Reflections from ASHA’s Biggest Loser -- Guest Post by Mary Raucci

Mary Raucci was the overall winner of our recent 12 week Biggest Loser campaign with an oustanding 13.4% weight loss. Mary generously agreed to share the secrets of her success with you. 

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Since winning ASHA’s Biggest Loser competition in April, and losing 30 pounds since I made the commitment to change in January, I receive a lot of questions about how I did it. Here is my advice and observations for anyone struggling with their weight:

This is Mary (left) with her friend, Jenny. Before & After. 

1. Anyone who says it is easy is lying! Hard work and dedication is the only healthy way to lose weight. Diet pills, potions, and gadgets claiming the pounds will melt off without diet and exercise are not going to do it for you. You have to be ready to make the commitment to yourself to change your diet and exercise habits every day for the rest of your life.
2. Find an eating plan that works for you. Do not select a fad or deprivation diet. Find something healthy that you can stick with. For example, if you love pasta and rice, don’t swear them off, have them in moderation.
3. Front-load your calories. Start each day with a healthy breakfast. What worked for me was making a breakfast protein shake with a banana, orange juice, hemp protein powder, wheat grass and spirulina. For lunch I would indulge (with portion control!) my craving for carbs with a sandwich, or a dish with rice or pasta. Most of your calories for the day should be consumed in breakfast and lunch. Dinner should be small, light, healthy and low in calories. If you leave the dinner table feeling stuffed, you ate too much! The reasoning behind front-loading your calorie consumption is you need calories early to fuel your body for the day. Eating the biggest meal a couple hours before bed does not allow you to burn off the calories, and your metabolism slows during sleep so that food is primarily turned to fat.
4. There is always an occasion to indulge. Doesn’t it seem like it is always someone’s birthday, or there is always something to celebrate? That is the great thing about life! But the bad part is, most of those celebrations are observed by eating and drinking excessively. Until you get close to your weight loss goal, you are going to have to resist indulging. Be social, have a good time, but learn to do it without a plate of food and a glass of alcohol in your hand. You may get questions and pressure from people if you are not partaking, but don’t cave to peer pressure. You are in control of what you eat. 
5. If you relapse, get right back on track. If you have seconds of your Auntie’s famous apple pie, or raise a glass of champagne too many at a friend’s wedding, don’t beat yourself up. But don’t use a celebration or giving in to your cravings as an excuse to derail your weight loss. Do not think because you went off course one meal, one day, or one vacation, you need to blow off your diet and regroup at a later date. Don’t start your diet again next month or next Monday, start with your next meal!
6. Make exercise a part of your everyday life. Make a commitment to put your exercise routine first. It is easy to make an excuse day after day as to why we are not exercising—I am too tired, I have errands to run,…isn’t it funny how something seems to crop up every day to prevent us from exercising? Create a weekly routine of exercise at least four days a week, and put it above everything that is not an emergency. It is easy once you are following the routine, but once you break the routine, it is so much harder to start back up!
7. Find a role model. Find a friend or family member who is at their ideal weight and lives a healthy lifestyle. Spend time with them, and talk about how they do it. Observe how they eat, and try participating in their exercise routine. You can also find a celebrity weight loss role model, but take what you see and hear with a grain of salt! Celebrities often have lots of “help” and may not disclose how they really lost the weight.
8. Not everyone is going to support your weight loss. You have friends and family who love you just the way you are, and sometimes they may not be ready for a “new you”. This is especially true for those with whom you share the behaviors that got you to your current weight. They may not want you to change your behavior, because they are not ready to change theirs, and they don’t want to be alone! Change is hard, and change makes people uncomfortable. Stick to the commitment you made to yourself, take the positive reinforcement where you find it, and don’t let negativity bring you down. Remember, you are doing this for yourself, not to please everyone else, because if your goal is to please everyone, you will always fall short!

Biggest Loser -- 8 Weeks and Counting

We're eight weeks into our Biggest Loser program and the 36 participants have lost 2.64% of their starting weight -- 170 pounds. Weight loss by individuals has varied dramatically as you can see in this chart.

