• Ross Cunningham •
• Originally published January 15, 2009 at 10:52 a.m., updated January 15, 2009 at 10:52 a.m.

Nearly everyone wants to stay healthy, but with wonder diets, exercise machines and gadgets and weight programs, choices for becoming healthy can be confusing. This month in the Matagorda Advocate we will look at different health choices that are available in Matagorda County. Our first choice for staying fit in 2009 is a gym membership at Fit for Life located at 2200 Ave. F in Bay City. The business is owned and operated by Julie Green. “There is no magic pill or magic weight program to being fit,” said Julie Green. “Regardless of your goal to lose weight, nutrition and exercise are the keys to staying healthy and fit. Your goal would vary on an individual basis for what you need for your starting point. Your nutritional needs shouldn’t be a fad diet; there are so many fad diets out there. You should look at the diets and nutritional programs that have stood the test of time and lot of them have proven principles that are true.” Green said you shouldn’t eliminate whole food groups from your diet but have a balanced mixture of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Another proven key to good nutrition is to eat proper portion sizes. “You will find the serving sizes on the labels of the products you eat, and people usually eat three or four times that amount,” said Green. “A good diet is about eating the right portion sizes and combination of foods.” One of the ways that the gym helps individuals stay healthy and fit is the Winter Challenger Competition program, which started on Tuesday, Jan. 6, Green said. The program is for eight weeks and the competition is between teams. Team members meet every Tuesday at 6 p.m. for one hour. The contestants lose weight and stay fit through nutrition and exercise. Members also learn about nutrition, weight training, cardio and nutritional supplements they can take. “One of the keys I believe to staying fit is staying motivated,” said Green. “In the Challenger Competition, individuals are assigned to teams and have accountability with teammates to make sure you are working and eating right. I also give the members assignments and make them bring me a food journal of what they are eating. Individuals are accountable to their team and also to me.” A $50 deposit is required but participants will be able to earn back all of the deposit plus prizes through out the course. Besides the competition program the gym also has commercial grade exercise equipment to help you exercise every part of your body. Individual membership is $32 a month and members can exercise 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Besides the exercise equipment, members can join more than 50 classes a week. The gym also has professional trainers to help you reach your fitness goals. “I use the gym all the time and do different exercises on different days,” said Fit for Life member Fabian Castillo. “What I like most about the gym is all the exercise equipment that is available and the motivation you get from other members.” Dustin Nemec is a new member at the gym and said what caused him to join is the variety of exercise equipment is available to members. “The gym is really huge and if I had some of the exercise equipment in my home I wouldn’t have the room,” said Nemec. “I am also motivated by others and if I ever needed a coach there would be one available.” The ultimate goal for fit for life members is to be fit and healthy for life and we have the equipment, personnel to help you meet that goal, Green said. “We have seen individuals use our fitness program and after a period of time have gone off high blood pressure medicine and cholesterol medicine and that makes me really excited when we can make a difference in the quality of life people can have.” For more information about Fit for Life and the classes and services that are available call 979-245-5535 or go to the Web site www.greensfitforlife.com

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