Competition drives Bob Pearson to Fittest Loser title

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Three months ago, 296-pound Bob Pearson began the pursuit of a very large goal to become a much smaller man.

In the ensuing three months, Pearson lost 78 pounds, and won a prize.

Pearson, a 38-year-old painter from Hampshire was announced as the champion of the 2011 Fittest Loser Challenge, a competition conducted by the Daily Herald and sponsored by Push Fitness of Schaumburg. Pearson's 26.4 percent weight loss gave him the title over four other competitors.

For his victory, Pearson earned three months of free fitness training at Push Fitness as well as a trip for two to Mexico provided by Funjet Vacations.

Pearson said his competitive nature, combined with his sincere desire to lose a lot of weight, came together to push him to victory.

“I know this is a contest for us to get healthy, but when it comes to competition, second place is last place to me,” Pearson said. “If I am going to do it, I might as well win it.”

Pearson's significant weight loss, the most weight ever lost by a competitor in the three years of the Fittest Loser Challenge, was barely enough to win the title. John Novak, a 46-year-old assistant principal from Mount Prospect, lost 77 pounds, or 23.8 percent of his original weight, to chase Pearson down to the last day.

The other competitors lost at least 17 percent of their body weight. Jayne Nothnagel of Bloomingdale, who works in customer service for Waste Management, lost 19.7 percent; Kristen Kessinger, a public relations professional from Volo, lost 17.9 percent; and Dee Levine of Hoffman Estates, at 59 years old — the oldest Fittest Loser competitor ever — lost 17.3 percent.

Combined, the five contestants lost 287 pounds.

At the Fittest Loser celebration held at John Barleycorn in Schaumburg Wednesday, May 11, Pearson cried as he publicly thanked his wife, Gina, and his sons, Bobby and Dominick, for their support through the ordeal.

The contestants each had to write an introductory essay to participate in the contest, which required them to work with a trainer three days a week, attend a boot camp, completely change their diet and to do it all in front of the inquiring eyes of Daily Herald readers. But they all said the experience was something that changed their lives forever.

“Finally, I did something and I feel proud of myself for doing it,” Pearson said.

“It was the hardest thing I have ever done and the best thing I have ever done,” Kessinger said. “I feel like I have won the lottery.”

Like Pearson, Novak was motivated by a desire to be able to be more active with his two teenage children. But he also had the extra motivation of Hersey High School keeping tabs on him.

“Our school newspaper got involved and did a story on me,” Novak said. “I got a lot of feedback from the staff, and I got a lot of emails from parents (saying) ‘You are motivating our kids, keep doing what you are doing.'”

With the help of trainer Steve Amsden, Levine overcame a lifelong dread of being yelled at. After one early session in which Amsden raised his voice to get Levine to work harder, she went home and told her husband, Al, she was going to quit.

“I told Al, ‘I signed up for the physical stuff, but he hurt my feelings,'” Levine said. “And Al said, ‘Toughen up.' For the first time in 59 years, I don't have to go into a corner and cry because somebody yelled at me.”

Trainer Mark Trapp, a co-owner of Push Fitness, said when he met Nothnagel he knew he had found someone who would put in the effort to lose as much weight as possible. Her positive nature saved her from the self-doubt other contestants had.

From her experience, Nothnagel came away with a new attitude toward weight loss.

“I definitely am much more educated as to how I can keep this weight off,” Nothnagel said. “What I have learned are things no one else, doctors or weight-loss programs, ever taught me. They are things that will stay with me the rest of my life.”