We've been announcing an individual and team winner each week. At the individual level, it has been nice to see six different names announced over the eight weeks. One of our teams, Team MoGo (Moms on the Go), has taken the lead from a team perspective. They're down 4.72% of their starting weight (49 pounds.) Most of the members of this team have been active in the past and they're working hard to take off weight gained after having children. I often see them exercising together. 


We have held two team challenges, which I still intend to write about, and have a third one schedule for this Thursday. We have also held two educational sessions -- one on small changes you can make to cut calories and a second on motivation and willpower. Team leaders are doing a portion control exercise with their teams. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures of that to share next week. 

It's the Little Things that Count: Quick & Easy Ways to Cut Calories and Make Smarter Choices

Cindy Mann, Boundless Wellness

We invited Cindy Mann to talk with us about small changes we can make to cut calories. All staff were welcome to attend, but we, of course, were targeting the folks in our current Biggest Loser program with this session.  Cindy is the founder and director of Boundless Wellness, but we know her through our partnership with LifeWork Strategies. People raved about the session. They said her tips were very useful and they appreciated that she recommended some apps for tracking calories. This is what Cindy shared with us:

It's the Little Things that Count

View more presentations from Janet  McNichol.

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Biggest Loser 2012 -- Week 1

We have 36 individuals participating in our 2012 Biggest Loser program. They're grouped into six even teams. In an effort to increase engagement this year, we've implemented a simple cash prize program. Each participant contributed $24 when they signed up. This amounts to $2 per week, half of that ($1 per week) goes to the weekly winner (individual with the highest percentage weight lost) and half ($1) to the overall winner (individual with the highest percentage of weight lost at the end of the 12 week program.) We'll also announce a winning team each week. Each member of the winning team will receive a package of Corn Thins and bragging rights for the week. (I'll try to explain the Corn Thins another time.)

Week 1 Results

Our week one winner, Temple Gomez, lost 3% of her weight. (Weigh to go Temple!) Our winning team is Team MoGo -- Moms on the Go. They lost 1.46% of their starting weight, 12.75 pounds. Our 36 participants lost a total of 44 pounds in week one. 

Here's a little inspiration going into Week 2. Maybe it will help you stay on track Super Bowl Sunday.

An Interview with Winter Pudge -- Sign Up for the Biggest Loser

We have 32 people signed up to participate in this years' Biggest Loser program so far. Hopefully this last minute push from Kristin Howard will get a few more of our colleagues to join in the fun. Many thanks to Kristin for starting today with a laugh. 

Biggest Loser 2012

We're kicking off another Biggest Loser Campaign and applying all the lessons we've learned from the past two years to make this a fun, engaging and successful program.

LOST the Final Chapter

Last week, we concluded the 12 week weight loss program we called Lost. Here are the highlights.

Last year, we had an abundance of enthusiasm and engagement. We never captured that same feeling this year. I talked about some of the things we'd do differently in an earlier post. Although we did not have the success we had last year, there are a few individual stories that will motivate me to try again. Here's one...

I just want both of you to know how pleased I am with the Lost at ASHA program and the wellness coach.  I’ve only had one session with my coach and already I have 3 tangible goals and am very psyched to do well so every week when I check in with her I will be showing progress.  I also want to share with you that as a result of the Lost program, I had a significant drop in my glucose levels and my endocrinologist is giving me another 3 months to get the glucose levels down to where they need to be – and NOT start me on insulin yet.  I sure hope this isn’t TMI – but I want you to know that your work is having a very positive affect on my health and I just want to thank you.

Trying to Breath New Life Into LOST

Lifework Stategies recently completed the midpoint screenings in our 12 week weight loss program. We currently have 50 individuals participating and 42 completed the midpoint assessment. Participants lost a total of 95 pounds -- an average of 2.26 pounds per person or 1.27% of their body weight. Last year, the average weight loss at the 6 week point of our program was 4 pounds per participants. 


