Local fitness facilities gear up for new year's rush

Katie Bryant knows a little something about losing weight.

In just one year, the 53-year-old Wheaton woman lost half her body weight, going from 234 pounds to 117 after intense exercise, dieting and even surgery.

She says she got serious about controlling her weight after her husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 and she feared neither one of them would be around for their children.

Happily, her husband seems to have beat back the cancer. And Bryant, whose weight had contributed to arthritis, a knee replacement and borderline diabetes, eventually underwent Lap Band surgery, which limits the amount of food a person can digest by placing an adjustable gastric band around the stomach.

But before she had the surgery, she began an intense six-month program at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield that required her to alter her diet and exercise regime.

The thought didn't exactly make her gung-ho.

“I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world,” she said. “I thought ‘If I could lose weight by dieting, don't you think I would have done it by now?' But it was a good mindset for surgery.”

Bryant followed her nutritionist and exercise specialists' advice to the letter. She ended up losing around 60 pounds before going under the knife.

Between her pre-surgery regime and the medical procedure, Bryant dropped 117 pounds. She now exercises six days a week and sticks to a 1,200- to 1,400-calorie diet.

And as the new year begins and Bryant looks around the gym, she knows she's not alone.

The vast majority of people, of course, aren't out to lose half their body weight. And even fewer require surgery to get back in fighting trim.

But with the start of a new year, workout facilities throughout the region are dealing with an influx of people of all ages hitting the gym.

Early January is the most popular time for people to sign up for gym memberships, said Kate Williams, group coordinator and exercise physiologist of LifeStart at Central Park Athletic Club in Lisle. In her experience, though, only 20 percent stick to their plans.

This tear's exercise fad seems to center on the idea of interval training workouts, where athletes bounce between high-intensity and low-intensity activities, Williams said. People who don't have much time to exercise tend to like this type of activity because it's fast-paced and they can see results quickly.

Interval training programs such as “Biggest Loser” competitions and boot camps have become the new craze and even a class titled “Max It” had been added to the calendar, Williams said. The fast-paced class should be up and running by Jan. 17.

Another trend buzzing around the gym involves companies paying for or reimbursing their employees for club memberships. Businesses also have begun inviting personal trainers to their companies to hold classes about staying in shape.

Williams said executives are beginning to realize that fit employees have a higher production rate, take fewer sick days and are more likely to stay with their companies longer.

To stick with your plan throughout the year, Williams suggests setting a specific target that's measurable, realistic and has mini checkpoints along the way to track progress.

“You need to be able to roll with the punches. A lot of people are extremely strict, and they set themselves up for failure,” she said.

People who haven't worked out in a while also should remember to take baby steps, said Oakbrook Terrace Fitness Center personal trainer and instructor Luanne Pope. She said many people crash diet and work out every day right off the bat, which usually ends up with them quitting their workout program.

“People make things more difficult for themselves,” Pope said. “They feel they have to go on a diet. They give up things they don't want to give up in the beginning. In the long run, it's not a lifetime commitment.”

She suggests first monitoring food portions and building up endurance at the gym slowly. She said people should work out three times a week at first and lengthen their workouts to avoid tiring their body too much.

Bryant says her family's support helped her stick to her weight loss program. With their backing, she says, she knew she could shed the pounds and get into what she calls the best shape of her life.

“My family, my kids and my husband were so supportive and really encouraged me even on the days when they had something planned and mom had to go the gym for an hour first,” she said. “The staff at (Central DuPage Hospital) made me feel like a million bucks if I lost two pounds a month.”

<b>Tips for your first workouts</b>

With the start of the year, many folks are promising to get back in shape. Here are some tips from Oakbrook Terrace Fitness Center personal trainer and aerobic instructor Luanne Pope.

• MYTH: You should work out every day.

FACT: When people who are out of shape begin working out every day, they make themselves more susceptible to injuries and tire their body. It's better to start by going to a gym three times a week, so your body can build stamina.

“You should work out 20 to 30 minutes rather than stay on a treadmill for an hour trying to run the whole time. Your body can't take it,” Pope says.

You're more likely to remain committed to working out if you take baby steps instead of one giant leap. To boost workouts, consider adding one or two minutes to fitness routines and work up slowly.

• MYTH: You should obey a strict diet to lose weight.

FACT: It's more important to watch your proportions, rather than analyzing the actual items on your plate. Many people crash diet and give up all their favorite foods. That typically backfires, however, and eventually causes people to ditch the healthy foods.

Pope warns people to watch what they eat when they dine out. Eating proper proportions is half the battle toward becoming fit and once you accomplish that, you can work toward eating healthier meals.

• MYTH: You should work out alone to remain focused.

FACT: Competition and encouragement can be your best allies when trying to get fit. Friends can pull you off the couch when you feel sluggish and convince you to hit the gym. You also can inadvertently compete to see who can drop the most pounds. Either way, the buddy system gives you that extra push to keep working out.