'You've Come a Long Way, Baby!'

Remember when smoking was sexy? You would light a cigarette, strike a “cool” pose that said "Don't you wish you were sexy like me?" You'd flaunt your cigarette like a status symbol, and instantly became a person of distinction, a man among men, a woman of fashion and style.   

Fast forward to today: "You've come a long way, baby,” and Health and Fitness are now the New Sexy! Gwinnett County men and women are seeing for themselves that happiness, health and fitness “starts with the inside.” Body Mass Index, inches, and the way your clothing fits are now the real turn-ons.  Nutrition, physical activity, and surrounding yourself with active positive people are all the current rage, and the wave of the future. Hop on!   

Why are health and fitness becoming so popular? In today's fast paced world of accelerated communications and information channels, folks are realizing you need to be healthy and fit to accomplish their goals and share their passions with others for as long as possible. Some things we can control and others not so much…but healthy and fit? Yes, we do have choices!   

If you are a grandparent, don't you want to hug, play with, and guide your grandchild through a long life? If you are an Olympic soccer player, don't you want to be one of the fastest on the field? If you have a business, don't you want to have the energy of a leader? If you are a doctor, don't you want to help as many people as possible? If you are a school teacher, don't you want to share positive life lessons with many students, and lead by example?          

As promoters of , we were invited to attend the “Gwinnett’s Losing It! Finale Celebration & Healthy Lifestyles Expo” last Sunday at the Aurora Theatre.  Sandi Porter, owner of “Start With the Inside,” holds “The Gwinnett’s Losing It” contest several times a year to encourage folks “to take control of their lives and change their bodies forever.” Since the inception of this contest in 2011, Gwinnett County residents have lost over 2,000 pounds! When asked how long she will continue the “Gwinnett’s Losing It” contest, Sandi replied “until everyone in Gwinnett County is healthy!”   

Entering the Aurora Theatre lobby last Sunday, we were cheerfully greeted by Expo Vendors offering food and information to aid us in making healthy choices. We crunched on veggies and dip provided by Big Organic Garden, sipped tasty Omega 3 juice from Max Muscle  and bought a book from author Lee Duncan “Train Your Mind…& Your Body Will Have its Leader.”

Fortified mentally and nutritionally we made our way into the theatre, where Sandi Porter proudly presented the contestants of her latest Gwinnett’s Losing It contest…21 women spent the last 12 weeks working individually and together to lose weight. Their results? As a team they lost 250 lbs. and 144½ inches!  Individually they made changes inside and out that will help them make healthy choices for the rest of their lives. 

Sandi introduced all the contestants and shared excerpts from each of their diaries, giving us insight into the personal journey of each contestant. Then the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners were greeted with enthusiastic applause from an audience filled with family, friends and supporters. Contestants “gifted back” to Sandi some of their lost weight in the form of an inscribed 20 lb. dumbbell, and we were the lucky winners of the Big Organic Gardens gift basket drawing--a great way to end the evening!

As always, hanging out with Active Positive People inspires us. Usually we say “the more the better,” but in this case, the “less the better” works, since all these “losers” are real winners! We applaud all these contestants as being leaders in our community by taking such positive action in their lives! 

Positively yours,

Sheri and Bill