WATERLOO -- Diet and exercise is the only tried-and-true formula for healthy weight loss.

Achieving that balance, however, is easier said than done for many folks watching their waistlines, said personal trainer Merriam Lake.

Runners neglect to strength-train, calorie counters skip the gym and weight-lifters pig out on pizza.

"So many people just don't have the general information they need to tailor a diet and fitness program for their life," said Lake, health promotion facilitator with Covenant Wellness Center. "They might know what they need to do, but they don't know how to do it."

A new Covenant program seeks to take the guesswork out of healthy living. Weight Management for Life offers user-friendly workouts, diet guidelines and exercise tips for people embarking on a lifestyle change, as well as those stuck in a diet or workout rut. The first six-week session of the course ended last month. Another starts Jan. 7.

Class members receive guides to help them continue a fitness and healthy eating regimen following the program.

"We think that six weeks is what people need to make it a habit," Lake said.

Participants meet weekly for expert-led discussions on smart eating, strength training and other wellness topics. They also attend a twice-weekly fitness class, and are welcome to work out at the wellness center at any time during the six-week session. Weight, body composition and waist measurements are taken at the beginning and end of the program.

"It touches on all the things that you should know about good health, and it really zeroed in on the combination of nutrition and exercise," said Thielene Raecker, who attended the class with her husband, Jim. "It made you aware of how easy it is to have a healthy body if you have the right knowledge."

During the program exercise class -- Balls, Bands & Other Business -- students learned simple exercises that can be performed at home using balance balls, exercise tubing and free weights, said trainer Lake.

"This class really gives people all the tools they need to make a change," she said. "They don't necessarily need to go out and join a gym, and we don't give them a diet to follow. But after the class they will know what they need to do to be healthy."

Elaine Ames signed up for the fall class to build muscle mass. The Waterloo woman practices Pilates, but didn't know how to go about strengthening her body.

"You hear that it's so important, but it's not something you can just pick up," the 63-year-old said of strength training. "You need to have someone show you, which is what they did with this program."

Toni Hansen joined with a friend to "shake up" her exercise routine of a daily 3-mile walk.

"We were real pleased to be able to try everything," said Hansen, who recently joined the wellness center to continue the Pilates and Yogalates classes she sampled during the program.

"It's diet and exercise, there's no easy way out," Hansen said. "But you learn it's something anyone can do."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.

Go & Do

What: Weight Management for Life

When: Six-week program starts Jan. 7

Where: Covenant Wellness Center, 2101 Kimball Ave.

Cost: $35 for the public; $20 for center members

For more information: (319) 272-2313

Team up and trim down

Members of the Hawkeye State can improve their changes of losing weight by joining "Lighten Up Iowa 2008," a Web-based wellness program for groups of two to 10 dieters.

Participants receive fitness and nutrition tips and track their weight loss and physical activity online for 100 days. Monthly incentive prizes help keep teams on task. The program costs $15 per person, and comes with a year-long subscription to a health magazine, a T-shirt and entry into the Iowa Summer Games and Winter Iowa Fitness Walks.

More than 74,000 Iowans have taken part in the initiative since it started in 2002, shedding more than 305,000 pounds.

Registration for the program starts Monday, and the challenge kicks off Jan. 16.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.lightenupiowa.org.