'Tis the Season- Maintain Don't Gain
As the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, the Western PA Health as Wholeness team has a plan that can help you not only avoid weight gain, but also may feed your soul.
The team will provide resources from Highmark’s nine-week wellness campaign, “Maintain Don’t Gain: ‘Tis the Season to Lighten Up”, along with a weekly guide to spiritual reflection tied to the season and the Highmark program. The guides were written by team member Bonnie D. Harr, a clinical nurse specialist and counseling psychotherapist from Charter Oak UMC. Harr is currently a student in the Spiritual Formation Certificate program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
“Highmark’s Maintain Don’t Gain program was well received throughout the conference last year, so we’re pleased to recommend this year’s program,” said Health as Wholeness Team coordinator Barbara Lewis. “But our goal is to encourage and provide resources for wholistic health, so Bonnie’s weekly meditations are a great addition to the program.”
The nine-week program will kick off Nov. 15 with a Getting Started newsletter, and new resources will be posted weekly on the Health as Wholeness section of the wpaumc.org website.
According to Highmark, our Conference health insurance provider, research shows that many Americans gain at least one to three pounds during the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year. While a few pounds may not seem like much, research also shows that we never lose it.
Holiday weight gain adds up over the years, and with the extra weight come associated health burdens. “That’s why it’s important to lighten up your holiday season and maintain rather than gain,” according to Highmark.
The nine weekly Maintain Don’t Gain newsletters each contain tips to maintain a lifestyle that supports good health and well-being; wholesome recipes for holiday food; plans for getting and staying active; stress management strategies and more.
The weekly spiritual guides include a focus on such things as: A Matter of Balance; Thanks-living; and Finding Success in God.
Maintain Don't Gain Campaign Flyer
'Tis the Season -A Matter of Balance (begins Nov. 15)
'Tis the Season - Maintain Don't Gain Getting Started (begins Nov. 15)
'Tis the Season -Maintain Don't Gain (Week 1 -Nov. 22-28)
'Tis the Season - Thanks-Living (Week 1)
'Tis the Season - Maintain Don't Gain (Week 2 -Nov. 29-Dec. 5)
'Tis the Season - In Motion vs Emotion (Week 2)
'Tis the Season - Maintain Don't Gain (Week 3-Dec. 6-12)
'Tis the Season - Finding Success in God's Economy (Week 3)
'Tis the Season - Maintain Don't Gain (Week 4-Dec. 13-19)