Dec. 1--Foods filling their plates were about as colorful as they could be, and so were the four sisters seated at a table for lunch at Sacred Heart Villa Assisted Living, Muhlenberg Township.
It was their time for nutritious, healthy dining.
"I just came from Shady Maple from a breakfast brunch," said Sister Patrice Cosgrove, 59, as she joined her friends, Sisters Marie Janesch, 78; Theresa LePera, 81; and Eileen Kantz, 85.
Coupling Shady Maple in Lancaster County, renowned for its quantities of food, with losing weight seemed odd. The vision prompted a ripple of laughter.
"I won't be eating lunch," Sister Cosgrove hastened to add. "I'd like to lose 10 pounds, but I already lost 2 pounds this week."
All the sisters have happily jumped aboard the bandwagon to healthier eating, inspired this year by Louisa Trumbore, dietary manager at Sacred Heart Villa.
Serving as a role model for weight loss through a lifestyle change, Trumbore has urged staff, residents and sisters to take the time to make healthier food choices.
"I saw all those kitchen girls working together, helping one another and losing weight and that's what inspired me," said Sister LePera, who is losing about 1 pound a week, but would like to lose 20.
"I'm pre-diabetic so I should watch what I eat," she said. "I also have some back problems, so I can't exercise a lot, but I do what I can."
"I'm a cancer survivor," said Sister Kantz, "so I always have concerns about my health. But truly, it's easy when you have such a variety of healthy food to pick from."
Her plate was a rainbow of color -- a golden-broiled crab cake, a large slice of greenskinned acorn squash, green and white-tipped Brussels sprouts, a salad with red tomatoes, a dish of orange cantaloupe and a tall glass of pure white skimmed milk.
"I also try to walk around the grounds," she said. "What I'm seeing in myself is lowered blood pressure. I'm able to walk several flights of stairs without puffi ng."
Sister Kantz also stays away from cakes and pies. She won't even look at them.
"I like Louisa's approach, because it doesn't feel like dieting," said Sister Janesch, who has a goal of losing a pound or two a week.
"It's all about better choices and correct portion sizes," she said. "If you really crave something, you should have it -- at least a little. It's not about depriving yourself."
All the sisters also feel community support and encouragement helps people control calories and avoid bad food choices.
Contact Bruce R. Posten: 610-371-5059 or bposten@readingeagle.com.
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