Get Fit, Stark! Rally

Since Kenn couldn’t make it to the Get Fit, Stark! Rally we hosted last night and he hasn’t posted a blog for a while, I wanted to take a little time out of my day to write a post. I think it is important that we get the word out about all the hard work people are putting into themselves and how rewarding that can be.

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting the faces of this year’s Get Fit, Stark! Program. I also was able to join them for a killer Boot Camp Workout from Matt, one of our fitness instructors. On a side note: if anyone likes to be tortured, I recommend signing up for his Fitness Boot Camp Class when it starts in March. It is fantastic.

The rally started out by everyone coming up to the scale, weighing in and telling the group about their challenges and successes over the last month. This was my favorite part of the night. Almost everyone in the group lost weight and it was inspirational to see their faces when they saw that on the scale. It was as if they were being handed the greatest reward for all of their hard work. Some of the stories almost brought me to tears, too. One of the participants was in borderline diabetic when she started and has minimized or eliminated her health problems through her new healthier lifestyle. Another participant has already lost 50 pounds and plans to lose 50 more. It’s just amazing.

Weight loss, especially when you want to maintain it, is a process. It involves learning all new behaviors and having a different relationship with food and with exercise. It really is difficult – I know; I’ve been through it, too. I have lost 30 pounds and am now trying to maintain it. A lot of it just boils down to what works for you, but I noticed there are a lot of common themes between everyone on the program and what I have learned. Here are a few lessons to take away from last night:

1. Plan ahead. Whether its meals or exercise, planning will help keep you from making excuses. Pay for a fitness class so you’ll be less likely to skip it, pack your lunch, or when dining out check out the menu beforehand so you know what to expect.


2. Indulge in moderation. If you allow yourself a little bit of a food you really like or are really craving, it is going to help you in the long run. One participant eats whatever they want on Sundays. Another ate the foods they wanted, but practiced portion control. Another just takes one bite of the food they are craving, because that’s the best one. Either way you do it, I think you need a little wiggle room to enjoy the foods you like or else you diet is going to feel too restrictive.


3. Exercise. Not only does it help you burn fat and build muscle, it also helps balance out the times when you indulge. One other weird thing I’ve found is that I eat better on days when I’ve had a tough workout because I feel fitter and healthier. Some of the participants in Get Fit, Stark! even said that doing a challenging workout or class made them look forward to going to the next class.


4. Use the Buddy System. That’s a major part of Get Fit, Stark! There are people you can talk to and go through this change with. They can motivate you to go to the gym or take a class when you might not be feeling it or as one participant put it: give you that look when you want to order dessert.


The most important thing about diet and exercise is just doing it. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be so many programs, books, TV shows, and videos to help us with it! Getting started and making it part of your routine is the hard part. Once you do that, you’ll look and feel so great, you won’t want to stop. Just ask anyone in Get Fit, Stark!

Congratulations on the progress you all have made and good luck on the remainder of your journey!

~Jessica