This dedicated team has extensive experience working with children struggling with unhealthy weight and are commited to helping you and your child work towards, and achieve, a healthier lifestyle.

What is camp all about?

Our highly specialized summer program has been designed to empower and educate children on ways to improve their health through physical exercises, fun games, engaging nutrition lessons, and interactive discussions and coaching. Together, in the safety of this unique environment, they will learn, laugh, and succeed on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

Who is Camp For?

Kids who are struggling with unhealthy weight. These children need customized, compassionate fitness and nutrition programs to help lose weight, learn lessons for long-term sustainable health as well as increase self-esteem and body image.

Campers are invited to participate in all planned activities as listed below. We believe in offering each camper “The Right Fit Challenge!”

Activities include:

• Daily workouts from Ready, Set, Move© fitness curriculum
• Customized fitness routines in  Right Fit’s 6,000 sq.ft fitness facility
• Implementation of MYZONE heart rate monitor, most advanced fitness technology
• Weekly fitness and nutrition homework
• Hands on nutrition lessons
• Pre and Post measurements on BF-2000 impedance scale
• Weekly feedback and progress reports from RF trainers

Goals:

• Decrease weight, body fat, and BMI
• Increase muscle mass
• Increase self-confidence and healthy fitness habits
• Prepare to make wise food choices and effective decisions

Many people joke about being a “choco-holic” or having a “sweet tooth” but recently published research suggests that these common terms may not be far from the truth.  Studies have found that high sugar, salt, and fat foods may have an effect on the brain that is similar to other drugs of abuse. Not only that, but many of the behaviors and symptoms reported by individuals struggling with drugs and alcohol have also been reported by individuals struggling with food. A loss of control, preoccupation with finding and obtaining the substance, continued use (eating) despite negative consequences, increased bodily tolerance to the food to the point of needing to eat more, and the using (eating) interfering with other areas of your life are just a few examples.

While no actual diagnosis of “food addiction” or “emotional eater” currently exists, some of the standard treatments for substance addiction may also be helpful in managing an unhealthy relationship with food.

1.)    Speak with your doctor.

First and foremost, it’s necessary to rule out the possibility that a medical reason is to blame for the behavior (i.e. when your child reports they never feel full or when you are eating excessive amounts of food and not gaining weight). A well-conducted physical can make sure you’re physically healthy from cranium to calf muscle.

2.)    Identify “triggers”.

In the addictions world, we often talk about “triggers” to the addictive behavior- a person, place, or situation that prompts the behavior. For an individual struggling with emotional eating, a trigger might be having a fight with a friend or family member, preparing for a test or project at school or work, or attending a celebratory event such as a wedding or birthday party. A trigger might even be something as simple as driving by your favorite fast-food restaurant or seeing a commercial for junk food on T.V.  Identifying triggers to the behavior is an easy way to prevent the behavior in the first place. Reduce interactions with things identified as triggers as much as possible.  Eat before you go to a social gathering, change the channel when a food ad comes on, and keep healthy snacks in the car so that going through the drive-thru isn’t an option.  Of course it’s simply impossible to avoid all stress; it’s part of the experience of life and makes us who we are. Instead of avoiding triggers altogether, it’s important to practice other behaviors when feeling emotional distress; ones that don’t involve heading for the fridge.

3.)    Replace the behavior.

If you’re someone who eats when they’re stressed, angry, or even happy, the eating has become a coping skill, or a way of managing the feeling. The problem is, as you’ve probably already found, there are many negative consequences to coping this way including health concerns,  poor self-image, and further negative emotions.  Most importantly it’s not an effective way of working through the emotion; the eating only delays the emotional discomfort temporarily.  Now that we’re attempting to change eating behavior by eliminating it, we need to make sure we replace it with something more effective.  Going  for a walk, taking a “time out” from the thing (or person!) that’s causing you discomfort, or talking the problem out to a good friend or loved one are all great strategies for managing emotions. Try and make choices that not only manage the uncomfortable feeling, but that also make you feel the positive- opposite feeling. Exercise, for example, provides a break from stress but also increases happy mood by increases endorphins, or those “feel good” hormones in the body. There are a wide variety of healthy coping skills so get creative make sure you choose ones that suit your and your child’s individual needs. Coping skills should also be easy to use in a variety of situations. Deep breathing, for example, can be practiced virtually anywhere.

