How are the Fittest Loser contestants doing? Ask the trainers
After three weeks of diet and workouts, five suburban men and women are one-quarter of the way through the Fittest Loser weight-loss contest.
The five, chosen from more than 100 applicants, signed on for 12 weeks of intensive training and coaching provided by Push Fitness of Schaumburg.
Each was paired with a trainer and works out with that person for 90 minutes twice a week. But the competitors are required to work out on their own for the rest of the week.
How are they doing? Today, the trainers report in.
Trainer Josh Steckler, working with Mike Anderson of Palatine.Anderson's weight: 369Weight lost: 9 pounds, 2.4 percent"Mike has shown extreme determination right from the start of the contest. Although Mike struggled to keep up during the first workout because of his asthma, we've progressed very well over the first few weeks and Mike's fitness level has already shown measurable improvements. I continue to push Mike to his limits every week and I look forward to seeing how far he can go."Trainer Ryan LeBreux, working with Jan Vitullo of LombardVitullo's weight: 219 Weight loss: 13 pounds; 5.6 percent"She has done awesome. We are on a time crunch compared to working with normal clients, so I have thrown more advanced exercises at her than I have thrown at clients I have trained for three months already. She has improved on her balance, and she is coming along really well."Trainer Michelle Amsden, working with Wendy Kreiser of StreamwoodKreiser's weight: 342Weight lost: 5 pounds, 2.0 percent"Wendy is very tough and I know the training is a huge challenge but she always keeps a good spirit. I think the hardest thing Wendy has done in our workout regimen is the stairs. Usually the stairs in our building are used for punishing a client who has failed to bring in a food journal, arriving late, or is not losing weight. Today I made her take the stairs (eight flights). It wasn't because she was late... but it was because she has suffered a bit with her food and she did not lose weight this week. The stairs was a huge challenge for her and she hated it! But hey... she survived."Trainer Steve Amsden, working with Deb Mirabelli of BerwynMirabelli's weight: 225Weight lost: 12 pounds, 5.1 percent"Without a doubt, the most important factor in losing substantial weight is nutrition. Poor nutrition also happens to be the most difficult habit for clients and fittest loser contestants to break. Deb has been extremely focused and diligent with her nutrition. People seem to think the workouts are the tough part of losing weight. For us, training them is the easy part. The hard part is getting clients to comply with the diet plan."Trainer Mark Trapp, working with Frank Valenti of BartlettValenti's weight: 283Weight lost: 12 pounds, 4.1 percent"Frank has done an exceptional job. He has done everything I have asked him to do, and done it with as much effort and as much focus as he can. He is putting in 150 percent right now. Frank is the type of person that he would be successful with any sort of direction, any type of education. He puts everything he has into it. He is getting his blood sugar under control, and that has been a life changer for him."True17722000Steve Amsden True