There is a fairly large degree of variability between the teams. Our leading team has lost 3.22% of their body weight and that's with only 4 of their 8 team members weighing in. The team currently at the bottom of the pack actually gained 4.6 pounds over the first 6 weeks with 7 of their 8 team members weighing in.


At the midpoint screenings, we also asked participants a few questions to get a sense of whether or not they had received the information we wanted them to have and were doing the things they pledged to do at the start of the program. Here's what we learned.


Q1. Have you contacted a wellness coach to create a personalized action plan? 14% Yes - 86% No
Q2. Have you maintained a daily food diary? 51% Yes - 49% No
Q3. Do you feel you are on track to meet your goal? 25% Yes - 75% No
Q4. Do you know how many calories you should eat daily? 83% Yes - 17% No


We also asked what changes they had made and what suggestions they had for how we could support them in reaching their goal. For the most part, people said they know what they need to do, but they just weren't motivated.


I met with the team leaders to discuss all this and develop some strategies that might help. We came up with the following.

• Recognize the team that wins each week. I'd been notifying the winning team leaders by email and posting an announcement on our intranet and wellness Facebook page. Now I'm also putting a gold star on the team's chart where everyone reports their weight loss each week.
• They suggested we have people show us their food diaries. So, we asked people to stop by and show them to us one Friday to earn a small prize. We gave everyone that came buy a tulip and a daffodil. About 10 participants showed us their food diaries.
• The team leaders said people didn't know what to expect from the wellness coaching, so we had Lifework Strategies explain the process again at an educational session scheduled the following week on Portion Control, Triggers, and Food You Just Can't Live Without. We provided a flier with the handout again. I just put up a blog post about it too. 
• At the educational program I just mentioned, the presenter, Cindy Mann, went through the steps to calculate how many calories you should eat daily again. Lifework Strategies had also done this for folks at the intake and midpoint screenings. 
• Team leaders suggested that we encourage the use of the exercise room. I offered to pay for an hour with any of our trainers for any team that requested it. One team has decided to accept the offer to date.
• Provide prizes. I asked each team to decide on a prize that the team members will receive if they win (not to exceed $50 per person in value.) They are going to let me know what they choose. The winning team will receive the prize they chose at the end of the program.

There are a few things I wish we would have done differently with this program. (1) We should have kept the name Biggest Loser. One participant said, "ASHA should bring back the Biggest Loser simply because most people watch it on TV and get motivated." (2) We should have planned at least two team challenges like we held last year. Some participants complained about them, but it was fun for most folks and a good team building experience. (3) We should have had people report their weight instead of changes in their weight. This proved too confusing and some people said they lost motivation right from the start because of it. (4) I should have planned to meet regularly with the team leaders, so that they could share what they are doing with each other and create a little healthy competition between the groups. I also think people would love it if they could meet one-on-one with a nutritionist on-site, but it was too costly for us to offer. 


A friend shared an interesting incentive they are using in a Biggest Loser program in her workplace. Each participant weighs in each week and pays $2.00. One dollar is set aside for the grand prize for the person with the greatest percentage weight loss at the end of the program. The other dollar goes to the weekly winner. She was highly motivated by it. I wonder how that would work for us. Thoughts?

Individual Intake Cards for Our Weight Loss Program

We decided to try something new this year and have participants in our weight loss program complete an intake card to tell us their weight loss goal for the program and what some of their challenges are. People completed the cards during the initial screenings and set their goals in consultation with Life Work Strategies staff, so we could assure they were safe and reasonable. We used the information to put together teams of participants with similar goals and challenges and focus our educational programs on participant's needs.

Intake Card

Recording Weight Loss During LOST @ASHA

During our Biggest Loser campaign a year ago, participants recorded their actual weight on our intranet. The system was set up so that no one could see another person's weight. We could just tell if there were missing entries on a team. I could see all the numbers, but I didn't know who to associate any particular weight with. 


This year we decided to borrow more from the Thintervention model and record changes in weight each week. We also decided it would be fun to visually display each teams progress. My colleague, Terry, came up with this fabulous display. Each week, participants weigh in and they record the change in their weight from their starting point (not from the previous week.) If they've lost weight, they display it on a green dot, blue is neutral and red shows a gain. 

