“Loser” of the Month Rose Mary Batiste

My husband returned home on February 27. He was on active duty in Iraq for 16 months. When I told him about our exercise classes and how much I love Leslie's tapes, he said he would like to thank her personally for keeping me in good physical condition while he was gone. Our classes kept me focused on taking good care of myself during a very difficult time in my life and Leslie's tapes kept my mind off my worries. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to exercise at work, Rose Mary

“Loser” of the Month Cheryl Stoudemire

Cheryl Stoudemire is the LIFE Team’s very own loser of the month. We are very proud of her efforts. Her weight loss technique is a model for most of us to consider following – nothing drastic, but everything consistent. She made small, gradual changes to her diet by eating smaller meals more frequently and by increasing her activity level. She is very modest about her achievements and prefers to let the results speak for themselves. The results are quite obvious by all who know Cheryl. You go girl!!

“Something to Shout About!! ” Thelma Homola

I started the 2-Mile Walking Classes in February of this year. Before that, I could not motivate myself to exercise because I was too tired by the time I got home in the evening and limited in what I could do because of knee problems. I've been taking two walking classes a week and feel much better and more motivated to get healthier. I even started doing Weight Watchers Online in March. With the help of the ER walking classes and Weight Watchers, I've lost 21 pounds. Thank you for motivating me!

The exercise classes that PPG offers daily has been instrumental to the success of my weight loss and has helped lead me down the path towards a healthier life. In January of 2005 I had finally made the decision to get serious about losing weight to benefit my health. I had been attending Curves for women on my personal time but I knew there was still more action I could take for myself. I started to knock out the "bad" food and enjoy all those tempting treats in moderation. In addition, I took advantage of the PPG Exercise Room (ER). It has been a great experience. Not only have I made new contacts within the organization by attending classes, but also it has helped make exercise a fun part of my everyday life. PPG offers a variety of classes so that you never get bored with exercising, but you have many choices to participate in. The ability to workout during the workday is also beneficial to reduce stress and build your stamina to get you through the rest of the day. No longer do I feel groggy after lunch-I feel energized! Now, seven months later, I am halfway to reaching my goal weight loss of 50 pounds! I think that calls for a big THANK YOU to those who help run, support and fund the PPG ER.

I started using the ER when it was first offered several years ago, and have been a regular user ever since. Before working out in the PPG ER, I always found a million reasons how or why I could not fit regular exercise into my schedule. I soon learned, though, that starting and sticking to the exercise program could help me cope with the stress of dealing with some serious health issues - both mine, and my family's. My daughter has had a series of painful surgeries over the past couple of years. I learned (by doing) that I could handle those stressful situations better when I found a way to fit in daily exercise. Last year, I suffered a serious back injury that forced me to stop exercising for a while. My body noticed the difference right away, and I quickly started putting on the pounds again. I could not wait to get back to exercise. (I can honestly say that this was a brand new way of feeling for me). Under the care of a physical therapist, we found a way to re-habilitate my back using the Leslie Sansone walking tapes and yoga exercises. I was able to rehabilitate my back by exercising on my lunch hour at work! I gained my evenings (and my life) back when I was able to quit daily, evening physical therapy sessions. This year, I am focused on losing the extra "stubborn" pounds. I am now a little over half way to my goal weight. In the past month, my husband joined me in my efforts. We do Leslie tapes at home on the weekend. And yes, he has already lost more weight than me, in less time. Thank you, PPG, for providing me with the opportunity to put myself first.

I joined PPG's "Weight Watchers at Work" program in September of Through the program, I learned how to manage portion control and how to choose nutritious and healthy foods to eat. Overall, Weight Watchers has given me an awareness of what and how much I was eating, and how to adjust these so that I would still feel full. I have combined these new eating habits with regular exercise at home, using a rotation of the Leslie Sansone DVD's along with a Weight Watchers exercise DVD. Although the past 14 months have been a huge challenge for me, I am happy with the results. I reached my goal weight in April and have lost a total of 42 pounds since beginning the program. I'm very happy that PPG offers the program during lunchtime. I am much more likely to attend than if I had to go out of my way during the evenings or weekends for a meeting. Plus, our leader and my PPG co-workers have been extremely supportive. Thank you!