Fittest Losers struggle to succeed
Nobody told the Fittest Losers it would be easy.
Five Daily Herald readers, plus one industrious editor, agreed to be a part of the three-month Fittest Loser weight-loss competition. They agreed to work out with a personal trainer three times a week, live with a new, restrictive diet and do it all for the reading enjoyment of the Daily Herald audience.
They were willing to do it all to lose weight and they have done well through the first six weeks of the competition. But the process has been a challenge. Each has faced difficulties that have slowed their weight-loss efforts.
Each of the contestants works with his or her own trainer, and the trainers have helped them get past their hurdles be it physical, emotional or cultural.
Push Fitness trainer Steve Amsden works with Dee Levine, a 59-year-old nurse from Hoffman Estates.
“In the beginning, it was hard for her to get past someone yelling at her and making her do things that were uncomfortable,” Amsden said. “She felt she was a victim, like I was doing something to her, trying to exploit her, when my goal was to help her lose weight and get stronger. She did not like someone being stern with her.”
This struggle was resolved in a series of e-mails and text messages, and Levine has come around to Amsden's way of doing things.
Amsden has had to alter some workouts because Levine has foot and knee injuries. Lunging, a significant physical part of the workout, had to be modified to allow Levine to hold onto a bar to control her balance so there was not as much weight on her feet.
Michelle Amsden, who trains Kristen Kessinger, a 28-year-old public relations professional from Volo, said she has slipped a couple of times regarding her diet.
“There have been a few times when she had steak as a source of protein, but I advised her while she was doing the contest to only consume clean proteins like fish, turkey and chicken,” Amsden said. “Also, her husband had prepared chili for their dinner with a very high-sodium tomato sauce, and she was unaware of this, so when the scale wasn't budging she recalled that lovely chili she ate.”
Push Fitness co-owner Mark Trapp is training Jayne Nothnagel, 52, of Bloomingdale, who works as a customer-service representative for Waste Management.
“Her biggest obstacles were her work life and family lifestyle,” Trapp said. “She was working long hours, and she has two kids that she takes care of. That is what got her here.
“But I was also taking somebody who has never worked out ever,” Trapp said.
“A body has to have muscle mass to lose weight, and it was difficult for Jayne to put on lean muscle. She needed to put on more muscle on her body to make it a fat-burning machine. But she is now able to do more resistance training, and she is losing weight rapidly. I'm able to push her extremely hard right now.”
Push Fitness co-owner Josh Steckler is the trainer for Bob Pearson, a 37-year-old painter and home inspector from Hampshire.
“We had to change Bob's diet,” Steckler said. “Those changes have no doubt made the biggest difference in his weight loss. Not only is he eating less, but he's getting more nutrients, so his body is able to build muscle and burn fat at a higher rate.”
Wade Merrill is working with John Novak, 46, an assistant principal at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights who lives in Mount Prospect. Merrill said Novak also blamed his diet for the weight problems he developed.
“When we first measured John, his body was solid, not like Arnold but like a brick of cold cheese,” Merrill said. “He has been 100 percent committed to the diet and it shows in his food journal. Nothing has slowed him down from seeing changes week in and week out.”
Tony Figueroa is the trainer for Daily Herald editor Gerry Alger, 52, and said decades of working at a computer terminal made her weak in the legs.
“She lacked strength in her legs because of 25 years of sitting doing what she does,” Figueroa said. “It has taken some time, four weeks, for her to progress. There was not enough blood circulation. That held her back a bit from losing the weight she wanted to lose. But it started getting better, and she's getting more flexible so her legs could respond better.”
<b>Status report for Fittest Loser contestants</b>
<b>Kristen Kessinger,</b> 28, of Volo
<b>Current weight:</b> 237 pounds
<b>Weight lost this week: </b>2 pounds
<b>Total weight loss: </b>26 pounds, 9.8 percent
<b>Dee Levine,</b> 59, of Hoffman Estates
<b>Current weight: </b>222 pounds
<b>Weight lost this week:</b> 4 pounds
<b>Total weight loss: </b>27 pounds, 10.8 percent
<b>Jayne Nothnagel, </b>52, of Bloomingdale
<b>Current weight: </b>186 pounds
<b>Weight lost this week: </b>4 pounds
<b>Total weight loss: </b>27 pounds, 12.6 percent
<b>John Novak, </b>46, of Mount Prospect
<b>Current weight: </b>279 pounds
<b>Weight lost this week: </b>4 pounds
<b>Total weight loss: </b>45 pounds, 13.8 percent
<b>Bob Pearson, </b>37, of Hampshire
<b>Current weight: </b>250 pounds
<b>Weight lost this week: </b>5 pounds
<b>Total weight loss: </b>46 pounds, 15.5 percent