Healthy Lifestyles is a program at Aultman Orrville Sports & Wellness (AOSW). The 12-week wellness-based, food-focused program not only covers nutrition and exercise, but it also focuses on behavior change for long-term success. Members of the success panel were program participants who shared their journey. The open forum was moderated by AOH Dietitian Matt Newman.

“As we started the presentation, it was great to see that participants go to the heart of the matter – real lifestyle change came through a balanced focus on nutrition, exercise and behavior change,” said Newman.
Success panel participants agreed that the program does result in healthier eating habits they can follow for the rest of their lives.

Some key elements to the program include: 

•Mindfulness – one panelist said, “Our family ate when we were happy and ate when we were sad. Eating became a habit.” The panelist said the Healthy Lifestyles program taught him to be “present” with food, hunger and timing.
• Mindset – participants said they went from a “have to diet and exercise” mindset to one of learning how to fit exercise into their daily routine.
• Ownership – participants said they learned how to be successful and not focus on perfection. “As this new lifestyle became more important to me, exercise, meal planning and food management became a priority, not a chore,” said one participant.

Participants agreed that the struggle with weight doesn’t have to be a lonely one. The key to the Healthy Lifestyles program is that AOSW partners with participants during their weight loss journeys with a highly personalized program rather than a trendy diet.

Plans are underway for a second success panel presentation the spring. To attend the panel or learn more about the AOSW Health Lifestyles program, call 330-684-4732.