BRYANLGH LIFEPOINTE
It’s about changing your life.
A
s a nurse, Kris Gemar knew better. She knew how excess weight could affect a person’s quality of life. How it could impact health. As a teenager, she was athletic, participating in many high school sports. And yet, in her mid-40s here she was — overweight and uncomfortable. She found herself with health challenges that kept her from family activities and other social events. Kris knew it was time to make a change, and just at that time, she saw the ad for LifeTracks at BryanLGH LifePointe, with its accompanying before-and-after photos and decided to see what it was all about. She came away from an informational meeting inspired and ready to make new choices — to lose weight and regain her health. LifeTracks, a medically supervised program for rapid and safe weight loss, focuses on health and weight management, and less on “dieting.” The 20-week program is specifically for those who need to lose 40 pounds or more and includes exercise, meal supplement, weekly group sessions and individual sessions with a registered dietitian. Bob and Mary Baker were at that inspirational meeting, too. Working on different schedules, the couple found dining out to be one thing they could do together. But instead of making reasonable choices, they indulged, ultimately packing on more pounds than they care to discuss. “We just got complacent. We really enabled one another,” Mary says. Not only that, Mary was on the verge of being placed on cholesterollowering medication. Bob was already on it. They, too, decided the time was right to commit to a healthier Kris Gemar, before beginning way of living. the LifeTracks program.
It wasn’t an easy decision. As anyone with unhealthy habits knows, taking the first step is the hardest. “You feel as though you will never lose the weight,” Mary continues. “And stepping into a gym can be intimidating. But the atmosphere at LifePointe is safe and nonjudgmental. Everyone is welcome and accepted as they are.” Jon Cook, a health and fitness instructor at LifePointe, points out, “We aren’t the typical gym. We’re geared toward health and wellness — we want to help people address underlying causes of health issues. It’s a very noncompetitive atmosphere here.” Kris, the mother of two teenagers, Sam and Nicole, and wife to Tim, now looks forward to her workouts. She likes the variety of activities at LifePointe — water classes, weight machines, the cardio theater. She mixes it up to keep it from becoming boring. Kris emphasizes that
After losing 75 pounds in seven months, Kris maintains a healthy lifestyle; here she discusses meal options with Katie Walz.
BryanLGH Journeys 35