Get Healthy West Georgia Weight Loss Challenge Starts Jan. 19
Monday, January 13, 2014
If your New Year’s resolution includes losing weight, there’s a great local resource to support your decision.
The 2014 Get Healthy West Georgia Weight Loss Challenge is a free, 12-week program in which teams and individuals compete to lose weight, increase exercise and improve nutrition. Led by Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy West Georgia initiative, it will be launched in late January. Anyone who lives or works in Carroll, Haralson or Heard counties can participate.
Get Healthy West Georgia has proven tools to support healthy lifestyle changes. The program’s Web site, www.GetHealthyWestGeorgia.org, offers a free online fitness and nutrition tracker and group exercise calendar. Healthy for Life classes, group fitness activities and convenient weigh-ins will provide community encouragement and help participants track their progress.
To join the weight loss challenge, register by logging into www.GetHealthyWestGeorgia.org. After registering and completing a brief health assessment on the Web site, participants must weigh in to become officially entered in the competition. Initial weigh-ins will be conducted during the week of Jan. 19 to Jan. 26 at convenient locations across west Georgia. A complete list of weigh-in sites is available on www.GetHealthyWestGeorgia.org.
At the weigh ins, a Get Healthy West Georgia staff member will measure height, weight and optional waist circumference for each participant. Official weights will be logged into each participant’s personal account to help track their progress during the challenge. Participants are also encouraged to log their weight loss on the Web site each week during the challenge. Final official weigh ins will be conducted the week of April 20 to April 27.
Prizes will be awarded in a variety of team and individual categories. The grand prize winner will receive an Apple iPad 2. Additional prizes will be awarded in team and individual categories for the highest percentage of total weight loss and points earned during the challenge. Weekly prizes will also be awarded throughout the challenge, and all participants who successfully complete the final weigh-in after 12 weeks will receive a prize. A complete list of prizes is available at www.GetHealthyWestGeorgia.org.
Free Healthy for Life classes and group fitness activities will offer extra motivation, education and support to participants. The Healthy for Life class will meet on Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Classroom 2 of the Health Education and Wellness Learning Center at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton. Classes begin on Feb. 4 and will meet most Tuesdays. Each attendee will receive a free copy of the book “Eat Right for Life” and earn 50 points per session for attending. To see a complete list of dates and/or register for the class, visit www.tanner.org or call 770.214.CARE.