On Jan. 16, three teams committed to Loyola Fit Club, an ongoing fitness and nutrition program, implemented to encourage use of the Recreational Sports Complex, but it has done more than just lead more people into the gym.

The competition has encouraged a life-style change for its participants leading them to eat healthier meals and exercise daily.

To be the team in the lead means to be the team that has shown the most improvement in weight loss, body fat percentage, blood pressure, flexibility and group exercise attendance.

The teams compete for prizes, which include iPods for first place, a free bar tab and gift cards.

Lewins Walter, biology and chemistry minor senior at Dillard University, coached and trained the team currently in first place, the Fit Club Divas.

Nutrition and Fitness is nothing new to Walter. Aside from being a trainer, he does scientific nutritional research at Dillard University.

Walter uses his knowedge from Dilliard to motivate and help his team lose a substantial amount of weight.

His enforcement on the importance of nutrition is one of the elements that has kept his team in first place for the majority of these past weeks.

“Nutrition is the key to weight loss,” he said. 

Exercise can help with flexibility, sickness and it is one of the best methods of relaxation, but healthier diets lead to an increase in weight loss. 

Walter asks each member to keep a journal of what they eat, drink and snack on to encourage better eating.

Another factor that has kept Walter’s team motivated is his continuous encouragement, and encouraging his team to enjoy what they are doing. 

He considers himself to be a laid-back instructor but stern when need be during the workouts.

“I don’t want to discourage my team, so I make the workouts fun,” Walter said.
The team’s dynamic is also helpful.  The team “feeds off each other” and “makes sure all members show up to the gym.”

 Walter feels the team enjoys working out.

“They were friends before they started the work outs.  They knew each other and motivated each other,” Said Walter. 

The driving forces behind Walter’s team have helped improve their work out. 

When the team started, it was difficult for them to complete three sets of 10 crunches.
 Today, each member can do 100 crunches, and have the stamina to complete a full work out, he said. 

Walter predicts the members will continue being passionate about fitness.

 They have begun working out on their own, and Walter feels his team will not waste the fitness help he has given them.

He believes that they will continue to eat healthier and utilize the gym to exercise more often because they have learned that going to the gym can be fun.

“I did Fit Club because I wanted to be a part of a team and show them that the gym is not torture,”  Walter said.

 “I wanted to help make the gym experience more pleasurable.” 

Walter is a personal trainer at Loyola University, Tulane University and at the Jewish Community Center on the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. 
He puts in nearly 30 hours of training a week, while also doing nutritional scientific research at Dillard University. 

Giving the members of his Fit Club team a routine improves their bodies and regulates their eating habits.

To Walter first place is a “good feeling” that keeps motivation and improvement continuous, not to mention he promised his team a night at Margaritaville downtown, with the first round on him, if they win. 

“I feel like I have helped four individuals enjoy themselves,” Walter said. 

“I’ve helped them do stuff they never thought they could do, and they are achieving their goals.”

Bridget McGiffin can be reached at [email protected].