Weight Loss Blog
The Weight Loss Blog offers news and information about nutrition and fitness as well as actual weight loss success stories as told by students at Wellspring Academies, formerly Academy of the Sierras, the first boarding school for overweight teens. WSA is part of Wellspring, which also runs Wellspring weight loss camps.
The Blog started with entries by 15-year-old Jahcobie who graduated from WSA after losing 176 pounds in seven months. Then Brooke, a 17-year-old from Prescott, Arizona, took over. Our latest student blogger was Melissa, a 17-year-old from Orange County, California. Melissa recently graduated and we wish her success and she continues down her path as a "long-term weight controller."
Andy D. a 17-year-old student at Wellspring Academy spent a few months sharing his adventures in weight loss, healthy eating, and fitness fun with us before he graduated the program in June.
Now we'll continue to update you with news and information about weight lose, healthy living, and childhood obesity. We'll have a new WSA student share their stories with us beginning in the Fall.
Wellspring programs are the most effective weight loss solutions for teens available today. But don't let us tell you. Let Andy, Melissa, Brooke, and Jahcobie tell you. Read about their journeys toward successful weight management in their own words.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Celebrating My 18th Birthday
TODAY IS MY 18TH BIRTHDAY!!!
I am so excited. My mom called this morning and she and my sister sang to me, although they didn't know all the words to the song. It was actually funny, because my sister was half asleep. I spent most of my school day working, and all of clubs and free time in my room packing and getting ready to move.
I have to make this blog short because 5 out of the 10 computers in the computer lab don't work tonight, and I don't have homework on the computer.
Goodnight.
OH! Tomorrow I am going home on my OCC. I will try to write while I am at home.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Making Tough Decisions
Yesterday at the bowling ally, a lot of kids were faced with a difficult decision. In the
Healthy Obsession Book, and just in general common sense, Dr. Kirschenbaum makes a point of not drinking your calories.
Well, we all got a large drink, and they were all supposed to be diet drinks, or water. But, they ran out of Diet Pepsi, the staff let us make our own decision on what drink we wanted to get at that point. About 5 kids, myself included, got Diet Pepsi. The rest of the kids got regular Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, lemonade, root beer, whatever they had available, and they drank it. One of my friends, who was "Student of the Week" last week, came to me and another friend and asked if she should get regular soda or water. We told her to drink water. So she got 2 refills of water. All of the other kids who chose to get regular soda got free refills. The cups our drinks came in were 32 ounces. That means that in one cup of soda they were drinking about 450 calories of soda, not to mention each additional refill they had. I saw one girl get 3 refills while bowling, and one right before we left. She had 1800 calories worth of soda, on top of the maybe 1300 calories she had eaten that day. I also can speculate and say that most of these kids did not monitor any of these high-calorie drinks.
I am proud to say that I did not give in to temptation, when it looked so good, and it was free. I maintained my program and left the bowling ally not adding any excess calories to my day. My friend and I sat and watched the other people make a huge dent in their program.
While watching them bowl, we knitted scarves for Christmas presents.
Other than that, my day yesterday was good, except for the fact that one of the people who I thought was my really good friend is talking and gossiping about me behind my back to another girl who I don't like. I am learning so much about how people act under peer pressure. It sucks because these two girls were once my closest friends.
Today we were supposed to go to see "The Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith, but the bus never showed up, and we are now going to eat dinner at 5:30 and then go to the movie at 6:25 and miss some of study hall...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Planning for the Holidays
These last few days have been very hectic. Tuesday is my 18th birthday, and I have to pack all of my things and move to a new room. I am SO stressed. I have to move everything and unpack so I can be settled and then turn around and re-pack all of my clothes and accessories that I will need for my nearly 2 week OCC.
I am planning out every minute of my OCC. I have so many recipes and plans to make good food for my family and friends on Christmas.
Thursday night, the staff surprised all of the kids and let us watch a movie. We did not have study hall, and we moved evening activity and dinner up one hour so we could have more time. I did not watch the movie. My friend and I danced around in the lobby of the dorms while waiting for a staff member to take us to the computer lab.
Friday night I was supposed to go to a hockey game, but I ended up staying in the dorms and cleaning my room so I could get ready to pack. I finished my friend's scarf; it was her goodbye present/Christmas gift.
Today, actually right now, I am going bowling so I have to go, but I will write again tomorrow!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Getting Ready to Go Home
Yesterday was a great day. One of my really good friends, and fellow student council members moved up to a YABO! I am really proud of her. She is the second Yabo in the school's history.
Today I have been getting my stuff ready to move, saying my good-byes to all of my friends that are going home or on OCCs tomorrow. One of my really good friends is leaving for good tomorrow, and that is sad, but I know that she will do wonderfully at home.
I found out when I am most likely going to stay until. It will probably be January 26, 2007 when I go home. I am excited and nervous.
I am working on a Civics paper with my friend so I have to get back to that.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Today just an ordinary day... I went to school, had a BC session which was a good session, and I ended up working for Tina.
In my BC session we talked about how long I was staying, and the pros and cons of each decision. I realized that I was making a big deal about staying 2 weeks more in a place that has helped me through so many of my struggles, why would I want to leave such a structured environment? But I also thought, I have been here for 6 months and I can't wait to go home to see my friends, family, and go back to my normal routine, and starting back at my high school.
