Audrey Bowles knew Healthy Inspirations at the Healthplex® was working for her when her own doctor didn’t recognize her.

“I went in for a checkup, and my physician and her nurse didn’t even know who I was,” says Bowles, a member of the Financial Services team at the Healthplex^® Sports Club. “I had lost more than 20 pounds and looked completely different. It was a great feeling to have that recognized.”

Bowles is one of many Crozer-Keystone Health System employees reaping the benefits of Healthy Inspirations, an innovative weight-loss program that combines nutritional and exercise programs with relaxation therapy and personal coaching to help men and women lose weight — and keep it off. While the program is offered to the public, CKHS employees can take advantage of an extremely reduced price and rebate offer that cuts the normal program price by more than 50 percent.

“Healthy Inspirations is a great value, particularly if you’re a Wellness Works member,” says Lenore Boccia, coordinator for Healthy Inspirations at the Healthplex^®. “Not only is it extremely affordable, but it also offers extremely flexible hours, which makes it perfect for health care workers with busy schedules.”

Healthy Inspirations uses a four-step plan to help participants achieve their weight-loss goals. Members are first given a free health risk analysis, which determines their body fat percentage and hydration level and helps determine how much weight they should lose. Each member is then placed on a three-day “Quick Start” diet, which helps cleanse the body of stored body fat and can result in the loss of three to five pounds.

“After Quick Start is complete, the member meets with a Healthy Inspirations team member, who helps the member plan for Day 4 and beyond,” Boccia says. “They learn about healthy food choices — which are very abundant at Healthy Inspirations — as well as meal planning, cooking, recipes, preparation tips and shortcuts.”

During the weight-loss component of the program, members will lose an average of two to three pounds per week. Members are weighed three times a week to ensure their plan is working — which helps employees like Rae Roeder, of the Crozer-Chester Foundation — stay on track.

“The fact that there is so much accountability really makes the program stand out,” says Roeder, who joined the program to lose weight while improving her health status. “Because you weigh in so often, you can’t cheat. Other programs only require a once-a-week weigh-in, so you could go, weigh in, and then head out to a party that night, knowing you had an entire week to make up for whatever you ate at the party. Here, you have to stick to the program to be successful.”

Participants also have full access to Healthy Inspirations’ other amenities — a 29-minute circuit training regimen, personal coaching, and relaxation therapy — during their memberships.

“While Healthy Inspirations members are welcome to use the Healthplex’s regular equipment, they can also access a private members-only area that is quiet and less intimidating to many of them,” Boccia says.

Bowles finds the Healthy Inspirations area to be a major perk of the program.

“Even though I work at the Healthplex, the thought of actually going up to the workout floor can be a little intimidating,” says Bowles, a former standout college basketball player whose exercise program lapsed after she suffered a knee injury several years ago. “Having the Healthy Inspirations area is great, because I don’t feel like I’m competing against super-conditioned athletes. It’s very intimate and a great escape from the rest of the day.”

After the participant completes his or her weight loss program — about 15 to 24 months after their initial consultation, depending on the amount of weight he or she needs to lose — the program switches gears to focus on achieving a healthy balance.

“Healthy Balance teaches participants how to add higher-fat and higher-calorie items back into their diets without gaining the weight back,” Boccia says. “Because the participant has built more lean muscle mass during the weight-loss component, he or she is able to adequately cope with the added calories and fat — although they are still offered as treats and rewards, rather than diet staples.”

Members are weighed twice weekly during the Healthy Balance phase, and are moved back into the weight loss program if they gain more than 5 pounds.

Once Healthy Balance is achieved, members move into the final phase: Healthy Lifestyle.

“Healthy Lifestyle teaches members how to integrate their newly acquired habits into their lives forever,” Boccia says. “They learn to plan for special events, balance treats and rewards, and fit exercise into their everyday routines. Healthy Lifestyle helps them take the concepts they’ve learned in Healthy Inspirations and use them to keep the weight off for life.”

That’s the goal Roeder and Bowles are hoping to achieve.

“During the several months I’ve participated in the program, I’ve found that I’m actually beginning to prefer healthier foods,” Roeder says. “When I have something that’s fried or rich, it doesn’t taste quite as wonderful as it used to. Because my diet has improved, I’m feeling very optimistic about my health status, despite my own history and my family history. I’m very pleased with how far I’ve come and with where I’m going.”

Bowles, who has lost more than 30 pounds since joining the program, agrees.

“I have nothing but positive things to say about Healthy Inspirations,” she says. “I’ve done so well that some of my co-workers have decided to join. It’s a great fit for Crozer-Keystone employees, since we have such busy schedules and full lives outside of CKHS. I would recommend it to all Wellness Works members.”

Healthy Inspirations at the Healthplex® is available to all Crozer-Keystone employees and their spouses who are Wellness Works members, as well as their children over age 16, for a fee of $650. Members pay an initial fee of $150, followed by five payments of $100 for the next five months of the program. In addition, CKHS employees who are enrolled in a Crozer-Keystone medical option are eligible to receive half the program’s cost ($325) as their weight loss goals are achieved. For more information about Healthy Inspirations, call Lenore Boccia at (610) 338-2700 or via e-mail at lenore.boccia@crozer.org.

This program supports the mission and goals of Wellness Works, which helps Crozer-Keystone employees achieve a healthy lifestyle through health promotion and disease prevention. Employees who participate in these programs may be eligible to receive credit on their Healthy Lifestyle Tracker. For more information about Wellness Works, contact Susan Winkles at (610) 595-6387 or 19-6387.