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The [Long] Battle of the Bulge
After nearly a year of weight loss attempts, the Healthy Outlook Club (HOC) that was formed by the NAILS staff and its readers last May concluded in January with a few lovely days at the spa.
by Vanessa Jezin
May 1, 20022 min to read
After nearly a year of weight loss attempts, the Healthy Outlook Club (HOC) that was formed by the NAILS staff and its readers last may concluded in January with a few lovely days at the spa. Although most of us didn’t reach our ultimate weight loss goals, we each made a start. We found out what we knew all along: Weight loss is hard and life happens. We didn’t try any fad diets or gimmicks, just sensible eating and regular exercise.
The twist on the HOC was that we were going to do it together through emails, intervention at the office, and weekly Internet chats. Most of us fell off the wagon (several times), proving that either way--going it alone or with a group--losing weight is hard.Some of us came pretty close to meeting our weight loss goals and others exceeded them: Gracie Wyatt-Welker dropped an amazing eight sizes! We celebrated with a spa day at The Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs,Calif. Our reader-participants were Amy Anzlovar, Debbie Doerrlamm, and Wyatt-Welker, and the NAILS staff included Cyndy Drummey and me. We thought, what better way to get re-motivated than three days full of healthy eating exercise programs, spa service, and a personal trainer?
The spa hiatus not only worked, it also gave each of us (some whom had never met each other) a chance to get to know each other after numerous e-mail exchanges. We found out Gracie had never flown before and for the first time ever, she witnessed graffiti firsthand. Debbie got her first massage ever, and Amy almost ate a vegetable.Cyndy took her first yoga class and now boasts an impressive downward facing dog.
“I can’t begin to describe how great this experience was for me,” says Wyatt-Welker. I made so many friends through the HOC. The whole experience has been so uplifting. Our personal trainer gave me so much food for thought. We learned about our bodies and the way they process food. I truly think before I eat now. That something I never did before.”
The point is that it wasn’t easy listing our goals and challenges for the world to see, knowing that failure may be the end result. But we think in the end we ultimately did reach our goal to eat more healthfully and increase our fitness awareness.
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