The Woodlands S.S. - The Beautiful Losers
The Woodlands S.S. is on a losing streak - and loving it!
In just eight weeks, 33 Woodlands staff lost a total of 157 pounds by participating in an innovative weight loss program called The Beautiful Losers Club. Grace Robertson, head secretary at the school and one of the co-founders of the club, is delighted with the results of the final weight loss tally. "As a group, we've already lost the equivalent of a whole person," she reports, "and some of the individual members have lost between 10 and 12 pounds in less than two months."
An inspiring start
The idea for the Beautiful Losers Club stemmed from the board's innovative Take One Step wellness website. Ted Byers, vice-principal at The Woodlands, explains that "there's a real awareness of health, wellness and active living at the school because of the healthy messages provided through the Take One Step site."
Encouraged by the growing interest in health and wellness, Ted introduced the idea of a weight loss support group to the staff and recruited Grace to help implement it. Grace had already had tremendous success with her own exercise and weight loss efforts. Only a few months earlier, she had learned about the staff discount available at Curzon's/Premier Fitness Clubs through the Take One Step site. By joining the gym and adopting healthier eating habits, Grace lost 25 pounds and dropped three dress sizes. So, she was the perfect inspiration and role model for the Beautiful Losers Club.
Making weight loss fun
According to Ted, "the staff were very excited about working together and giving each other moral support to shed those unwanted pounds."
Within the first week, 38 people signed up for the club - representing nearly 1/3 of The Woodlands' staff. A few members dropped out along the way but most stuck with it, partly because Grace and Ted took such a light-hearted and upbeat approach to their weight loss program.
The fun started right from the first weigh-in, when club members were encouraged to choose pseudonyms so they could keep their weight records anonymous. With tongues firmly in cheeks, staff signed up as "Big Mama," "Mr. Piggy" "Big Fat Loser" and "Pillsbury Dough Boy." Each member chose a weight loss target for the end of the program and committed to weekly weigh-ins. To add a little pizzazz to the process, Grace made colourful charts and posted them in the main office, so that both staff and students could track the Beautiful Losers' progress. She also made an eye-catching bulletin board, where club members could post articles and information on nutrition and exercise.
The challenge of staying motivated
Once everyone made the initial commitment, the next challenge was to keep the momentum going. Grace started a weekly newsletter for club members, filled with tips, recipes and sound advice for eating healthy and getting fit. Club members took advantage of The Woodlands' beautiful wooded setting to start a 100 Mile Club, getting together for daily walks during lunch hours or after school. They also used the school website to spread the word on healthy living and created a resource list of interesting websites, books and articles. As well, staff were encouraged to track their body fat percentages by using the school's digital body fat monitor.
Two of the most motivating features of the program were a presentation on exercise and healthy eating by Andrew Salter, a certified personal trainer from Premier Fitness, and a mini-massage and relaxation session by massage therapist, Craig Webber. At the end of the eight weeks, Ted and Grace planned a celebratory (but low-fat!) luncheon, with prizes and awards for everyone.
Peer support makes a difference
When the final weigh-in was recorded, not every Beautiful Loser had met their weight loss target. But most had lost at least a little weight and all had learned a great deal about health and wellness. Ted, who managed to shed five pounds, is convinced that "even people who simply maintained their weight were making progress because they stopped gaining. Although I didn't lose a lot of weight, I've learned to change my eating habits and make more thoughtful food choices."
Grace agrees with him wholeheartedly, adding that the supportive atmosphere of the group helped all the members make progress. "Whenever anyone got discouraged or was losing momentum, they could draw on the moral support of the others to help them keep going." Most importantly, the new healthy attitudes are finding their way into the classroom. Both students and parents are asking questions about the club displays and expressing interest in healthy activities. Says Grace, "We've got a lot of plans for the future, including a mini-cookbook and exercise demonstrations. The Beautiful Losers Club could easily become an annual event for The Woodlands!"
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The Woodlands staff comment on the Beautiful Losers Club
"This club has truly motivated me to become diligent in losing weight! 10 pounds off and still more to come!" Trish Cross
"I lost quite a bit of weight in the fall but gained it back over the winter. The Beautiful Losers Club brought me back to where I want to be." Anonymous |
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Sample results from the Beautiful Losers Club
Pounds lost by Week 5
· Pillsbury Dough Boy - 9
· Mr. Piggy - 8.5
· Frodo - 7
· Pumpkin - 6.8
· Mahone - 6.4
· Light and Lively - 6.2
Miles walked by Week 5
· Moira - 61
· Maureen - 54
· Tricia - 44
· Dona - 38
· Dave - 36 |
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