Jenna

Companies Sponsoring Their Employees

By Jenna on January 3, 2013

If you are an employee of a company on this list below, your employer has signed up to participate in Shape Up RI for 2013 and will be sponsoring your participation fee. To join:

Click https://members.shapeupri.org/login/ and select your company
Create a profile with a username and password
Join a team at your company or create a team and invite your co-workers
Choose which divisions to track: pedometer steps, exercise mintutes, weight loss
We will mail you a pedometer and all of the tools you’ll need to get started

If your company is not on this list, but you think it may be interested in participating, talk to your HR manager and visit http://shapeupri.org/about/employers/ for information on how to join.

Participating Companies:

Amica
Applied Plastics Technology
Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI
Brokers’ Service Marketing Group
Brown University
Cintas
DiPrete Engineering
Fellowship Health Resources
Gateway Healthcare
GTECH
Hasbro
Health Centric Advisors
Herff Jones – Providence
Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island
Horizon Beverage
Johnson & Wales University
Kahn, Litwin, Renza
Moses Brown School
Neighborhood Health Plan of RI
NetCenergy
Pawtucket Housing Authority
Perspectives Corporation
Providence Health Solutions
Quonset Development Corporation
Rhode Island Foundation
Rhode Island Quality Institute
RI Airport Corporation
Roger Williams University
Schneider Electric
South County Hospital
Swarovski
Taco
The Providence Plan
University Medicine
Wells Fargo
West View Health Care Center
Wheeler School

Register Today!

By Jenna on November 29, 2012

Sign up today and take advantage of all the new and exciting changes in Shape Up RI!

Click here to sign up!

Every year thousands of Rhode Islanders join Shape Up RI to help reach their health and fitness goals. In 2013, Shape Up RI is offering an exciting new program that will make it more fun and engaging than ever.

What’s New in Shape Up RI?

12-months of healthy activities and challenges
Three 8-week team fitness competitions (beginning with Ready, Set, Go)
A pedometer and logbook mailed to you
Free fitness events at gyms and studios in RI
Discounts at local sports stores and road races
Weekly raffles and prizes such as iPods, fitbit pedometers, gift certificates

Join today and make great things happen for you in 2013!

Click here to sign up!

Exciting Changes at Shape Up RI

By Jenna on November 19, 2012

Friends of Shape Up RI,

I am writing to you with some important news about organizational changes at Shape Up RI.

As of this week, the Shape Up RI program is now wholly-owned and operated by ShapeUp Inc., a health technology company that I co-founded six years ago. During a challenging economic time for non-profit organizations, this change ensures that the Shape Up RI program will survive as a valuable and affordable community resource for the thousands of individuals, families, and companies who depend on it each year to help them get or stay healthy. I will continue to lead this important campaign, and I am unbelievably excited about the future of Shape Up RI.

ShapeUp Inc.’s significant financial and human resources will allow the Shape Up RI program to expand and improve in substantial ways. New enhancements that are being made to the program for 2013 include:

Extended Programming 12-months of healthy activities and challenges, including three eight-week fitness competitions
Lower Price Just $25 for the entire year, including a digital pedometer
Enhanced Platform New user interface, social features, nutrition programs, and wireless device and mobile capabilities
Healthy Events Due to popular demand, we’re bringing back our packed annual calendar of free, local, healthy events.
Incentives & Rewards We’re giving away fun incentives and healthy rewards through weekly raffles for active participation.
Online Coaching Opportunities to sign up for extra support and motivation from trained and certified fitness coaches
Employer Tools More robust marketing materials and reporting tools for our employer clients
Larger Staff Our team of over 60 employees will support the development, promotion, and management of the program.

I want to take this opportunity to thank a few important people who helped to build this program, which has had such a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders. Ray Rickman, who co-created the program with me back in 2005, was instrumental in its growth and success. He continues his non-profit and business consulting work through his firm, Rickman Group. Colin Murphy, RN, MBA, who served as a consultant and the Executive Director for Shape Up RI for the past five years, will return full-time to his communications and business consulting practice, Providence Design, to continue serving local and national clients. Jenna Lafayette, who has served as the program’s Associate Director for the past four years, will continue to work with me to lead the program in her new capacity as Director of Shape Up RI.

I also want to thank all of you for the incredible guidance, support, and encouragement that you have given to me, personally, and to the organization as a whole over the years. It was improbable from the beginning that this simple idea for bringing people together in pursuit of healthy living would morph into a statewide campaign that has helped tens of thousands of people to improve their health. The only reason it has achieved this goal is because you lent your voices, your passion, and your dedication to it. All of us at Shape Up RI are immensely grateful for everything you have done.

