February 2008 GOal Getters
Better Together Than Peanut Butter & Jelly… all because of Jam!
Glori Apa
I have struggled most of my life with my weight. I have gained and lost so many pounds throughout the years. I tried all different kinds of weight loss products and diets. I achieved some short term results, but I always seem to put the weight back on. This past year has been emotionally difficult as I lost my mother last December and a very dear friend & co-worker in April due to cancer. I am an “emotional eater”, so these events did not help with my weight issue. I decided to put my health and well-being into perspective. My mother died at the age of 68 due to complications from diabetes. Diabetes and heart disease are prominent in my family’s health history. So in September, I made the decision to try an exercise program with the commitment to losing weight along with better eating habits. I contacted Momentum and went on a tour of the facility. Right from the start, I noticed the high energy of everyone there, and it made me excited to get started.
I started my first class that following Monday, and I was on my way to improve my lifestyle to lose weight and better my health. I enjoyed my workout and started to make acquaintances with the members and instructors. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I tried several different classes. My favorite so far is BodyJam. I always enjoyed dancing, so this was something I was excited to try. I love the music and all the dance moves. It’s a great workout AND also so much fun. I had made some friends in that first BodyJam class and always look forward to seeing them for the next. I then met Debi at the club and talked her into trying out the BodyJam class. She noticed how much fun everyone was having, so we took it together and have become exercise buddies ever since. We keep in touch throughout the week and coordinate when we will be going to class together. It has been a wonderful experience since I started at Momentum… I am having fun exercising, I am making new friends, and I have lost 25 pounds since joining! The decision to join Momentum was the best thing I have ever done for myself!
Debi Erney
Growing up, I was an active child and teenager— cheerleading, softball, swimming, biking, etc. But it seemed in the winter months, I was like a squirrel storing nuts until the spring “thaw”. I would enjoy whatever food I wanted but without the physical activity… thus, the weight would ‘pile on’. This would lead me to one of those fad diets, so I could lose the weight. I even remember a diet my mom and I did together where our lunch consisted of 2 cups of plain cottage cheese (that fills a dinner plate), and the only thing you could do was salt it… yeah— it was about as tasty as it sounds. Once spring came, I became active again, and the weight would come off until the winter rolled around. Well, as I got older, I found it harder and harder to lose the weight and keep it off. I have tried almost every diet out there, and the only guaranteed result, at least for me, was once I stopped eating their food, I would gain the weight I originally lost back… plus some!
It wasn’t until I saw a picture of myself with my youngest niece at her First Holy Communion did I realize how much weight I had actually gained over the past few years. This was a combination of not eating properly, no exercise, and the (later diagnosed) result of an underactive (“lazy”) thyroid. I finally decided I needed to take the next step to a healthier lifestyle, but the thought of joining the typical gym didn’t appeal to me. So, I did a lot of research and looked for a place that would be right for me and help me accomplish my goal. When I took the tour of Momentum, I was waiting for the “catch”… you know, like you’ve always heard that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. So, trying not to get my hopes up, I figured I’d wait and see how my first session went with my Fitness Coach, Christine, and take it from there. I had such a great session I couldn’t believe how fast the hour passed by! I left Momentum that night feeling great about the decision I made to join and couldn’t wait for my next appointment with Christine as well as to try some classes and discover everything else the fitness center had to offer.
In the past, I have always focused on a number to determine my success at getting in shape… I need to be this weight in order to consider myself successful… but I’m NOT doing that this time. I told Christine that I don’t care what the scale says; I just want to be in the best possible shape I can be, and she is helping me reach my goal. So, I can’t tell you how much weight I have lost, but I can tell you that I recently went shopping for new clothes because mine were getting too big. I went down a size in dress pants and 2 sizes in my tops! Not only am I losing weight and getting in shape, but also made some great friendships in the process! Glori and I met when I finally decided to throw caution to the wind and try BodyJam… she looked like she was having such a darn good time that I wanted to try it, too! We have become workout buddies and together have tried different classes we may have never tried alone. I think it makes it easier to try something new when you have someone to do it with!