestyles in a way we didn’t think was possible. We are exercising on a more regular basis. Peyton bought a trampoline with his Birthday Money and him and Paige are having a great time being active. Stephen and I are getting a workout my walking either around the neighborhood or the mall.

Stephen has lost 14 lbs. already, I haven’t lost near as much but I have went down in my size of clothes PLUS my diabetes have improved like never before. We are also proud of Peyton and Paige for helping out with the food and trying new things.

We would love for the viewers to continue keeping up with us on our a journey to a new life. We’ve been working on a myspace page with video blogging and news updates. If anyone would like to visit our site just go to http://www.myspace.com/thegorhamfamily We would love feedback and questions. KTBS will be checking up on us also in a month or two. So we are not going to give up on this!

We would like to say what KTBS and Willis Knighton Health Systems have done for us is such a blessing and we are so Grateful! We could have won any kind of contest (travel, prizes, etc.) but by us winning this contest was so much more than any other thing we could have won. Learning to eat healthier, having home cooked meals (saving money on not dining out every night) these things can stick with all our family for a lifetime. With Stephen and I eating vegetables and fruit more often the kids are following in our footsteps hopefully they won’t have to deal with the health problems that Stephen and I have.

This is a truly a Blessing! We will miss Jody, Amy and Kevin coming into our house but I know you all will be checking up on us!

Thanks So Much For Everyone Being So Supportive

Kayla

Wednesday 11/22/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
Restaurant eating is not easy to do. You can make it healthier,
definitely, but it will almost invariably be higher fat and calories than you
would prepare at home.
I recommend limiting eating out to 1 time per week or less.

I urged the whole family to drink water, milk, or juices. At Pasado’s
they had only water, soda, tea, or lemonade,
so we make or made or own unsweetened lemonade with water, lemon and
Equal/SweetNLow. Some had unsweetened tea, but the homemade lemonade is
less expensive to household budgets ( :

The choices of entrees that Stephen and Kayla made were excellent ones
- fajita salads (one chicken, one beef) with salsa as dressing.
Everyone got a handful of chips. Then, we had the waiter take the basket
away to help us out. We ordered a small cup of queso and everyone shared
instead of each having their own bowl.

Paige, the 4 year old, was given two vegetable options (the only ones
they had at Pasado’s) and she chose carrots. When she got them the best
she was willing to do was to play with them and take a bite of one. I
urged the parents to allow her to play with the carrots. This is the
first step to accepting a food a child normally doesn’t eat. I also
urged them to allow her the option to spit the food into a napkin
(discreetly) if she didn’t like it. I directed them to try the food again
later, and hopefully it will be a little better accepted. DO NOT GIVE UP
on a food before giving it a fair try on both your child and yourself.

When eating out, trying to get a child to eat a food he/she doesn’t
normally eat is extremely difficult, in light of busy atmosphere, parents
eating something else, and typically by 7:00 pm, a young child will be
tired.

If new foods (fruits and veggies, etc) are not eaten in the home
setting by all, chances are slim that kids will accept. So parents….it
really is up to you if your children eat healthy or not.

The Gorhams are doing very well and working hard on eating lower fat
and exercising 3-4 times per week. I have urged them to keep both food
and exercise records which are difficult tasks for them, but studies
show that both of these are markers of success with both weight loss and
weight maintenance.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Amy Yates, WK Dietitian

Thursday 11/17/06 Regina
I am having my weight problems too. I’ve been told to eat grains and vegetables. I don’t have any recipes on how to use these things. I don’t want to go back to the old days of speding hours in the kitchen to make breads and such to keep it healty. I need some help. Regina

Thursday 11/17/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
Regina ,You indicated you were told to increase grains and vegetables for wt loss. The reason we increase these in the diet is to give you more fiber which in turn makes you feel fuller. The increased fiber can help lower cholesterol and promote colon health as well.

