Who will win the Fittest Loser Challenge?
They've sweated, struggled, and switched to a healthy lifestyle. As of last weekend, they've lost a combined 199 pounds.
On Wednesday, the five suburban contestants competing in the Fittest Loser Challenge will face the big moment: finding out who lost the biggest percentage of weight, and who wins the grand prize.
The winner will be announced during a Fittest Loser finale party at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Chandler's, 401 N. Roselle Road, in Schaumburg. During the celebration, the winner of the Fittest Loser At Work Challenge also will be announced. Thirty-eight teams of co-workers from around the suburbs competed, many with fun team names like Flab-U-Less and Dwindling Divas.
The public is invited to attend. Admission is $15 per person, and includes two drinks, light appetizers and a goody bag. There also will be a raffle to benefit the Kids Fit Foundation, with the grand prize being a one-week stay at the Biggest Loser Resort in Itasca.
The Fittest Loser Challenge winner — the one who loses the highest percentage of weight — will win a one-week Fun Jet vacation plus a free month of personal training. The winning At Work team will get $2,000 donated to a charity of the team's choice plus prizes for each member.
The Fittest Loser Challenge, co-sponsored by the Daily Herald and Push Fitness in Schaumburg, followed the five contestants on a 12-week weight-loss journey: Deanna Bec, 30, of Berwyn; Bob Coniglio, 51, of Arlington Heights; Robert Patterson, 56, of North Aurora; Cindy Uribe, 33, of Hoffman Estates; and Heidi Wiltse, 43, of Arlington Heights.
Each contestant worked out with a personal trainer at Push Fitness three times a week and on their own on other days, plus attended a boot camp every Saturday morning and made drastic changes to his or her diet.
For more information on the Fittest Loser Challenge and the finale party, see http://events.dailyherald.com/fittest-loser/flfinale/