As the excitement of New Year’s resolutions fade and people start to fall off the “lose weight” bandwagon, the University Health Center in conjunction with Campus Recreation Services is kicking off the sixth annual Terrapin Health and Fitness Challenge – a five-week program designed to help participants stay on track and accomplish their wellness goals.

The program starts this week with kick-off sessions scheduled in the Center for Health and Wellbeing at the CRC with a wellness and fitness assessment. Participants at the first meeting take muscular strength and endurance as well as cardiovascular and flexibility tests to assess their initial fitness levels.

The challenge encompasses more than just physical wellness, said Tracy Zeeger, the coordinator for the Center of Health and Wellbeing. It also focuses on social, intellectual and spiritual wellness.

As motivation to keep people working toward their goals, the program offers weekly prizes, as well as prizes at the end for the most improvement and for accumulating the most wellness points.

“The goal is it introduce wellness to the campus in general,” Zeeger said. “Wellness is a part of making healthy choices. It’s not something you achieve.”

Last year, about 100 people signed up for the challenge, Zeeger said, although only about 25 to 30 completed the program.

“With any program like this, we expect a 50 percent drop off rate,” she said. “They are all gung ho [in the beginning], but in reality people find it hard and overwhelming.”

There were about 15 people at the first meeting Monday night eager to learn more about the challenge and to use it as a tool to help them work toward their individual goals, which ranged from changing their unhealthy lifestyles to fitting back into their prom dresses.

Ayesha Edwards, a graduate student studying higher education, said when she had her prom dress tailored especially for her, she remembered how the seamstress kept saying over and over how little fabric she used. Now her goal is to fit back into the dress she wore once, about six years ago.

“It seemed like a great way to get back into a healthier lifestyle,” Edwards said.

Temika Holland has her mind set on a similar weight loss goal – to lose between 10 and 20 pounds.

The freshman psychology major said she wants to go to the gym more and develop better eating habits, and although she had her mind set on losing the weight before the challenge, she is looking forward to the support offered by the program.

The challenge isn’t only for women, though. A few men showed up at the meeting hoping to incorporate exercise and healthy eating into their lives.

“It’s just a good way to start maintaining a healthier lifestyle and eating healthier,” Jeff Small, a senior marketing major said. “And I can never say no to a free T-shirt,” he added, referencing the shirt everyone who completes the challenges receives.

The program is entirely self-directed. Participants fill out daily logs and receive points for increasing activity and making healthy food choices, as well as taking time out of a busy schedule to relax or read a book.

“People tend to be here for the physical aspect,” Zeeger said. “We try to push the holistic approach, managing stress and finding that delicate life balance.”

Contact reporter Jess Milcetich at milcetichdbk@gmail.com.