Trendy diets not the answer
Lecturer teaches lifestyle change
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Ida Shapiro, center, owner of Ideal Weight, stands with two of her success stories. Joe Allen, with a pair of his old jeans, has lost 90 pounds since starting the program eight months ago. Mary Light, left, has lost 25 pounds, reaching her goal weight. The Tonawanda residents met for Ideal Weight's seminars at Zion United Church of Christ on Tuesdays. Photo by Amy Krakowiak Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

In Ida Shapiro's class you don't diet, you learn a new lifestyle program.

"With the right tools, anyone can implement a naturally healthy lifestyle that will help maintain an ideal weight," she said.

Having taught weight loss classes for the past 40 years, Shapiro speaks from the heart. She also speaks from experience.

At a "young" 76, Shapiro dealt with weight issues when weight control classes hadn't been invented. So she turned to diet pills.

Off and on for 12 years, she would yo-yo about 35 pounds. Finally she found "New You" at Temple Beth Zion and found a program that safely worked for her.

She met her goal and found the strength to finally flush diet pills out of her life forever.

"I've worked hard to keep the weight off for 40 years," she said. "Its about learning how to eat healthy, how to balance everyday food."

Under the direction of a dietician, she formed Ideal Weight, a program designed to help people lose weight and keep it off.

Shapiro, a resident of Williamsville, currently teaches at four locations, including St. Gregory the Great Church, the Amherst Center for Senior Services and through Amherst Community Education.

She knows how anyone listening to her seminars feels.

When she joined A New You four decades ago, she was hoping to find a way to lose the weight that had been plaguing her. She said it was one of the first weight control groups formed in the area.

"I thought to myself that I would never lose weight without diet pills," she said. "But within four months, I took off 35 pounds and put the pills away. Then a year later I flushed them down the toilet because I knew I was going to get off the addiction."

She was successful by following a 1,200-calorie diet and exercising.

She said losing weight is about lifestyles changes, not fad diets, gimmicks or pills.

"I call diet pills 'false hope,'" she said. "There is still such heavy advertising, companies that say the pills help lose weight. It's just not true."

Prior to forming Ideal Weight, Shapiro was a speaker for Weight Watchers for more than three years.

In her sessions, Shapiro believes in personal attention. During the week she stays in touch with members, offering support.

What she asks for is a commitment to a form of exercise and the willingness to change.

She teaches portion control and how to deviate in moderation.

Shapiro has had many success stories, some members who boast weight losses of 70-100 pounds. With that comes an improvement in health and a boost in self-esteem.

Rosemary and Kenneth Vaughn can testify to that. Rosemary has been attending classes since 1986 and currently goes on Tuesdays at the Zion United Church of Christ in Tonawanda.

Her husband lost 100 pounds with Ideal Weight but has since stopped attending meetings. The two joined to lose weight before their son's wedding.

"I feel comfortable going to her, I like the support I get from Ida and the class. Sometimes I feel need that," Rosemary said. "She is right there on your shoulder."

With 40 years of knowledge, her personal experiences and a true passion for what she teachers, Shapiro is proud of the success she has seen in clients in the past.

For information on Ideal Weight, call 636-3698.