Seeing is believing for Fittest Losers
Significant weight loss is a long, drawn-out process. Every day is a struggle to do the right thing, and sometimes it is difficult to see the positive effects.
But then there comes the moment. There is a single defining event that highlights the progress that has been made.
It may be something as simple as picking up something off the ground, but it is easier than it has ever been before. You realize that you are indeed lighter than you have been in years.
The Fittest Loser competitors, five Daily Herald readers who have been working for two months to lose weight in a contest sponsored by Push Fitness of Schaumburg, have each had those special moments of realization.
Kristen Kessinger, a 28-year-old public relations professional, is in a wedding in May.
“Before the competition, my bridesmaid dress for an upcoming wedding in May was too small by a few inches,” Kessinger said. “It wasn't even close to zipping up. About five weeks into the competition, I pulled it out of the closet and, miraculously, it fit! I was so excited that I didn't just take the lazy route and buy a larger size.”
Recently, Kessinger went on a track with Push Fitness trainer Michelle Amsden to run, something Kessinger has never been fond of.
“We started running, and kept going for two miles,” Kessinger said. “I was walking on air afterward.”
Bob Pearson is a 37-year-old house painter and home inspector from Hampshire.
“The moment that had the biggest effect on me was about a week ago,” Pearson said. “I played our intro video for the first time since this competition started, and it hit me like a ton of bricks! My wife took a picture of me, and we held it up to the computer screen for comparison. I finally saw the 50-plus pounds that I've lost.”
Dee Levine, a 59-year-old nurse from Hoffman Estates, had her moment while attending a Chicago Bulls game April 7.
“When we walked into the stadium, my husband had automatically turned toward the escalators as our tickets were on level two,” Levine said. “I stopped him in his tracks and said we are taking the stairs. There seemed to be 50 stairs. I walked up the stairs and I wasn't winded.
“The biggest moment was sitting in our seats at the game and my hips did not touch either arm rest,” she said. “I knew that I had taken 5 inches off my hips and now I was sitting in a stadium seat like a normal person.”
Jayne Nothnagel is a 52-year-old from Bloomingdale who works as a customer service representative for Waste Management. Her moments come when she makes her daily food choices.
“Just this morning I reached for the ‘real' sugar for my coffee and thought to myself: ‘No way am I having that,'” Nothnagel said. “My mind reminded me of the time it would take to work off unhealthy choices.”
Recently, Nothnagel and her husband were in the car when they had a sudden change of plans that was going to affect Nothnagel's very strict dietary plans. “I made my husband pull into a grocery store so I could get an apple and plain Greek yogurt. I did not even think of going for some fast-food.”
For John Novak, a 46-year-old from Mount Prospect who works as an assistant principal at Hersey High School, it was a comment from his wife.
“We were in the car the other day and my wife was staring at me,” Novak said. “I asked her what she was doing, and she replied that she couldn't get over how different I looked and how much thinner my face was.
“It is exciting to be down to two chins,” he said. “Many people would say things about how good I looked, but I always believed they were just being nice,” he said. “Putting on pants that were tight just a few months ago and now I have 2 inches of room and have to tighten by belt to keep them on really makes me a believer.”
Status report for our Fittest Losers
<B>Bob Pearson, 37, of Hampshire
Current weight: </b>240 pounds
<B>Weight lost this week:</b> 4 pounds
<B>Total weight loss: </b>56 pounds, 18.9 percent
<B>John Novak, 46, of Mount Prospect
Current weight: </b>271 pounds
<B>Weight lost this week: </b>3 pounds
<B>Total weight loss: </b>53 pounds, 16.3 percent
<B>Jayne Nothnagel, 52, of Bloomingdale
Current weight: </b>182 pounds
<B>Weight lost this week: </b>3 pounds
>B>Total weight loss: </b>31 pounds, 14.5 percent
<B>Dee Levine, 59, of Hoffman Estates
Current weight: </b>216
<B>Weight lost this week: </b>3 pounds
Total weight loss:</b> 33 pounds, 13.2 percent
<B>Kristen Kessinger, 28, of Volo
Current weight: </b>229 pounds
<B>Weight lost this week:</b> 4 pounds
>B>Total weight loss: </b>34 pounds, 12.9 percent