You do not need special recipes. You can eat the vegetables raw, snacking on those as you would normally snack on chips.Or, simply put 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1 cup water into a medium boiler and fill the rest of the boiler with raw, cleaned veggies. Put the lid on the boiler and steam on the stove for approximately 6 minutes. Do not add cream sauces or butter - it will add calories that will hinder weight loss. You could spritz with spray I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. I think it is a good idea to steam a lot at one time and keep in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave as needed.

Some good fiber sources:peas,beans,oatmeal,Bran Buds,apples with peel,turnip greens, sweet potatoes

As far as the grains, “whole” grains give you more fiber. 100% whole wheat bread or Nature’s Own white wheat and pastas-Barillo are good sources of fiber and they taste good. If a product has 3 grams or more of fiber, it is a good fiber source.

Thursday 11/17/06 Mar123heb
I have diabetes, can I substitute brown sugar for regular sugar in oatmeal?

Thursday 11/17/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
Marl23heb,

If you replace white sugar with brown sugar it will elevate your blood sugar the same way refined white sugar does - they both have 15 grams of carbohydrate per tablespoon. Try Splenda Brown Sugar or Sweet N Low Brown Sugar - these 2 will not affect your blood sugar and the box will tell you what the replacement ratios are.

Thursday 11/16/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
We are well into the second week of the Makeover.

Obviously everything we do with the Gorhams cannot make the segment on TV, so I will give you a synopsis….

First cut out or cut down drastically on sugary beverages and pies/cakes/etc..

Then, get moving - whether walking, playing soccer in the front yard or dancing to the radio - 20 minutes per day-everybody! Do the activity with your child. They will learn that you like being with them and you believe exercise is important. It can be fun. Some of those fun games you played outside as a child, your child may have never played ….kick the can, swinging statues, hopscotch……

The kids are not the boss on where or what to eat. Give them 2 options that you consider acceptable at a fast food establishment (example - McDonald’s - Annie, would you like the kid’s meal chicken nuggets or hamburger kids meal? Would you rather have water, milk, or juice with that? They do not need adult size portions even though they think they do. Actually the child size meal is appropriate in calories and protein for most adults for one meal - 600 calories.

Eliminate foods that you will have to do battle with your kids over. Those high sugar foods or big bags of chips , etc are much easier to keep away from kids if they are not in the house. -Go out for ice cream if you choose to do it as a family. You have no leftovers to have to ration…..

Yes, your children will have withdrawals. It is okay. Foods that can increase their likelihood of developing obesity and heart disease is a good thing to have withdrawal from. Children do not have the ability or knowledge to know what foods are best for them. They need for you to give them GOOD options and then let them decide from there.

Have a great day!

Wednesday 11/16/06 Kayla Gorham
We are really coming along and we are very exciting about the Family Fitness Challenge, and YES it is a challenge!

We had the pleasure of Amy and Jody taking us grocery shopping and I can tell you that was an experience. Stephen and I are use to running in and out of the store to just get what we need for one meal, I honestly don’t think our buggy has ever been as full as it was then.

It took a lot longer than expected because Stephen and I were reading the labels on everything. It was worth it to get healthier foods that taste like regular foods.

We have started exercising as a family and we really have fun with the walks or just running around the yard.

I have asked a lot of my friends and family to view the blog and videos on the website. The ones that live around here can watch on TV and also view the blog. My family is very supportive of all of us changing our lifestyle to feel better and know that we will be healthier.

I know this is going to end in a few more weeks, but I really wished it wouldn’t. Although When it does we are not going to stop eating right and exercising just because the cameras are not around!

With Faith and Prayers from people like you all who read this I believe we have nothing to worry about!

