Posted 1:49 am Sunday, May 27, 2012
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‘Beyond Fitness’ Dropping Weight
A lot of us feel like we're constantly battling our weight and like we're alone in the fight to get healthy. That's how one weight-loss challenge in Rusk got started.
The folks at Beyond Fitness said they lost more than 680 pounds in their first challenge, and they're not done yet.
Losing, really, is winning here. Through the "Battle the Weight Challenge," dozens of men and women in Rusk are dropping weight they've been holding onto for years.
"Actually I had been carrying my weight for about 10 years," says Monica Thomasson. Ms. Thomasson's fight to lose weight was complicated by a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism two years ago and a terrible wreck that followed.
"Made life very difficult, with the pain and everything," Ms. Thomasson said. "Eight months out from my accident, I went from being immobile for several months to finally making the decision it was time to do something."
She is 40 pounds lighter today.
"I feel the most physically fit I have ever felt in my life," Ms. Thomasson said. She tackles high-intensity workouts such as cycling and shadow boxing with her gym family at Beyond Fitness.
"You look at the person next to you and say, 'Hey, if they can do it, I can do it. If this person is struggling, I am going to pick them up,'' Sterling Pratz said.
Everyone taking the weight-loss challenge at Beyond Fitness said it is the group classes that are helping take the weight off and keep it off.
"They cheer you on," Doranna Rushing said. "They make you want to do it, do more and go further."
Ms. Rushing was determined to get the weight off after seeing pictures on Facebook.
"It was time, time for it to come off it had to go," she said.
She said two babies in two years really caught up with her, but now she's lost 47 pounds by working out every day up to three hours a day.
"The first contest I lost 32 pounds, out of 29 people. I was No. 6 in the weight loss. I was pretty proud of that," she said. She's not done losing. She wants to lose 70 more pounds, and Ms. Thomasson wants to drop 20 more.
"As long as they are making progress that means the world to us," Pratz said.
Together, they're hoping to win the weight war in Rusk. Since their second challenge began three weeks ago, the Beyond Fitness family has dropped another 280 pounds.
Watch Dana Hughey's "Fit City Success Stories" each Thursday during KYTX CBS19's 10 p.m. news.