There has been some confusion and debate about recording changes in weight from the starting weight versus the previous weeks weight. I decided to use the starting weight because (1) we had a problem with the scale we used Week 1 and I thought it would throw us off, (2) it seemed more encouraging to look at total weight lost during the program, (3) I can easily tally up the numbers and see which team is in the lead and how much weight participants have lost as a group. I can still compare the numbers to the previous week to note weekly weight lost and observe changes in the trend. I also know each team's total starting weight, so we are announcing weekly team winners based on the percentage of weight lost. Like last year, Lifework Strategies will still keep our "official" records. 


Update February 26, 2011: Never again will we have people record changes in their weight. It's caused mass confusion and I have no confidence in the self reported numbers. It was much easier last year when people recorded their actual weight each week. Live and learn... Lifework Strategies completed the midpoint screenings this week. I'll have official numbers from them soon. Stay tuned.

Foiled by the Scale Again

We had some trouble with our scale a year ago during our Biggest Loser program. We had not purchased one that was rated for a high enough weight capacity and it broke. We quickly replaced it and the replacement got us through that program, but we decided we would get a new scale for the kick off of this program. We solicited some recommendations and checked out our options. We wound up selecting Tanita model with a weight capacity of 440 pounds.


We did the initial weigh-in in our lunchroom and then moved the scale into the HR area which is carpeted. We placed the scale on a piece of metal, so the carpet wouldn't effect the readings. Evidently that didn't help. The readings varied dramatically from the initial weight in. For example, people recorded weight losses of 22 and 18 pounds which we knew wasn't realistic. So, we pulled the doctor's office type scale from our men's locker room. I'll never buy another type of scale again for the office. A few folks needed a quick tutorial on how to use it and I must say people moaned and groaned at the site of it. It's certainly not as kind as the Tanita was.

Did our Biggest Losers keep the weight off?

We just completed the intake process for the weight loss program we're kicking off -- Lost @ASHA. I asked Lifework Strategies to compare the current weights of the people who participated in the Biggest Loser program we ran one year ago with their starting and ending weights in that program. I figured this would give us a good idea if people kept the weight off. We had 95 participants complete the Biggest Loser program. 37 of those individuals joined our current weight loss program. Hopefully many of the others reached their weight loss goal. Here's is what we learned from the 37 individuals that are participating again. 

Since the close of the Biggest Loser program:

• There was a cumulative weight GAIN of 219.6 lbs. An average of nearly 6 lbs per person.
• 6 individuals have lost weight (16.2%)
• 12 individuals have gained 0-5 lbs (32.5%)
• 10 individuals have gained 5-10 lbs (27.0%)
• 9 individuals have gained more than 10 lbs (24.3%)

When Lifework Strategies compared the initial Biggest Loser weights to the current weights, they found the following:

• There has been a cumulative weight LOSS of 39.7 lbs. An average of about 1 lb per person.
• 18 individuals have lost weight (49%)
• 13 individuals has gained 0-5 lbs (35%)
• 6 individuals has gained more than 5 lbs (16%)

We are looking for new ways to help employees maintain their weight loss and continue their progress until they reach their desired weight. Last year, we thought we could transition people from the Biggest Loser to our Biggest Mover program, but we found that most of the people interested in weight loss were not interested in exercise and tracking their activity. (I guess that's not shocking.) This year we'll try a different approach. Please pass along your suggestions.

Using a Pledge to Convey Expectations and Encourage Desired Behaviors

We used a participant pledge during our Biggest Loser campaign and our diabetes eductation program. The pledges helped us convey what was expected of people and participants seemed to take the commitment seriously. So, we created a new participant pledge for LOST.


We're also hoping the pledge will help us get people to take advantage of the free, individual, wellness coaching available through our partner, Lifework Strategies. During the Biggest Loser campaign, people said they wanted more one-on-one coaching, but only six participants took advantage of this service. We included a commitment to contact a coach in the pledge this year and we will provide information about the wellness coaching during the kick off meeting. I hope this has a positive impact. I'll be sure to let you know.

