| Winner
Works in the Right Direction |
By Leah M. Burfield
Observer Staff Writer |
| Losing weight can be a challenge. But for one Herndon resident,
it is more about becoming healthy then it is for losing weight. |
| Jessica Findley won the "New You in the New Year Wellness
Makeover," in February, after finding out about the contest
in The Observer Newspapers earlier in the year. |
| 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 in Herndon. |
| After the Poindexters read Findley's entry for the contest,
they felt that she was one of the best candidates. |
| Her entry detailed the many diets she has tried over the
years only to be left with about 200 pounds of excess weight.
|
| Eighteen years of various diets had yielded no permanent
results for Findley. 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." |
| Findley new that things had to change. After learning she
won the contest during the Poindexters' "Fitness Through
Empowerment" weight-loss seminar on February 4, Findley's
first workout followed the next morning. |
| Since then, Findley is proud to announce that she has lost
about 15 pounds since the 17-week program began. After recently
visiting her doctor, she found out that her blood pressure
was back in the normal range. |
| "That was really nice to hear and good to know that
I did not have to go on medication to get it down," Findley
said. "It's tough, but progress is good. I can tell that
there are changesslowly, but surely. It's a good thing." |
| Findley meets with the Poindexters' twice a week and has
a workout plan that she does four times a week as well as
an eating plan. Findley has been a vegetarian for about a
year and a half she said. |
| When not at the Blue Star Fitness gym, Findley works out
at a gym located within her condo complex. She has also been
trying to do free weights at home as well as walking when
time permits where she enjoys the company of her husband Bill. |
| "He is really supportive," Findley said. "I
mean, he'll even try out the exercises once in a while or
when I have to do cardio he'll go for a walk with me, those
kind of things." |
| According to Findley, there is about two more weeks of strength
building before going into a fat burning phase. |
| Findley knows there is still a long way to go. Losing weight
has been a long battle for her, but is more focused becoming
healthier and the program helps out a lot. |
| Findley says that she enjoys working out with the Poindexters'.
They're really nice to work with and are always very encouraging.
|
| "Even when we have bad weeks they're there to support
us and help us work through it," she said. |
| Findley is hoping that her progress becomes more of a habit
than anything else. After the contest she is thinking about
continuing to work out at Blue Star Fitness. |
| "I am strongly considering it," she said. "I'm
thinking that even paying for it would be worth it for me.
I really enjoy the workout and the motivation that I get from
Laura and Donald." |
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