4.)    Rally your support system.

Taking on any new challenge is hard enough, especially if you feel you have to do it alone or have naysayers standing in your way. Identify positive people in your life who can build you up when you’re feeling tempted to resort to food to manage your emotions. Let those negative relationships fall by the wayside. The only people worth being in your family’s social circle are those who have your best interests at heart.

5.)    Get Empowered.

If you, your child, or someone you know is struggling with eating behaviors, you may be familiar with the uncomfortable feeling of being out of control; like nothing you do can change the way you feel. While it’s true we can’t necessarily control a feeling, we can control how we respond to the feeling.  Make the choice to use those healthy coping skills instead of turning to food.  Recognize strengths and use them to your advantage. Remind yourself or your child of factors that contributed to their success in other areas of their life (their hard work on studying for a test that resulted in a good grade, for example) and take comfort in knowing that you have developed a plan to manage triggering emotions when they occur. You and your child have surely made accomplishments in the past- there is absolutely no reason you can’t make strides in a tough relationship with food as well.

If after applying these tips you’re not seeing an improvement in your or your child’s habits, or you feel you might be in need of some additional support, it may be time to talk to a qualified mental health professional. A counselor or therapist can assist you and your child in getting to the root of the eating behaviors, whether that be due to stress, the loss of a loved one, or a clinical depression.

While the jury is still out as to whether an addiction to food exists or not, the real question is how much does the behavior interfere with your life.  Do you hide sweets or junk food in your room/desk /purse or backpack? Are you taking time away from socializing to sneak a bite of a food you just can’t resist? Are you continuing to eat excessively salty or sweet foods despite weight gain, high cholesterol /blood pressure, feeling down about your appearance, or other consequences?  If the answer to any of these is yes, it’s time to commit to change.

Jennifer Tewell is a Certified Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselor in addition to holding a Licensed Professional Counselor licensure.  Together with a certification in Personal Training from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Jennifer is looking to apply her experiences with behavior modification, change, and a brief therapy model to build a career based on passion and aimed at addressing the obesity epidemic from a psychological perspective.

ProActive Kids (PAK) Foundation is thrilled to announce that we we are launching a SUMMER SESSION in St. Charles, IL, at the St Charles Park District Pottawatomie Community Center.

ProActive Kids is really excited to be able to host PAK at such an awesome location that has so much energy and fun for the whole family. The facility overlooks the river and has spacious grounds for games outdoors. Its going to be great!

Cadence Health supports the location and will utilize it as referral program for their patients (ages 8-14) who are struggling with unhealthy weight and looking to adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle.  ProActiveKids will deliver the unique, results-oriented, free program, offering fitness, nutrition education and lifestyle counseling to children in need.

ProActive Kids will enroll 20 kids for this SUMMER  session, scheduled to begin on June 16 through August 8.

Monday and Wednesday
4:00 – 5:30 pm
Friday Family Day (anyone over the age of 3 is welcome!)
4:00 – 6:00 pm

Parents can enroll their children online at www.proactivekids.org.  Enroll now as space will fill up!!!

I can remember my summers off, they started out exciting and I loved going to play outside with my friends and my  siblings, but as time passed I remember getting bored and getting stuck in front of the TV, with my mom finally turning it off and telling me it was time to go outside and play. There were times we couldn’t think of what to do so my mom would help us come up with different ideas. Some of my favorites were neighborhood scavenger hunts. My mom would make a list of things we had to find around the block, we would be given a time limit either to complete the list or to try and beat the team we were competing against.

Other games I loved as a kid were, Capture the Flag and Ghost in the Graveyard (just make a no babysitting rule to make sure everyone is staying active). I would play these games with both siblings and try and get as many kids from around the neighborhood to join in with me. Other family favorites were waffle ball, every year we would have “opening day” on the first Saturday school was out, we would gather friends and have a waffle ball game and relay races with all the kids. I also loved playing basketball in my driveway, just going out and shooting some free throws or playing games like P-I-G, or knockout.

