Lose weight, get healthy for 2009

It is a fact that 70 percent of Americans are overweight. One local resident is looking to change those numbers.

Americans are constantly bombarded with thoughts of weight loss. Whether they’re for expensive personal trainers, extreme diets or the latest wonder pill, advertisements for weight loss are everywhere–and most people who have tried to lose weight and failed know that quick fixes don’t lead to long-term success.

“So many people diet, and then they stop what they’re doing,” said Ruth Nelson, a personal health and weight loss coach. “Each time, they regain the lost weight, plus a little bit more. It’s really hard on their body and on their health.”

Nelson speaks from experience; she used to find losing weight an impossible task. “After three children and being over 200 pounds with each birth, I would starve myself to try to lose all the weight. Six years ago I had to have a hysterectomy and didn’t like myself much anymore. I was suffering from headaches and tired all the time.”

By learning about healthy habits and nutrition, Nelson lost 25 pounds in two months–and has kept the weight off for six years. “I am a grandmother of seven, and I feel incredible,” she says.

Nelson says don’t be fooled by common food and diet myths:

Myth #1: Cutting down on portion size is the best way to lose weight.
Not necessarily. If you attempt to lose weight by just eating less of your regular foods, you are likely to gain the weight back again. Lasting results will come from changing the types of foods you are eating, not just the amounts.

Myth #2: Just cut out fat and you’ll lose weight.
This approach to weight loss, popular in the 80s simply doesn’t work. Just because a food is labeled “fat-free,” it can still be high in calories from sugar and carbohydrates. Effective weight loss comes from being mindful of your fat intake as well as your total calorie consumption.

Myth #3: Exercise alone can help you lose weight.
While exercise is an important component of a healthy weight-loss program, it is not a great way to lose weight on its own. Exercising for even an hour at a time burns sadly few calories. Combining exercise with calorie reduction and a healthy eating plan is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.

In order to help people struggling to lose weight, Nelson runs a program called Weight Loss Challenge. She thinks of it as a miniature version of the popular “Biggest Loser” television show.

“It’s a not-for-profit community outreach to people, because obesity has become such a widespread problem,” Nelson explained. It costs $29 to join the twelve-week program–and $25 of that fee goes into a winner’s pot, which is split among the three top losers at the end of the program.

We have programs Monday and Wednesday nights at 7:30 p.m. for 45 minutes, fun and education on healthy weight loss and fitness. Participants are weighed and measured privately at each weekly meeting, but weight and measurements are never shared with the group. Instead, the only numbers shared are the amount of weight lost.

“At each meeting, if you’ve gained a pound, you put $1 into the pot,” Johnson said. “If you’ve lost a pound, you get a prize ticket. Every week there are a lot of gifts given away, and it makes meetings a lot of fun.”

In addition to a sense of fun, community and accountability, Weight Loss Challenge also equips its participants with the tools they need to lose weight, be healthy and keep the weight off for good. Nelson works with each participant to determine what they need to change about their eating habits and diet in order to lose weight at a steady rate and promote health. The program stresses a solid education about nutrition, where food is fuel for a healthy body instead of being the enemy of weight loss.

All ages, weights and genders are welcome–whether they want to lose 10, 20, or 200 pounds. Contact Nelson t (520) 568-0515 to learn more or to register for the Weight Loss Challenge.

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