The Gateway Family YMCA is launching a new virtual session of the YMCA Weight Loss Program, a 12-week small group program designed for adults centered on lifestyle changes and led by certified YMCA instructors. The program is available through live online small group sessions, with registration required at www.tgfymca.org.
“The YMCA’s Weight Loss Program is designed to help people seeking a healthier weight achieve their goals by making small, modest changes to their daily behaviors and forming sustainable, healthy habits. Rather than advocate for specific or restrictive short-term solutions, this program helps participants build skills for successful lifestyle changes,” stated Krystal R. Canady, CEO, The Gateway Family YMCA.
Research shows that effective approaches to behavior change around dietary intake and physical activity include group cohesion, group shared values, and social support. YMCA’s Weight Loss Program is designed to harness the power of the group by encouraging group discussion, group learning, group sharing, and group problem solving. This program will introduce participants to behaviors that have been shown to lead to sustained weight loss and invite participants to develop personalized plans to incorporate those behaviors into their personal lifestyle.
With a commitment to the community during the global pandemic, the Y’s Weight Loss Program is being offered free for full or virtual YMCA members, and for a small fee to community participants. Interested individuals may join at any time, with monthly sessions available online.
“Every day, individuals face prescriptive messaging on how to lose weight in the form of meal plans, diets or gym equipment, messaging that has created the perception that weight loss can be achieved only by finding the answer or solution “out there.” YMCA’s Weight Loss Program challenges this perception and is designed to teach participants that they hold the answers within themselves to achieve their weight loss goals,” stated Melynda A. Mileski, EVP/COO, The Gateway Family YMCA.
Because weight loss is unique to each person, this program focuses on helping individuals identify ways to make small, modest changes to their behavior within the context of their own life and in support of their weight loss goals. The tools provided during this program, along with the knowledge and support of the group, are used by participants to develop their own balanced eating and physical activity plans that work for them.
Participants joining the program should be ready to commit to daily food and physical activity tracking as well as developing self-designed weekly action plans that incorporate what is learned during each session. This program helps participants build skills for successful lifestyle changes as opposed to advocating any specific or restrictive short-term solution.
The Gateway Family YMCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization of caring staff and volunteers dedicated to strengthening the foundations of community and stands For Youth Development, For Healthy Living and For Social Responsibility. The Gateway Family YMCA impacts the community by providing quality services to people of all ages, races, faith or incomes.
To learn more about the YMCA’s Weight Loss Program at The Gateway Family YMCA, visit www.tgfymca.org