The list of games can go on and on, Kick the Can, Four Square, What Time Is It Mr. Fox, Red Rover. The best part is for the most part all you need is some space and people to play with. Be innovative, I loved to play games my parents told me were their favorites as kids. As fun as all these games are sometimes it’s still going to be hard to get the kids out the door. As a child there was nothing better than Mom or Dad coming up and asking me to go play catch, or basketball or Four Square outside with them. Even if it was just for thirty minutes, it was always exciting. The important thing isn’t what game is being played, the important thing is that they are putting down the video games, turning off the TV and getting outside and moving!

Click below to get directions on how to play each game:

Kick the Can

Capture the Flag

Ghost in the Graveyard

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We asked Nic to tell us how his PAK mom keeps him healthy. Its so great he can recognize her hard work and understand WHY she does it.

Monica runs a healthy, but balanced house as it relates to nutrition and fitness. Just the other night, she bought her families brownies at a fundraiser. So its all in moderation!

Nic spent a lot of time at PAK in the early days, here you will see him playing a game with the other kids.

Ways My Mom Keeps Me Healthy (whether I like it or not).

“First – my mom never ever gives me sweet things in the morning.  I eat lots of grains in the morning along with a yogurt for the protein.  For most of my meals I cannot drink soda.  I can only have soda on special occasions.

My mom signs me up for a lot of sports.  A lot of them I don’t even want to be in, but I don’t have a choice.

Another thing I do not do is constantly snack.  When I snack, I make a full plate of food so that it keeps me full and I can see what I’m eating.  If my snack is not enough, I get some gum out and wait a while before I eat something else.

My mom always reminds me that I have to get physical exercise in every day, which I don’t really want to do sometimes, and eat healthy most of the time!

She always says – “The body is like a simple math equation.  Calories in, calories out!  Another one she always says – “The body is like a machine – the more you move, the smoother it runs.  Fuel that machine with good food and it will stay strong!”

Some days I don’t want to move or eat good things, but my mom makes me do it and after I am done, I always feel good about it.

Most Sundays, I create a list before I go. What do I want to make… followed by what I need to buy.

So, a few Sundays ago, I decided to hit Aldi because I didn’t have time to drive to my favorite grocery store (a blog for another day!)

I love Aldi for a variety of reasons.

1. Its very close to my house.
2. It has a small parking lot and not very many aisles. SO its efficient!
3. They have a healthy brand called, Fit N Active
4. They have the basics offered at very reasonable prices. So, this is the place for milk, butter, eggs, baking supplies, bread, etc!
5. They have seasonal German items because they are German-owned.

So, I wanted to share my purchases with you. I believe my cart showed very good balance that day. It had mostly healthy foods with a few treats and snacks for the kids. But, the majority were GO FOODS and together, could make up meals that would get us through the week!

The fruits are great for lunch sides, in addition to a sandwich! The grains are great for breakfast or mixed into the yogurt!

The veggies can all be accompanied with the meat or fish for a tasty dinner. Add a glad of milk and you have a well-rounded meal!

Veggies
Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
Carrots
Asparagus
Lettuce
Canned Okra/Tomato/Corn
Tomato Juice

Fruits

Pears
Celementines
Strawberries
Canned Pineapple
Dried Apricots
Pineapple

Dairy
String Cheese
Milk
Greek Yogurt (large plain and individual fruit flavors)
Butter

Meat/Fish
Pork Chops
Tilapia
Ground Turkey

Grains
Sunflower Bread (German)
Muesli Cereal
Get Balance Cereal (Compare to Kashi)
Fiber Now Bars (careful.. they are a Slow food!)

