Marilu Henner - A Work In Progress
With A 21st Century Approach
By Sheri Hird

When I recently heard that actress turned health and fitness guru Marilu Henner had the fastest growing website on wellness, I decided to interview her firsthand to investigate the buzz.

This wasn't the first time I'd be talking to the Taxi redhead. We had met years ago backstage at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis after I was blown away by her performance in Annie Get Your Gun. After spending some time with her, I quickly became aware of two things-she was a generous host (and this was my home city!) and she had the energy of a first grader.

Marilu keeps a pace that would make most of us dizzy. Her ten-year-old son, Nicky, once said, "My mom is like an octopus; she can do eight things at once!" During a "normal" day, Marilu can be found doing Pilates, meeting with network execs, shooting stills for her Body Victory infomercial, writing her latest book, developing a new recipe, volunteering at her sons' school, teaching an online class at Marilu.com, or being interviewed by guys named Jay, Dave, or Conan.

She attributes this rewarding balancing act to three things: good people, good health and good organization!

Good Organization
Marilu seems hardwired for efficiency. Her entire house functions like a Swiss watch, (even the closets!) "It's important to set up your environment to win," she claims, "Would you ever trust your car to a sloppy mechanic?"

Perhaps Marilu learned to organize from her mother. Her home life was comfortably chaotic-the way many large, loving, extended families seem to be. Marilu grew up in the blue-collar heart of Chicago, with five siblings. "My family ran a dancing school in the garage with 200 students between the ages of 2 and 80, including the nuns who came over for Saturday morning stretch class." (What's black and white and sore all over?) "My mom also ran a beauty shop out of our kitchen for our Polish, Greek and Italian neighbors." (Talk about hair in your soup!) Any mother who could smoothly run two home businesses while keeping her husband and six children happy knows something about organization.

Good People
Marilu works closely with her brother Lorin, who has co-authored four of her seven books, and with their niece, producer Elizabeth Carney. "I've always believed in working with the best. And I'm lucky enough to find them within my own family." Marilu has always put family first, sharing every Christmas and several vacations throughout the year with her five siblings (and their families) even though they all live scattered throughout the U.S. Marilu loves to surround herself with men—especially her three favorites—fiancé Michael Brown, and sons, Nicholas (10) and Joey (8). "These guys are my biggest support team, plus they keep me motivated to be my best at all times," Marilu says.

As an actress, Marilu has always been the swizzle stick for making cast and crew one big "family." "While making Taxi," she explains concisely, "We shot 112 episodes and had 112 parties. We just loved being together, and still do today." Marilu had the same experience with the casts of Evening Shade, Chicagoand Annie Get Your Gun—and it showed in each performance.

Good Health
"The best thing you can do for yourself is to make healthy choices—eat good food, get enough sleep, exercise each day and stay away from the health robbers!" This is the philosophy Marilu has lived since her parents died in their fifties. "My father died at 52 from a heart attack, and I watched my mother suffer through the consequences of arthritis, which led to her death at 58. This was my wakeup call! Before that, I had been a crazy yo-yo dieter, swinging anywhere from 135 all the way up to 174 pounds-within a few weeks! I would try any stupid fad diet that came along in those days, thinking only of my body and how 'thin' I could be. But after my mother died, and I'd watched a disease ravage every part of her, I said to myself, 'It's not about my weight any more, it's really about my health.'"

Marilu became obsessed and researched everything she could find about health and wellness, determined to keep herself and her siblings healthy. After hundreds of books, endless semesters of anatomy, physiology, and nutrition classes, and twenty-six years of diet trial-and-error, Marilu has developed a philosophy and health regimen that is simple and effective. One look at her and you know it's working. And, of course, she gladly shares everything she knows with family, friends, cast-mates, moms, dads, teachers and people in line at the DMV.

"Once I focused on health, my entire life changed. I lost 54 pounds, my skin cleared up, my digestion improved and I stopped getting sick. I found my natural energy, which is a good thing because I have two spirited little boys that I want to be able to run around with—until they're too old. I look and feel better at 52 than I did in my twenties. Needless to say, once I hit the road to health, I have never looked back."

Her Philosophy
Marilu has already written six books on health and fitness, including three New York Times best-sellers. A key philosophy in all her books is "progress, not perfection"—making changes in small steps—and she has conveniently broken it down to ten. "You're still making improvements," she encourages. "But it's better to make small changes that you'll stay with, rather than big ones that you'll quit." I am struck with how much sense this makes-simple steps to wellness without strict discipline or becoming a social outcast.

As more and more people read about Marilu's common sense approach in her books and shared their success stories, it seemed like the right time to create a website. Marilu.com was one of the first websites to focus on personal support for weight loss and healthy living. Marilu.com quickly became a community, a neighborhood, a family-a place for people in search of a healthy, balanced, fulfilling life, and wanting to be their best-incorporating Marilu's big three-good people, good health and good organization. They call themselves THMers (abbreviated from Total Health Makeover, Marilu's first book that started it all) supporting and guiding one another through the 10 steps of THM in their daily lives.

