New body, new life for Fittest Loser contestants
A year ago, Bob Pearson was full of excuses.
He didn't have time to work out. He didn't know how to prepare the right foods. Just the thought of trying to be healthier was overwhelming. “There are a million excuses,” the Hampshire resident says. “A year ago, I was 300 pounds, and I was just miserable.”
There are no more excuses now. Since winning the 2011 Fittest Loser Challenge sponsored by the Daily Herald, Pearson has taken control of his health.
“You have to take time for yourself, at least an hour a day,” he says. “That's the key. If you won't make it a priority, it won't be a priority.”
The competition pitted five participants against each other to see who could shed the most weight percentage-wise over a three-month period. Since it ended in May, each participant has managed to maintain close to his or her contest-ending weight.
Now, we're seeking five more contestants for the 2012 Fittest Loser, with a 12-week workout and dieting program beginning Jan. 30. For information on how to apply, see surveymonkey.com/s/fittestloser. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 6.
In this year's contest, Pearson, 38, lost 78 pounds, the most weight ever shed by a competitor in the three years of the Fittest Loser Challenge. He went from no exercise and a “fast-food diet” to regular personal training sessions at Push Fitness in Schaumburg, a Fittest Loser sponsor that paired up each contestant with a trainer to help them lose weight.
Because he won, Pearson earned three more months of personal training sessions. For continued motivation, he and another contestant, John Novak of Mount Prospect, held their own mini weight-loss contests.
A former high school athlete, Pearson said his eating habits were harder to change. “I used to eat whatever I wanted to eat, whenever I wanted,” he says. “Now I have to prepare meals and take them with me.”
But it's all been worth it, he says, not only because he is setting a healthy example for his 4-month-old baby, but for how he feels. “I definitely feel more confident in myself,” he said. “I can't believe it's the end of the year and I've maintained my weight. I feel proud for keeping this up.”
Dee Levine, 60, from Hoffman Estates, was the contest's oldest participant. By May, she had lost 17.3 percent of her body weight. She vows to never return to her peak weight of about 250 pounds, when she got breathless from walking up stairs. “I got tired of being winded,” she says.
She now weighs a few more pounds than she did when the contest ended, but she continues to use the health strategies she learned, like having protein at every meal, eating five times a day and preparing food in advance. She also remains committed to not smoking.
This past year has been “an amazing experience,” she says. “Nobody can take my inner power away from me. I have more wisdom now.”
Kristen Kessinger, of Volo, lost 47 pounds when the contest ended and was able to fit into a bridesmaid dress that originally had been three sizes too small. She regained a few pounds once the contest ended, thanks to eating out a bit too much. But once she reverted to using her contest strategies, she shed the weight and is now close to her contest-ending number and “feeling so much better.”
This past year, she took up a new hobby: running 5K races. She ran her second in the fall and now plans to run five 5K races before her 30th birthday on July 7. “I feel like a different person when I walk into a room,” she says. “I don't feel the same embarrassment. I look forward to going shopping now.”
Not that her new lifestyle is easy. “It's still a challenge every day,” Kessinger says, “but I'm going to keep pushing through.”
That's exactly how Novak, 47, feels. At 245 pounds, the competition's runner-up is also right at his contest-ending weight. “It's a continual challenge,” he says. “There was no doubt it was difficult, but the contest pushed me to start something I should've done a long time ago.”
He has continued working out with his trainer at Push and is more mindful of what he eats. His new lifestyle has now become routine — and better yet, has taught himself and his family that “if you put the effort in, good things will happen,” he says.
“I wanted to do this for my family,” he says. “I want to spend quality time with my wife and see my kids grow up.”
Jayne Nothnagel, 52, of Bloomingdale, says she feels lucky she had help in starting the “journey of changing her life.” She knew her weight was spiraling out of control — all of her clothes were too tight — but didn't know how to change things. With the help of fitness and food experts, she now feels empowered.
She's lost about 5 pounds since the contest ended. She and her husband don't eat boxed or processed foods anymore, and she works out regularly. “I have no regrets,” she says. “It was a great experience. I just loved it.”
For motivation, she keeps a jar on her kitchen counter that contains all the sugar she would put in just her morning coffee from one week — it was well over a cup. “I was embarrassed,” she says.
Adjusting to new eating and working out routines — particularly with a four-day, 40-hour-a-week work schedule, made it difficult. “I took it day by day and had to get real creative in how to prepare things,” she said. “It was difficult at first.”
Learning new strategies are the key to starting bigger lifestyle changes, says Josh Steckler, co-owner of Push Fitness and Pearson's personal trainer. “It's exciting to be part of that and see what can really happen if people are focused,” he says.
He says it's easy for people to make excuses, just as Pearson used to, particularly around the holidays. “There are so many things going on, it's easy to brush fitness under the rug,” he says. “It comes down to how important it is to the individual. It has to come from the inside — ‘if I want something bad enough, I'll find a way to do it.' If you don't have that mentality, this will be a tough time of the year.”
Steckler advocates breaking down long-term goals into sensible, reasonable steps. “For a lot of people, it's going to be a marathon and not a sprint,” he says. “It takes time. It needs to be a mindset when you're slowly changing things a little at time and learning how to make things a part of your lifestyle, like eating out less and cutting out the foods that are bad. It doesn't have to be that scary overwhelming thing where you have to change your life overnight.”
Enter to be a Fittest Loser
Are you looking for a health and fitness makeover? We'd like to give you a shot at making it happen. The Daily Herald and Niche Publications are offering the Fittest Loser Challenge sponsored by Push Fitness in Schaumburg.
We are seeking five motivated people to see who can lose the most weight in a 12-week period beginning Jan. 30. Each participant will receive free instruction from a personal trainer and nutritionist to train three to four days a week in Schaumburg.
Contestants will be featured in before and after photos and in stories highlighting their progress. Results will be measured each week. The Fittest Loser will be chosen based on percentage of weight lost. To apply, go to surveymonkey.com/s/fittest loser. Applications will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 6.