The holiday season is notorious for decadent desserts and sweet treats. Diets are disregarded, and resolutions of healthy eating and exercise are made at the New Year but often don’t last long. For David Tolbert, however, this year brought a different story.
Beginning in January, the Brost Clinic offered its annual Lighten Up Challenge, a free and natural weight-loss program. The Wayzata clinic specializes in natural healthcare services like acupuncture and massage therapy. The 11-week contest, now in its third year, provides participants like Tolbert free dietary, exercise and nutrition services.
“The Lighten Up Challenge was the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on losing weight, and learn how to eat and exercise right to keep the unwanted weight off,” Tolbert says. Through Lighten Up, he was able to shed 25 pounds throughout the contest’s three-month period, more than any of this year’s contestants.
Tolbert credits his success to the clinic’s accessible doctors, weekly weigh-ins and flexible services. “I tried to pick exercise routines or activities that kept my heart rate up and were pretty intense,” he says. “I like to play basketball, so I would try to do that once or twice a week.”
For Tolbert, it was hard seeing his family eating the food he knew he shouldn’t have. Another challenge was staying motivated when his weekly weigh-in didn’t reflect any change. “What kept me going at those points was reminding myself it’s not about losing weight every week—it’s about making life changes to ensure that I live a healthier life from here on out,” Tolbert says.
To keep the weight off, the Lighten Up winner plans to maintain his healthy eating habits and find new ways to stay active. His advice for others looking to lose weight: “Figure out what your motivation is, and use it to your advantage.”
