Fittest Loser At Work participants start seeing results
As they approach the sixth week of the competition, many team members participating in the Fittest Loser At Work Challenge are feeling more confident in their skin and looser in their clothes.
Making adjustments has been difficult. Planning daily activities and healthy meals requires time and effort.
Some have been more successful at it than others. But many are starting to see results and experiencing a change in attitude.
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.
Bruna Srb, a member of PHAT, one of the three teams, says that some team members have lost weight while others are struggling. But the team appears to enjoy the challenge. Some members were surprised to learn how many programs and activities are offered to participants. Diet and finding the motivation to exercise were some of the most difficult adjustments for many. But team members report enjoying walking and knowing they are not alone in the desire to get healthy and lose weight.
Another team from WINGS, WOWW 2.0, has discovered that eating right and exercising is hard work. One team member says: “It truly takes a lot of time and effort to be healthy if it's not already a part of your lifestyle.”
But team members are starting to see results. Some are feeling more confident physically and are noticing their clothes are looser. Also, they report an increase in energy. “I do feel better overall,” says another member. “I am definitely more active and eating right, however, my weight loss is very slow.”
Besides finding time to exercise, members say that changing their diet has been one of the most difficult adjustments. This is especially the case when they eat outside of their home.
“It's difficult to pack a lunch every day,” says a team member. “I'm sure that the majority of my calories, and calories from fat, come from the food I eat outside of my home. I generally cook healthy meals for myself, but it's hard to stave off those cravings on the weekends when I am out with friends.”
The team appreciates having access to the Biggest Loser Resort in Bloomingdale — which it feels is one of the biggest perks of participating in the challenge. Overall, the team reports feeling more positive, motivated and focused.
The Core Boosters, a team from HRBoost, LLC in Libertyville, has also taken advantage of working out at the Biggest Loser Resort — especially Nicole Martin and Suzan Quinn Mayworm. Martin has found motivation in working out with her co-workers and says that knowing she is participating in a competition keeps her much more aware of what she eats.
“Being more diligent about my health is the best part and I feel positive and stronger,” Martin says.
Mayworm says that she feels a great sense of accomplishment after successfully completing a serious workout session. She is surprised at how much she enjoys working out at the Biggest Loser Resort.
“We did back-to-back cardio and weight training which was super tiring,” she says. “While I was very sore two days later and not sure if I could do it again, I found that by the day after that, I felt great and I was totally ready to commit again.”