The Happy Losers: Cenla Health - Alexandria, Pineville, Louisiana

According to the United Health Foundation's State Health Rankings, Louisiana ranks low on the list for the health of its citizens. Recent research indicates that approximately one quarter of adults living in this state are obese and another 36 percent are overweight. With the highest rate of death due to diabetes in the nation, there must be some change in the behaviors and eating habits of those who live in Louisiana.

Lighten Up Louisiana (LUL) was established in 2004 by the Louisiana Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the Department of Health and Hospitals, and has become a leading catalyst to encourage healthy, active living for all Louisianans.

One of the Louisianans who have taken advantage of LUL is Nancy Heller of Alexandria. She became interested in the program after reading about it in CenlaHealth last year.

“I made weight loss my New Years resolution for 2007 and I joined Weight Watchers the first week of the New Year," Heller says. “After reading your article in CenlaHealth, I thought Lighten Up Louisiana might be an added incentive to help me to stick to my goal."

Heller asked three women to join her, including her daughter, Pam Griffeth of Baton Rouge, and her sister, Susan Schlecht, of Brusly. Faith Johnson, also of Alexandria, was the fourth member of their team, which they named The Happy Losers.

Heller, Griffeth, and Johnson used Weight Watchers simultaneously with LUL and were pleased with how the two programs complimented each other.

“I realized this program would be reinforcement for my Weight Watchers goals," Johnson says. “I would not have to deviate from anything I was doing on the Weight Watchers program and I would be a part of a team of ladies working for the same goal - a healthy lifestyle."

Schlecht was the only one of the group not using Weight Watchers. She had already begun a weight loss program and was beginning to see positive results by the time she joined the others in LUL.

“A year ago October I reached a breaking point in my life," Schlecht says.  “I was very overweight and I had tried to lose weight without success."

During a busy October which was full of volunteer work as well as the anniversary of her son's death, she finally decided she needed to make some changes in her life. “Put together exhaustion, grief, and the bad feelings I had about my size, and I wasn't doing too well," Schlecht says. “I turned to the Lindora Lean for Life program (www.lindora.com). I had been on it years before but did not carry through with everything I was supposed to do. I knew it was a good program and that I could lose weight on it."

On November 1, 2006, Schlecht started “the descent from the high numbers on my bathroom scale." Then, just a few months later, her sister called to invite her to join her LUL team.

“I told her as long as I could stay on my diet I would," Schlecht says. “I really joined more to help Nancy out but later down the road I was really glad I did. Support is vital in anything you set out to do and every time I reported in to Nancy she always gave me pats on the back for my achievements."

In fact, the women say that the support was one of the best aspects of the LUL program.

“Lighten Up Louisiana shared emails with us that were both informative (as in recipes and health tips) and encouraging," Heller says. “Sharing information with my team members brought us closer together also."

Weekly emails sent to all LUL participants include tips on physical activity and nutrition along with resources that are motivational as well as educational.

“There are many supportive ideas and tips on helping you reach your goals," Johnson says.