Ojai Valley Athletic Club has been impressed with the addition of Climb Your Mountain to its offerings for members.  In January of this year, Sara Dobroth, Membership Director of Ojai Valley Athletic Club, and Kimberly Hoj, a high school teacher and counselor, introduced this innovative three-month group weight loss program.   

Sara and Kim, both new mothers, understand how it feels to be overweight.  Together they kept journals of everything they ate, how many minutes per week they exercised (both cardio and strength training) and created a concept called “healthy habits.”  They charted their progress in pounds and inches and rediscovered the feeling of being thin, athletic and healthy. Sara and Kim were both successful in reaching their goals through healthy lifestyle changes and have received a wealth of positive feedback from friends and acquaintances.   

Climb Your Mountain is an inspiring, motivational program focusing on personal accountability.  For Sara and Kim, the best part of the program is empowering others to make healthy decisions every day for the rest of their lives!

 Climb Your Mountain’s goal is to support individuals in their quest for greater health and fitness in a supportive, educational and realistic environment.  The foundation of the program is built on accountability, structure, support, and motivation provided in the class that meets once per week.  Sara says, “Everyone knows exercising more and eating less will help you lose weight, but we help group members create a personalized system to help meet their fitness goals.”  Critical elements of the program include setting attainable short and long term goals, being personally accountable for “energy in” (food) and “energy out” (exercise), getting real about why we are the way we are, and planning exercise and food for success.  Climb Your Mountain helps participants realize their fitness potential by offering opportunities to try physical activities in a supportive environment.  Sara and Kim teach their students to focus on the positive aspects of their life as the means to reach their goals.

 At the close of the initial two classes of sixteen participants, Sara reports that over 85% of the participants reached their personal goals.  Over 60% enrolled in the continuing education program for an additional twelve weeks because they found the accountability and group dynamic an integral part of meeting their fitness goals.  In addition, 60% of the participants signed up for personal training sessions at Ojai Valley Athletic Club.