Successful Losers

You have seen the TV show “The Biggest Loser.”

You have seen “Honey, Look What We Are Doing to Our KIDS!”

From these programs, you see from week to week, the developing stories of how people either are successful or not in the goal for a healthy quality of life. Those that are not successful, you generally have an idea as to what they are doing wrong to prevent improvement. Can you do the same for yourself and your family before you become a contestant on these shows? Think about the choices you make every day with regard to your activities, time management, food and behaviors. You too can be a successful loser, if you make the decision to train smarter, not harder, get active and change some behaviors.

In a recent Prevention Magazine article, data from the National Weight Control Registry demonstrates four common behaviors that successful losers share. Successful indicating that weight was lost and kept off.

Successful Losers:

            1] 62% watch less than 10 hours of television each week.

            2] 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.

            3] 78% eat breakfast every day.

            4] 90% exercise, on average, 1 hour per day!!!

Please note that dieting, shakes and pills are not on the list. Just like gravity never fails on earth, neither does this simple equation: burn more calories through exercise than you consume in calories and you will manage your weight successfully every time.

Exercise includes: walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and aerobic dancing among others. The key in their view is that you perspire moderately, breathe a little heavier without being out of breath and some fatigue in the muscle groups used. They agree with the train smarter, not harder method of using your pulse rate as an indicator of the effort being used.

For those waiting to be a contestant on the TV shows – the best to you as you wait. Realize that the viewers will know why you are not losing weight and following a healthy lifestyle.

For those of you ready to start your own successful program to gain your healthy goals for 2008 and beyond, to change your behaviors – “successful losing” is just in front of you. Follow the lead of so many others, get started and get active.

Bottom line – give yourself the best opportunity to enjoy and improve your quality of life – train smarter, not harder.

Marathon [26.2 miles] results include the following from Houston Marathon and Disney Half and Full Marathons. Tom Phillips competed in the Houston Marathon placing 407th out of 5595 runners in a time of 3:23:56. In the Disney Half Marathon, the following people showed what Valdostan’s are made of: Dorothea Boemer [3:32:04], Irene Gung [2:49:29] and Mark Naglack [1:42:00]. On Sunday, the Disney Marathon was run in tough conditions, and the following people showed their metal finishing: Sean Bomar [5:05:57], Melanie Ellis [4:41:17], Wylie Estes [6:00:28] , Leigh Ann Hogan [5:34:35], Sheryl Jackson [5:26:37], Angela Leach [5:05:58], Mark Naglack [3:29:04], Ben register [5:46:45], Jamie Welborn [3:46:30], Jay Wolfe [5:49:13]. A total of 12,964 people participated in the 26.2 mile event. Please note that Mark Naglack ran the Half Marathon [13.1 miles] on Saturday and the Marathon [26.2 miles] on Sunday and finished very well in both.

Also Saturday, on a beautiful day in Nashville, GA – a new course record was recorded by Austin McDonald of Fitzgerald with a 17:43.3 for the 5K distance. More people joined in this growing event than last year and many good times were turned in. The overall female winner was Brandi Faircloth from Hahira running a 23:15.8 followed closely by Heidi Gonzalez of Valdosta in 23:48.5. The 10th women overall, running in her first race ever, was Anna Coggins completing the distance in under 30 minutes. Husband, child and Anna were full of smiles along the course and especially at the finish line. I think they are hooked – sure you will see the name more often in the results. Congratulations to King Bridges and all the volunteers at the Berrien County Parks and Recreation Department who presented their third annual event.

February 9th, the Student-Athletes of VSU will be presenting a Relay event. There are five (5) legs of the relay, and a team can be from 3 to 5 members to get the full distance completed. The distance covered will be 10K or 6.2 miles, but each leg will run approximately 1.2 miles. If there are less than 5 people on the team, members will have to run multiple legs. There will be awards in team categories, team names and team T-Shirts. This is a family event, keep that in mind. There is more information to come on this event in the coming weeks.

March 15th, the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Department present the annual Azalea Festival 5K on March 15th – make plans to have the entire family participate in either the 5k or 1 mile events. This is a Valdosta tradition and favorite.

There are weekly, FREE activities for the runners and cyclists in the area. Runners can show up at Get Active Running and more on Saturday and Sunday morning at 7AM for all-comer runs from 1.5 to 8 plus mile runs. For more information on the runs, check out the web page www.getactivevaldosta.com , call or send an email. Cyclists can meet for rides on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the cycling rides, check out the web page at www.azaleacitycyclists.com.

Do you have results you want to share about yourself, a loved one or friend? Do you want to share what motivates you to being active? Send an email to me at Get Active  Running and more.

If you have questions about your walking, running or other training, drop me an email and I will do my level best to answer your questions. Check out www.getactivevaldosta.com to get connected. Listen to the Get Active South Georgia radio show on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7PM on Talk 92.1 FM to receive additional information or to ask questions

Thank you,

Todd & Alice Smoot

GET ACTIVE 
Running and more

GET ACTIVE SOUTH GEORGIA as heard on Talk 92.1 FM Tuesdays 6 to 7 PM
GET ACTIVE SOUTH GEORGIA  as read weekly in the Sunday VDT - look for us
www.getactivevaldosta.com
3200-C North Ashley Street
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-219-0010
229-219-0012 (F)

In the long run, one must have goals to succeed.

"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift" Steve Prefontaine