UNION, NJ — When Courtney Gaines was young, she was overweight. She always struggled with her weight. Then during her senior year of high school, she was introduced to fitness. She lost 25 pounds before her senior prom.
Discovering that health and wellness was her biggest interest in school, she went on to further her health education. In 2014, Gaines received an associate in science degree in health, fitness and exercise studies and a certificate of personal training. In 2017, she graduated from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. In college, she was also able to receive her ACE Weight Management Specialist Program certificate.
In June 2021, she received her American Fitness Professionals and Associates Pre and Postnatal Fitness Specialist certification and gave birth to a baby girl in October of that year.
Since 2024, she’s been teaching fitness classes at Union Public Library’s Vauxhall Branch. She recently had a “health and wellness” presentation there.
At the beginning of the presentation, Gaines encouraged the attendees that cooking for yourself is a big start to health and wellness. “You know what’s in your food if you make it yourself,” she said.
Taking the time to make health a priority was also stressed.
“Regular doctor visits are super important,” she said. “We tend to wait. Let’s be preventive, before it becomes an issue. Even if you don’t see signs and symptoms.”
Gaines said she wants people to get the image of diet out of their heads. Instead, they should have eating habits that promote long-term weight loss with a balance of food. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and popcorn, were recommended, as well as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans, with limited processed foods.
“Calories are not the enemy,” said Gaines. She explained that a calorie is a unit of energy. The amount of calories consumed depends on the individual. “Someone not as active needs a lower amount of calories,” she said, adding that the general rule is between 1,400 to 2,400 calories per day.
Gaines advised to look at labels when shopping, to consume fewer than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day and to get at least 28 grams of fiber per day. She suggested substituting whole grain pasta for white pasta; oat flour or almond flour instead of white flour; popcorn instead of chips; and beans, lentils, jackfruit and tempeh instead of meat.
Making small changes can make a difference. Gaines recommends starting small, simple and realistic. “Instead of going to Starbucks five days (a week), go four,” she said. “Snacking is not always a negative thing. We don’t restrict. We limit. We balance. Set small goals. Change habits slowly, over time.” Some of the positive changes could be increasing water and fiber intake or not going grocery shopping while hungry.
Then, of course, there is physical activity. In addition to walking 10,000 steps per day, Gaines says our bodies also need cardio, strength training and stretching. “Aim for 30 minutes a day,” she said. “Increase movement. Find activities you enjoy. Reduce sitting time. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car further from the building. Take scheduled walks.”
When losing weight, Gaines advises not to stress about the scale, but rather go by how your clothes fit. “We want to lose fat, not muscle mass,” she said. “Healthy weight loss is one to two pounds per week.”
Gaines recommends getting support from family, friends and people with similar goals. She said, “Am I happy? Is this sustainable? What does ‘healthy’ look like for you? Choose one small goal for January.”
Tyrone Tutt of Vauxhall said the program was “fun and educational.”
To learn more about Courtney Gaines, visit: https://www.justgaines.com/.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta