4 for $40 winners offer tips for weight-loss success
After losing nearly 22 pounds collectively during the first month of the 4 for $40 Challenge, five teachers from Travis Elementary School are walking away with more than just new iPads. They’ve also gained a sense of confidence when it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle.
The team members – Dianna Balderas, Danetta Keevil, Sara Lytle, Mary Oliver, and Rachelle Varnon – said they were able to meet their weight-loss goals by gently encouraging each other throughout the month and celebrating each other’s successes. Each member had to lose at least four pounds to be eligible for the team drawing.
“The excitement of seeing the pounds come off and our clothes fitting better is enough to keep us going,” Oliver said.
Their advice to their fellow 4 for $40 participants: keep each other accountable during the challenge in a supportive way. For example, Oliver suggests eating lunch with your fellow team members or others doing the weight-loss challenge to help reinforce making healthy decisions about your diet.
“I have never really dieted before, but the pounds were starting to creep up,” Oliver said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised that it was easier making good choices when everyone around me was making them, too. The good choices really worked.”
After the first month of this year’s 4 for $40 Challenge, participating HISD employees collectively lost nearly 15,000 pounds. By comparison, a total of 22,000 pounds was lost during the four-month challenge in 2014.
About 4,200 employees are taking part in the weight-loss challenge, and about 57 percent lost at least four pounds in the first month.
The weigh-out window for the second round of the challenge run is currently underway and will conclude on Tuesday, March 31.
