Articles filed under Fittest Loser

• Status report for the Fittest Loser contestants Apr 15, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fittest Loser vital statistics - Week 10
  

   
• 

  New eating habits now on the menu for contestants Apr 15, 2013 12:00 AM
  After just two months, the Fittest Losers' former favorites ... pizza, pasta, pastries, sugary soft drinks and all kinds of junk food ... have been tossed aside in favor of vegetables, fruit, really, really lean beef and all kinds of seafood, even sardines. "Believe it or not, I've just recently discovered that I like sardines," says Greg Moehrlin.The 39-year-old science teacher has made significant changes in his eating habits starting with his drive to work.
  

   

• Status report for the Fittest Loser contestantsApr 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fittest Loser vital statistics - Week 9
  

   

• Show of support 'both wonderful and humbling' Apr 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  If it takes a village to raise a child, then I'm pretty sure it takes a small city to lose weight and get fit. Or at least it certainly has in my case. Let me assure you: If it wasn't for the incredible amount of support I've been getting from, well, pretty much everyone I know during the past couple of months, this whole Fittest Loser journey of mine would've ended after about six hours, probably with me rolling around in a pile of Oreos, swearing I'd never set foot in a gym ever again.
  

   
• 

  Surprises don’t deter community teams Apr 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  With just a few weeks left in the Fittest Loser Community Challenge, teams are working even harder to counter a flurry of surprises and setbacks that hit the teams in the past couple weeks, causing two team members to drop out of the challenge and two others to reduce their levels of participation.
  

   
• 

  Support network gives contestants' a boost Apr 8, 2013 12:00 AM
  For weeks now we've been talking to the contestants about the Fittest Loser Challenge. We've heard about their love/hate relationship with a variety of foods, the stress they face balancing work, diet, exercise and family and we know their trainers are tough. But this week we're turning the tables and instead of talking about themselves, we asked them to talk about the people behind the scenes.
  

   
• 

  Trainers keeping contestants motivated, accountable Apr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Fittest Loser contestants and their trainers have been working together for two months. In that time, the personal trainers at Push Fitness have gotten to know their contestant's strengths and weaknesses and they're using that knowledge to motivate them for the remainder of the competition.
  

   

• A trainer’s vote of confidence Apr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  Push Fitness owner, Joshua Steckler, keeps the Daily Herald's Melynda Findlay focused.
  

   

• Status report for the Fittest Loser contestantsApr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fittest Loser vital statistics - Week 8
  

   
• 

  Being klutzy no longer a reason to avoid gym Apr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  To paraphrase one of my favorite fictional characters of all time — GOB Bluth from "Arrested Development" — I've (maybe) made a huge mistake. My boyfriend, Brian, and I have been trying to figure out ways to add activity to our days off, since stupid never-ending winter doesn't allow us to go hiking or ride bikes. So on a whim the other day, I bought a pair of boxing gloves and focus mitts. I've done some boxing during Saturday morning boot camps at Push Fitness, and it was so much fun! Brian seemed interested in giving it a try, so what the heck, I thought. It'll be fun! It'll help us get fit! And what could possibly go wrong?
  

   
• 

  Teams develop a taste for healthier foods Apr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
  When was the last time you had a spinach shake for breakfast? How about raw codfish ceviche for lunch and Brussels sprouts with turmeric for dinner? The Fittest Loser Community participants are using the 12-week challenge to expand their culinary horizons. Several teams have been following through on their goal to explore a new healthy food each week. With the Community Challenge in its ninth week, the team members are starting to discover the health benefits of some increasingly unexpected and exotic recipes.
  

   
• 

  'Fittest Losers' find baggy pants worth the effortMar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
  From the beginning of the Fittest Loser Challenge, change has been priority one for the contestants and bringing about that change has been the prime focus for their trainers. Seven weeks into the competition, the changes are adding up and lots of people are noticing. "My pants are definitely getting bigger," says Megan McCarthy-Cook. "And my trainer tells me I'm looking leaner.
  

   

• Status report for the Fittest Loser contestantsMar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fittest Loser vital statistics - Week 7
  

   

• There are healthy ways to cope with life stressMar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
  The past few weeks have been a little stressful. It's been a stressful time for a whole variety of reasons, but none that are earth-shattering or tragic. Just the usual good and bad kinds of stress everybody deals with at some point. In my case? Having company over at home, looming deadlines, some new responsibilities at work, making sure I'm fitting in my workouts and sticking to my diet — stuff like that. What's different in my case, though, is feeling a little lost about how to deal with that stress.
  

   
• 

  Weight slump over for most community teams Mar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
  For most people, pants falling down is the stuff of nightmares. The Community Challenge teams see it as tangible proof that they are making a real change. A member of the Wood Dale Warriors is down from a size 13 jean to a size nine, and is not stopping there: she is using her recent success as motivation to increase her workout schedule to twice per day. Both the Itasca iFit Buddies and Team Carol Stream also reported losing their pants, in a good way.
  

   
• 

  Simple approach the best option when eating out Mar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
  You've committed to a healthier lifestyle. You're exercising, you're eating well ­— you're doing everything right. Then BAM! Friends or co-workers want to go out for dinner. What to do? I recently got a hands-on lesson on how to make good choices when eating out from my trainer, Push Fitness owner Joshua Steckler, when we had lunch at Muscle Maker Grill — a fast casual-type restaurant with a variety of healthy choices.
  

   

• Status report for the Fittest Loser contestantsMar 18, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fittest Loser vital statistics - Week 6
  

   
• 

  Changing attitudes toward food, exercise motivate Fittest Loser competitors Mar 18, 2013 12:00 AM
  Six weeks ago, six Daily Herald readers began the Fittest Loser Challenge eager to make changes ... changes in their attitude toward diet and exercise, changes that could have a significant impact on their health. Changes that have the potential to affect the quality of their life. The competition is at the halfway mark. How are they doing?
  

   
• 

  Community teams sharing victories on and off the scale Mar 18, 2013 12:00 AM
  While some teams are struggling to overcome the weight-loss plateau that seemed to hit just about everyone in week three, other teams have kicked their weight-loss effort into high gear. This past week, the Community Challenge teams achieved victories both on and off the scale.
  

   
• 

  Progress has her making new plans for the future Mar 18, 2013 12:00 AM
  Six weeks ago, I was asking one of my bosses for time off at the beginning of May so I could attend the Fittest Loser finale celebration. He asked me if I had any other plans for that time, and I told him I was going to sleep late and eat pizza and Cheetos every day. We laughed about it, but I wasn't kidding. That actually was my plan six weeks ago. I can proudly say that's no longer the plan.