By Dave Patania
Enquirer contributor

Question: I am 46, a working mom and have been an on-and-off anorexic since I was 13 or 14. I work out constantly, hate to take days off and would love to stop my self-destructive cycle of undernutrition. I am currently training for a marathon, am 5-foot-7, and this year got my weight up to 102 from 95. How can I succeed with so many "lean up" "fat is bad" "food is evil" messages from the media friends and co-workers?

Answer: For starters, congratulations on getting your weight up, you deserve a lot of praise. I suggest that you continue using whatever successful means you have been using (therapy, doctors) to keep your weight up to healthy levels.

As for the media and others, tune those messages out because all that matters is you and your personal situation.

You may have issues with anorexia but you are not to be labeled or defined by it.

Don't create a situation where you are this outsider fighting the ills of society and their evil messages. You are a welcome part of this society who has just followed a uniquely different path. Use the good and bad of your specific path/journey to create your own foundation of success.

Americans obsess about having perfect bodies yet want to eat junk food, smoke, drink, overeat and exercise as little as possible.

You however, are doing great things and just need to make some adjustments to your eating habits and mindset. View yourself as an elite athlete. Athletes like yourself must set goals, train hard and supply the body with the nutrients needed for success.

Marathoners are very thin and sleek but still consume ample amounts of calories/nutrients so that they can maintain their endurance. Training hard, eating less and thinking that you will be thinner, perform better and look good while doing it will only fool yourself. What will happen is what is called hitting the wall. You will get to a certain point to where you have no energy to continue and fail to finish the race, not to mention a possible relapse into past behaviors.

Take quality vitamins/minerals/antioxidants and quality fats that your body will eventually use during long runs and training sessions. As long as your foods are high quality, low/unprocessed and matched with proper training, you will not get fat.

Stay focused on your goals and the intrinsic rewards from mastering your activity. If you do this, you will notice that you will place less attention on societal pressures and messages.

Contact personal trainer Dave Patania by e-mail: davpatania@aol.com.