Success Story
Life is not about 'being a size two' says local TV anchor
When she first entered the television business almost 10 years ago, Amy Spears had tried diet pills, every diet on the market, and had become obsessed with running to achieve the look on billboards and magazines. Now, she knows it's not about how you look, and that's her message to anyone who thinks that image is everything.
"This is probably the most self-conscious business you can be in, and I've just now gotten to a point in my life that I have realized it's not about being a size two or a size four. It's about feeling good," says Spears, 30.
She worked at several television stations in her home state of Alabama, holding down jobs in Tuscaloosa and Montgomery before moving to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 2001, she claimed her stake in the Memphis market as anchor/reporter for WREG News Channel 3.
Spears says it's disturbing as she recalls covering stories about young girls, some as young as 10 years old, who battle with their own shortcomings about body image and being "fat." She and her friends have often tossed around the idea of starting a body image class to teach young women that beauty starts from within.
As far as her own fitness, Spears completed a half marathon before moving to Memphis and has always done exercises to get plenty of cardiovascular workout. She did very little weight training, until now.
"Once I hit 30, I realized that the cardiovascular keeps your heart healthy, but as far as things falling just as Mother Nature goes with gravity, you've got to do some weight training." she says. "My clothes fit better. I've not lost weight on the scale, but I've noticed a huge difference because things that use to hang on my legs don't do that anymore."
When she works out at the Downtown YMCA three days a week, she does about 10 minutes of warm-up before starting full-body workout on her legs, chest, back and biceps. When she's not chasing a news story, she and her fiancé spend Saturday mornings and Sundays after church walking the dogs - Maggie and Tippie.
Spears says she drinks about four to five 50 ounces of bottled water a day, leaving no room for sodas. Because of the nature of the business, being accessible when breaking news hits is a must, and she finds it difficult to eat a balanced meal between stories. So out come the wheat thins, nutrition bars, carrots and broccoli that she keeps handy at the television station. She doesn't eat fried foods but adds that she's not the one to deprive herself, either.
"If I want a doughnut, I'll have a doughnut. I'll try not to eat 12 of them, which is hard for me because doughnuts are my weakness," she says. "I think you should give in to your cravings, then you won't go crazy down the road."
Eating more fish is one of her nutritional goals. That means putting more salmon, tuna and halibut in the oven when she cooks. She and her fiancŽ love to cook. In fact, she says they've had to compromise on food portion size when they eat because his family is Greek, and they remind her of the family in the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
"When Greeks sit down to eat a meal, it's a feast, and you really can't do that everyday," she says. Yes, Memphis barbecue may be one benefit to her moving to the Bluff City, but Spears sees another benefit, and it must be something in the water.
"I don't know what it is about Memphis, but I think a lot of the women here are very secure; they are very health conscious, and it's been the best thing for me," she says, adding that she didn't notice this in other places she's lived. "Since I've been here, I've realized that it's about being healthy and feeling good about yourself. You don't have to be what you see in the magazine."
By Joyce M. Webb
June 12, 2003
Copyright, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN. Used with permission.
(http://www.commercialappeal.com)