LOST Pledge

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A Preview of Our Next Weight Loss Program

Our plans for our next weight loss program are starting to take shape. We will kick it off in January and hope to help people reach their new year's weight loss resolutions. We've tried to keep the best of the Biggest Loser program we ran last year and change it up a bit to keep it interesting and address lessons learned. The next step is to get some feedback from our Wellness Advisory Team and ask them to help us come up with a name. If you have an idea for a name for our campaign, please share it below. 

These are my notes. (I apologize to all you linear thinkers ;-)

Thanks to Terry Harris, my linear thinking partner in HR, Cyndi Fales from Lifework Strategies and all the members of our Wellness Advisory Team for sharing your great ideas.

Biggest Loser -- Feedback from the Follow-Up Survey

We reviewed all the survey results and debriefed from our Biggest Loser campaign. Here is what we learned. First, the program really fostered a sense of community. I don't think we talk about this aspect of workplace wellness programs enough. I've been struggling with how to describe what I observed. Someone that completed the survey said it well. 

"The community spirit that permeated office-wide was fantastic. Inadvertently, this program managed to create the sense of community that many complained was lost when we moved to this new building. I really enjoyed geting to know the team members better and enjoyed the opportunity to talk with those I'd encountered in the lunch room (or elsewhere) given that we all had a topic of mutual interest. The fact that it was a team effort actually helped me to stay on track with my dietary goals and I am very grateful for having had this program as I really wanted to lose weight but without the structure, may not have been quite so commited. Thanks so much HR for doing this program!!!!"

I found it interesting that people wanted more one-on-one coaching and time with a nutritionist, yet only six individuals took advantage of the one-on-one wellness coaching we made available through our EAP. People really liked, Meilissa, the nutritionist that did a Weight Management presentation for us. We explained that if they called the EAP they could meet individually with her, but only six people did. I think one of the reasons workplace wellness programs are so effective is that they make classes and services so easily available. If we bring someone into the office and schedule the appointments, people participate, if they need to make the contact on their own, they just don't get around to it.

If we do this again, we'll probably keep the screenings simpler -- just weight, body fat, and maybe cholesterol and blood glucose. We'll save the fitness related assessments for other programs. Based on the feedback from our participants we might also suggest or require that participants have a BMI of 25 or higher. 

A huge thank you to Cyndi at Lifeworks Strategies and all their staff that helped us in this endeavor. Here's a summary of the survey results.
 
Results Summary

• The majority (97%) of participants were motivated to join the program for their desire to lose weight or achieve a personal goal. Some employees were motivated by others, such as a family member, co-worker or doctor.
• Regarding specific program goals, more than half (54%) stated that weight loss was their primary goal. Other top goals included improving fitness (11%), eating a healthier diet (9%) and weight maintenance (7%). A handful of participants wanted to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol or control diabetes.
• Nearly 90% of participants felt they made progress towards their primary goal; about 45% of participants felt they achieved half or three-quarters of their goal. More than a quarter of participants (27%) felt they fully achieved or exceeded their primary goal.
• The weekly weigh-ins (82%), initial screenings (78%), seminars (68%), and team support (64%), were most commonly reported to have high or very high impact on helping participants reach their goal. These components were followed by mid-point screenings (57%) and on-site fitness classes (53%). More than half of the participants reported that the potential for prizes had no impact. About one-third of participants felt the team challenges had no impact on helping them reach their goals.
• Most all participants positively changed eating or fitness habits as a result of the program. More than 80% are eating appropriate portions of food, more than three-quarters are making healthier food choices when eating out, and 64% have increased the amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Three-quarters of participants are exercising more during the week, and about 67% are taking the stairs more often.
• The program seemed to have less impact on the participants’ water intake, where half reported about the same level as before. The majority of participants (67%) reported no change in the amount of restful sleep, yet the same number (67%) of people also reported increased energy.
• Eight employees (11%) were able to decrease or eliminate the use of OTC medications and one participant has eliminated the use of prescription medication. Six employees reported that their doctor had increased their prescription medication; it is unknown if the program had an impact on uncovering new conditions that required medication.
• It is encouraging that nearly all of employees (99%) have made healthy lifestyle changes as a result of the program which they plan to continue in addition to continuing to work towards a weight loss goal.
• An additional benefit of this program was improved co-worker relationships. Most participants (84%) felt that the Biggest Loser Program enhanced their relationship with their co-workers.
• If this program were offered again, 87% said they would be likely to participate; 54% said they would be very likely to participate. 

