Corporate, park district teams get creative with workouts, diets

Our 23 corporate and 13 park district teams take the Fittest Loser Community Challenge seriously.

During the first weeks of the competition, these groups have rallied together to get their bodies, minds and spirits into shape. And, they gladly share their tips with others along the way.

Take a look at a few ways they have motivated each other to strive for better health.

Members of the Prinova “Whey to Go” team had a busy week. Some members took Zumba classes for the very first time, while others shed pounds by doing rigorous gym workouts, running and weight training.

All team members lost some weight; and at least one achieved her 5-pound weight-loss goal and received a gold star to show for it. Some have enlisted family members and friends for extra support, getting them to help with everything from food prep to baby-sitting.

This week, the Buffalo Grove Park District teams of Withering A-Weigh, In It to Thin It, Mission Slimpossible, and Waist Removal hit the Biggest Loser Resort in Itasca to boost their weight loss plans.

They also developed a newsletter to keep their crew in the loop about scheduled fitness events and new fitness ideas to try at home and at the office.

Advice on drinking water, the best time to buy athletic shoes and ways to stay focused on health goals highlight the current issue.

Clearbrook Team: Fit members tucked some new ideas about health and fitness under their belts this week.

Already, many say they have found creative ways to increase their daily exercise routines to keep off the weight.

Many enjoyed Zumba and aerobic classes, yoga and even fitness games via Wii Fit.

They tweaked their diets too to include more healthy salads prepared with more greens and less dressing.

One member completely eliminated bread from her diet, and others learned to focus on weekly meal planning.

Community teams are judged on the total amount of weight lost, as well as their participation in events and team spirit, based on online voting and Facebook participation.