Steve Hoffman of Clarkston needed to make his life healthier.
His wife, Gail Hoffman, gave him a choice: ballroom dancing or a WeightLoss Challenge they read about in The Clarkston News.
“I decided to take this class. I’m glad I did,” Steve said. “I like their teaching and coaching. I never felt I had to buy anything. I really think I’ll do the next one too.”
“It was good ? a lot of fun,” said Gail, who is still pushing for ballroom dancing.
The 10-week class met weekly at the Colombiere Center in Springfield Township since May.
“It was great ? we had a really great time,” said Mary Howard, personal wellness coach. “We talked about different types of exercise, stretching, heart health, good and bad fats, basic nutrition.”
They wrapped up, July 30, with some last minute tips, and awarding of prizes to the top three highest percentage of weight lost, and one with most inches lost.
“It was wonderful ? I feel great,” said Debbie Trevarrow, who won the top prize of $275. “The products are wonderful, very healthy.”
Trevarrow signed up with Herbal Life, which offers the program, and hosts her own challenge at her salon in Waterford,
“Steve (Voiles, personal wellness coach) will be lead coach, and I’ll learn how to teach it from him,” Trevarow said.
Coached by Howard, Voiles, Rose Johnson, and Dawn Harkins, 11 participants from throughout the Clarkston area, out of 22 initially, made it to the end of the program.
“This has been a good group. A lot of energy,” Johnson said. “They kept their enthusiasm up and had fun.”
The group lost 100.8 pounds overall, she said.
“Everyone had a great time,” she said. “Each week, they learned something new about living a healthy lifestyle. As they lose their weight, these tips will allow them to keep it off for life.”
Voiles lost 35 pounds with the program, since joining Herbal Life six years ago.
“I’ve kept it off ? I love it,” he said.
The next Clarkston-area challenge starts Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7 p.m., at the Clarkston Lakes clubhouse on Dogwood Drive, off Sashabaw Road.
“We run challenges back to back so new people can get started and current participants can rejoin to continue their weight loss progress,” Johnson said.
“If you take a long break, you find a reason not to continue,” Howard said.
Camaraderie is key to participants’ success, she said.
“We’re like a support group,” she said. “We do better when we have people doing the same thing. It promotes competition and gives you a chance to meet people.”
To register, call Autumn Smith at 248-628-3262.
“I think it was awesome,” said Smith, Clarkston resident. “It was fun losing weight. I like a challenge. The competition helped keep me motivated.”