By now, many are stuffed with ham, eggnog, and pie, and ready
to start the new year off healthy. The hard part is always the first
step, and knowing which weight-loss route to take, which is exactly
why one local hospital is offering some incentive to get
moving--exchanging cash for calories.
Bypassing those tempting Christmas dinner leftovers, several are opting to hit the gym. Whether getting a head start on New Year's weight-loss goals or simply continuing with their regular exercise regimen, many are focusing on calories out instead of in.
"I think its hard to go back and forth from having a healthy diet and then indulging for a while, versus maintaining a consistent diet", says Megan Dortch, who works out daily.
Megan Dortch, 24, has included working out as a part of her daily life, in part, to take preventative measures.
"Once you get older and start to get injuries, it's much harder than just trying to keep fit as you grow up", Dortch tells us.
And if preventing disease wasn't motivation enough, Abilene Regional Medical Center is raising the stakes, as a way to improve eating habits, with $500 on the line.
"My goal with the class is to teach people lifestyle changes, things they can do everyday. Little things they can do to make big changes", explains Belinda Southall, "Lose to Win" Health Instructor.
By picking up a new exercise routine, and reaching for healthier choices in the kitchen, the results offer long-term health benefits.
"I notice a huge difference in my energy level and the ability to do my job well, and other things well, whenever I've been able to work out"', says Dortch.
"In any city there is a high obesity rate, and in Abilene I think it's along the same line. We just want to help educate people and for them to be more aware and to know what to do, and to give them a ground to start on", Southall tells us.
Experts say once you take your first step--usually off the couch and into the gym-- those baby steps can turn into huge strides towards a healthier life.
The weight-loss competition will start with a weigh-in coming up in a few weeks. Folks can enroll in nutrition classes for the inside scoop on dropping pounds.The person to lose the highest percentage of their body weight wins the cash prize.
For more information on the contest, click here.
Bypassing those tempting Christmas dinner leftovers, several are opting to hit the gym. Whether getting a head start on New Year's weight-loss goals or simply continuing with their regular exercise regimen, many are focusing on calories out instead of in.
"I think its hard to go back and forth from having a healthy diet and then indulging for a while, versus maintaining a consistent diet", says Megan Dortch, who works out daily.
Megan Dortch, 24, has included working out as a part of her daily life, in part, to take preventative measures.
"Once you get older and start to get injuries, it's much harder than just trying to keep fit as you grow up", Dortch tells us.
And if preventing disease wasn't motivation enough, Abilene Regional Medical Center is raising the stakes, as a way to improve eating habits, with $500 on the line.
"My goal with the class is to teach people lifestyle changes, things they can do everyday. Little things they can do to make big changes", explains Belinda Southall, "Lose to Win" Health Instructor.
By picking up a new exercise routine, and reaching for healthier choices in the kitchen, the results offer long-term health benefits.
"I notice a huge difference in my energy level and the ability to do my job well, and other things well, whenever I've been able to work out"', says Dortch.
"In any city there is a high obesity rate, and in Abilene I think it's along the same line. We just want to help educate people and for them to be more aware and to know what to do, and to give them a ground to start on", Southall tells us.
Experts say once you take your first step--usually off the couch and into the gym-- those baby steps can turn into huge strides towards a healthier life.
The weight-loss competition will start with a weigh-in coming up in a few weeks. Folks can enroll in nutrition classes for the inside scoop on dropping pounds.The person to lose the highest percentage of their body weight wins the cash prize.
For more information on the contest, click here.
