Most people look at Jan. 1 as the beginning of a new year. Not Ashleigh Gerstner, Special Education teacher at North Rose-Wolcott Central School District.
“I declared that July 1 was the first day of the ‘Year of Me,’” Gerstner says.
When Gerstner was in college, she lost her mom, Patricia, to breast cancer. She was the oldest child living at home at the time, and she gracefully shouldered the responsibility of taking care of her three younger brothers who were in their teens. At that time, Gerstner was 21.
“I was running a single-parent household,” she says.
Between going to college full-time, working part-time and parenting her brothers, Gerstner was operating in survival mode.
Her lifestyle wreaked havoc on her physical and emotional health. She was stress eating and did not have time to work out regularly.
“I weighed 260 pounds,” Gerstner, now 26, says. “I wasn’t happy with my body. I was wearing drabby clothes, nothing pretty. I knew I needed a change.”
Weight had been a lifelong struggle for Gerstner. So in March, when Jolene Caselli, Wellness Coordinator at North Rose-Wolcott, announced the district’s March Madness Wellness Challenge, Gerstner took notice.
The challenge taught participants about clean eating, while making sure they put their lessons into practice and received positive feedback.
Gerstner joined a team with three other people. Teams earned points when members ate vegetables or fruit or drank enough water.
“The program really started to teach me the idea and the benefits of clean eating,” she says.
The school’s wellness program also offered yoga and Zumba classes, each of which was offered for 10 weeks until the end of June. Zumba instructor Danelle’s positive energy also played a pivotal role in helping Gerstner follow through on her fitness goals.
The district’s wellness programs, paired with Danelle’s encouragement, gave Gerstner the impetus she needed to commit to meaningful change.
On July 1, Gerstner threw out all the junk food in her house. She also joined Danelle’s gym, Refuel Group Fitness Facility in Newark, N.Y.
The gym also offered up weight-loss challenges that helped Gerstner learn more about clean eating and portion control.
Gerstner also discovered that she loved group fitness classes.
“There’s music, you meet people,” she says. “It’s laid back and fun. The classes are modified so you can pick your challenge.”
These days, Gerstner works out every day. And she gets in a little extra exercise by taking her dog, Pi, out for daily walks.
Love Yourself, Love Others
As of October, Gerstner had lost 40 pounds, putting her at 220 pounds — well on her way to her goal of 175 pounds.
Her collective healthy habits have helped all aspects of her life. She sleeps better, she’s happier and her stress levels are down. Gerstner also says Pi is healthier now thanks to regular walks.
One of the biggest lessons she’s learned is the importance of looking out for yourself.
“It’s really important to take care of yourself,” she says.
“It’s easy to fall into the habit of taking care of others, but you have to take care of yourself because then you can love others even better.”
