EXTRA POUNDS: A losing effort

Sisters unite for personal, national weight loss effort

As sisters go, Cindy Braden and her younger sibling Lisa Lowe seem to have a healthy relationship.

Braden, owner of Work 4 It Personalized Fitness, 6330 Spring Mountain Road, tried for years to get Lowe on a workout regimen. The housekeeping supervisor at the Bellagio always said she was too tired, or gave other excuses not to exercise.

On Braden's 40th birthday in July, Lowe changed her mind.

"I always wanted to lose the weight," Lowe said. "I weighed 204 (pounds) and I shouldn't be weighing 204 at age 38. I'm looking older than her. I need to get the weight off, so I could look younger again. I shouldn't be weighing 204 when my sister owns a gym."

Lowe's decision to get fit came at the same time cable television's Discovery Health Channel contacted Braden for help with the National Body Challenge, a series highlighting people nationwide who were challenged to lose their extra pounds. Braden submitted her sister's name, and the training began.

Lowe meets Braden every evening, except Sunday, after work. Two days a week, she meets her at 6:30 a.m. for a cardiovascular workout. Gone are the chili fries and cheeseburgers. Her diet changed from steak and potatoes to chicken breast and broccoli.

The sisters' goal is for Lowe to lose 60 pounds before February, when the show airs, even though the required time spent for the National Body Challenge is 16 weeks. So far, Lowe has lost more than 25 pounds in 11 weeks. Her goal for the show's run is to shed more than 30 pounds.

Every inch, every pound, has been challenging, Lowe said, especially under the charge of a demanding trainer.

"She's very tough. She puts weights on me I don't think I can lift, but she knows I can. It's easier to work with your sister than somebody else. I fuss with her, but she puts up with me," Lowe said. "You think I would be the bully because I'm the big one. The little girl is the bully."

The change in lifestyle proved to be the most challenging aspect of Lowe's regimen, she said.

"It's the point of coming in here everyday when you get off work," she added. "You put your family aside, your husband aside. And you have to come work out."

So far, Lowe has only missed two days, which her sister quickly rescheduled for Sundays. One day, Lowe left because she was mad at Braden.

"We can say things to each other you wouldn't say to a client," Braden said, laughing. "But that's because I have to be -- you have to be tough to tell them they can do it because they've never done it. I know what she can and can't do. I've been with her my entire life."

"I appreciate it," Lowe said. "And it's working."

"And she's liking going from a size 18 to a size 12 pants, too," Braden added.

Lowe suffered from headaches and high blood pressure before she started her fitness routine. Now, she can spend the money she did on prescriptions to buy new clothes.

"I'm very proud of her," Braden said. "It's basically, 'I told you so.' "

Braden started the fitness ball rolling 15 years ago when she opened the gym. She started to exercise when she retained the weight from her pregnancy after her daughter was born. Since Lowe became involved with a program, the sisters' mother, Minnie Gill, has started picking up a class or two at the gym. Gill, 62, has lost 18 pounds in four weeks.

Braden and Lowe are two of seven children. Braden faxes workout routines to her other sister, Sherida Jones, in Dallas to give to her trainer at the gym. Braden, for one, said she's happy to see exercise finally catch on with her family.

"It was my goal in life to help women who had babies who had this problem," Braden said. "Exercise, like anything, is addictive. It's a stress relief."

She and her husband also run Valley Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center. Robert Braden is the gym's doctor.

As for Lowe, she now takes the stairs more often at work and is enjoying the 5 inches she's lost around her waist. She plans on buying a red dress for her coming-out party for the show on Nov. 21.

"I've got the energy to do it," Lowe said. "I've got the strength. It actually feels good."

The Discovery Health Channel sends camera crews to check up on the sisters and record Lowe's progress. Lowe is comfortable in front of the camera, whereas her older sister is a bit more modest.

"What do you want me to do? Go into the closet and come out (thin)?" Lowe said. "You have to be open."


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