Eglin Team finds fitness and health

  • Published
  • By Marilyn Leggett, RN
  • Civilian Health Promotion Service
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In July, Civilian Health Promotion Service (CHPS) reported on individuals making positive lifestyle changes during participation in Air Force Materiel Command's second annual Team Lean Challenge. This second, and final, report features a group of women who joined together to gain greater health and fitness.

During the 2008 registration for TLC, a group of 34 employees with Eglin's Child Development Center voiced their desire to participate in the weight loss/fitness challenge. Team Lean Challenge is available to active-duty members and appropriated-fund civil service employees but some of the ladies were non-appropriated fund and contract employees. The team of 34 decided that those eligible would participate formally while including their colleagues on an "informal" basis.

The teams in the group even purchased their own team t-shirts and all thirty four followed along with the TLC activities eventually losing approximately 66.3 pounds.

Two CDC winners, Kacie Bratton and Chelsea Dollar, and CDC Supervisory Technician, Debbie Schoewe were just three of the participants in the challenge. Chelsea lost 15 pounds and has maintained her weight loss.

"I have increased my physical activity and am now conscious of being more active in general and staying consistent with going to the gym," Ms. Dollar said.

All three agree that "working at the CDC helps" as the staff is physically on the go and, also, many of the staff are tasked to eat meals with the children which helps with portion control. The three reported that participating in Team Lean Challenge helped "build morale" as everyone helped one another in their efforts.

Kacie Bratton lost 25 pounds and states she feels "fitter and healthier" but is not content with that success. She is working to lose still more weight, continues to practice a healthy lifestyle and proudly states that

"Even my husband has lost weight," Ms. Bratton said."

Ms. Schoewe said everyone in her family has become healthier and has lost weight. She feels her clothes are looser and she relishes her busy position in the center that keeps her on her feet and moving around.

One of the important points they all agree on is that just exercising may not bring about weight loss; it is also vital to watch portion control.

"It is important, too, to watch how you eat in restaurants as servings are often quite large," said Ms. Schoewe. "Also, eating one of something rather than a whole package and saying OK to fulfilling cravings reasonably are good approaches. Eating one miniature candy bar, for example, rather than overindulging will satisfy a craving."

The three note that walking is a wonderful exercise and has been effective toward weight loss and all agree to feeling better both mentally and physically as they become fitter and healthier.
"The team became more focused and supportive of each other throughout (the) event and it is still lasting," said CDC director Sara Jones.

To support staff efforts, the CDC supervisory staff posted names of winners and offered incentives to participants. And most of the healthy changes have remained consistent even after the conclusion of TLC.