JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Beginning Monday, we are starting a new series of stories we hope will help you “Get Fit with 4.”
Four women are challenging themselves this year to get in shape and re-set the way they eat. And we're helping them do it.
We have partnered with BodyParadox personal trainers and Dietitians of Palm Valley to help the women get started and stay committed to their New Year's resolution.
As we follow their journey to lose inches and dress sizes during the next eight weeks, we invite you to join them.
We get it, it's hard to juggle it all.
Starting Friday, we'll have a workout video from the personal trainer who's working with the four women in our challenge.
And next Monday, Sammie Previte with Dieticians of Palm Valley will be here to explain what you should be eating, how often and the key to getting your eating under control.
Meet Tish
Tish Robinson, 57, can’t wait for her son’s wedding in September, but she wants to make some changes before that happens.
“I want to look good as the mother of the groom,” Tish said with a laugh.
Her son, Cameron, and his fiancee are living in Orlando. They met in college and are getting married in New York state. Tish, who works as a manager, said Cameron is one of her three grown children.
Tish said she knows the best way to get healthy is to start the day right, but she doesn’t always consistently eat healthily.
“Lots of times I’m running behind, have coffee, run out the door and by 11:30 or noon, I’m starving,” Tish said. “There are always treats on the sales floor, so it’s hard to walk past some of that, especially when I’m hungry and there’s a cookie.”
The rest of the day tends to go downhill from there, she said.
“I think we are consistently breaking our routine,” Tish said.
By 8:30 at night, Tish said, she’s exhausted and doesn’t have the energy to work out. She’s also started menopause, which zaps her energy level.
She needs a re-set -- which is where our challenge comes in.
Meet Henny
Henny Stewart, 48, works as a sales executive and said she has no choice but to make some changes for her health.
Her goal these next eight weeks is to lose four dress sizes.
Henny said she is tired of being in pain and out of breath when she walks up the stairs. She said her weight is taking a toll on her health, causing high blood pressure.
Henny said it can be difficult for her to find time to exercise, but she loves to walk. Her challenge is food.
“I’m an emotional eater. I go home at night, watch my favorite show -- you want to eat and you snack, and all of a sudden, the snack is gone,” Henny said. “When you’re as busy as I am, you’re finding something to eat and you’re getting it through a window -- and I know that’s not the best. My battle is eating. It’s 80% what you eat and 20% what you do.”
She hopes over the next eight weeks to reach a point where moving more will make life better.
“Being able to bend down and put my shoes on, being able to jump in and out of a car with no problems, being able to run up a step of stairs completely without having to stop and take a break,” Henny said.
We’ll introduce the next woman in our “Get Fit with 4” challenge Wednesday on “The Morning Show.”
Meet Jena
Jena Hayman, 25, has give up on fad diets and wants a routine she can follow for life.
Her goal over the next eight weeks is to lose two dress sizes.
Jena is no stranger to the gym, and she knows cardio is an important component to getting into shape, but it’s the other stuff at the gym that makes her uneasy.
“Knowing what your body can handle, certain weights, certain reps, knowing which machines to use for certain results,” Jena said.
She feels lost trying to figure out how much weight to lift and how often to get the results she wants. That's why she signed up for “Get Fit with 4.”
“When I was younger, in high school, I was always active in sports,” Jena said. “When you turn 25, I noticed some body changes.”
She said she's tired of yo-yoing with her weight and trying different diet plans.
“I did the Beach Body, 21-day fix. For 21 days, it worked. But you had these cups to sort everything in. I was still in a job where my life was super busy, and it was way easier to run through a drive-thru or quick eat place than to prep everything,” Jena said.
She knows she needs a regular workout routine, but it's hard to be consistent with her eating habits when her life is not consistent.
“I would say my biggest challenge is finding the routine that works with my work and my lifestyle. Sometimes I work late or work earlier,” Jena said. “I'm one of those people who wake up not hungry at all.”
She said it can be easy to forget to eat during a busy day.
“And then you binge at night, and it’s not good for your metabolism or good for your body,” Jena said.
Meet Danielle
Danielle Ulliano joined the News4Jax meteorology team about three months ago. She’s 25 and needs help coming up with a work out routine that will not aggravate her asthma.
She also works an unusual shift, which can make it tough to stay on track with an eating plan.
“I work basically all day on the weekend. On Saturday, I come to work around 4 a.m., do the show through 10 a.m., leave at 11, then I go home and sleep,” Danielle said. “Then I come back to do the evening shows.”
And Danielle doesn't get home until late, so exercise on the weekend is pretty much out for her because of her work schedule.
Then there's the eating.
“I start eating at 6 a.m., then I'm still hungry when it gets to 11 o'clock at night because I had dinner at 5, so I have to figure out how to balance that out,” Danielle explained.
It's why she's joined our “Get Fit with 4” challenge.
She works out during the week, but she's looking for workouts that don't aggravate her asthma.
“I like running. My asthma does not like running,” Danielle said. “So when I do work out, I spend my time doing short bursts.”
We will be posting a workout video every week recorded by the same personal trainer who is working with Danielle and the other three women.
You can learn more about that during “The Morning Show” on Friday
And on Monday morning, a dietitian will be in studio to help you get started and teach you about how to re-set the way you eat. Don’t miss her advice in the 8 a.m. hour of “The Morning Show.”