Why Fittest Loser adventure has been like no other thrill

I don't like closed doors. Delightful surprises can sneak into your life if you keep them open. I'll admit that when I'm home alone, every noise I hear is a serial killer. But my point is that I love surprises.

That's how I feel about the Fittest Loser Challenge, a 12-week workout and nutrition program co-organized by the Daily Herald and Push Fitness in Schaumburg. From the very beginning, everything about it was a surprise. In fact, it almost didn't happen for me. When my editor first contacted me about it, I didn't think I'd accept the assignment. Outside of reporting on the competition, I'd be expected to participate in it as well. That's a big-time commitment. Plus, my personal life would be in the spotlight.

I replied via email: “It sounds like a great opportunity … I'm just not sure how I feel about sharing my weight with the public. I'm about 20 pounds over what I'd like to be, but I'm not sure I want to lose the weight in the spotlight. LOL. Maybe I'm a little vain. Not sure. Let me think about it.”

I thought about it — and decided against it. I closed the door. A few days later, I was covering an event for the Daily Herald and bumped into a different editor. Apparently, that door did not want to stay closed. After the event ended, we shared a glass of wine. Not sure if it was the wine or her interesting sales pitch, but I accepted the assignment right there and then. Get paid to lose weight? Sounds great. Count me in.

The next day, I panicked. At what point did I lose my marbles? I don't mind writing about the competition, but I also just agreed to participate in it. I carefully scanned my memory to remember all the details. Work out with a personal trainer three times a week? Yikes! Attend boot camp every Saturday morning? OMG! Change my diet? LOL! Then there was something about how I'd be expected to run a 5K race with the group, agree to a health screening by a doctor and pose for a variety of photos for the newspaper.

As I processed all this information again, I considered calling my editor to tell her that I'm a certified schizophrenic with multiple personalities — and that the personality she spoke to last night did not represent the rest of us. But then that door, which didn't want to close, swung open and hit me in the head.

Why not do this? It could be an adventure. I told myself that even if I was a schizophrenic, I'm certain that all of my personalities would agree that they like adventure. That settled my dilemma. From that point on, I decided to look at the Fittest Loser Challenge as another adventure in my extreme life. If I wasn't afraid to scuba dive under ice and jump out of a plane, I'll survive this challenge.

In retrospect, it turned out to an excellent adventure — though definitely tough and challenging. At the beginning of the competition I weighed 163 pounds, worked out at the gym sporadically and didn't give much thought to what I ate. Though I'm a smoker, the doctor pronounced me relatively healthy — though a tad bit overweight.

I never really dieted. I'd rotate between eating heathy rabbit food and greasy cheeseburgers. My weight also fluctuated. I'd lose a few pounds. But then they'd find me again.

When I started the challenge, the most difficult part of it was changing my diet. Learning to eat clean and cut out processed foods was a shock to my system. I'd look into the refrigerator,

holding my Push Fitness handbook in my hands, and rack my brain to try to piece together an acceptable meal. I lusted after the potato chips I couldn't have, but I didn't give into temptation. Over time, it became easier to manage my meals and I added a number of new elements into my diet — like smoothies and protein shakes (which I really enjoy). Admittedly, there were a few mishaps with my experiments in the kitchen, but nothing blew up.

When it came to exercise, I truly enjoyed my workouts at the gym with my trainer, Joshua Steckler, owner of Push Fitness. I've always been fascinated with weightlifting and strength training, but never knew how to do it correctly. Josh showed me how. Squats, lunges, dead lifts and presses have become a part of my vocabulary. He also gave me boxing lessons — my new obsession. Apparently, I really enjoy hitting things.

In the beginning, there were days I had to crawl down stairs backward because my muscles were sore from my workouts with my trainer. But I always came back for more. Call me a masochist.

I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. For the most part, I believe that reason to be physics. But on occasion, I fantasize that some force in the universe brought me to a certain path. I'd like to think that to be the case with the Fittest Loser Challenge.

It's an experience that I'll never forget. In the end, I lost 18 pounds — 5 inches off my waist, 4 inches off my hips and 11 percent of my body weight. I've learned valuable lessons about nutrition and how to optimize my workouts. I've acquired tools I can use for the rest of my life.

Fitness and health is something you cannot buy. It comes from eating clean, working hard and staying consistent. I'm extremely grateful that I didn't slam that door shut. The Fittest Loser Challenge was an amazing journey and will always hold a special place in my heart.

• Kat Zeman is a freelance journalist who lost 18 pounds during the Fittest Loser Challenge. She lives in Darien.

Kat Zeman, 40, Darien

Height: 5 feet, 5 inches

Starting weight: 163

Final weight: 145

Pounds lost: 18

Percent lost: 11 percent

Starting BMI: 27.1

Final BMI: 24.9

Waistline inches lost: 5

Starting body fat: 39.1

Final body fat: 33.8

Starting body age: 49

Final body age: 43