Carol Stream, Hanover Park leaders square off in weight-loss contest

Carol Stream Village President Frank Saverino refuses to lose again.

OK, this rematch isn't a bitter battle against an election rival. But Saverino knows the stakes are still high in a self-imposed weight-loss challenge against Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig.

"I can't let him beat me," Saverino said.

Craig is the returning champ after shedding 20 pounds in their first contest in 2012. Lest he forget, Saverino dropped a paltry nine pounds.

"I think I could have done better, to be honest with you," Saverino concedes.

That self-awareness could give Saverino the edge. He also insists he has a winning strategy - "less time eating, more time walking" - to slim down and best his opponent.

But don't count Craig out. He uses a smartphone app to check calories and got a head start more than a month ago by joining a YMCA diabetes prevention program that focuses on nutrition and exercise.

"I'm laying off the breads and the pastas and all the things I really love," Craig said.

He now has more energy thanks to that discipline.

"So that's making me feel real good," he said.

Rivalry aside, Saverino wants to get back in shape as he bounces back from a painful injury he suffered in January. He was about to put salt down on his front steps the morning after an overnight ice storm when he slipped and fell, breaking a pair of ribs.

"I couldn't do anything except eat," Saverino said.

His doctor suggested he lose 25 pounds. Keeping the weight off isn't easy with his busy schedule, so for added motivation, Saverino decided to square off against Craig once more.

"If I had to do it on my own, I couldn't do it," he said.

The contest began June 2, with Saverino tipping the scales at 250 pounds and Craig at 285. Whoever has the biggest drop in pounds when the challenge wraps up in mid-September wins.

The prize? Saverino and Craig will celebrate the end of the competition with their wives over a meal at the winner's restaurant of choice.

"I'm going to pick an Italian restaurant where I can get some veal," Saverino said.

The two are monitoring their progress in biweekly weigh-ins at businesses and other venues in both of their towns. Saverino and Craig hope that publicly tracking their results will help them stay the course and inspire others to get fit.

But Saverino's personal goal is losing 25 to 30 pounds.

"I would be tickled to death if I could do that," said Saverino, who has swapped out doughnuts and other breakfast treats for protein shakes with fresh berries every morning.

Saverino and Crag will next step on the scales at Retro Fitness in Carol Stream June 30. During their most-recent weigh-in at the board room in Hanover Park's village hall last week, Craig had gained four pounds. Saverino lost seven and isn't looking back.

"He already gave me the edge to win. I'm going for it," Saverino said. "I have to. I've got a lot of things I want to do, and I need to be healthy to do them."