Bev Hoffman and Val Kuiper have lost more than 78kg combined and kept it off.
TOWN clubs encourage weight loss through promotion of a nutritional eating regimen at weekly meetings that include weigh-ins and group therapy.
A person graduates from TOWN when they reach their goal weight and keep it off for six weeks.
Bev joined the program in July 2011 and reached her goal weight on November 2018.
“I started this journey to be healthy and be able to become more involved with my community,” Bev said.
“I am now walking every morning and really enjoy it. The hardest thing has been trying to keep the weight off once I lost it.
“I’m glad I made the decision to lose weight and get healthier. You should do whatever you can to make your life more enjoyable.”
Val joined in 1992 when she weighed 120kg.
“There were hiccups along the way including the death of my husband and onset of rheumatoid arthritis,” Val said.
“I wanted to do something for me and I’ve loved it. I feel fantastic.
“One of the most helpful things I learned through TOWN was to reduce my portions.”
Rochester TOWN treasurer Lyn Bloomfield said she sees a big change in happiness and activity levels of people who lose weight through the program.
“We provide a guide on how to eat and how to exercise. Our weekly meetings, which are held every Tuesday at the Community House from 3.45pm to 5.30pm, give people a chance to weigh in and learn,” she said.
“It’s hard to take that first step but that’s the hardest part. We’ve all been there, we know how it feels to walk in for that first time and we are here to support one another.”
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