Stay tuned, as we’ll soon be sharing more details about the new and improved Shape Up RI for 2013. I look forward to continuing to work together with all of you over the coming months and years as we strive to grow and sustain our movement for a healthier Rhode Island.

Yours in Health,

Rajiv Kumar, M.D.
Founder & CEO

Adriene O’Connor Success Story

By Jenna on November 15, 2012

Why did you join Shape Up RI?

I joined shape up RI because a friend needed another “team member”. I never thought I would lose 55 pounds in 8 months. I am amazed at what I did with my life.

What did you change in your daily routine to achieve success in Shape Up RI?

I started out walking 12,000 steps a day. I would get home from my night walk and look at my pedometer and if i did not make the 12,000, I would not come into my house until I did. I walked in the morning before work, then at lunch, and then again after dinner. It took me 3 times a day to walk about 4 miles. I walked in the rain, snow, sleet or hail. I did not miss a day at all during the months I was in Shape Up RI.

I started eating much healthier; more fruits and veggies, lean cuts of meat, and lots of fish. I also CUT hydrogenated oils from anything I ate. I went through my cupboards and threw everything out. Imagine to my surprise breadcrumbs were bad for me. I had to either make my own or buy all natural. I had the idea eating “fresh” and natural was more expensive, and maybe it was a little, but it is worth it. I am never hungry. I eat all day but good food like nuts, plain greek yogurt, fruit, natural peanut butter and red meat, (I can’t give up everything). Before I joined Shape Up RI, my doctor wanted to put me on high cholesterol meds, but now I do not need them! I decided to bump it up, so I began walking 4 miles before work, worked out an hour at the gym usually doing 2 miles on the treadmill, then 4 miles after dinner. That was 70 miles a week!!!

How do you plan to continue the healthy habits you have started?

I turned 50 last year and it felt great to hear people tell me how wonderful I look and how great I feel. My kids bought me a great road bike for my 50^th birthday so that is part of my life. I need to mix things up, so I did get a friend of mine to walk with me every morning and she is happy for it.

I have personal training once a week at The Way HPI. I no longer walk ten miles a day, but I walk at least four, and I go to the gym every day, unless the skies are sunny and I go for a bike ride. I was a size 16 and now I can wear size 8!!!! Although to be honest not in everything, but Eddie Bauer, my favorite store, size 8, and no more XL tops, they are all medium.

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Linda Potts Success Story

By Jenna on November 14, 2012

Who do you participate in Shape Up RI with?

I participate in Shape Up RI with my co-workers at Roger Williams University.

How many times have you joined Shape Up RI?

I have joined Shape up RI two or three times before, and on one of those times I lost 50 some pounds and felt good. Unfortunately, it didn’t last and I was scared to try again. My friends at work asked me last year but I just couldn’t commit. I was afraid to fail again, so I told them no. So I went on with my life thinking I would always be this weight and never really live my life. It’s really not living if you don’t go out, you don’t see friends, you hate to see people, or try to do anything.

What did you change in your daily routine to achieve success this past year?

This year came again and my friends wanted me to join their team, and I said I would because I am good at the step count part and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So after the horrible super bowl and eating everything and feeling awful, I went into the Shape Up RI challenge at the bottom. I started again trying hard not to let my team down, and then I started trying not to let me down. I know I had to do more so this year so I added the Livestrong app on my smart phone that helped me keep track of all the food I ate and how much. This app gave me a limit and I used it every time I would eat. This made a huge difference! As the weight came off I got out more. This summer I had lost enough weight that I tried kayaking and some snorkeling! This would have never happened without the weight change. I think now that I look at food differently I can live differently. The world is trying to get you to eat everywhere you look and it’s hard to not get sucked in and think you can have some. But for people like me, some is always way too much and too often. I have to say that I suffered for years and I don’t want to any more I want to start living and stop waiting to live.

Do you have and advice for others wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle?

The best quote I heard that helped me was, “the longer the shelf life, the shorter yours.” This made me chose fresh fruits and vegetables as much as I could and limit all the boxed and processed food.

What is your favorite part about Shape Up RI?

My favorite part of Shape Up RI is the team! I liked being with a group that were trying right there with me. My group of co-workers and I would see each other five out of seven days a week so it made me want to hold up my end of the deal.

What is your goal for the next Shape Up RI challenge?

I have lost 76 pounds since the last challenge and I would still like to lose 20 more.

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