Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/234009
Enduring weight loss often means changing your life WE'RE CALLING IT THE LAST 10. But we could call it The Last 20 or even The Last 30. The fact is that many of us have a goal weight that, no matter how much we exercise or diet, remains perpetually out of reach. Why? The answers to that question are as difficult as they are diverse. With some help, however, WAC members can determine and attain their best goal weight for the long haul. TAKING THE FIRST STEP Consider member Juli Farris. She's been running half-marathons for a decade, usually one or two a year. Despite that, she often found herself chasing weight loss. When she did lose a few pounds, she struggled to keep them off. If that sounds cliché, there's a reason. "A lot of members don't reach out for help losing weight, especially when they think they have minimal weight to lose," Wellness Manager Tamela Thomas says. "No matter who you are, your chances for success are much greater when you utilize the right support system." For years, Juli's ideal weight remained just beyond her grasp. "Even though it seems like it shouldn't be that far of a distance to travel, it still can be the Grand Canyon," she says. A practicing attorney and board member of Treehouse, Juli is in her 50s. She's attempted many diets and had repeated short-term success. Early last year, she tried again with a four-week detox program offered through the Wellness Center. She lost five pounds in a month, felt better, and calls the program "really easy." æ JANUARY 2014 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | 33