advertisement

What it takes to change your life in our Fittest Loser Challenge

Fitness is more than a physical challenge. It's mental as well. It takes dedication, determination and perseverance.

Five people from the Chicago suburbs will soon put these qualities to the test and find themselves on a life-altering journey to improve their health and overall fitness. For the eighth consecutive year, the Daily Herald and Push Fitness in Schaumburg will host the Fittest Loser Challenge. Applications are now being accepted for the 12-week workout and nutrition program.

Each contestant will be expected to work out with a personal trainer at Push Fitness three times a week - as well as on their own during off days. In addition, they'll be asked to attend "boot camp" every Saturday morning and make drastic changes to their diet. They'll be weighed weekly and their results will be reported in the Daily Herald.

The 2015 Fittest Loser grand prize winner Bob Coniglio, a police officer from Arlington Heights, lost 64 pounds. He won a Fun Jet vacation for two, an Avalon Salon Spa package, $75 gift card from Whole Foods, $75 Seasons 52 dining certificate and two months of additional personal training at Push Fitness.

The 2015 Fittest Loser contestants were carefully selected from more than 100 applicants. When the challenge was over, the five contestants collectively lost a total of 225 pounds and almost 83 percent of their body fat.

One element of the 2016 challenge will be a focus on "friends and family," says M. Eileen Brown, assistant vice president/director of strategic marketing and innovation at the Daily Herald. Contestants with a good support group providing encouragement during the competition generally tend to perform better than those without one.

Other qualities that will be considered while choosing contestants include dedication, persistence and conviction. Contestants will be expected to exercise almost daily - both with and without their trainers - and make substantial changes to their eating habits.

Contestants in the 2015 challenge reported daily aches and pains from working out and said the temptation to eat certain foods was overwhelming. However, contestants agreed on this: It was a life-changing experience that they'll never forget. Besides losing weight, they also experienced an overall improvement in their health, an increase in energy and improvements in mood - among other things.

"It was an amazing experience. I learned so much from it," says Cindy Uribe, a 2015 Fittest Loser contestant from Hoffman Estates who lost 36 pounds during the competition. "It really changed my life."

Here's a look at each of the 2015 Fittest Loser contestants, their journey and where they are today.

<b>

  Bob Coniglio former Fittest Loser contestant says that keeping the weight off has been difficult, but has the backing of the Arlington Heights Police Department. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Bob Coniglio</b>Age: 52, of Arlington Heights

Starting weight: 304

Final weight: 240

Before the Fittest Loser Challenge, Robert Coniglio struggled with his weight for about 10 years. As a police officer for the Arlington Heights Police Department, he believed that his weight caused him added stress while making his daily rounds. Plus, he just wanted to feel healthier.

A borderline diabetic, he hoped that losing weight and learning to eat healthier would improve his health. For a man who rarely followed a diet, giving up fast food and late night snacking in front of the TV was his biggest challenge.

In the end, Coniglio emerged as the winner. He shed 64 pounds, or 21.1 percent of his body fat, during the competition. He shaved about 10 inches from his waistline and brought his weight down to 240 pounds. In addition, he is no longer a borderline diabetic.

"I'm still working out and keeping the weight off," says Coniglio. "I don't have a personal trainer anymore, but I run about 4 miles on the treadmill per day and do various cardio exercises."

That includes core exercises such as pushups, burpees, planks, pullups, leg lifts and intervals on the treadmill and stair machine. Since the end of the competition in May, he's gained back about 9 pounds, which he attributes mainly to allowing bread and pasta back into his diet on occasion - foods that were prohibited during the challenge.

"I try not to, but if I do have it, it's only once a day," he says. "I also watch what I eat more frequently and I keep my portions down from what I used to eat. I eat more fruits and vegetables than I normally would and I'll have the different grains and proteins that I normally wouldn't have."

