Weight of the Fox Valley News

Vol. 2   Issue 1

January 2015

A community that together achieves and maintains a 

healthy weight at every age

January 2015

Happy (and Healthy) New Year!

By Susan Perri, Marketing and Communications Assistant, United Way Fox Cities

Contributor: Jenni Eickelberg, Senior Community Relations Specialist at Thrivent Financial

The New Year is already here and this is the right time to make a New Year's Resolution. According to a 2014 University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology study, 45% of Americans make a New Year's Resolution, but only 8% are successful in achieving it. And, can you guess what the most popular resolution is? You got it - to lose weight. This year, we want to inspire you with the story of one community member who took the Weight of the Fox Valley Pledge and met some amazing goals. Below, Jenni Eickelberg, Senior Community Relations Specialist at Thrivent Financial, shares her journey of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight with us:
 
"Early last year, I made the decision to eat healthier. I was successful, but was missing a component to a healthier life: exercise. I attended the Weight of the Fox Valley kick-off event and 'Took the Pledge' to start one new healthy habit. On my pledge postcard, I wrote a reminder to myself to schedule a session with my employer's fitness center to set up a workout routine. A few weeks after the kick-off event, the postcard arrived in my mailbox. I put it in my purse and brought it with me to work as a reminder. I scheduled the fitness session and started to add exercise back into my life. I started running for 2 minutes. Yes, 2 minutes. I added a few minutes to my run every time I went out. Bit by bit, I became a runner. I set a goal and met it: I ran my first 5K this past summer. If you would have asked me last year if I would be a runner, I would have laughed at you! By taking the pledge, I've become healthier, lost over 40 pounds and exercise regularly. Thanks Weight of the Fox Valley!"

Jenni Eickelberg poses with her sons after running a 5K and proves that with hard work and determination, you can meet your goals.

Edison Elementary School - Family Dinner Club

Thank you to the all families that participated in the first Family Dinner Club meeting at Edison Elementary School on Tuesday, January 20th, 2015. We enjoyed cooking together, tasting fruit and vegetables and having a wonderful family time. A special thank you to Mrs. Lori Bjelde from Edison School and Julie Andrews, dietitian from Festival Foods, for leading the session.

The dinner included:

• Appetizer - veggies with a yogurt dip
• Main dish -  healthy pizza (whole grain pizza crust, low-fat cheese, veggies and turkey sausage crumbles)
• Dessert: mixed berry parfait

We used popular kid-friendly dishes and turned them into healthier versions.  

The Family Dinner Club brings families together at school in the evenings to cook, learn, and have fun.  Participants go through all the phases such as chopping, cooking, setting the table, and eating. Every member of the family, including the little ones, takes part. The main goal is to model the importance of having family time at the table together, without any distractions such as screens (TV, tablet, phone), and to teach them how to cook a healthy, simple and affordable dinner.

If you wish your school to take part in the Family Dinner Club, please contact Keren Rosenberg, Program Manager:

 Keren.Rosenberg@unitedwayfoxcities.org

We appreciate your continued interest in creating a community that together achieves and maintains a healthy weight at every age. If you have questions or know others that would like to be added to this e-mailed newsletter please contact Deb Schmidt at deb.schmidt@unitedwayfoxcities.org

Best Wishes,

Keren Rosenberg, Program Manager, Weight of the Fox Valley