Sometimes, all it takes is a slight bit of motivation.

Barbara Lutzky of Hillsborough knew she wanted to lose weight and renew her energy level. She knew what to do but just never got around to it.

Then, last summer, she happened to hear about the Somerset Slim Down, a countywide challenge to all Somerset County residents to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks.

That's all it took to get her to join a health club for the first time and to change her diet.

Lutzky was one of 650 county residents to sign up and one of the slightly more than 200 to complete the challenge. She exercised every day after work and eliminated sweets such as ice cream and doughnuts. At the final weigh-in in August, she learned that she had lost 30 pounds.

"It came along at a good time," said Lutzky, who works as a receptionist for the Arc of Somerset County in Somerville.

LETTERS: April 2, 2008

She was a pretty little thing. Only 13 years old; with big brown eyes and coal black hair. Always ready for a good time; game to go at the drop of a hat.I noticed she'd lost a little weight and didn't seem to have her usual amount of energy. Then a little lump came up on her thigh. A trip to the doctor; the normal drawing of blood; nothing conclusive. In fact, nothing conclusive even after several trips to the doctor. She was given steroids which merely masked the fact that she was getting weaker day by day. Until one morning when I woke her up — and she stumbled and fell. After an emergency run to the hospital, our Shelby died that day. All those months of inconclusive tests and medication and roller coaster ups and downs. Until that very last day it was not confirmed that she was a victim of cancer.