Fittest Loser contestants still enthusiastic, but feeling the pain

Two weeks into the 12-week Fittest Loser weight-loss contest, five suburban men and women have struggled with some components of their new regimen but are buoyed by the numbers on the scale.

Contestants, with the help of personal trainers from Push Fitness in Schaumburg, already have lost between 1.6 percent and 5.2 percent of their body weight - which translates into four to 12 pounds.

Jan Vitullo of Lombard, who started out at 232 pounds, got down to 220 (a loss of 5.2 percent) in her first two weeks with trainer Ryan LeBreaux.

"I've had a great two weeks so far,'' Vitullo said. "Slowly but surely, it is all coming together."

Vitullo, 50, has a particular demon to defeat in her weight loss challenge. She wants to give up smoking while losing weight, and that is going to make her task that much harder.

"The workouts have helped curb my urges to smoke," Vitullo said. "It's been the biggest challenge of all for me. The hardest part, believe it or not, is getting used to eating five meals per day. I used to go from morning until early afternoon without eating. Now, by noon, I have eaten twice. It's made such a difference in the way I feel."

Deb Mirabelli, a 44-year-old mother of three, is trying to lose the weight she gained in the process of acquiring a master's degree in special education. She started the contest at 237 pounds and worked her way down to 226 pounds (a loss of 4.6 percent) in the first two weeks with the help of trainer Steve Amsden.

"My first two weeks went very well," Mirabelli said. "The hardest part so far has been disciplining myself to the daily workouts at home. Steve gave me three workout plans to follow. They are brutal, but thankfully I have my two mini-trainers, (her children) Joey and Keri, to keep me going."

Eleven pounds lost is a big difference for Mirabelli, and she is aiming for more.

"I am thrilled with my results so far,'' Mirabelli said. "I can already feel a difference in my clothing and in my upper body strength."

Frank Valenti, a 54-year-old retired baker, started at 295 and dropped eight pounds to 287 (a loss of 2.7 percent), thanks to his work with trainer Mark Trapp. Valenti's health issues, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol, make his progress more difficult.

"Mark is very professional and understanding," Valenti said. "He knows my health condition so he modifies my workouts around that. He supports me along the way and educates me on my new diet plan."

Unlike the other competitors, Valenti entered the contest without any worries about what was ahead. His first two weeks did nothing to dull his enthusiasm.

"I'm very, very excited and enthusiastic, and full of energy," Valenti said. "This whole journey has been as expected. The first week's workout was the hardest, but I have been able to increase my stamina."

Mike Anderson, 23, has had to adjust his lifestyle in order to get his workouts in.

"It's different getting up early and going to work out before work instead of sleeping in until the last minute and rushing to work," Anderson said. "I'm happy with the results. Obviously, you always want a little more, but I don't have the option of working out for six hours a day."

Anderson started the contest as the heaviest competitor at 378 pounds and got down to 371 pounds in two weeks (a loss of 1.9 percent).

Anderson said the hardest part is meeting Push Fitness' dietary plan, which calls for five daily meals of specific protein, fat, and carbohydrate components. "Eating five meals a day is something that is going to take some getting used to," Anderson said.

Anderson is working with Joshua Steckler, co-owner of Push Fitness.

"He has been pushing me past the point of when you are tired and ready to quit," Anderson said.

Wendy Kreiser, 25, wants to lose weight in order to be able to be more active with her three children. In her first two weeks, she went from 347 pounds to 343 pounds (a loss of 1.6 percent) and had far more fun than she thought she would have when the competition began.

"I was sick with a bad head cold for almost the entire first two weeks, but I kept going," Kreiser said. "I feel confident with myself enough to work harder. Going to a normal gym usually makes me feel uncomfortable, that I feel out of place or don't belong. Being at Push with Michelle (Amsden, her trainer) I feel awesome, like I can do anything."

Kreiser said the most difficult thing for her is the amount of water she is supposed to drink each day. "It seems like such a small thing to do, but it is hard for me to chug it down when I don't feel thirsty." Kreiser said her progress the first two weeks only makes her look forward to the next two weeks.

"I am already able to keep up with my kids better," Kreiser said. "I wish I could lose more faster, but I know that it took so long to get to this point that it is going to take time for it all to come off. I'm excited about that."

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<li><a href="/story/?id=361337">5 contestants vie to become this year's Fittest Loser<span class="date">[3/1/10]</span></a></li>

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