Thanks For Listening,

Kayla

Monday 11/13/06 Monnie Kayla Gorham’s sister
I am Kayla’s sister. I am so proud of her. I would never have thought she would do something like this (especially be on TV). I want everyone to know that we went to the State Fair yesterday. All of the food smelled so good and brought back so many memories of our childhood. But guess what happened? We looked at the exhibits (especially the Dale, Jr. car). We didn’t eat or drink anything at the fair and when we left the fair, I asked Kayla what she could eat at a restaurant and she told me unless I wanted to eat out she would go home and eat what she had planned to eat. I couldn’t believe it. We actually went to Shreveport and didn’t eat out. I think that is a first for both of us. Before we went to the fair, we went to the Minden Recreation Center and signed up so we could exercise there. I know from experience how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. Kayla has encouraged me to take better care of myself. Winning this has been a blessing to more people than Kayla or KTBS will ever know. Thank You Monnie

Wednesday 11/09/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian The past couple of days have been ones of big change for the Gorhams and I know that well.

The changes I asked them to make are totally “life changing” - I relate it to trying to get adjusted to having a newborn in the house. Diet changes are major and it can make people feel overwhelmed.

Next, I asked the Gorhams to limit their regular sodas/sweetened tea from the original 50-90 oz per day to 12-24 oz per day and other than this drink water or noncalorie beverages such as diet soda or sugar free koolaid. They do not drink milk at all so I worked on incorporating lowfat dairy products in the formula of yogurts and cheeses.

Probably the biggest factor other than the beverages is the fact that meals are eaten in front of the television, whether it is in the family room or in separate rooms with their individual meals and a television for each person. This kind of eating is not only unconscious, leaving you feel unsatisfied, but it trains your brain to think it is time to eat in any room that you usually eat in. Eat in one place and turn the television off during your meal.

Amy Yates

Thursday 11/09/06 Kayla Gorham
Hi this is Kayla! So far so good, although it was tough watching Amy throw away all our “good”foods. We can’t wait to go grocery shopping for healthier foods. The food we have been eating actually taste good and we have some really good recipes that we can’t wait to try.

It is a wonderful surprise to see Peyton really serious about the “Family Fitness Challenge”. He is starting to read the labels and learning what he can and can’t have. It’s a little tougher with Paige, but I believe she will catch on as long as we keep this up.

We have been sitting down together at the table for our meals - without the TV on . We actually talk to one another to find out how every ones day went. Stephen figured out that he can live without the TV on all the time. He has not cut down on all together, but I believe we are all a work in progress.

We dug out my exercise bike and I am really going to use it this time. I’ve realized it can be used for more that just throwing clothes on.

I am ready to start loosing weight and I understand that it takes time and patience. I know that eating healthier will improve our family’s health and along with exercise will help Stephen and I to slim down.

Kayla

Thursday 11/09/06 Health Watch Reporter Jody Lowery
Hey Everyone!
Well, I have to say the Gorham’s have been GREAT sports about the Family Fitness Challenge! It’s not easy for people
to just walk into your house and make such BIG changes. Amy weeded through a lot of food, and some of their favorite items are
now off limits. But they’re dedicated. They’re ready to change even though Stephen lost his pot pies, Kayla lost her enchiladas,
Peyton lost his buttered popcorn, and Little Paige lost her cheese puffs. Still, I think they can do it. I’m rooting for them
because I also know how hard it can be to diet. DON’T WE ALL! So the fact that they’re taking this challenge in the first place says
alot about their dedication. I can’t wait until next week when we go grocery shopping. Don’t forget to watch on Wednesday!

Remember if you have a question for Amy, about your family, DON’T HESITATE TO BLOG!

See ya later! Jody

Wednesday 11/08/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
Stephen and or Kayla,

You made it through the tough part! I wanted to let you know that we will be putting some of foods back in after I can teach you a little bit more and find some leaner versions of them for you.

I wanted to give you some ideas on meals that might be helpful. I have 2 kids and work full time myself, so I ONLY do quick things….. By the way, if you let the kids help you with the simple parts of these recipes they will be much more likely to try and possibly like them.

Pot Roast in the crock pot

3 pound rump roast

1/2 cup white wine

salt and pepper

1 onion chopped

3 potatoes chopped

2 large carrots or 8 baby carrots

Rub salt and pepper on all sides of the roast and put into crock pot. Add white wine, potatoes, carrots, and onion into crock pot and leave on “low” for 8-10 hours while you are gone during the day. It will be ready when you get home and you can have with rolls and some green vegetable like green beans or broccoli.

