Winning the Weight-Loss Challenge in Woodbury

In January, Woodbury Patch brought you a story on the Ways to Wellness weight-loss program at , the .

Stephanie Shippy, a 41-year-old special-education teacher, took the challenge and started on Jan. 17.

Recently, Patch caught up with Shippy and director of Ways to Wellness, Brenda Navin, to see what successes and challenges Shippy has faced over the past few months.

Woodbury Patch: How did you start the 60-Day Challenge? 

Stephanie Shippy: In my first session, Ways to Wellness trainers/nutritionists took many tests and measurements on me. For instance, they were able to tell me how many calories I burn in a 24-hour period. This information is important as they are able to calculate how many calories I should be consuming a day to achieve weight loss. We talked about my fitness goals and they gave me a nutrition packet to show how many grains, dairy, protein, vegetables and fruits I should be consuming daily.

Patch: Were you able to see where you were lacking in nutrition after they presented this information to you?

Shippy: Yes. I have always been a big veggie person, but after I had kids, the veggies in my diet have decreased. For me, it was more about working veggies and fruits back into my life. Now, before I step out the door in the mornings, I have to stop and think about my plan for foods. For instance, tonight I have a class and won’t be home for dinner. I only eat broccoli cooked, so since I’m not going to be home tonight, I needed to pack snack-sized baggies of carrots and cherry tomatoes.

Patch: What are you doing in terms of exercising?

Shippy: I’m doing strength training three times a week at Ways to Wellness. It’s a really good workout and I’m very tired afterwards. I’m also doing cardio at home three times a week and also use my Wii Fit. My trainer gave me a tip: If I can sing the ABCs, I’m not working out hard enough. In 10 days, I lost two pounds of fat!

Patch: I see you have a Ways to Wellness food diary. What’s the diary all about?

Shippy: This diary gives me a visual accountability as to the foods I’m eating. It forces me to see and be able to check off what my nutritionist told me to eat daily. There’s a real sense of satisfaction every day when I hit all my food groups and “X” that last box. Since I’ve made dietary changes, I have way more energy and am no longer getting a big fatigue dip in the middle of the day. Sleeping at night is easier now and I’m waking up in a better mood.

Patch: What surprised you the most about your diet change?  

Shippy: Portion sizes. You don’t realize the volume you’re eating until you measure it out. I think everyone would be surprised to see how much “more” they’re really eating if they would just stop and measure out what the box says as a serving. You think, oh, I’ll just pour myself a bowl of cereal, since a serving is only 180 calories. Most people are pouring two or even three servings into their bowl not even realizing it.

Patch: What are you learning through the program?

Shippy: At this stage, I feel like I’m entering a phase “after the honeymoon.” The excitement of starting this program is now over and reality has settled in. I’m realizing that implementing this dietary change into our cooking is taking time and I have to force myself to plan ahead for everything I eat. I have little kids and it’s really convenient to hit the drive-thru to grab dinner. I feel like some days I’m wanting to slip back into my old routine. Having said that, I’m still working very hard to get my vegetables in every day and eat the servings I need. I really want this to become a lifestyle change, but it’s not easy.

Patch: Is your family supporting you through this lifestyle change?

Shippy: My family continues to be very supportive. They are loving eating more fruits and vegetables. It’s also good for them to see I can still have treats if I’m careful about it. If I’m craving chocolate, I have a chocolate-covered granola bar instead of a candy bar. This way, I hit my serving of whole grains, too.

Patch: What about people at your workplace?

Shippy: People at work have been very encouraging and are asking lots of questions about how it’s going for me. I can definitely say I feel better on the days I work out and have more energy on those days, too.

Brenda Navin, director of Ways to Wellness

Patch: Brenda, what do you feel are some of Stephanie’s nutritional challenges?

Navin: One of Stephanie’s biggest challenges was reducing her sugar consumption.  Before she began her dietary changes, she would feel a middle of the day fatigue dip and reach for candy. Now, we’ve reduced her candy down to one small piece a day, instead of a whole candy bar. She’s consuming less calories, but is now eating every two hours, so that’s stabilizing her blood sugars and reducing her fatigue dip.

Currently, we’re working on creating more ideas for easy cooking at home so that she can sustain the changes she’s made in her diet. We have found better substitutes for sweets and treats, and continue to work on easy options for on-the-go eating that will work into a healthy lifestyle. For example, she can still go to fast food establishments, but chooses a healthy entree choice for days when a pre-planned meal isn’t an option. These small changes make it easier to continue to follow for the long term versus a drastic diet change that she won’t be able to work in to her lifestyle.

Most people who try fad diets might lose weight rapidly, but then put it all back on again because they are unable to sustain it. Again, creating ways to ensure sustainability is the most important battle in this challenge for long term success.

Patch: In terms of exercising at Ways to Wellness, what types of things is Stephanie is doing?

Navin: She is working on interval training, a boot camp-style exercise during sessions using such things as weights, resistance bands and agility ladder. At home she’s using a treadmill, as well as, the Wii Fit. She is gaining strength by the measure of her squats and push-ups she is now easily able to do. We watch proper alignment and form with her exercise. We are focusing on core strength and adding some TRX suspension training to her workouts. Stephanie really gives it her all during the workouts and is open to just about anything. It’s lots of fun seeing a client master a new exercise and realize their own strength.

Patch: What is your prediction for Stephanie?

Navin: If Stephanie stays with her dietary changes and remains consistent in her new eating patterns, portion control, cardio and strength training, she could lose 20-25 pounds by the time school is out. At the current time she has lost eight pounds and seven pounds of body fat. Her waist is already down one inch and hip inches are down one and a quarter inch. She should lose four pounds per square inch on her joints for every pound of weight she loses. Therefore, if she loses 20 pounds, she will significantly reduce her risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol.