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"Making Tyler a FIT CITY one step, one bite and one health-conscious decision at a time" |
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It is Friday morning and Cheryl Hingtgen is at the Whitehouse YMCA to meet a trainer.
“I am on the last leg of weight loss,” says Mrs. Hingtgen.
She looks slim and confident and ready to get started. It is quite a contrast to her situation about six months ago.
During a doctor’s visit, she learned she had hit her all-time heaviest weight. She was on medications for cholesterol and anemia.
“I said to myself, ‘I have to do something.’ I wanted to get off medications.”
Her doctor said the first step to getting off the medications was to lose weight.
Mrs. Hingtgen joined Weight Watchers and began making smarter choices about the food she ate. She lost weight but not very quickly.
Then she caught the Zumba bug.
She saw information about the energetic Latin dance that gives participants a good cardiovascular, calorie-burning workout while grooving to fast-paced rhythms and wanted to give it a try.
A resident of Bullard, she saw that classes were offered at the Y in Whitehouse and checked out the facility. She said she was surprised how many classes the Y offers offer and how nice the facility is.
She found memberships and classes were more affordable than other options.
She signed up for Zumba and was instantly hooked.
“I found out quickly that I could do this and that I could go at my own pace. … It is a fun exercise. The (class) leader made it fun.”
After a few weeks of Zumba, Mrs. Hingtgen was feeling energized and ready to take on more.
She added a yoga class.
Now she couldn’t be happier with the results.
A checkup at the doctor went very well. In six months, she had lost 26 pounds.
“I don’t think I have seen a doctor happier about weight loss.”
Her doctor said that although her health conditions will have to be watched closely, she could come off the medications.
By working with a trainer at the YMCA, she plans to improve toning and strength.
Mrs. Hingtgen is still taking classes. This time the goal is not to lose weight, but to keep the weight off and continue to feel invigorated.