A Global Community
"It's a bit of a paradox, but we have somehow become a closely knit 'global' community, says Marilu. "THMers get to know one another online, and then are naturally compelled to meet in person both regionally and nationally in the U.S. and Canada. There are THM lunches, picnics, spa weekends and we're currently planning a THM cruise." Marilu is genuinely excited about the cruise. She will be the main keynote speaker, lecturer and, at night, disco mixer and karaoke MC (as she has been in past spa weekends). She recounts the last gathering in Palm Springs, CA. "We had a blast!—Workouts, workshops, spa treatments, makeover sessions, group discussions, outstanding spa (THM) cuisine and, most importantly, the friendships and bonding that have changed my life. We had people from California, New York, Washington, Maryland, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, even Alaska and Canada! I think it was as much fun for them to meet one another, as it was for them to meet me, and for me to meet them."

"Where do I sign up?" I inquired. It was time for this small-town girl from Minnesota to check out the land of Marilu.com for herself. The public site is organized so anyone who logs on can take advantage of message board support and comprehensive information about the Total Health Makeover. But what impresses me is the 'Members Only' portion of the website, where online classes are conducted by Marilu and a team of moderators. Her moderators and staff are all people who follow THM and have been active participants on the message boards, and who have direct contact with Marilu herself. Classes are offered each month, some offering basic information and support to people who are new to THM; and others designed for more experienced THMers. Many of the classes don't seem to be about diet or food at all. "Everything is connected to everything," Marilu assures me. "Total health means your closet is organized, and your finances are in order, and you know what colors make you look your best, and what hairstyle is most flattering. Total health means your home is comfortable and not cluttered, and that your career is matching your potential. When we take care of our health, it leads to taking care of our whole lives." This philosophy is also the direction her 2005 Total Life Makeover calendar takes, with tips for food, fitness, finance, career, style, holiday entertaining and more.

It also explains why the online classes at Marilu.com are titled everything from Face Your Fears, Hot For the Holidays, Booty Camp For the Bikini Bod! In addition to Marilu and her team of moderators (aka the Mod Squad), Marilu invites guest speakers to come and chat with her members. On any given day you can find her pilates instructor Jay Grimes or her financial adviser Richard Feldstein teaching a one-hour class. "I'm an expert at finding the experts," Marilu exclaims. "I love bringing people together with great information. That's why I'm always inviting life coaches, nutritionists, even the Mad Cowboy to do what they do best."

Love The Food That Love You!
"The Total Health Makeover is not a diet. It's not about counting points or calories or grams of the same old food, and it's not about weighing yourself in front of a bazillion people. I tried all those things when I was younger, and they didn't work for me." What works, according to Marilu, is eating real food in real quantities. "You have to retrain your palate away from the junk. You have to learn to love the food that loves you," she says. And that is all it takes to lose weight and have the same kind of energy and focus that she has? "Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean protein. Avoid chemicals. Break a sweat every day for 20 minutes. Get enough sleep." It's not one step, she reminds me—it's ten steps.

Henner continues, "My mother's illness was a real turning point for me—I learned so much about what it takes to be healthy, and I'm here to share what I've learned. That's the whole point of my website-to share what I know, because once you know, you can't choose NOT to know anymore!"

And on the fastest growing website about wellness, that's exactly what Marilu is doing—sharing what she knows about balanced living—with good people, good health and good organization. After our time together, I can see that Marilu walks her talk. She's been generous with her time, but even more generous with her knowledge and insight. And now I want what she has…balance, energy and vibrant good health!

Sheri Hird lives in rural Minnesota, with her husband and two teenaged children. She strives to find balance between reading, writing and teaching. She thinks Marilu Henner might be onto something, and has already started cleaning out her closets and eating more vegetables.

What People Are Saying About www.Marilu.com
Discovering THM has been the best thing that could happen to my health and the health of my children. Being connected with others who are committed to healthy living through the Marilu.com Message Boards and On-Line Classes, has made all the difference.—Shelagh

I went from 170+ to 126 pounds and from a size 14 to a size 6. When I hit plateaus, I always found support from Marilu's online classes, books, and message boards. I am thankful everyday that I started this program: it changed my life. I feel better now than I did in my entire 20's, and I know now that I WILL be healthy the rest of my life.—Dana

It doesn't matter what state you're at in your health journey-if you're curious or you just want to tweak something. You don't have to be 100% ready to flip your life around to join Marilu.com. If you're doing one step, there's a place for you.—Audrey

The message boards at Marilu.com gave me unbelievable support and were an integral part of my days. After a few months, people started to notice my weight loss, which motivated me further. It's been a year and a half and not only have I lost the 30 pounds, but an extra 5 pounds as well. I went from 155 pounds (size 12) to 120 pounds (size 4). I haven't been at this weight since high school (10 years ago)!—Ani

Marilu doesn't make judgments about people. She's there to encourage you. She's not there to sell you something. Most celebrity sites are "buy this, buy that" but you can get good information without a sales pitch. Marilu really does read the message boards and stays connected every day. When she's in the chat room, she makes personal comments and asks a personal question, so you can tell that she's read your posts. She wants to meet people who come to her shows. It's about a personal connection. The website is part of her family.—Tonia

Sheri Hird

© 2004 Balance Magazine