Calgarian hopes to inspire others to lose weight

Calgarian hopes to inspire others to lose weight
Website used to track progress
Michelle Magnan, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Paula Stephenson has tried everything to lose weight: hypnosis, acupuncture, weight loss clubs and crazy diets. Nothing has worked.

As of the middle of May, the local woman carried 256 pounds on her five-foot-two frame.

"I'm 51 and I've never been fit my whole life," says Stephenson, president of Savvy Connections (a matchmaking company she started recently).

Paula Stephenson is on a weight-loss journey with the aid of professional trainer Allan Fine at Balance Fitness in Calgary.
Ted Jacob, Calgary Herald

Font: ****"I've been fat since the day I was born."

But Stephenson says she is finally ready to slim down using the tried and true weight loss tools: exercise and healthy eating. And she wants other Calgarians to join her.

At the end of May, Stephenson launched an awareness campaign about the dangers of obesity, especially among women and children. Using herself as an example, she has dubbed her weight loss journey the Phat Broad Production and is documenting her experiences on a website (phatbroadproduction.com).

Her goal is to not only raise awareness, but to also inspire other Calgarians to start fitness programs of their own. She would love it if people came out to train with her.

"I want to set an example," says the gregarious Calgarian. "I'd like to bring awareness to this issue so I can inspire people not to kill themselves."

Stephenson was on her way.

Her lifestyle -- including habits such as eating one meal per day, usually late at night, and smoking up to two packs of cigarettes a day -- was sabotaging her health.

"I knew I was overweight, but I never thought I was unhealthy," she says.

That's why she was shocked last month when her doctor told her she is pre-diabetic and has high cholesterol, among other health issues.

Stephenson then went to Allan Fine, a personal trainer and friend, for a body fat measurement. Fine, who's since offered to train Stephenson for free, found that fat composed 80 per cent of her body. (According to obesitycanada.com, the recommended body fat content for women is 20 to 25 per cent. For men, it is 15 to 18 per cent.)

"I can't believe how sick I am. It's just all bad news," she says.

While Stephenson feels upset about the state of her health, she is using that emotion to fuel her weight loss.

With the help of Fine and other friends who have offered their services, such as cleansing and smoking cessation coaches, she plans to lose about

140 pounds of fat mass and gain about 60 pounds of lean muscle in one year.

She now works out with Fine five days a week, and is eating four small meals a day (the goal is six).

Since starting her new regimen at the end of May, she can see a difference.

"I've already noticed tightening," she says. "I know I've lost pounds. Instead of seven chins, I've got six today!" she jokes. "I'm already feeling more energy. I just want to inspire other women to really do it."

She knows the going will not always be easy, but she sees this as a plan she can stick to.

"This is about a life change. I'm excited for it," she says.

"It's about time."

To learn more about Stephenson's weight loss challenge, visit phatbroadproduction.com.

mmagnan@theherald.canwest.com