Daily Herald Fittest Loser contestants pledge to continue healthy lifestyles
Sitting on stage during the 2016 Fittest Loser finale, all five contestants knew that this year's race remained incredibly close right up to the last day of competition.
Did a large helping at dinner, or an extra set of stairs make the difference?
At their final weigh-in on Saturday May 7, at Push Fitness, top honors were within reach for three of the contestants: Mel Boldt, Kathy Couston and Jiten Patel.
As he stepped off the scale that Saturday, Mel commented on his last week of competition, “I've been living on protein shakes and kale. I'm dying for pizza!”
For 12 dedicated weeks, Kathy's motto remained consistent, “I want to win this contest.”
Meanwhile, working hard to recover from what will go down in Push Fitness boot camp folklore as the “chocolate incident,” Jiten, or “J,” turned up the power as the finish line approached.
But, Mel pulled out the win.
Applause broke out Tuesday night at Chandler's in Schaumburg when Mel, 45, was announced the winner of the 2016 Fittest Loser Competition.
“At his interview,” said Josh Steckler, Push Fitness owner, “Mel said he was going to win it.”
Shedding a remarkable 73 pounds in 12 weeks, Mel lost 21.47 percent of his body weight, along with 12 inches off his waist. His BMI (body mass index) dropped from 44.8 to 35.2.
“I could not have accomplished this without the Push Fitness trainers keeping me on track,” Mel said in his acceptance speech.
The friendly rivalry with his fellow contestants also helped. None of the contestants could have imagined just how close this year's contest results would be.
Snagging second place, Kathy, 58, trailed Mel by only .60 percent. Kathy lost 43 pounds, dropping 20.87 percent of her body weight. Equally impressive, Kathy reduced her BMI from 37.7 to 29.8 and lost 7 inches off her waist.
While the contest remained friendly, yet competitive, Kathy kept a close eye on weekly progress.
“Mel's definitely a force to contend with,” she said during one Saturday boot camp. And J was never very far behind with his impressive weight loss.
In fact, J finished in third place, just behind Kathy - with only .01 percent separating them. J, 41, had a total loss of 63 pounds.
Hot on Kathy and Mel's heels during the contest, J lost 20.86 percent of his body weight, shedding 11 inches from his waist and reducing his BMI to 34.3, from 43.3.
This year's five contestants: Mel, Kathy, Jiten, Janet Ford and Sharon Miller were selected for the Fittest Loser contest, coordinated by the Daily Herald and Push Fitness, to compete in a 12-week program that included individual workouts with Push Fitness trainers three days a week and Saturday boot camp for the entire group.
Each contestant received information and counseling on the Push Fitness diet that includes five healthy meals daily; emphasizing protein, vegetables and select carbohydrates.
Kathy says she plans to continue with the fitness and diet plan.
“I never felt hungry, following this diet. This is a lifestyle change to help me keep these good habits,” she said.
All five contestants worked and trained hard to meet their weight and health goals.
Sharon, 59, lost 32 pounds for a final weight of 211. Motivated to control her Type 2 diabetes, Sharon succeeded in shedding 13.17 percent of her body weight, losing 7 inches from her waist and moving her BMI from 41.7 to 36.2.
“I'm thrilled to be part of this contest,” Miller said. “This is my new lifestyle!”
Janet, 51, never let an early weight plateau discourage her from striving hard to reach her goals, including a continuous run on the 5K. Losing 28 pounds in 12 weeks, Janet, finished at 198 pounds.
Dropping 12.39 percent of her body weight, Janet also reduced her waist by 5 inches and took her BMI from 33.4 to 29.2.
“My trainer Laura Philbin and Push Fitness owner Josh Steckler worked with me to make necessary changes to my diet, to help with weight loss,” Janet said, adding that she plans to continue training with Laura.
As a group, the 2016 Fittest Loser contestants lost a grand total of 239 pounds, besting the 2015 contestants by 14 pounds.
All agree that this has been a lifesaving experience and that they will miss the group's camaraderie.
While speaking to a packed house at the finale, a newly crowned Mel shared a piece of advice with the crowd: “If you need to lose weight, call Push Fitness. They know how to help you.”
Picking up his daughter Molly after the event, Mel commented to his friends and family, “I actually lost this much weight.”
During a quieter moment before the festivities, Mel reflected upon the competition.
“Regardless, all of us are winners, not losers,” he said. “We've won better health and more days with friends and family.”
And that's the prize that keeps on giving.