April 29, 2005

Be Fit: Buildings and Grounds team loses big

Thanks to the Be Fit program, Stacy Nelson, MS, RD, of MGH Nutrition and Food Services and Steve Powers of the Clubs at Charles River Park, the MGH Buildings and Grounds team has become lean, mean, Be-Fit machines.

Led by Bob Gallagher and Chris Longchamps, this 10-member team has been competing against Environmental Services, Materials Management, Human Resources, Nutrition and Food Services and members of the Clubs for the past 12 weeks for total weight loss as a part of the nutrition and fitness pilot program sponsored by Nutrition and Food Services and the Clubs. "The team atmosphere and the healthy competition within our own group has really helped us all achieve a healthy outlook," says team member Bill Dignan.

The team meets weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays for scheduled workouts at the Clubs to keep each other motivated. "Working out as a group and having access to both a trainer and a nutritionist have definitely benefited the team," says Longchamps.

Gallagher, who had been diagnosed with hypertension, found that the program helped manage his condition. "The program taught me how to make the right choices in what
I eat and the proper way to exercise," says Gallagher.

"The team has exceeded all expectations," says Nelson. "They did everything the right way with half their focus on exercise and half on nutrition. I'm proud to have been involved with this team."

During the 12-week program, the Building and Grounds team lost a total of 216 pounds and worked out 548 times.

Members of the Buildings and Grounds Be Fit team