Photo by Kyle Kurlick
Buy this photo �
Shun Crigler warms up with stretching exercises during a recent training session with The Biggest Loser-Memphis group.
Photo by Kyle Kurlick
Buy this photo �
Priamka Hayes works through some pushups during a circuit training session with her fellow The Biggest Loser-Memphis participants.
Toye Bogard knew that if he wanted to lose weight, he needed a community of support.
So the 31-year-old posted on his Facebook page that he was looking to form a "Biggest Loser" group.
That post at the beginning of September led to the formation of the Facebook group The Biggest Loser-Memphis, now 340 members strong and steadily gaining momentum.
"I thank God for Facebook," said Bogard, a local warehouse supervisor for Netflix.
Related in name only to the TV show "The Biggest Loser," the group operates more as a support and social networking group.
"We always stress we're not affiliated with the 'The Biggest Loser.' We're just a social networking group to motivate and inspire each other," said Dawn Davis, 39, who helped Bogard form the group. "It's about building relationships, having fun and getting fit together. If you understand that, you know what we're all about."
The group held its first gathering, a "meet and greet," on Sept. 17 at the National Guard Armory on Holmes Road with 122 people in attendance from all corners of the Memphis area.
At the meeting, members joined one of four teams designated blue, red, purple or baby blue, according to their ZIP codes.
Once participants obtained their measurements, weight and fitness assessments and signed waivers, it was time to get down to business.
They did Zumba -- all 122 of them.
"It was more like a party," Bogard said. "It was so cool."
Each of the teams meets at a central location during the week to exercise and share testimonials and tips. An orange team has been added, and five personal trainers also work with
the teams.
"We'll do push-ups, sit-ups and jump rope. Someone will share about a sale at Kroger on boneless chicken, then back it up with an article about chicken," said Bogard, captain of the baby-blue team. "We don't tell anyone how to exercise or how to eat. We only advise and let people know we're in your corner, that whatever you want to do, we support you."
Recently, members from each of the four teams walked the Shelby Farms Greenline.
"It was amazing. There were like 50 people walking the Greenline from the red, blue, baby-blue teams. It's like a big family," said Bogard, of Collierville.
Bonding is the No. 1 goal he set when forming the group.
"I always say there are three principles to the Biggest Loser-Memphis. First, it's about building relationships," he said. "One girl joined, and she didn't have a job at the time. She started walking with someone in the group, and within a week she was working.
"There are a lot of good people out there, and they wouldn't have met each other or had these relationships. People are finding jobs and church homes," he added.
His second principle: "Have fun."
"We try not to stress too much about losing weight. If you're having fun and getting active, that will come," said Davis, a licensed practical nurse.
She has lost eight pounds.
Bogard reads similar weight loss reports every day.
"Someone's always posting how they lost 10 pounds, or five pounds, or seven pounds. It's amazing," he said.
The third principle: Get fit.
Blue team captain Clara Easley, 45, of Horn Lake, has lost 10 pounds.
"I love this group. It is very inspirational and motivational," said Easley, a registered nurse. "I get up and I always go on the Facebook page to read the comments. They inspire me to want to do better."
The entire group meets again Saturday at the National Guard Armory on Holmes Road for a weigh-in, another round of Zumba, and a team vs. team competition.
Other plans include a skate night at East End Skating Center on Mt. Moriah to benefit St. Jude in November, and another gathering Dec. 9.
Bogard is also working on a 501(c-3) application in the hopes of creating a fitness center similar to the Church Health Center's fitness facility, and plans to develop a "Kids Zone" to combat childhood obesity.
"We need to teach our kids how to be active again, to quit playing video games and learn the games we used to play as children," he said. "This will be ongoing. I see this as an opportunity to address the problem of obesity in the area."
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., made an appearance at the red team's Oct. 16 gathering at the Hickory Hill Community Center and shared some encouraging words.
"He told us that our group is needed and is very creative, and that we had his full support," Bogard said.
"Memphis needs this group, health-wise," Davis said. "There's a Walgreens on every corner, and now a CVS on every other corner. All the statistics are there, and the lists; we are always the unhealthiest. Memphians don't want to be unhealthy; they just need something to be excited about. Everybody that hears about our group gets excited."
More information
The Biggest Loser-Memphis is open to anyone who wants to join. There is no cost to join.
For more information, go to facebook.com/groups/ the.biggest.loser.memphis.
Source: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/24/a-losing-battle/?partner=RSS
No comments:
Post a Comment