It’s right around the corner - the time when everyone makes a New Year’s resolution, usually to lose weight and be healthier. Even though this is never a bad promise to make to yourself, your plans often fall apart for a number of reasons. However, the Olympic Center’s Lite-4-Life program offers a better way to reach your goals that will result in lasting changes. This 13-week program shows participants how to properly eat and work out. Fritz Fryer and his wife joined the program after realizing their weight had creeped up on them.
Fritz is retired, but he has continued to stay very active his whole life. “The issue was never being active,” says Fritz. “I bicycle all the time and have over 95,000 miles. I walk when I golf and walk my dogs for 60 minutes each day.” It turned out that a lack of food knowledge was leading to his weight gain. “I’d eat a handful of nuts and think I was eating healthy, but didn’t realize I had about 400 calories in my hand.”
The educators in Lite-4-Life taught him how to eat properly. They showed him, as well as the rest of the class, how to develop a lasting plan for weight management. “They are extremely good there at the Olympic Center,” says Fritz. “I learned what to eat, how to eat and what portions to eat. That was the most critical thing for me.”
Like so many of us, Fritz had gotten in the habit of overeating here and there. “I used to say there were just three Oreos in a package cause I could eat one column at a time,” recalls Fritz. “I got that way with fries and things like that.” He realized that there was a better way to eat and a better way to control his health, which led him to make changes. Recording those changes ended up being one of his favorite parts of the whole process.
Being a finance man, Fritz was meticulous in his recording of weight, calories and food. He and his wife even created a spreadsheet. “It worked for me because I’m a numbers guy and it was very logical to me. I'm using the spreadsheet again because of the No Gain campaign, trying to maintain my weight during the holidays,” says Fritz. “The knowledge you gain can be used for longer than the program.”
Being able to always refer back to the knowledge gained during the 13-week program is one of the best aspects of this experience. After learning best practices, you’ll get to use those skills the rest of your life. “I ended up losing 25 pounds and got down to 170. I’m still at that weight right now,” says Fritz. “I really like the certain way I feel.”
Fritz continues to use his spreadsheet and his new appreciation for how many calories are in nuts to stay proactive about his health. He goes to the gym six times a week and continues to love the way he feels. When asked if he would recommend Lite-4-Life, he said “If they're serious about losing weight, I say it's the best thing out there. It’s comprised of teaching healthy exercise and healthy diet. That's the key - to maintain an active lifestyle and healthy weight.”
To learn more about the Lite-4-Life Program, call 903-596-3233 and fill out the online form located here: https://uthealtheasttexas.com/medical-fitness-programs