Getting in shape and the beginning of a new year seem to go hand in hand. That was part of the reason for the big Community Health and Wellness Fair Jan. 9 at Brooks Middle School in Bolingbrook. The free event was sponsored by the Bolingbrook Park District, DuPage Township and Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital as a way to put the spotlight on getting Bolingbrook fit and healthy.

The fair featured a variety of booths offering health information and screenings, fitness demonstrations and more. Among the biggest attractions were Jerry and Estella Hayes, who were winners on "The Biggest Loser" TV show. The couple gave a seminar designed to help Bolingbrook residents follow the path they took to lose a combined 260 pounds.

They shared a simple plan to change consumption, then highlighted exercise as the complementing factor that allows for weight loss. Both agreed that without changing the way they ate, their weight loss would not have been possible.

They credit "The Biggest Loser" program with sharing the meal plan that helped them succeed. That meal plan was anchored with lean proteins, chicken, turkey and fish, complex carbohydrates (which supply the body energy), brown rice, wheat pasta, leafy vegetables, lots of fruit and nothing to drink but water.

The talk seemed to have a big impact on the residents who listened.

"I came out to support my Mom, she's wanting to lose weight," said Diane Cobb of Bolingbrook. "I wrote down some of the things they said, and I think it's going to be very helpful in her journey of living a healthier life."

For Darlene Webb, the reason she came to the health fair was personal.

"I came here to get motivated," she said. "I've been contemplating about what I should do to lose weight. I talked to my doctor about the lap band or the bariatric surgery. I'm told I'm not a candidate because I'm not that large. I know I need to just find a good program. I came here to get motivated, and I am motivated."

Linda Ells also found the Hayes' talk worthwhile.

"It was very inspirational, but it just makes you think that you really need to step up that exercise a lot," she said. "I think that's the key. I've struggled my whole life, and it's very inspirational to hear what they went through and knowing that they did it makes me feel like everybody can do it."

Of course, for the sponsors the health fair is seen as just a starting point for those looking to get in better health.

To that end, for the past three years, the Bolingbrook Park District has sponsored a signature "Biggest Loser" type contest to assist willing participants in their quest for better health. The program serves as a community bridge for residents who are serious about engaging in a program to get in shape.

John Chase, a trainer for the district's Lifestyles Fitness Center, said the program helps give participants the boost they need to get the job done.

"People think losing weight is not something that 'you do' once you're finished," he said. "It's not, to keep it off it requires a lifestyle change. The problem comes when people arbitrarily pick a number (of pounds to lose) without having a specific end goal. When you come to us, the first question we ask is how much weight you want to lose. Say that number is 10 pounds. The question then becomes about specificity. We ask is it attainable, is it relevant, does it have a time frame attached to it. All those sorts of thing are important."

To further encourage residents to get off the couch, the district has planned a free series to place people's feet on the road to fitness. The series is named the Fitness Frenzy Blowout and runs now through the end of February.

Upcoming sessions include a seminar called "I'm Exercising but Nothing is Changing, Why?" which will run from 10 to 11 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Bolingbrook Recreation and Aquatic Complex; a turbokick class from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Jan. 31 at the recreation complex; a fitness "boot camp" class from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at the complex and more.