Teen weight-loss program gets girls results

BY DESONTA HOLDER Jeanette Perez used to be a size 14; now she’s a size 10. She used to wear large clothes; now she can fit into mediums. She doesn’t have to ‘’wear old people’s clothes’’ any more. ‘’I’m not 30,’’ the 16-year-old says. (At her age, 25 is old.) ‘’Most kids are not a size 5 or a size 6’’ Jeanette says. ``I didn’t want to wear a fat dress to my formal. I wanted to wear a pretty dress. I have more choices when shopping. It’s fun.’’ She credits Ladies Inshape fitness center’s Lean Teen program for her new physique. The program in Miami, run by Kalina and Jorge Martinez, motivates girls to exercise and make better nutritional choices. ‘’I try to keep them structured,’’ Kalina says of the 75 girls in the program. ‘I don’t tell them, `You’re supposed to weigh 115.’ We don’t want to go to extremes.’’ The girls are measured periodically for weight and body mass index. Their one-hour workouts involve hydraulic machines with no weights, so they can perform a circuit of cardio and toning exercises. Moms are welcome to give it a try, too. Jeanette, who’s five feet six inches tall, weighed 172 when she started the program last summer. She attends classes four times a week and has lost 20 pounds. ‘’They’re very motivating,’’ she says.

``It’s about stopping those destructive habits. Do I want an apple instead of a candy bar, no? But they help you learn what’s good for you and what’s not. ``I want to be able to walk upstairs or walk a block while carrying my books without getting out of breath. At 16, I don’t want to weigh 200 pounds.’’ Her mom, also named Jeanette Perez, likes the program because it specializes in teens, and unlike a big gym, there’s personal attention at Ladies Inshape. ‘’At a gym, you feel kind of out of place,’’ says Perez, 41. ``This is about more than exercise. They sit mom down, and we get a talking-to. It’s more about a lifestyle, like grabbing an apple for a snack. . . . That’s the success of the program. ‘’You can go crazy—fat-free, carb-free, sugar-free. They helped me put together a grocery list,’’ Perez says. ``That helps me have the things at home so she’s not ravenous looking for stuff in the pantry or fridge.’’ The younger Jeanette admits she has always been a big snacker. It’s a good thing Ladies Inshape has taught her about portion control. She now has a little bit of popcorn instead of the whole box. And if she’s craving pizza, she’ll split a slice with a friend. Her favorite activities—reading, writing and debating—kept her sedentary. ‘’While some people wanted to go home and watch TV, I wanted to go home and read,’’ Jeanette says. ``That was my thing.’’ That still is her thing, but her newfound love of exercise, particularly the leg press machine, adds balance to her love of literature. ‘’I feel like I don’t have to hide so much,’’ Jeanette says. `` Being big, you feel awkward. It’s more mental, like someone is talking to you and thinking, wow, her rolls are sticking outside her jeans.’’ Those mental intrusions were absent at Ladies Inshape. ``It’s all girls, so you don’t feel self-conscious. You get sweaty, and it’s fine.’’