Besides portion control, Coniglio also tries to eat a healthy snack every three to four hours - a habit that contestants were asked to adopt during training. In an effort to cut down on his pasta intake, he still makes one of his favorite recipes that he learned during the competition - spaghetti squash dressed with a peanut butter Thai dressing.

His advice to next year's contestants: "Listen to your trainer and push yourself to do what they tell you to do because you will accomplish it."

<b>

Robert Patterson achieved his goal of completing a marathon Courtesy of Robert Patterson

Robert Patterson </b>Age: 57, of North Aurora

Starting weight: 255

Final weight: 202

Aside from improving his health and losing weight, Robert Patterson had a very personal reason for joining the Fittest Loser Challenge - he wanted to be able to run a half-marathon in honor of his son.

His 20-year-old son, Christopher, who was a specialist in the National Guard, was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. Christopher was never a fast runner and Patterson wanted to run the marathon in his honor.

"I met my goal of running the half-marathon," says Patterson, who ran the Healthy Driven Naperville Marathon and Half-Marathon in November in about 2 hours and 40 minutes. "I was not the last person to come in, so it was good."

Running a marathon was not a possibility when he first joined the Fittest Loser Challenge. He weighed 255 pounds and was somewhat out of shape. Like the other contestants, he spent 12 weeks working out with a personal trainer three times a week, attended boot camp every Saturday morning and drastically changed his eating habits. The memory of his son kept him pushing forward through the tough times.

By the end of the competition, Patterson lost 53 pounds, 20.8 percent of his body fat and shaved 10 inches off his waistline. He took second place in the competition. Since then, he's gained a few pounds but he still keeps up with his running and exercise.

"I've probably put 5 pounds back on," says Patterson of North Aurora. "But I try to keep in mind the stuff they taught us. I have a boxing bag in my basement and some free weights. I try to work out three times a week and I go for a run four times a week."

To keep himself motivated to stay in shape, he also signed up for the Spartan Races next year in Marseilles, Illinois. It's a 5K obstacle course race that includes running, climbing ropes and even jumping over fire. He has signed up for the race with a group from his son's unit.

Diet is his biggest challenge in keeping the weight off. While he has allowed certain foods back into his diet, his eating habits have changed.

"I am definitely more mindful of what I'm eating," he says. "The fast food is always going to be there, but I try to stay away from the sweets and drink a lot of water. I also think about what I'm going to eat and how much I'm going to eat."

His advice to next year's contestants: "You have to go in there with a positive attitude and have fun. Have a smile on your face and look forward to it."

<b>

  Heidi Wiltse competed in the DuPage Human Race at the Esplanade on Butterfield Road in Downers Grove. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com

Heidi Wiltse </b>Age: 44, of Arlington Heights

Starting weight: 286

Final weight: 234

When Heidi Wiltse joined the Fittest Loser Challenge she had one thing on her mind - health.

A mother of three children, the Arlington Heights woman started fearing for her well-being. Her father had a heart attack when he was 46 years old. At the beginning of the competition, Wiltse was 43 and weighed 286 pounds.

While she found the exercise element of the competition taxing, her biggest challenge was diet. Each of the five contestants were expected to follow a strict nutritional plan that forbids processed foods such as breads and pastas. In addition, they had to eat five to six times per day and each meal had to contain a certain combination of carbs, fats and proteins.

In the beginning, Wiltse would set her alarm clock for every three hours as a reminder to eat. She also changed her eating habits by adding organic meats and vegetables into her diet and consuming more fish.

After just a few weeks, Wiltse discovered a number of changes besides losing weight. Her hair was shinier, her skin started to glow and she had more energy. In the end, Wiltse lost 52 pounds, 18.2 percent of her body fat and shaved 9 inches from her waist. Her overall health improved and she dropped significantly in cholesterol levels.

Since the end of the competition, she has gained about 14 pounds.

"I had a fairly decent setback," she says. "I had abdominal surgery and ended up in the hospital. I couldn't work out for close to eight weeks. That was terrible."

