Fittest Loser At Work teams take it up a notch
Panic is in the air.
With only four weeks to go, many teams participating in the Fittest Loser At Work Challenge are scurrying to drop a few more pounds before the 12-week challenge ends. Some are planning new group activities and yoga classes, while others plan to start a boot camp.
Throughout the course of the competition, many members have formed new friendships and rely on each other for motivation to finish strong in the race.
Work In Progress, a team from Clearbrook, a non-profit organization based in Arlington Heights, plans to kick it up a notch in the next few weeks. Team members will be taking advantage of free fitness classes at Crossfit Rise in Schaumburg. In addition, the group plans to run a 7K race with obstacles during the first weekend in May.
Earlier this month, Team Captain Brittany Knight led a boot camp class at the Clearbrook office after work that included a variety of exercises such as lunges, burpees, sit-ups and squats.
“Being the team captain has been a blast so far,” says Knight. “It's amazing to see how far they've come. One member has lost 20 pounds since the competition started.”
It hasn't been easy. Some team members have been waking up around 4:45 a.m. to workout before work, she says. Probably the hardest element of the challenge for many has been diet. But the team isn't giving up and members keep each other motivated.
“The team and I are shocked that this competition is already half over,” Knight says. “We all have been working hard, staying motivated and encouraging each other. Our team has stayed very close through this entire process.”
While many teams appreciate the competitive nature of the challenge, their main goal is to get healthier.
WINGS, a Palatine-based non-profit group that provides housing and services to women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, has three teams participating in the challenge. They are WOWW-2.0, the Whipper Snappers and PHAT. Irene Rozansky, senior director of talent and organization management at WINGS, says that winning the competition is not necessarily the main the goal.
“Our biggest challenge is not finishing strong for the competition, but finishing strong by feeling good about ourselves in having made this journey together,” she says. “We are working to combat frustration in not having lost as much weight as one had hoped, or not sticking to one's promised diet.”
Team members plan to continue motivating each other to finish strong. They remind each other that they can change their eating habits and adopt a realistic exercise routine, Rozansky says. In addition, one team plans to participate in several fitness classes this month and host a boot comp.
“I'm going to set the example and start a boot camp class,” says one team member. “Last year, I did one and I saw a huge improvement in my bone density, cholesterol level and muscle. I will invite everyone in my team to be part of this.”
Another team member, who has experienced a slight setback due to illness, plans to make it up by participating in a variety of group exercises and yoga classes.
“Despite how much weight we have lost in total as team, I know we have all gained a healthier lifestyle,” says another team member.
Meanwhile, a team from Elmhurst is preparing to race towards the finish line. The Shrinking Waistliners from the city of Elmhurst are hustling to get more active. Team members are trying to get more serious about their workouts and diet before the competition ends. But some panic is starting to set in.
“Our waistlines have not shrunk enough,” says Team Captain Valerie Johnson. “I will conjure up all the humor, encouragement and whip-cracking I can muster to get the Elmhurst Shrinking Waistliners to the finish line. It's a great team with great people on it.”