HELPING RESHAPE LIVES
Oklahoma woman created successful weight loss and lifestyle improvement program
A Piedmont woman created a successful weight loss and lifestyle improvement program
Each day, an Oklahoma woman is helping hundreds of women regain control over their weight and improve their self-image and self-concept.
Women who have given up on losing weight have found success with Fitness with Lindsay, a fitness and lifestyle program named for its founder, Lindsay Simpson.
Though she lives and works from a farm in rural Piedmont, Simpson is in daily contact with scores of women who live all over the United States. She coaches online through posts of exercise videos to use at home, writes positive articles to give new and pertinent information and to debunk myths about dieting and self improvement.
After training in cosmetology as part of vocational education at Westmoore High School, Simpson was a hairstylist for many years. Simpson learned about diet and fitness for herself. Along the journey, she realized she wasn't the only person struggling with weight.
Though she quickly clarifies that she's not a registered dietician, she earned a weight-loss certification as a conditioning specialist in behavior change and coaching.
She started by meeting women for personal training at a gym two times (later, three times) each week. In time, she realized she needed to reach more women, so she set up Facebook groups in order to communicate. Now, there are no face-to-face meetings or gym sessions; it's online.
Groups of fewer than 25 people begin every two weeks, and six groups typically operate at a time. Each session lasts four weeks. The fee is a little more than $1 per day.
“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Simpson said, and she tells people to jump in full force. She said she believes the motivation to start a diet is tied with one's emotional state.
After the first session, members move into a long-term group, and the clients begin to thrive, she added.
About the program
All FWL clients "check in" during the week using the Facebook group page. At midweek, members tell how the week is flowing. Members post weekly menu and food plans, as well as exercise goals. And, one day per week, members weigh at home for accountability and to show progress. The number on the scale is never revealed, but each member posts personal weight losses or gains in ounces and pounds. When a four-week session ends, members post total loss or gains in ounces and pounds and body measurements. No photos or body weight numbers are publicly posted.
The monthly fee covers private text or online sessions with Simpson when needed. She answers online questions, and posts recipes and menu ideas, as well as at-home fitness routines.
Participants do not need fitness equipment, shoes or clothes because exercise can be done at home. Participants walk, run, jog, cycle, spin or go to a gym or pool. Simpson encourages people to exercise in a way that fits their lifestyle and budget.
Simpson calculates calories and determines the macronutrients each participant can consume and lose weight. She divides nutrients into grams: protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar and fat. Each person tracks meals by adding foods into a smartphone app.
The plan focuses on macronutrients, so people keep muscle and lose fat.
“I was very intimidated by the idea of macro counting and of nutrition, yet I walked away with nutrition information and a lot of awareness. It was a retraining of my thoughts. I believe I have an even better understanding of myself and why I eat like I do,” said Regina Webber, nurse practitioner at Lakeside Doctors Gynecology and Obstetrics in Oklahoma City.
Each month, Simpson reads the latest scientific information about diet, exercise and physical fitness.
She encourages all members to set specific and personal goals, and along the way, learn why past weight plans didn't work.
Simpson posts new information about dieting and planning tips, and she challenges people to start healthy habits. Video messages are posted to the FWL Facebook group. Topics vary, yet the subjects are aligned with self-improvement and making self a priority.
A women's health care provider, Webber listens to many patients' questions about weight and food. A program like Simpson's can help, she said.
Simpson said she recognizes that many factors affect one's self esteem and self-concept. Thoughts about food, one's emotions, physical or medical conditions and medications are involved in losing weight and physical health. She said she knows not everyone will gain from each informational post, yet there is someone who will.
For information
Fitness With Lindsay groups start every other week. For more information, go to Fitness With Lindsay group page on Facebook. You also can find Lindsay Simpson on Facebook.