FORT SILL, Okla., Aug. 4, 2016 -- A drill sergeant with Fitness Training Unit, 95th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception), and his wife know what it's like to lose a lot of weight and keep it off. Now they are devotees of healthy living, and figured other people can benefit from what they've learned. So they started a protein smoothie bar in Lawton, Mission Nutrition, which also offers free Fit Camps and an area for young children to play while their parents work out.
Drill Sgt. (Staff Sgt.) Vern Schwartz and wife Erin are proof of what their health regimen can do for weight loss and better health. Vern had once been seriously overweight, but in order to join the Army he had to shape up. A hundred pounds came off before the recruiter enlisted him, and 40 more were lost during basic combat training (BCT). Erin lost 76 pounds in six months with Herbalife meal replacement shakes.
What became a lifestyle is now a business. Though Mission Nutrition only opened June 6, it has a strong word-of-mouth following. Although the business is Erin's passion, Vern is planning for a career after his Army service is over. With 18 months left to go after three years as a drill sergeant, his official duty has shifted from shaping recruits into Soldiers, to driving for Maj. Gen. Brian McKiernan, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general. And other active duty and former military folks have joined as instructors.
Erin started six years ago as a Herbalife home distributor. "I was very overweight and wanted to lose my weight so badly," she said. "I tried every fad diet out there and pretty much failed at everything."
After a friend introduced her to Herbalife she found a program that finally worked. In 2012 while her husband was deployed she worked at a nutrition club in her home state of Rhode Island which gave her the idea to start her own business.
"It was very fun and I loved seeing the results people were getting, and it really motivated me. You can come in, have a healthy meal, a friendly warm environment to come to. The Fit Camps were a huge thing for me."
After being in Lawton for the past three years and saving their money, they opened their Herbalife-based protein smoothie bar, advertising with the Facebook "boost" feature and other social media. Its location in a mini-mall at 1930 NW Ferris Ave. is easy to miss because there's no sign visible from the road, but it is next door to the Vaska Theatre on Ferris between Fort Sill and Sheridan boulevards.
Even when he was helping BCT Soldiers pass their physical fitness test, Vern worked out at the Fit Camps in the evening. "He's pretty hard core," said Erin.
Fellow FTU drill sergeant, Staff Sgt. Sydnee Spencer is planning for life after the Army as well, and does Fit Camps on Saturday and Monday, picking up personal training clients for her own business. "So she's building her business with our business, which is really cool," said Erin.
Fitness instructor Emily Smerka is the wife of Capt. Mark Smerka, A Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery, and she brings her daughter Marly, 2, to work with her. Army veteran Stefanie Gibson rounds out the crew of instructors teaching Pound workouts each week on Wednesdays. Pound is a cardio jam session done with drumsticks.
The free Fit Camps are offset by the optional purchase of shakes afterwards. "The point is to get our name out there," said Erin. "In Lawton there's only one health food grocer. A lot of salads on menus are slopped with stuff nowadays, fried chicken, creamy ranch and Caesar dressings, all that stuff's so bad for you. That's where we wanted to bring a healthy meal option to Lawton."
The Fit Camps have 10 to 20 participants and are often theme-based. One night was Harry Potter style with costumes, and players competed in the different Hogwarts "houses." On July 4 they did a Captain America MRAP (as Many Rounds As Possible) and gave a prize for the most patriotic outfit.
High Intensity Interval Training, Tabata, and boot camps are also offered, and exercises can be modified for injuries or disabilities. They are also in the middle of a Weight Loss Challenge where 40 participants each paid $20 to the pot, and the two who lose the highest percentage of pounds split the $800 pot. The next challenge begins Sept. 1 with sign-ups beginning Aug.17.
Another plus is that there is a play area for young children to accompany their parents, an option offered at very few fitness centers. Their daughters Delainey, 9 and Payton, 4, and two-year-old son Abel are with Erin there every day, and a babysitter takes them home mid-day for their naps.
The Schwartz's would like to open a second location on the west side eventually. "We want to let people know there is somewhere people can go if they need help with weight loss. We're not going to judge. I've been there." Erin does nutritional counseling for those who want to lose weight and keep it off. "We go through all their habits and personal needs to design a plan specific to them," she said.
Mission Nutrition is open Mondays through Fridays 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Fitness camps run Mondays through Thursdays 6-7 p.m., and Saturdays 7-8 a.m. The Wednesday class is a Pound cardio toning class to music, with weighted drumsticks, taught by military veteran Stefanie Gibson.
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