Feedback Summary

Two questions asked participants about what they enjoyed most about the Biggest Loser campaign and suggestions to improve the Biggest Loser campaign, respectively. The feedback was both positive and constructive.

Some common positive themes include:

• Participants felt the tone of the program was upbeat and most felt incredibly supported by coworkers and HR.
• Participants seemed to learn a lot about proper diet and exercise through a variety of program activities, including seminar, screenings and coaching support.
• Many employees felt that being part of a team was helpful (helped hold them accountable) and enjoyable.
• Many enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment and being able to track results throughout the program.
• Most participants were able to apply at least “some” of the information from all seminars to their efforts. Participants seemed to have gained the most information from the initial Weight Management seminar.

Some common areas of concern include:

• Participants would have liked a kick-off session or more detailed introduction to the program at the beginning.
• It was concerning to some participants that there were people in the program who did not appear to need to loose weight. (I blogged about this before.)
• On the other hand, a few participants suggested the program have a broader focus beyond weight loss.
• Some employees felt that the team challenges did not accommodate all types of participants and could be improved. (You can read about each of the three team callenges and view pictures in previous posts.)
• Some participants recognized that a team does not work well for everyone; some were frustrated with their specific team or other individuals lack of commitment to the program.
• Participants would like more time to meet one-on-one with a Coach.
• Some participants would prefer less email reminders during the program.
• Participants suggested that we improve the fitness related assessments. (I blogged about this too.)

Stan's a New Man -- Interview with Stan Dublinske a Biggest Loser

What motivated you to lose weight?

My doctor said, “You’re going to die!”
My new motto -- Eat less! Exercise more!!!

How did you change your diet?

I began watching what I was eating. I paid attention to the portion size, ate fewer treats and more fruits and vegetables. Now I eat at least six small meals a day. I also started drinking a lot of water.


What is your exercise routine?

I take fitness classes at ASHA four mornings a week. In the afternoon, when the weather is nice, I walk home which takes 30 to 45 minutes. When it isn’t nice, I ride the stationary bike or use the treadmill in the exercise room for 30 to 45 minutes doing intervals. On weekends, I try to walk or take a hike at least one day. And, now it is golf weather! I try to play once a week.

How did ASHA’s Biggest Loser campaign help you?

The campaign helped motivate me to start taking fitness classes. The competition and my desire to win provided an incentive to keep me going. Being part of a group of 100 colleagues who also wanted to lose weight and exercise made it easier for me to participate in the activities offered. Now that I have had 12 weeks of eating less and exercising more, it has become a life style change that I feel I can sustain.

What positive changes have you experienced?

• Reduced my waist line by 10 inches (5 during the 12 week Biggest Loser campaign)
• Increased push-ups from 26 to 40
• Increased sit-ups from 34 to 54
• Increased flexibility from 10” to 15”
• Decreased glucose from 129 to 62
• Decreased total cholesterol from 125 to 108
• Decreased triglycerides from 82 to 59
• Decreased diabetes A1C score from 11 to 8

Have you met your goal?

I met my Biggest Loser goal of losing at least 1 lb a week. I hope to lose another 20 to 25 pounds and get my diabetes A1C score down to 7 or less. I have a doctor appointment in June to review my progress.

Lessons from a Leading Woman -- Learn how Jinwen Tang incorporated Foot Massage to Get Healthy

What motivated you to lose weight?

