"I want them all to win," says Johnson, one of the many behind-the-scenes professionals playing an important role in the local program. "But while I hope they all do well during the 10 weeks of the competition, I'll be more interested in how they are doing 15 weeks, or nine months from now. That's when we'll know how successful this was."
Johnson is serving as the nutritionist and educational advisor to 11 local residents working to change their bodies and lifestyles through a local program inspired by Huntersville resident Emily Joy's role as a contestant on this season's television show The Biggest Loser. Huntersville Familiy Fitness & Aquatics Center and Fleet Feet in Birkdale Village — along with Earth Fare, Lakeside Family Physicians, Lakeside Physical Therapy and the Lake Norman Citizen — are sponsoring the program that is immersing the volunteer participants into an intense, 10-week diet and exercise regimen.
Johnson, a professional nurse and a regular facilitator of health education programs through her work as the parish nurse for Solomon House, meets with the TBL-H group every other week to answer questions, provide information and distribute encouragement.
It is similar to the work she does with Solomon House, an organization sponsored by Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville that offers free health education and appropriate referrals to community resources for those who might not have access to healthcare in the Huntersville/Lake Norman area.
"I try to provide as much information as I can and I try to focus conversations around their questions," Johnson says of her work with the TBL-H participants. "They provide the topic and I look for answers."
Johnson says in general terms, people trying to lose weight and live healthier know what they are supposed to do, they just need help understanding how to make better decisions.
"Everyone knows what they need to do," Johnson says of the TBL-H participants and the people she sees through her work with Solomon House, "but how do they incorporate those choices into their daily lives? That's the question I try to answer."
She said explaining what to look for on food packages and just making simple changes in lifestyle habits are the biggest steps toward continued success in managing weight and living healthier.
"I've seen people participate in a program drop weight and be successful," Johnson says, "but after the program ends, sometimes they go back to their old habits. We try to help them understand that continued success really comes down to making permanent lifestyle changes."
For the week that was, the TBL-H participants lost a total of 27 pounds paced by Chris Wages, who dropped six pounds. Participants, listed with their initial weigh-in numbers, results of the week-four weigh-in and week-four's weight loss: Rick Christian, 265, 247 (4); Debbie Dirkse, 217, 209 (4.2); David Ginn, 265, 249 (4); Scott Hannay, 301.8. 285 (no weigh-in last week); Howard Kaplan, 291, 272.2 (3.6); Susan Lamoureux, 234.6, 219.8 (2); Kris McCabe, 256, 249.4 (1.6); Maria Schubert, 204, 202.8 (gained 1); Wages, 272, 261.1(6); Stephanie Ann Weller, 239, 229.8 (1); and Kristen Winseman, 246, 241.2 (2.2).
Still a loser
Huntersville resident Emily Joy registered a seven-pound loss for the week and is one of 13 remaining contestants on The Biggest Loser television show on NBC. Joy initially weighed in at 264 and has lost 41 pounds in the first six weeks of the show's season. The show airs Tuesday nights.
