| Here's
to Her Health |
By Erin E. Fogg 
Observer Staff Writer |
| Eighteen years of various diets has yielded no permanent
results for Jessica Findley of Herndon. With a family history
of high blood pressure, she was scared when her doctor told
her that at age 28, hers was elevated. |
| "It was my wake up call," Findley said. "That happened two
days before I saw the announcement." |
| The announcement in The Observer sought contestants for
the "New You in the New Year Wellness Makeover," a 17-week
fitness training and nutrition education program presented
by Blue Star Fitness professionals Donald and Laura Poindexter. |
| The Poindexters were touched by Findley's entry, which detailed
the many diets she has tried over the years only to be left
with about 200 pounds of excess weight. They knew she was
their winner. |
| "I've been blessed with fairly good health, but I'm afraid
my weight is starting to catch up with me," Findley said in
her entry essay. |
| She also describes her recent marriage to her "best friend"
and how she would love nothing more than to start a family
with her husband, Bill. |
| "I'm afraid that I'm not healthy enough to be pregnant,"
Findley said. "And even if I did have a successful pregnancy,
I'm afraid that my lack of energy would keep me from being
a good parent." |
| Findley attended the Poindexters' "Fitness Through Empowerment"
weight loss seminar last Saturday, when they announced her
as the contest winner. Her first workout followed the next
morning. |
| "I'm excited to bring my energy level up and my blood pressure
down," Findley said. "Weight loss would be a nice bonus, but
it's not my main goal." |
| The Poindexters are also looking forward to a challenge
in Findley. She is the first vegetarian who has taken the
17-week program. Although Findley has become knowledgeable
about many nutrition principles since she stopped eating meat
more than a year ago, it can still be difficult to find meatless
sources of lean protein. |
| Of course, Findley is not taking on this program alone,
but also with an entire support system. |
| The Poindexters are enthusiastic about having a contestant
with such a high level of commitment. Her husband is helpful
in the kitchen, whipping up lentil soup, her coworkers are
thrilled and her friends from college are so excited they
are already planning a celebration at the end of the program. |
| "I want to turn 30 as a healthy person," she said in her
entry. "I want to start healthy habits. I want to exercise
and eat right. I don't need to be skinny. But I would love
to have more energy, to enjoy more out of life and live a
long time with my happy, healthy family." |
