Holiday weight gain season is upon us, but what if it was actually holiday weight loss season? It’s possible with a fresh start in the YMCA Active Weight Loss program, or YAWL.

 

YAWL started last April at three Birmingham area YMCA branches: Greystone, Vestavia Hills and Trussville. A program is planned for the new Hoover branch at the beginning of 2012, and another is in the works for the downtown YMCA.
“The program is designed to incorporate two of the most important aspects of weight loss, nutrition and physical activity,” says Caroline Bundy, community health initiatives, YMCA of Greater Birmingham. “Many programs do one or the other but we’ve never had a program before that offered both.”
The classes meet weekly, and lessons are non-sequential so new members can jump in at any time. Each branch covers the same topics each week, so if participants find themselves in another part of town on class day, they won’t miss out on their lesson. The first 15 minutes of the hour-long class is devoted to weigh in, and members bring in diet and exercise logs to discuss any problems with the class leader. Then a nutritional lesson is covered, with lots of common sense diet tips and advice on behavioral change. The final 30 minutes are personal training, with the instructor leading the class in different workouts.
“The exercise part is very fluid,” Bundy says. “The instructor decides what to do each week based on what the class needs to be exposed to. We wanted participants to be able to try something new, which is easier when you’re in a group. Someone may be intimidated by a spin bike, but with 5 or 6 friends you feel more comfortable.”
Bundy says about 20 people are currently participating in the program, with classes being a group of 5 or 6 students.
Jeana Joganic is a recent YAWL participant. She joined the YMCA a few years ago, after her insurance had denied her for gastric bypass surgery. Joganic started out by walking around the track, and to date has lost almost 100 pounds. She joined the Trussville YAWL program to shed the final 10 pounds to meet her ultimate goal, and so far she’s lost 4 of those 10. "I like the small class, and the one-on-one we have with Kerry [Weidenback, class leader],” Joganic says. “We have a very motivating class. We all motivate each other. I need the accountability." She went on to say, "It does not matter what anyone says, you have to have the right mindset to succeed."
The YMCA Active Weight Loss program is $45 for Y members and $100 for non-members, which includes free access to any YMCA for the duration of the program. For more about the program, click here or email Caroline Bundy at cbundy@ymcabham.org.