|
 Tamarac Success
By Stephanie Busman
When I was younger I was very active. I participated in volleyball and cheerleading, rode horses, swam, and often took long walks. Even when I was married and my children were born I remained active. In 1993, I decided to pursue my Bachelor’s degree while working full time. The commitment to my education required me to study every night. It took me eight years to earn my degree and that was the beginning of a pretty sedentary life.
Currently, I am a full time employee of Gerber Products Company, a wife, and a mother of two active teenagers. For the past few years, my job required about 40% travel. When in town, I usually work about 10 hours a day and often go directly to sporting events or school functions, which is not any different than many other working parents.
For the past two years, I knew that I was going down a slippery slope with my health. I was tired all the time, had absolutely no energy and was fifty pounds overweight, and I felt a little helpless. I was ready to make a change, but I just did not know where to go or what to do. I had tried Weight Watchers, No-Carb Diets, and many other things. I can’t say the programs did not work, but once I was on my own again, the weight eventually returned.
I enrolled at Tamarac in July of 2008 and immediately signed up for my Personal Health Assessment; knowing it wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was reality! I was met by a very welcoming staff that was extremely helpful and encouraging. Jeremy, my Fitness Guide, reinforced every positive thing I was doing and we set six month goals. I was also trained to use Fitlinxx, which I believe was pivotal. I returned to the facility confident that I could use the machines correctly. Tracking your exercise, and seeing your accomplishments in Fitlinxx, is very motivational. I now add my home exercise using the website.
My doctor recommended the New You program at Tamarac and for the first time in a long time, I was hopeful. I enrolled on August 6, 2008. The courses are taught by Cathy, a Registered Dietician and Tony, a Tamarac Fitness Guide. Our assignment after our first class was to walk 20 minutes a day. I was so out of shape and “too busy” that I would literally look at my watch every few minutes. When I hit the 10 minute mark, I would turn around and walk home. That seems so funny to me now!
The program has been a huge success. At the end of the thirteenth week, my class of thirteen has collectively lost 443 pounds! I have personally lost over 43 pounds. More importantly, I have learned more about nutrition and exercise in two months than I had in 39 years. I believe that New You is the first program that does not want you to come back in a few years and start over. And yes, I do like to exercise! I exercise around 30-45 minutes per day, including playing volleyball again!
Do I think my struggle with eating and weight is over? Absolutely not! But I do know that I have the comprehensive tools to fight back. One of the most important is the relationships that I have established with caring professionals at Tamarac!
|
