About 150 people have lost almost 3,000 pounds through a program offered by the owner of a Delhi exercise and fitness club.
Raegan Reed, owner of The Cardio Club, said she has offered five multi-week sessions of her LiveFit Challenge, since 2014 and participants have lost a total of 2,936 pounds.
“It’s awesome,” Reed said.
Two women who joined the program said Friday they not only lost weight but gained energy, developed a more healthful lifestyle and made friends.
“LiveFit has really helped me,” said Jacqnene Howard of Delhi. Howard, who described herself as a loner, said she was skeptical about joining but found Reed’s challenges and the team-oriented approach helped her find success.
And after four LiveFit sessions, she said, she had lost about 50 pounds. Counting calories and adjusting exercising with eating were factors that worked for her, she said.
“I didn’t have anything to lose, except for the weight,” said Howard, a Christian and member of Delhi Alliance Church who also attributed her progress to prayer. “Prayer and faith guided my footsteps through this.”
Howard said she has gained physical strength, has more energy and motivation, including a goal to ride in a bicycle charity trip.
Reed said about 40 participants have attended each session, with some re-enrolling to continue the program. Participants, including men but mostly women, range in age from 13 to 60 and older, she said, and they work in teams of four, creating a supportive network.
“It’s not a diet or a fad. It’s a way of life,” Reed said. “It’s an enlightening challenge.”
The cost to participate in LiveFit is a $50 registration fee, which includes a T-shirt, Reed said. Participants don’t have to belong to The Cardio Club and can work out on their own, according to Reed.
The winter session lasts eight weeks and the class that started in January recently concluded, Reed said. A summer session lasts six weeks. Participants weigh in weekly and attend coaching sessions, she said, and teammates provide support in person and through Facebook posts.
“We’re trying to incorporate exercise but also how to eat properly,” Reed said. She said Hope Knapp is the program’s “pit boss” who reminds participants about “the rules.”
Participants in LiveFit have lost between 10 to 40 pounds during one session and 5 to 15 body inches, according to Reed. Teams earn points through exercise, food choices and other challenges, she said.
Prizes for the winning team include $500 cash, $500 in Cardio Club “dollars,” and a $500 gift certificate for Greenane Farms in Delhi, according to Reed. The “biggest loser” wins a makeover at Lasting Impressions salon in Walton and a family session with Thompson Photography in Delhi, she said.
Reed said she bought The Cardio Club from Melissa Wakin in 2009 and the business has since relocated to 17 Elm St. in Delhi.
Reed said she has worked hard to incorporate area businesses in the LiveFit program. Six local restaurants, for example, offer “Cardio Club” specials that correspond to healthful eating guidelines and qualify for points in the LiveFit program, she said.
Heather White of Delhi, a LiveFit participant, applauded the participation by restaurants. That section of the program meant she had healthful options while eating out with her family, she said, and it enhanced a broader sense of community.
White, a member of Delhi Alliance Church, said she also is happy to see her participation has influenced family members to take more interest in exercising and healthful eating choices.
White said she lost 21.5 pounds, including weight gained during pregnancies for four daughters, who are between the ages of 8 and 15 now.
“I was ready to lose the baby weight I’d been carrying around,” White said. “It’s been a really good journey, a really good process.”
White said she was surprised to win the “biggest loser” prize at the end of the most-recent course. As a busy mother who doesn’t indulge in expensive salon treatments, she said, the makeover will be a treat.
“I’m excited to be pampered,” White said.
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