It's simply amazing how my life has changed in the last year! And it's largely due to the enormous success that I've had in learning how to eat healthy and feel better, all during losing those excess pounds that I struggled and struggled in vain to shed. When I first met Kaz I was 35 pounds overweight and my eating was truly out of control. I tried and tried to starve myself, but when I sat down to the table, I was insatiable. A pound of spaghetti at a meal was not unusual - plus I had a craving for sweets that would not quit. I felt to totally out of myself, and no matter how much other people told me I looked ok, I knew I wasn't ok at all. I was terrified of losing my boyfriend to another skinnier woman. Yes, every insecurity I could devise influenced my poor self-opinion. On top of that, I had been a tremendous athlete only 3 years before, and was trying to get into shape again.

From total desperation I turned to Kaz. My first appointment with her was such an eye opener. Far from blaming me for my failure to "control" my weight, she took all the blame away; showing me how simply my dietary habits had caused these cravings and assuring me that I would be devised a diet which I would live with daily, and it was a shock to me to discover that I had to eat more than I was used to to lose weight! I couldn't believe it, but from the very first, I was able to lose a pound or so a week. Within 3 months I had lost enough weight to be in sight of my goal. Within four months, I had succeeded in shedding those 35 pounds. More importantly, the changes in my eating habits were a terrific boost to my energy levels and overall health. I can't believe that I feel better at 44 than I did at 34! But it's true! I have more energy today, and I am more active than I have been in years. My aerobic fitness has improved enormously, and I continue to exercise 5-6 days a week. I look forward to it!

It's been a year now, and it has not been difficult to maintain my fitness and weight levels. If I have any questions, of if I see those pounds creeping up, I simply keep track of my diet, and consult with Kaz.

More than my physical fitness, it's been such a total relief to discover that I'm not somehow deficient in will power, or fated to be overweight, or somehow to blame for all of this. There's such a powerful propaganda machine in America today pushing people into eating high carbohydrate, high fat, high salt food, and then to blame them for gaining weight. It's hard to exercise enough to burn that amount to calories in today's society, so it's normal for people to put on the pounds. Thanks to Kaz, I was able to break that vicious cycle almost before it started, and to find a way to live a better life and to reach all my personal goals.unity. While in the San Francisco Bay area, she participated in several running clubs and lectured quite often for various organizations such as Leukemia Team in Training, Association for Women in Science and Women in Business in San Francisco. She also held her first Fitness Expo in January 2000 at the Oakland Convention Center where celebrated runner, Bill Rodgers, recommended her services during his lecture on marathons. Kazuko also works with two Web based health and fitness companies as a free lance writer.

Few trainers will ever achieve what Kazuko has and I believe that she should be acknowledged for her achievements.