Have some type of fruit you know the kids like.

Mexican Beef Stir Fry(Makes enough for 6 fajitas)

1 Tbsp canola or peanut oil

1 1/2 pounds lean sriloin steak or round steak cut into 3 inch strips, trimmed of fat

3 garlic cloves, minced or use garlic powder

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips

2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp cumin

In a skiller over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the beef and saute until the beef loses its pinkness. Drain any fat. Remove the beef from the skillet.

Add the garlic and onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and saute for 5 more minutes.

Add the chili powder and lime juice to coat the vegetables. Add the beef back to the skillet and add the cumin. Heat 1 more minute.

Serve these on flour tortillas- put one sixth of the meat mixture on a one half of a warmed flour tortilla and fold over the other half. Two of these for Stephen and Kayla, each and two for Peyton. Give Paige a little of the meat mixture and a tortilla separate. She will probably do better with separate meat and bread.

Side dishes of fresh salad and whole kernel corn or fresh fruit.

Pizza

Buy a Bobolli pizza crust in the grocery store. Saute onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper in canola or olive oil.

Spread spaghetti sauce on top of the crust and spread the sauted vegetables on top of the sauce. Sprinkle 1 cup of “reduced fat cheddar cheese” on top of the veggies.

Bake in 375 degree oven until the cheese melts. Cut into 8 sections.

Stephen and Kayla - 1-2 pieces, Peyton and Paige 1 or more if they like. Serve this with carrots and light ranch dressing (to dip the carrots into). Finish up your meal with some kind of fruit

Peyton,

An idea for breakfast - cinnamon toast and 1 small glass of juice or the drinkable yogurt -Left overs

- tortilla with cheese sprinkled on it.

-Couple of waffles with peanut butter and jelly spread between -English muffin with scrambled egg in it or a couple of slices of ham and 1 slice lowfat cheese(put the scrambled egg with slice of cheese on top in microwave for 10-15 seconds while you toast the english muffin)

Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian

Friday November 3rd Stephen Gorham
My family and I were very excited when we heard that we were picked to be part of the Family Fitness Challenge. Our children were very excited about being on TV, and Kayla and I were a little nervous about having cameras in our house and letting everyone know about our eating habits. When Jody and Amy came to our house Wednesday they brought balloons, which really made Paige’s (our 4 year old) day. They made us feel very at ease and were very easy to talk with.

My wife has been on several diets with varying degrees of success, but when the diet was over the family lifestyle would again take over. This has mostly been my fault because I did not want to change the way I ate. I have gained about 25lbs in the past 6 months and when I hit the 200lb mark, I knew it was time for a change.

Both Kayla and I have family history of heart disease and we both have high cholesterol. It will be easier for our children to overcome these negative obstacles if we teach them to live healthier while they are young, and we know that Amy will not only teach us how to live healthier lives but help us to teach our children to make better choices in their diet.

We feel very blessed to be a part of this challenge.

Stephen Gorham

Wednesday 11/1/06 Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian
I got the chance to meet the Gorhams family.

It was apparent that they are a little frustrated with past efforts to change their lifestyles and really want to change their course, mainly from a health standpoint.—But, they can CHANGE their course! I think you will be amazed at how very small changes make very BIG differences.

I think their story is very much like the mainstream public as far as time and energy availability, and health for that matter.. This journey will be one that could help many families. I look forward to hearing from you.

Amy Yates, Willis Knighton Dietitian

Wednesday 11/1/06 Health Watch Reporter Jody Lowery
“I finally had the honor of meeting the ‘Family Fitness Challenge’ family at their house yesterday! The Gorhams are a great family. The next month should be both fun and challenging, especially since I know how hard it can be to get your family to eat right!

But we’re all hoping to learn some life-long lessons from this experience. Amy Yates is definitely the nutritionist to get us heading in the right direction. Don’t forget to join us!

We’ll see ya Wednesday at 5! See ya then

Health Watch Reporter Jody Lowery