kaorder1999
04-11-2008, 11:24 AM
Lovejoy ISD superintendent pledges to lose 100 pounds
09:39 PM CDT on Thursday, April 10, 2008
By KAREN AYRES SMITH / The Dallas Morning News
kayres@dallasnews.com
ALLEN – Ted Moore wants students in the Lovejoy school district to have a healthy lifestyle, but the superintendent's own weight has made him feel hypocritical pushing that agenda.
Now, Mr. Moore, 53, has launched a plan to lose 100 pounds over the next year, and he's asked everyone in his small district to hold him accountable for it. In three weeks, he's already shed 27 pounds off his 5-foot-10-inch, 342-pound frame.
"Of all the things we do to teach, the most important thing we do is model," Mr. Moore said. "If we want it for our children, we should model it in our own lives."
Mr. Moore has been head of Lovejoy schools for three years, in charge of 2,500 students from Lucas, Fairview and a small section of Allen.
When the district opened its first middle school and high school in 2006, he and his staff created a set of goals for all graduates. Among other things, the goals call for students to engage in a healthy lifestyle.
Since then, Mr. Moore, who has been overweight much of his life, said he felt uncomfortable pushing for teachers and others to follow that mission.
"I guess it has just weighed on me, no pun intended," he said.
Over spring break last month, Mr. Moore decided it was time to change. The next week, he announced plans to shed 100 pounds to more than 3,000 people who subscribe to his e-mail newsletter.
"If you discover that I am not moving forward with my commitment, you are invited to ask me 'What's up with this?' " Mr. Moore wrote.
His e-mail struck a chord. Roughly 60 parents and staff members have since contacted him with advice about their own weight-loss struggles and suggestions for offering more healthy food options for students.
After researching his plan, Mr. Moore restricted his calories to 1,200 a day and added walking to his routine. He also is visiting his doctor once a month to make sure he's making healthy progress.
Mr. Moore said he knows some of his initial weight loss came from fluids, but he's still confident he can achieve his 100-pound goal in less than a year. After that, he plans to stick with healthy eating – and provide an example to students who are at an unhealthy weight.
"If an old dog can make permanent changes, it's probably doable for an adolescent," he said.
09:39 PM CDT on Thursday, April 10, 2008
By KAREN AYRES SMITH / The Dallas Morning News
kayres@dallasnews.com
ALLEN – Ted Moore wants students in the Lovejoy school district to have a healthy lifestyle, but the superintendent's own weight has made him feel hypocritical pushing that agenda.
Now, Mr. Moore, 53, has launched a plan to lose 100 pounds over the next year, and he's asked everyone in his small district to hold him accountable for it. In three weeks, he's already shed 27 pounds off his 5-foot-10-inch, 342-pound frame.
"Of all the things we do to teach, the most important thing we do is model," Mr. Moore said. "If we want it for our children, we should model it in our own lives."
Mr. Moore has been head of Lovejoy schools for three years, in charge of 2,500 students from Lucas, Fairview and a small section of Allen.
When the district opened its first middle school and high school in 2006, he and his staff created a set of goals for all graduates. Among other things, the goals call for students to engage in a healthy lifestyle.
Since then, Mr. Moore, who has been overweight much of his life, said he felt uncomfortable pushing for teachers and others to follow that mission.
"I guess it has just weighed on me, no pun intended," he said.
Over spring break last month, Mr. Moore decided it was time to change. The next week, he announced plans to shed 100 pounds to more than 3,000 people who subscribe to his e-mail newsletter.
"If you discover that I am not moving forward with my commitment, you are invited to ask me 'What's up with this?' " Mr. Moore wrote.
His e-mail struck a chord. Roughly 60 parents and staff members have since contacted him with advice about their own weight-loss struggles and suggestions for offering more healthy food options for students.
After researching his plan, Mr. Moore restricted his calories to 1,200 a day and added walking to his routine. He also is visiting his doctor once a month to make sure he's making healthy progress.
Mr. Moore said he knows some of his initial weight loss came from fluids, but he's still confident he can achieve his 100-pound goal in less than a year. After that, he plans to stick with healthy eating – and provide an example to students who are at an unhealthy weight.
"If an old dog can make permanent changes, it's probably doable for an adolescent," he said.