Carthage residents fight Battle of Bulge with YMCA initiative

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Nancy White, of Jasper, has a laugh Wednesday with Tericia Mixon, membership and fitness director at Fair Acres Family YMCA in Carthage. White joined the Y’s weight and fitness program called Battle of the Bulge to improve her health through diet and exercise via a team competition. GLOBE | ROGER NOMER

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January 23, 2013

Carthage residents fight Battle of Bulge with YMCA initiative

By Ryan Richardson news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Wed Jan 23, 2013, 10:11 PM CST

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The second local Battle of the Bulge is now being fought by Carthage residents.

The Fair Acres Family YMCA is promoting healthy lifestyle changes and weight loss with a competition that kicked off Jan. 13, said membership and fitness director Tericia Mixon.

The Battle of the Bulge is a 12-week competition designed to help residents improve their health through diet and exercise, Mixon said. Each week, team members weigh in to see which team has lost the highest percentage of weight.

Mixon said, “The program is short, but if we can promote that change in people to live a healthier life and to follow through on their goals, then we are doing well.”

Nancy White, of Jasper, joined the program Wednesday after learning about it through her senior athletic class at the YMCA. Even though she has to drive 15 miles three times a week to work out in Carthage, she said she is looking forward to the lifestyle change.

“The other class members got me into this, and I think that it is a wonderful idea,” White said. “It’s really easy to slide into poor health the older you get, and at my age it can complicate health issues quickly. I want to make a change in my life to be healthy, and I feel that this program can help me do that.”

After her first weigh-in Wednesday, she joined other team members in discussing workout techniques during the competition.

“I think a lot of this is going to be motivation — motivation for a better quality of life,” White said.

This year’s competition includes personalized training time and an expanded food journaling program in addition to monthly prizes, support tips and motivational strategies to help participants finish the program.

“We had a lot of feedback from last year’s program and a strong demand to bring it back,” Mixon said. “We wanted to make sure that people were encouraged to compete and go above and beyond the competition aspect. I am confident that this year’s program will grow above last year’s numbers, and hopefully it becomes an annual thing for us.”

More than 115 people participated in last year’s challenge, she said.

Even though the kickoff date has passed, Mixon said the YMCA is still accepting teams for the current competition.

“We are encouraging any people who are still on the fence to come in this week or next week so that they can keep up with the program,” she said. “There are still teams to put together, and we can get you weighed in and on a team so that you can compete.”

Learn more

THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE is free for current Fair Acres Family YMCA members and $130 for nonmembers, but that includes a three-month membership. For more information, people may contact Tericia Mixon at 417-358-1070.

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Carthage residents fight Battle of Bulge with YMCA initiative

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