Today, she continues to watch her diet and work out with a personal trainer once a week at her gym in Rolling Meadows. In addition, she does a lot of swimming, biking, running and has registered for a triathlon in January.

Her advice for next year's contestants: "It's a journey. It's not about getting to the finish line. It's about changing your lifestyle so you can be healthy."

<b>

  Fittest Loser contestant Cindy Uribe tries on a dress at Chico's in Deer Park as she prepares for the upcoming celebration. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Cindy Uribe </b>Age: 34, of Hoffman Estates

Starting weight: 280

Final weight: 244

Unlike the other contestants, Cindy Uribe already lost a significant amount of weight by altering her diet before she joined the Fittest Loser Challenge. However, diet alone did not give her the results she wanted.

She often found it difficult to muster up energy to participate in physical activities with her 11-year-old son, Branden. During the course of the competition, one of her main goals was to increase her physical strength.

Exercise during the competition was intense. Rope slams, pushups, lunges and crunches, as well as drills and sprints were just the tip of iceberg.

It was tough, but Uribe pushed herself through her workouts and embraced her new activities. After a few weeks, she discovered that she felt better - both physically and mentally. In the end, Uribe lost 36 pounds, 12.9 percent of her body fat and shaved 4 inches from her waistline. She weighed 244 pounds.

Today, she's doing even better. She's down to 220 pounds. She continues to exercise by participating in classes offered at local gyms and studios. That includes yoga, boot camp, kickboxing and step classes. She also runs track. In addition, she's participated in three 5K races since the competition ended.

"I get tired of doing the same thing over and over. That's why I try to keep a variety in my workouts," she says.

She also maintains a low-carb diet and eats three meals a day - a slight detour from the diet the contestants were asked to adopt, but it works for her.

Her advice to future contestants: "Don't cheat and listen 100 percent to your trainer."

<b>

  Fittest Loser Deanna Bec strains as she pushes her way through her workout with Push Fitness instructor Steve Amsden. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Deanna Bec</b>Age: 31, of Berwyn

Starting weight: 207

Final weight: 187

Prior to joining the Fittest Loser Challenge, Deanna Bec had serious breathing trouble when attempting any type of serious movement.

The Berwyn woman weighed 207 pounds and found it difficult to participate in physical activities. One of her goals was to become physically fit to be able to participate in hiking activities with her sister.

Throughout the course of the competition, she pushed herself past her comfort zone. Terms like "squats, planks, dead lifts, burpees and lateral shuffles" became a part of her vocabulary. Like the other contestants, she experienced sore muscles, aches and pains as a result of the rigorous exercise program. But she soon made positive self-discoveries. Besides weight loss, she discovered that her new diet and exercise program has helped her manage stress better and that she felt stronger - both mentally and physically.

Giving up soda, bread, pasta and fried foods was distressing. But she endured and got creative in the kitchen when she had urges - like making spaghetti out of squash. At the gym, she discovered that she enjoyed weight lifting, pushups, squats and burpees.

In the end, Bec lost 20 pounds, 9.7 percent of her body fat and shaved 5 inches from her waistline. Since the end of the competition, she's gained about 5 pounds - partially due to being on bed rest for a few weeks after she threw out her back. But today she continues with her weekly workouts.

"I'm more active than ever before," she says. "I've done a few 5K races since the contest ended."

On the advice of her personal trainer at Push Fitness, she has set a "freak out weight" for herself. Once she starts to reach that weight, she gets stricter with her diet and exercise program.

"Once my weight goes up, I start to freak out. I want to maintain it. I don't want to go back," she says.

She also continues to watch her diet. A huge soda drinker prior to the contest, she rarely drinks it anymore. Also, she's adopted smoothies and protein shakes into her diet.

Her advice to future contestants: "Listen to and trust your trainer and don't give up. You will want to give up but don't … and talk to the other people in the contest (for support), they are going through the same thing."

Join our Fittest Loser at Work Challenge

How to apply for Fittest Loser Challenge

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.