The good thing about staying 2 extra weeks is that I would be interviewed for the TODAY show. Phil and Molly sent a handful of students' names and stories to the TODAY show, and I from what I hear, they picked me to be the one student leaving that they chose to follow. I feel so honored to be picked, and this opportunity will most likely never come again. While being here at AOS I have been presented with so many opportunities that I would have never gotten if it was not for this school.
I think my decision will be to stay here for the remainder of the semester. I know that this is a good decision because I will accomplish more, finish my YABBO application, and hopefully move up to YABBO.
Other than that my day went rather smoothly. I am waiting to call my mom, and I am going to return to study hall to finish writing "The Story of my Success" and outlining "Why I deserve to be a YABBO".
Goodnight.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Positive Stress
Today was my first day of work! All I did was cut and paste receipts on to white printer paper, but it was fun. I figured that I can work more than 20 hours a week when I turn 18 (which is in 8 days!). I am so excited.
This morning I was tested for strep throat, and luckily it came up negative, but I did find out that I had a viral infection... or something.
My day was actually pretty stressful. I went to a Physical Therapy Appointment, to civics class, to study hall, and to a Student Council meeting, where we got a few things accomplished. Over all my day was a positive stressful, where I got a lot done.
I have to go finish up my Spanish homework... good night.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Non-Food Rewards
Our Ropes group won the monthly challenge, so we got to have a day trip and do whatever we wanted. We decided that we were going to go to the mall and get our nails done and then get dinner.
Friday morning, we left school around 11 am and went to Old Navy, Michaels, and then the Fashion Fair Mall. We went to stores like Forever 21, Wet Seal, Gap, Pac Sun, and JC Penney.
Because we won, the school treated us to a manicure and dinner. At the nail place, if you wanted to get something other than a manicure, you had to pay the difference out of your own spending money. A few friends and I got acrylics. I love getting acrylics! After we got our nails done we went to Subway and had lunch and then went back to the mall and shopped until about 6:45 PM. Then we went to a place called Extreme Pizza and got cheese-less pizza. The pizza I had came with chicken and pineapple on it. We wanted mandarin oranges, but it was limited to two toppings. So chicken and pineapple it was. After that, the Ascenders and Belayers went to Barnes & Noble. We got 15 dollars for a book or magazine, and they also treated us to Starbucks.
Friday was a lot of fun. I got Christmas presents for my sister and my friends.
Saturday was spent in my room cleaning and getting organized and ready to move. I have to be out of my room by next Tuesday, because it is my 18th birthday, and I have to be moved in to the 18 year-old room. I am really excited. Two days after my birthday I am leaving on my Christmas OCC!
Saturday night we went ice skating, and on the way back it started raining. This morning during morning activity, it started raining and has been ever since. I love the rain. Also my roommate and I are listening to Christmas music, so we are in the mood for it to be Christmas already.
Today after lunch and afternoon activity we are going to see "Unaccompanied Minors". It is my friend's last weekend at AOS, she is leaving on Friday for good, and it is really sad, so I am spending as much time as I can with her.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
A Great Day!
Today was a great day. I ran the 3 mile walk in 26 minutes and I calculated that my mile time is now 9.6 minutes! I am really happy. I am going to try to improve by hopefully 3 or 4 minutes in the next month.
Today was also weigh-in. I lost 6 pounds! I am now 203.6 and I am so excited to work real hard and see where I am next week.
Summit was good. My friend moved up to Belayer! [the 2nd-to-highest level in AOS's level system]. I am really proud of her.
I am in my room now listening to Regina Spektor. Just relaxing before I have to go to bed.
I am going to go to bed now - well, after I go to the Bubble and ask them to send this off to Phil.
Well, goodnight!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Enjoying Reaching Goals
The last week has been tiring. From Thursday night to Sunday night, I was on bed rest. I was so sick. I think I had the stomach flu. I had no energy. I pretty much slept all day everyday. Each day I told myself, "tomorrow I am going to get up for AM activity" but each morning I was sicker than the day before. On Saturday afternoon, I told myself, no matter how I feel, I am going to get up Monday morning and start my week right. Monday morning finally came around and I did not feel like getting up, and I knew that the staff would leave me alone if I did not get up, but I got up even though I had not slept much the night before, and went on the walk. I got back and took a shower, and I felt better, that I had actually gotten up and done what I wanted to. That was my goal for the weekend that I actually achieved. I felt so proud of myself when I walked out side. I knew that at any time on the walk I could say that I was not feeling well, and that I wanted to go back, but I kept it up and I completed the whole walk and actually walked at a semi-fast pace.
Monday, my roommate and I cleaned our room, and did laundry. We ended up getting most of the things done that we had wanted to over the weekend that we had not yet gotten around to. Today, I walked almost a mile of the morning walk with my friend, and then I ran the remaining 2 miles in about 19 minutes. I am very proud of myself for that too, because the first morning I did the walk, I told myself that by the time I left AOS I wanted to be able to run/jog the entire walk and now I can. I told the culinary teacher that and she is going to run it with me one of these days. I also told my group BC that that was a goal, she asked me if I needed her help training for it, and I said no, that I would do it at my own pace, so she told me when I reached it that she would run it with me.
Tonight was our last soccer game. We lost 5-3, unfortunately, but I think that it was our best game in putting all of our effort in to it, switching in and out rather seamlessly, and leaving with out injury. Good job, Girls Indoor Soccer Team, it was fun playing with you all!
Well, tomorrow is weigh in and I am rather nervous, because I was sick for so many of the days, but hopefully I am happy with what happens tomorrow.