I was pre-diabetic and starting to have symptoms of diabetes -- thirst, hunger and fatigue.

How did you change your diet?

I eliminated most carbohydrates from my diet.

What is your exercise routine?

I swim for 30 to 40 minutes each day around 5:00 and then I exercise for another hour around 8:00 p.m. I also incorporated a reflexology foot massage.

How did ASHA’s Biggest Loser campaign help you?

I had tried to lose the weight on my own, but I just couldn’t. Any weight I did lose, I’d gain right back. The Biggest Loser program provided the structure and support I needed. It helped me a lot.

What positive changes have you experienced?

• Glucose decreased from 104 to 94
• Waist circumference decreased 4 inches
• LDL increased from 132 to 143
• My pre-diabetes symptoms are all gone. I feel more energetic.

Have you met your goal?

Yes, I’ve basically eliminated my pre-diabetes symptoms and I don’t have to take any medication as long as I don’t eat carbohydrates. My weight loss goal was 15 pounds and I exceeded it.

Biggest Loser -- Final Biometric Results

We have some very compelling individual stories of weight loss and some of our Biggest Loser participants lowered their cholesterol more than 30% in just 12 weeks. (People were proudly showing me their individual reports.) The aggregate data is less exciting. For example, the average decrease in cholesterol was 8%.

Our Biggest Losers lost a total of 681 pounds -- an average of 7 pounds per participant. BMI decreased from an average of 29.2 to 28.1. Body Fat dropped from an average of 36.4% to 35%. Waist circumference decreased from an average of 35.6" to 34.8". (I've already blogged about my concerns about the realibility of this measure.) Blood pressure readings show some shifting around, but negligible improvement.

A few of our most successful participants (like Steve) have agreed to help me develop profiles that I'll share here as well as on our intranet. I hope they will tell the more meaningful story.

Lesson from our Leading Man -- Learn how Steve White lost the Weight

What motivated you to lose weight?

I was getting more and more uncomfortable sitting because my spare tire was overinflated.

How did you change your diet?

I changed the way I eat in the evening. I try to control my portions at dinner by having two small helpings rather than returning for another plateful of food. I then eat smaller and more healthy snacks after dinner and drink water. I used to snack on American cheese.

What is your exercise routine?

I run/walk three times a week for 6 - 8 miles in the morning. I added strength training into my routine 3 times a week. I start with a 100 calorie trip on the elliptical machine to get warmed up and then I do pushups, crunches, curls, lat pull down, semi-chin ups, leg lifts and leg curls.

How did ASHA’s Biggest Loser campaign help you?

The program motivated me by giving me a mechanism for tracking my weight loss. However, the biggest thing was having a team for support and camaraderie.

What positive changes have you experienced?

• Decrease in cholesterol
• Increase in strength as indicated by the number of push-ups and sit-ups I can do in a minute

Have you met your goal?

Yes. I’m going to continue using the same evening eating strategies to keep the weight off.

681 Pounds Lighter

We kicked off yesterday's closing celebration with a video of images from the team challenges set to the tune of Proud, the theme song from the Biggest Loser. We had a lot to be proud of and celebrate. Our 95 Biggest Loser participants lost an average of 7.2 pounds.

25 (29 unofficial)* participants lost more than 10 lbs; of those

• 14 (17 unofficial) participants lost more than 15 lbs
• 3 participants lost more than 20 lbs
• 1 participant lost more than 30 lbs

Our winning male lost 7.7% of his weight and our winning female lost 12.5% of her weight. The Healthy Divas, the team that came out on top, lost 122 pounds between 8 people for a total weight loss of 7.7%.

During the celebration we passed out participant reports from the final screenings and people were proudly showing me that their cholesterol had dropped 40 and 50 points. We are still compiling all the biometric data and we're conducting a closing survey with the particpants, so stay tuned for lots more good information to come.

*We have both "official" records that were kept by Lifeworks Strategies and "unofficial" records that the particpants self reported weekly. Unfortunately, we had some people that did not complete the final screening, so that creates a bit of a discrepancy.