Challenge: Big loss for winners
Published 11:04 pm Thursday, April 17, 2008
MOULTRIE — The Moultrie YMCA kicks off each New Year with some type of weight loss or physical challenge to help motivate its members to stick to their New Years Resolutions.
This year, an 8-week competition began at the end of January, basing results on the total percentage of weight loss.
Robin McCord, the Moultrie YMCA Fitness Director, said, “Assessing the total percentage of weight loss is the most fair way to judge a weight loss competition when you have people of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels competing.”
A total of 33 YMCA adult and teen members took on the Challenge, with 24 YMCA staff participating in a separate staff challenge.
All 57 participants were weighed in and given a choice of exercise plans to follow based on their fitness level and abilities.
They were encouraged to keep a daily food diary to assess their eating habits.
The YMCA fitness staff and aerobic instructors held weekly group workouts for the participants that were designed to keep them motivated and held accountable to their exercise programs.
These group workouts also gave the participants time to ask questions and seek guidance on how to be successful with their weight loss goals. And successful they were! The total weight loss from members was 132 pounds and the total from Y staff was 68.5 pounds.
The winners received cash prizes, along with various free membership packages to the YMCA.
McCord said, “The best prize of all was seeing people accomplish their goals and sticking with it. Lives were really changed and the great thing about it was the winners have themselves to thank.
“They worked extremely hard and deserved to see big results.”
The YMCA Adult Member competition results are as follows: third place winner was Rachel Zember, with 6.97 percent total weight loss; second place winner was Stacy McPhee, with 8.65 percent total weight loss: and the “biggest loser” was Neali McRae with 8.70 percent. total weight loss.
The “biggest loser” of the YMCA Teen competition was a tie between Ansley Moore and Kenoya Harper.
The “biggest loser” of the YMCA Staff competition was Carrie Huante, with 8.97 percent loss.
Also, Ellen McCorvey was recognized for logging the most workouts during the course of the competition.
With the competition ending on March 24, several participants vowed to finish what they started!
The Choose to Lose Challenge would not have been a success without the support from its sponsor Colquitt Regional Medical Center.
The hospital joined with the YMCA in collaboration to promote health and wellness to those in Colquitt County.