The WHOA Foods/Snack Foods
Cinnamon Toast Sticks
Peanut Butter Crakers
V8 Juice Blend
Golden Graham Snack Bars
Pringles
Personal Pizzas

At PAK, we know change is hard. Change is hard for everyone. It takes time, commitment, dedicate, planning, creativity and more. No one said it was easy. At PAK, we will focus on small changes at a given time so that we can practice them, make them part of our daily life, then move on to make changes in another area. Trying to make all the changes at the same time is no way to set SMART goals.

SMART goals are – S -pecific, M -easureable, A – ttainable, R-ealistic, and T-imely. That’s how we set the RIGHT goals at PAK.

Here is what we know about change. Onsite, we will help both parents and kids through positive changes that will impact their lives and work through the change that is more difficult.

To our families: we know your struggles. We have helped a lot of people and we are here to help you!

1)      Change is hard. Any kind of lifestyle change is hard to do, whether that’s trying to quit smoking, lose weight, stop biting nails, get better grades or spend more time as a family.  Are PAK goals on your family’s priority list? Do you have too many things you are committed to as a family right now? Are there other changes that are happening at the same time?

Having too many changes or stressors can hinder you from making the changes you want for a healthier lifestyle. Make sure  you have allowed time in these 8 weeks for your family to embark on PAK and practice our lessons at home.

2)      Because change is hard, it needs to be a family effort. We want PAK families to have a healthy lifestyle, not just lose weight or eat less. Lifestyle impacts families and children cannot make these on their own. Even if you have children of a healthy weight we encourage everyone in the family to adopt the changes you desire for your PAK child. This includes parents as well!

3)      Sometimes not everyone in the family is on board. While we hope the whole family embraces the goals for a healthier lifestyle, sometimes this is not the case. If parents are divorced or another family member is the primary caregiver, this can pose a challenge. Have an open discussion with these people about the importance of your childs health. Encourage them to contact PAK staff if they have questions or to come on a Friday where PAK families learn together.

4)      Sometimes a part of us doesn’t want to change.It’s normal to feel a little ambivalent. While a part of us wants to be healthy, a part of us doesn’t, doesn’t know how, doesn’t have the time, doesn’t have the energy, etc. Maybe it’s more familiar or comfortable to stay the same. You have to ask yourself, what do you really want for your family or your child in the long run? PAK staff will encourage you to meet your goals and help you solve problems as they come up!

5)      Kids don’t always like change either. Be prepared to find resistance from your kids as you start PAK. They might say they’re still hungry (when you know they have had enough to eat) or they don’t want to do the exercises. They might get mad at you. Resistance is normal but don’t back down. Research has shown that if a child cries/whines for 30 minutes and the parent gives in, the child will cry or whine longer the next time the parent tries to enforce the rule. So instead of whining for 30 minutes, he will whine for 45 minutes. If you stand your ground, the child will eventually stop whining because he will learn it’s no use.

West Chicago Dietitian –

“Yesterday’s graduation went GREAT- you could tell that the kids were so happy and there was a ton of positive energy in the room! I truly felt like they (and their families) were proud of themselves. I am having such a hard time leaving the program–I was telling Mark last night, if I could have a job like this full-time, I would be the happiest dietitian in Illinois! I can’t say enough wonderful things about your program and if I am ever able to return to help out I would jump on the opportunity.

I want to thank you SO, SO very much for allowing me to be involved with PAK this session, and I know in my heart that I am going to miss it (I started missing it already when the families said thier goodbyes last night!). The PAK staff is hands-down AWESOME, and I have had the best time working with you all. I wish you the absolute BEST of luck, and I am 100% confident that PAK is going to just take off and grow–and make so many positive changes in the lives of children and their families. Again, thank you so much!! I truly hope that our paths cross again in the future!! ”

Wheaton Dietitian –

“I must tell you how much I enjoyed PAK, it was so rewarding to watch the kids make progress and meet their goals.  I really wish that you would explore options on the South Side so I can participate in the program again.”

They also give  us a chance to see you all again and see how you have progressed since attending PAK.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois supports ProActive Kids Take Action Days through a grant from their Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative. We sincerely thank them for their generosity! 

