By Joe Bachman

Tina Smith is offering a unique perspective on weight loss in her two-day workshop on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 centered around the empowering aspects of a healthy lifestyle aside from just food and exercise.

Smith is a former employee of Riverview Hospital and has been teaching health education for 20 years. The concept of the class is to educate participants about what is in their food to as oppose to a step-by-step approach that many health workshops offer. The focus shifts away from counting calories, eating in moderation and serving sizes.

“I don’t expect you to eat the way I eat, and that’s how most classes are taught. This isn’t that — I’m going to educate you about what’s in your food,” said Smith.

A large part of the class focuses on the spiritual side of weight loss regarding not what to eat, but how you feel. The program addresses lifestyle, career, finances, relationships, confidence and spiritual self-awarement in addition to nutrition.

“The people that are struggling with their weight keep looking, and everything out there is a different spin on the same thing,” said Smith. “It doesn’t work — let’s do the work outside of that because it’s your lifestyle, it’s the stress, and how you sleep.”

Smith says the program emphasizes that food and nutrition are just a small piece of the puzzle, and taking a complete lifestyle approach will equate to success.

The two-day workshop will be held at the Wellness Barn Studio located at 231 Lincoln St. in Wisconsin Rapids. For more information, please call 715-572-5714.