Unassociated Press

During my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, I managed to pack on about 50 pounds. Lack of exercise and poor diet–very poor diet actually, one really shouldn’t have queso and chips with every meal–caused my gut to expand like it was on a mission to take over the world. I knew I needed to do something about it when I couldn’t fit into the largest size at my favorite store (Express only carries pants up to size 12, and my thighs were not cooperating with a size 12 anymore), but sticking to an exercise and diet regimine is truly a complete lifestyle change that doesn’t happen overnight. It took years for me to develop the horrid eating habits that led me to a whopping 191 pounds on my medium 5′8” frame. I was a mere four pounds away from having a BMI of 30 and being clinically obese, so to turn my life around was going to take continued effort and sustained motivation.

One person who really helped in the beginning stages of my weight loss was a friend of mine who was a health food junkie and exercise enthusiast. Before I decided to lose the weight, I thought she spent too much time counting calories and jogging, but when my relationship with my boyfriend of 3 years began to suffer because of my lack of self-confidence, I knew she had the right idea about getting fit and staying fit. Brittany was my height and about my build, but was slender and athletic. Seeing what someone of my body type could look like helped me visualize my goal, and having her around when we went out to eat with friends helped remind me to make the right decisions when placing my order (which had previously been difficult because my boyfriend’s choices–his favorites are burgers, hot dogs, and pizza–had heavily influenced my eating habits). Having a diet buddy was probably the number one reason for my success because it turned the knowledge of how one should eat into real, tangible changes in my day to day routine. My new lifestyle has helped me to lose almost 40 pounds in one year.

The importance of social support and interaction when trying to instill diet and lifestyle change has been supported by the scientific community. Ethel Frese, a professor of physical therapy at Saint Louis University and board certified cardiovascular and pulmonary specialist said,”The nice thing about doing a group activity is that you get the social interaction, which is also part of general health”. This knowledge has led to the development of old school P.E. programs for adults, complete with dodgeball and someone blowing a whistle on a lanyard. These programs, like the one in Newport, New Hampshire, could make a real difference for adults who find it hard to remain entertained while peddling away on a bike or running on a treadmill. If you’re having trouble staying fit as you get older and don’t have your own designated diet and exercise buddy, try starting an adult P.E. program near you. Something tells me you’re not the only one in town who can’t stand the elliptical machine. Playing games like red rover and freeze tag while socializing with others might help you forget that you’re actually exercising and help you achieve lasting success.

Read more about the adult P.E. programs at \”Adults rush to play dodgeball, duck-duck-goose\”