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Saturday, May 11
TAKE ACTION AT SKY CENTER MARTIAL ARTS

Have you been trying to encourage your child to take up a sport or activity and been met with resistance. Perhaps they will give martial arts a try. This great class will introduce them to the basics and help them understand if they’d like to continue.

Since they will be with other PAK kids, they won’t feel intimidated and will have a great opportunity to give it a whirl. You never know, you may have a future black belt at home!

Who: Anyone who graduated from ProActive Kids (PAK graduates only, parents will be able to observe)
Date: Saturday,May 11, 2013
Time: 1:00 - 2:00  pm
Location:  Sky Center at 112 West St. Charles Road, Lombard, IL 60148
Cost: FREE
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

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Saturday, June 1
TAKE ACTION WITH A 5K RUN / WALK

This is it! A 5k is a great way to show that you are taking health and fitness seriously!

This 5K is incredibly special as the proceeds will actually go to ProActive Kids. Our goal is that half of the participants from each PAK site will sign up to attend and show support for the goals of your children but also ProActive Kids.

Who: Anyone who attended ProActive Kids
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2013
Time: 8:00 - 11:00  am
Location:  Burr Ridge
Cost: 5K is $35.00 and 1K is $15.oo
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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Saturday, July 13
TAKE ACTION ROLLER SKATING AT FUN CENTER

Rollerskating is a great way to burn calories and have fun. Escape the hot summer sun and heat and take a break indoors. ( I know, normally we are pushing kids OUTSIDE!). The Fun Center has all sorts of great activities for kids and familes but the PAK event will focus on rollerskating.

Come see all your old PAK friends at this fun, free event. 

Who: Anyone who attended ProActive Kids (PAK will pay for 4 participants per family. Families will have to pay for anything over 4 people).
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2013
Time: 3:00 - 5:00  pm
Location:  Fun Center 1335 S River St  Batavia, IL 60510   Ph: (630) 879-8733
Cost: FREE
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. 

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Saturday, September 28
TAKE ACTION AT SKY CENTER MARTIAL ARTS

Have you been trying to encourage your child to take up a sport or activity and been met with resistance. Perhaps they will give martial arts a try. This great class will introduce them to the basics and help them understand if they’d like to continue.

Since they will be with other PAK kids, they won’t feel intimidated and will have a great opportunity to give it a whirl. You never know, you may have a future black belt at home!

Who: Anyone who graduated from ProActive Kids (siblings and parents are unable to attend the class)
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2013
Time: 1:00 - 2:00  pm
Location:  Sky Center at 112 West St. Charles Road, Lombard, IL 60148
Cost: FREE
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

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Saturday, November 2
TAKE ACTION IN THE EDWARD POOL  WITH AQUAROBICS

Swimming is great exercise. Plain and simple. But some worry that they can’t swim lengths of the pool to enjoy the benefits of water exercise. This Take Action Day is all about fitness in the water. We will run, kick, jump, and “lift weights” using the natural resistance of the water.

While the kids are swimming, parents will be invited to a special parent session to discuss nutrition at home.

Please note: This is NOT a swim lesson. Kids must have experience and confidence in the water to participate.

Who: Anyone who attended ProActive Kids (siblings and parents can swim for $5.00 during the lesson).
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2013
Time: 3:00 - 4:00  pm (stay until 5:30 for free swim)
Location:  Edward Heath and Fitness Center at 6600 S. Route 53 Woodridge, IL 60517 Ph: (630) 646-7900
Cost: FREE
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

We know you don’t want to say or do the wrong thing and risk alienating or hurting them.

We will go through many communication lessons onsite during the program and this will be your first PAK lesson. Sit down and talk with your child about getting healthy and learning how to live a healthy lifestyle! Let them know you care about them and are doing this for them and their health. Remind them that other kids will be there to go through this with them and they will have a lot of fun, while learning a lot.

If they are hesitant, ask them to just give it a try for the first week. The kids have so much fun in the first day or two that they forget their worries quickly. Getting them there on the first day is the hardest part!

Here is a great article on how to talk to your child about their weight. It has a lot of good lessons for parents to help you embark on this potentially difficult conversation. http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/mood/talking-kids-about-weight?page=1