TOLEDO, Ohio — The Super Fitness Weight Loss Challenge has been coaching people and helping them lose weight for about 18 years now.
It is a simple numbers game - consume fewer calories than you use in a day. If you eat a lot in one day, you'll need to do more exercise to burn those calories. Over the years, our challengers have reached out to nutrition experts like Weight Watchers for even more guidance.
Karen Allen, Ricky Allen, Wendy Hiteshall and Tracy Hansen are Team Weight Watchers.
Karen Allen joined the Super Fitness Weight Loss Challenge at the recommendation of her husband, Ricky Allen.
“Ricky came home from the kick-off party and said Wendy was there. Ricky told me I needed to join. I got a hold of Tracy and asked her to join. She said 'What do I have to do?'" Karen Allen said. "I gave her the link and it started us rolling.”
Team Weight Watchers works out at home and Super Fitness, takes on all of our tough challengers and meets every Wednesday for their Weight Watchers workshop.
"Huge part of it is our weekly meetings. Workshops, we call them, and this is something that we go to every time," Tracy Hansen said. "And then this has helped with the challenge and I’ve joined the gym and now come every week too, and it’s been amazing.
Karen Allen has joined the Super Fitness Weight Loss Challenge several times but had to stop due to back issues and leg problems.
"I would stop in the middle. With my husband, our group and my kids in it, they have helped me push through it more. My son and daughter-in-law usually run beside me so if I have issues they are there to catch me," Karen Allen said. " So far, I have not needed help from them.”
Team Weight Watchers works on their fitness through water aerobics on Tuesday and Thursday, working out at home and going to the gym a couple of times a week, Karen Allen said.
Additionally, they make little changes to incorporate more steps into their daily routine, such as parking further away from the store and taking it into consideration at work.
"So you have extra steps walking, I print to my printer at work further away," Hansen said. "I have to walk further to get my stuff off the printer. So little things you can incorporate more steps in and out of the house with your groceries."
"When we have challenging days, we always make sure that we’re here for that," Hansen said.
It isn't always easy. Some of the challenges are pretty demanding, but the team has excelled together.
"The teamwork and comradery with my friends is the biggest thing I have gained," Hiteshall said. "That and realizing what I can do with my body; firefighter challenge, I mean, come on!"
Focusing on exercise and nutrition has been the key for their progress. This Weight Watchers Team has lost weight by working out and watching their calories.
Hansen has lost more than 20 pounds since joining in October.
“I honestly wasn’t planning on losing any," Hansen said. "I just wanted to tone up. I joined to support my friends. Win-win."
Karen Allen is making progress as well.
“I became a lifetime member with Weight Watchers last year and have struggled to stay under goal," Karen Allen said. "But with the Super Fitness Weight Loss Challenge exercise part of my routine, I have lost 13 pounds since the kick off last October."
Hiteshall and Ricky Allen are also seeing the number on the scale go down.
"The biggest thing is if you see the food, determine what looks healthier than the other and what really looks good to you," Karen Allen said.
The lifestyle choice helps and nothing is truly off limits, according to Hansen.
"With our Watchers lifestyle that we share, points are a huge part of it. So if I see a pizza and I want piece pizza, I’ll incorporate that into my day and do zero-point foods for the morning part so I can have the piece of pizza or cake or whatever," Hansen said. "We just plan ahead. We do a lot of mindset."
Technology plays a key role too, using something everyone has at hand.
“The Weight Watchers app helps so much,” Hiteshall said. “Being able to build my recipes in the app and getting the in point value was a game-changer. Also, the zero-point foods that Weight Watchers has really opened up my palate. I actually eat beans and Greek yogurt now."
Hansen's game-changer was swapping ground chicken for ground beef. She uses chicken for things like tacos, chili, spaghetti and burgers. She buys a 40-pound box of boneless, skinless chicken breast when it's on sale, grinds it herself and adds the seasonings she wants. Then, she vacuum seals it in one-pound bags.
“Another one of my favorites is cauliflower,” Hansen said. “I boil it in a little chicken broth, drain it, then purée it and you’ve got mashed potatoes Weight Watchers style. One of my favorite dips uses fat free Greek yogurt mixed with Hidden Valley Ranch powder. Makes a lovely veggie dip and is zero points.”
Karen Allen has a sweet tooth and has found a few lower-calorie ways to satisfy it through making her own desserts.
“I combine a protein shake mix with sugar free cheesecake pudding and Greek plain or vanilla yogurt," Karen Allen said. "I also found a recipe where you use fat-free Cool Whip and sugar-free Jell-O, mix together, freeze it and use it if you want ice cream.”
"I am a chocolate fan. I will mix fat-free Greek yogurt with sugar-free hot chocolate for a 1-point chocolate mousse. Also, Kodiak dark chocolate protein pancake mix, 1/4 cup of the mix with 1/4 cup of water. Mix and put in a skillet and make a pancake for 3 points," Hiteshall said. "Better yet, add Costco low-sugar cherry jam for another point and you have Black Forest cake.
The Weight Watchers Team agrees, the payoff for all of this commitment is feeling better.
"You can just move and get around and you just feel better all over," Hansen said. "Tying your shoes, walking through the turnstiles at stores, so many things you don’t realize when you're big like that how much better life is when you’re not as big."
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