Arlington Heights cop overcomes obstacles to win Fittest Loser contest
Even before his name was announced, Bob Coniglio already knew he was the winner.
He's not psychic. It's simple mathematics.
Toward the end of the competition, Coniglio was only worried about one other person. Out of the five contestants competing in the Fittest Loser Challenge, organized by the Daily Herald and Push Fitness in Schaumburg, Coniglio was uncertain about Robert Patterson.
The two men were extremely close in terms of how much weight they lost during the 12-week competition.
But when Robert Patterson was announced as the second-place winner, Coniglio knew he would snag first place.
“I didn't know I had it until that moment,” says Coniglio of Arlington Heights. “I knew it was going to be close.”
Coniglio, a retired Arlington Heights police officer, shed a total of 64 pounds, and 21.1 percent of his body weight, during the course of the competition. He shaved 10 inches from his waistline and brought his weight down to 240 pounds.
“This has been a great journey for me, an experience I'll never forget,” Coniglio says.
Coniglio, 51, was crowned the 2015 Fittest Loser winner during the contest's finale party May 13 at Chandler's Banquets in Schaumburg. As the grand prize winner, he won a Funjet vacation for two, Avalon Salon Spa package, $75 gift card from Whole Foods, $75 Seasons 52 dining certificate and two months of personal training at Push Fitness.
“It wasn't an easy journey for him,” says Michelle Amsdem, Coniglio's personal trainer from Push Fitness. “But by the end, he was very determined to win. He was very disciplined.”
Coniglio started the competition as a borderline diabetic and suffers from an elevated diaphragm which makes it difficult for him to run. However, his weight loss and change in eating habits have brought him out of the diabetic category.
During the course of the competition, the five individual contestants — Coniglio; Deanna Bec, 30, of Berwyn; Robert Patterson, 56, of North Aurora; Cindy Uribe, 33, of Hoffman Estates; and Heidi Wiltse, 43, of Arlington Heights — lost a total of 225 pounds.
The contestants were chosen from more than 100 applicants to participate in a grueling 12-week workout and nutrition program. Each contestant worked out with a personal trainer at Push Fitness three times a week — as well as on their own during off days. They attended “boot camp” every Saturday morning and drastically altered their eating habits.
“It was definitely an amazing experience,” says Bec, who lost 20 pounds and 9.7 percent of her body weight.
Patterson, who snagged second place, lost 53 pounds and 20.8 percent of his body weight. He believes that if it wasn't for Coniglio, neither of them would have lost as much weight as they did. “The two Bobs” as they came to be known in the Fittest Loser group were almost always neck-and-neck during the weekly weigh-ins at the gym.
“If it wasn't for each other, we probably wouldn't have pushed as hard,” says Patterson.
When asked what he thought about Coniglio winning the competition, Patterson replied: “I'm tickled to death. Bob is a great guy. I had a lot of fun with him.”
One of Patterson's main goals during the challenge was to be able to run a half-marathon to honor his 20-year-old son, Christopher, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. During the course of the competition, Patterson has greatly improved his running skills. The contestants recently ran the 5K DuPage Human Race in Downers Grove. Patterson came in first out of the group.
However, at one point during the Fittest Loser competition, contestant Heidi Wiltse gave “the two Bobs” a run for their money when she ranked in second place for most weight lost — coming very close to Coniglio's numbers and ahead of Patterson. In the end, Wiltse lost 52 pounds and 18.2 percent of her body weight.
“I've struggled with weight my whole life, but I've finally decided I'm worth it,” says Wiltse, a nurse by profession.
Wiltse, a mother of three children, has always taken care of others. During the competition, she has learned to take care of herself.
“This is the first time I've valued myself and it's changed my life,” she says.
While the ceremony marked the end of the competition, many of the contestants plan to return to boot camp when Push Fitness starts it up again this summer. Some of the contestants have even extended their workouts with their trainers for another few months.
Contestant Cindy Uribe, who lost 36 pounds and 12.9 percent of her body weight, says she will be working out with her trainer twice a week for another three months. She joined the challenge to lose weight and have more energy to keep up with her 11-year-old son Branden. However, she will miss the Fittest Loser group.
“I'm going to miss all these people,” says Uribe. “I'm really going to miss the relationship I've built with all the other contestants.”
By the numbers
<h3 class="briefHead"><span class="fact box text bold">Deanna Bec</span>, 30, Berwyn </h3>
<span class="fact box text bold">Starting weight: </span>207
<span class="fact box text bold">Current weight: </span>187
<span class="fact box text bold">Total weight loss:</span> 20 pounds, 9.7 percent
<h3 class="briefHead"><span class="fact box text bold">Bob Coniglio</span>, 51, Arlington Heights </h3>
<span class="fact box text bold">Starting weight:</span> 304
<span class="fact box text bold">Current weight:</span> 240
<span class="fact box text bold">Total weight loss:</span> 64 pounds, 21.1 percent
<h3 class="briefHead"><span class="fact box text bold">Robert Patterson</span>, 56, North Aurora </h3>
Starting weight: 255
Current weight: 202
Total weight loss: 53 pounds, 20.8 percent
<h3 class="briefHead"><span class="fact box text bold">Cindy Uribe</span>, 33, Hoffman Estates </h3>
<span class="fact box text bold">Starting weight:</span> 280
<span class="fact box text bold">Current weight: </span>244
<span class="fact box text bold">Total weight loss:</span> 36 pounds, 12.9 percent
<h3 class="briefHead"><span class="fact box text bold">Heidi Wiltse</span>, 43, Arlington Heights </h3>
Starting weight: 286
Current weight: 234
Total weight loss: 52 pounds, 18.2 percent