As the “Losing It in Altoona” program wraps up its first cycle, it is time to take a look at the difference 17 weeks can make in a person’s life.
   When featured participant Sara Hefty began the program, she was 5’7” tall and weighed 216 pounds. She was obese, with 87.1 pounds of fat on her body and a body-mass index of 33.09. Her chronological age was 26 years while her body’s physical age was 45 years.

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   We all have stresses in our lives and we believe that we can cope fairly effectively. But the reality is that most of us are under incredible amounts of stress and consider the signs of stress such as high blood pressure, tachycardia, insomnia, and stomach problems to be normal. Today we struggle with chronic stress diseases such as heart disease, anxiety, and digestive disorders including peptic ulcers, Crohn’s disease, and GERD, to name a few. In his book, “Stress Without Distress,” Hans Selye describes three stages of stress. The alarm or “fight or flight” stage is where our adrenaline kicks in, increasing our level of functioning to fight off our modern-day “saber tooth tigers.”

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   Are your extra pounds slowly falling off? Are you starting to feel a little better about how you look? If so, it is time to start pampering yourself. Instead of going out to eat or going through the drive-through, how about a “new do”?
   When you are thinking of a new look, start with small steps; after all, you didn’t lose your weight all at once.

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When do I have time to exercise? It is a question we have all asked ourselves. We have a perception that exercise is time-consuming and we must do it vigorously to make it worthwhile… but we could not be more wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

   For the past six years, Altoona residents have been lucky enough to have their very own farmer market – right in downtown Altoona. Set up on their Lynn Avenue front yard, the Thao family sells seasonal produce five days a week; in between setting up and making sales here in Altoona, they also help out other family members with their own produce stands in Fall Creek, Augusta, and the Downtown Eau Claire Farmer’s Market.

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   One Altoona resident is doing his best to encourage healthy lifestyles with his own weight-loss challenge. On Friday, September 5, Josh Mjolsness kicked off the first annual Weight Loss Challenge, a program similar to NBC’s “Biggest Loser” in that participants compete together for prizes to lose the most weight.

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   In an atmosphere so concentrated on physical fitness for longevity and general well-being, a new focus is on couples and whole families working together to gain their goals. Working together for your health can create a balance in your life and a stronger relationship with your significant other.

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   Scientific research reveals an alarming danger associated with improper childhood back pack use. This research stands from an increasing number of reports in childhood back pain in recent decades. By the end of their teen years, close to 60 percent of youth experience at least one low back pain episode. New research indicates that this may be due, at least in part, to the improper use of back packs on young spines. Watch children in any schoolyard struggle to walk while bent sideways under the weight of an overloaded back pack on one shoulder. You will quickly realize the potential danger of this commonplace item.

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   High blood pressure (also called hypertension) is known as the “silent killer” because it often has no symptoms. Left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, or blindness.

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Introduction:
Altoona resident Troy Zakrzewski, was born in Nebraska and moved to Wisconsin with his family when he was 5 years old. He grew up in the Cornell/Lake Holcombe area and graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Machine Tool program. He is currently a custodian in the Fall Creek School District.

The Basics:
Weight: 244 lbs. (down from 278 in January!)
Do you drink? Sometimes.
Do you smoke? No.

Profile:
Describe your job history, what do you currently do, and why are you good at it.
A custodian is a caretaker. Our primary responsibility is the cleanliness of the school. In general, I watch over the health and welfare of the children at the elementary school in Fall Creek. I support the teachers and administration, as they work educating tomorrow’s global workforce. Cleaning is not very stressful and I enjoy interacting with my school “family” as I put a little order in the chaos that the day’s learning created.
Tell us about your current living situation. I am currently going through a divorce and get to enjoy my three sons every other weekend.
How would someone who really knows you describe your best qualities? I enjoy watching someone learn a new skill or gain a new confidence. My sons would say I “over-explain” a process and give too much detail.
How would someone who really knows you describe your worst qualities? I spend too much time worrying about things. I truly do drop things to help someone who asks for help.
Give us a brief synopsis of your dieting history: When I was younger, I was very competitive and enjoyed outside activities. I would live on or in the water if I could. As I grew older, my activity dropped and I used food to cope with the stresses I couldn’t work through. I have been to Weight Watchers at least three times. I tried karate by myself and with my oldest son to help get in shape. I purchased Tae Bo, P90X, and free weights to get in shape.
 What motivates you to lose weight? I usually start strong and backslide to my inactive self, but I can really watch sports on TV. I have entered Highland Fitness’ weight-loss contests three other times, and am currently a member and have worked with a trainer. Can anyone say, “less TV?” I recently went from 200-plus channels of TV to just three.
Why do you want to lose weight? It’s sad that I always thought I had time to get my life together. Sometimes it takes true loss (divorce) to combat weight gain. I am concentrating on the happiness that I am finding with my new self. I walk taller and deal with choices and decisions instead of putting them off. I am changing my lifestyle, not competing in a weight loss contest. I am also interested in finding a new partner who wants to work out, work on life’s problems, build each other’s confidence, and take up ballroom dancing.
  How much weight do you want to lose? 40 more pounds.