Every year in January, the gyms fill up with out-of-shape, overweight folks trying to sweat off their holiday poundage. Yet by the end of February, these people are nowhere to be found. Trouble is, people quickly discover that taking off pounds is a lot more difficult than putting them on!

"Start slow," says Mike Thornton, owner of Transformational Boot Camp. "People are always surprised when I say that, but I encourage people to start where they are. In January, people make too many abrupt changes in their health and fitness routines only to burn out by the end of February. One of our great boot camp motivational secrets is that we have a community that holds one another accountable to fitness goals. We also allow people to work at their own pace towards improvement." Michael Tannery has been going to Transformational Boot Camp at 5:30 M-W-F for several months. "It's made a huge difference in my energy level," he says. For more information, visit www.transformationbootcamp.com. Join us!

Speaking of joining us, Team Tannery will be competing in the Live Healthy 100 Day Wellness Challenge, a national program to boost America's fitness level. It's a simple program--for 100 days, you simply keep track of how many minutes you exercise weekly, or how much weight you have lost (which is kept confidential). Visit www.livehealthyamerica.org to find out more. It costs only $20 to participate, and has motivated millions of people to reach their fitness goals. Sponsored by our local Chamber of Commerce, the kick-off begins mid-January and teams start tracking their goals January 20. Sign up today--we'd love to have you join our team! Only 6 spots are left, so respond now by clicking here.

If you need help with eating healthier in the New Year, we are quite impressed with the local Dallas-area company My Fit Foods. If you hate to cook or just don't have time, they offer high-quality, nutritious prepared meals. Check out their website for more information.

Tina with Network's Volunteer Coordinator, Kendall Johnson

We'd like to thank the people who donated books to our first annual book drive for The Network of Community Ministries. Network plans to use them as a resource in their lobby where families (with wiggly children) wait for appointments. The Network helps out local families with food, resources, counseling, and temporary aid to help avert homelessness. To find out more, visit www.thenetwork.org.

Children's books are very dear to Tina's heart. She is an avid collector as well as a donor to local charities. For example, one of her favorites is pictured left, an autographed copy of the children's classic, What to Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.

Next year, Tina plans to step up her commitment to placing a good, new children's book in every Richardson-area home. If you would like to help out with this exciting initiative, click here.