April 22, 2005

The Clubs Be Fit team makes a comeback

In week eight of the Be Fit competition, members of the Clubs at Charles River Park team were feeling discouraged. They had lost in each of the three categories of the competition — weight loss, number of workouts and number of Nutralert meals consumed. At that time, with only four more weeks in the competition, the Clubs team was determined to beat the five other groups — Buildings and Grounds, Environmental Services, Materials Management, Human Resources and Nutrition and Food Services — in the hospital's first-ever fitness and nutrition pilot program.

The Clubs team found that staying on track with good nutrition is the toughest part of the competition for them. According to Erin Marley, the team captain, the group members made confessions about what they were really eating at one of their team meetings.

"I confessed to the late-night pizzas; someone else said they had ice cream cake for dinner and basically everyone was having a tough time trying to eat healthy," says Marley. "But we all agreed that we were going to step it up the next week. So, we sent e-mails back and forth, encouraging each other to eat better and get to the gym. Be Fit has made us all a lot more conscientious about our food choices but also has given us a support system and the feeling that we're all in this together." That kind of encouragement and support — along with advice from their nutritionist Debra Hollon, MS, RD — worked. By week nine, the Clubs team won in the weight-loss category.

Working out at the gym is the easy part for this team since each of them was a member of the Clubs before the competition had started. But having the support and encouragement of their physical trainer, Pete Reynolds, has made their workout routines even better. "I've been a member ever since the hospital first took the Clubs over in 2001," says Janice Guglielmi, one of the Clubs team members. "I worked out five times a week doing strength training. But it wasn't until I started exercising with the Be Fit program that I could see a change. Working out with Pete's guidance has made a big difference."

Another important component for the team is having fun with the competition. The team jokingly call themselves the gym rats since they spend a lot of time at the Clubs. We've really jelled as a team," says Guglielmi. "We've all become friends and support each other. We're going to miss this program when it is over."

The Clubs team bring (and wear) props for their photo shoot.