12/7/2009
By GARY DEMUTH Salina Journal
At the end of last year's Pound Plunge, Salinan Mark Troyer had lost 27 pounds, going from 252 to 225 pounds.

But during the past year, he gained back half of those pounds.

Troyer is about to complete his second session of the communitywide weight loss program, but it's been a struggle. As of Wednesday, he still weighed about 239 pounds.

"This year, I really haven't lost any weight," he said. "I did a lot more fitness classes last year."

Still, the weight plateau won't keep Troyer from trying to lose the unwanted pounds again, even if he has to sign up for a third round of Pound Plunge next September.

"It's a valuable program," he said. "It keeps you focused on your weight."

Now in its second year, Pound Plunge is a free, 12-week fitness program designed for teams or individuals to lose weight through exercise, diet and lifestyle behavior change.

Participants are instructed to weigh in each Sunday or Wednesday at the Salina YMCA with the goal to lose as much weight as possible before the mid-December deadline.

During this period, Pound Plungers are provided free use of the YMCA each Sunday, where exercise classes and cardiovascular activities such as cycling, yoga, pilates, zumba or salsa are offered to participants.

The 2009 Pound Plunge will conclude Sunday with a 5:30 p.m. awards ceremony at the YMCA. Prizes include $1,000 for the overall team winner and $250 plus a makeover by the Hair Loft Salon & Spa for overall top female and male winners.

This year's program began with a Sept. 19 kick-off at the Bicentennial Center, where about 277 four-person teams and more than 600 individuals signed up.

About 750 drop out

Twelve weeks later, about 750 people out of the original 1,700-plus have dropped out of the program. That drop-off, about 44 percent, is expected and is comparable to last year's total, said Ellen Hogeland, YMCA adult fitness director.

Although many people signed up with good intentions, she said, not everyone is ready to make the mental commitment to losing weight.

"If everyone in the program works out 30 minutes a day and takes all the pop and junk food out of their diet, they'll lose weight," Hogeland said. "But you have to be intentionally ready to make the change."

More individuals have dropped out than teams, Hogeland said, which she finds understandable.

"Sometimes if you don't have the support of a team, you drop out," she said.

Even with the decline in participants, weight loss numbers still are good. At the end of week nine, participants had lost 8,057 total pounds.

Not even the Thanksgiving holiday seems to have adversely affected weight loss, Hogeland said.

"Since they started in September, people are more aware of how much they're eating, especially during the holidays," she said.

This year, Hogeland said, the top males have an average weight loss of about 17 percent, while the top females have an average weight loss of about 20 percent. Those numbers also are comparable to last year.

Worth signing up

Salinan Virginia Smith, weighing in during week 10 of Pound Plunge, said she could have lost more weight during the last 10 weeks but she doesn't regret signing up for the program.

"I would have liked to have lost 20 pounds, but if I wasn't in this, I would have done a lot worse," she said. "I have diabetes and I need to weigh less. I think it's a great program, but I wish it would be year round."

Anne Newcomer, rural Salina, signed up for Pound Plunge with a goal of losing a pound a week. At the end of 10 weeks, she's lost exactly 10 pounds.

"It's been right on what I wanted to do," she said.

The key to Newcomer's success was increasing her daily walking time, eating more nutritious foods and consuming smaller portions.

Since she began participating in Pound Plunge, Newcomer said she feels better and has more energy.

Big health improvement

"Without the weekly weigh-in, I would be less likely to lose weight," she said.

Although Troyer admitted he's currently not at his ideal weight, he also knows just how much Pound Plunge has improved his health.

"Last year, I couldn't even walk up steps without catching my breath and I couldn't touch my toes," he said. "Now I'm better able to get through the stress of life and set a better example for my kids."

nReporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 822-1405 or by e-mail at gdemuth@salina.com.