The Family YMCA of Black Hawk County presents:

Updates from the Trainer!
(click on a week in the table to read)

Week 1 - 2

One week down, eleven more to go! The twelve Biggest Loser contestants and two team captains are working hard and dropping pounds. The Orange and Turquoise teams jumped head first into their workouts focusing on flexibility, coordination and cardiovascular improvement. Both teams are encountering hurdles with the food plan. They must now focus on portion control and healthy choices, which can be challenging in our society. With the help of their teammates, All Stars, and family, all of the contestants are beginning to make proper eating decisions. As the weeks go by the teams will begin to focus on strength and endurance. They will begin to attend some of the many fitness classes at the YMCA so watch for them in your class! With each contestant working out harder than ever, the food that they consume is even more important. They must concentrate on burning more calories than they consume and consuming enough nutrients to give them energy throughout the day. Are the contestants eating right and burning enough calories? Stay tuned to see how your favorite team is measuring up.

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Week 3

“Pain is weakness leaving the body” Week three is passed and the contestants are working harder than ever. Both teams are continuing to battle with the “Healthy Choices” food list. Eating healthy foods in the correct portions has turned out to be harder than it sounds. Even though both teams are having a hard time with the diet they are keeping in high spirits. As the workouts are becoming more intense the pounds are coming off. While Team Turquoise has been doing a lot of “boot camp” style workouts and working on strength training, the Orange Team has gotten a taste of kickboxing, cycling, and lifting. Aches and pains have been challenges for everyone. Both teams keep on moving and many contestants have been coming in on their own time to get in more workouts. The hard work is paying off. Team Turquoise has lost 39.6 pounds as a team and Team Orange has lost 47.9 pounds as a team. That puts both teams at a loss of 3% of their teams’ total weight and puts them neck and neck for the title of winning team. Who will come in ahead? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out…

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Week 4 - 5

Let the sweat pour! Week 5 is flying by as we are working out five times a week. Both teams are kicking up the workouts, more intensity means more weight loss! The teams are neck-in-neck; both with 3.05% weight loss. That’s 65.6 lbs for the Turquoise Team and 80.2 lbs for the Orange Team. Now that all of the contestants are improving their bodies they are able to do a lot more physically. We had a chance to see this in action on Sunday at the first team challenge. Each team had to compete in three events; running 6 miles (1 mile per person), an equipment relay, and water relay. The overall winner was the Orange Team, but not without a fight. From here on the trainers have their work cut out for them. It is our job to really push each contestant and challenge him or her to push harder than they’ve ever pushed before. The first four weeks were just a warm-up…

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Week 6 - 7

7 weeks down! The weight is steadily dropping on both teams with Greg Lantz, from the Turquoise Team, in the lead with a loss of 33.3 lbs! Now is the time when both teams pull together to push themselves and each other past their limits. They are taking classes they would have never taken in the past and doing better than they ever thought they would! By pushing hard and eating right the participants will continue to drop weight. For some of the contestants the amount of weight being lost has been discouraging but for those same contestants there is a visible difference in their looks! Faces are slimming and pant sizes are dropping!! By doing weight training the contestants are building muscle to help them burn more calories throughout the day and in turn losing more weight. These contestants are your family, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Don’t forget to compliment the contestants on all of their hard work throughout the program.

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Week 8 - 9

The countdown begins! The program is coming to an end as the contestants are released to workout five times a week on their own. This is the time where the contestants will prove that they have made the positive lifestyle changes needed to succeed outside of the program. The contestants are sticking together and attending Boot Camp, fitness classes and working out in the wellness center. Both team trainers are very confident that the contestants will be able to thrive on their own. We have taught them how to create their own workout and shown them that they can do anything. Now is the time for them to really show the trainers what they are made of!

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Ten weeks down and two to go! Both teams are down one member but still pushing strong to the end! With little over 1% difference between the teams’ total percent of weight loss either team could walk away the Biggest Loser team!

Both teams are doing a great job coming in on their own. They’ve been attending fitness classes (mostly cycling) and working out on the equipment (mostly the elliptical). Some of the contestants are coming in by themselves, while others are partnering up with teammates or friends and family. In order to keep the pounds rolling off the contestants must step up their workouts!!! All of the contestants are doing far more physically than they could the first few weeks of this competition and they are continuing to move forward. Both teams are fighting to the end for the title of the next Cedar Valley Biggest Loser!

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Final Week

Here it is, the end. With muscle aches, sweat and tears behind us all contestants and trainers are moving on. Never forgetting each other or the hard work put forth. Everyone is moving forward with the same goal, to stay on track. I can honestly say I’ve never been more proud of a group of people in my life. Their determination, heart, and liveliness have made this program an unforgettable experience in the best way possible.

I’d like to say congratulations to Greg Lantz for winning the title of Cedar Valley’s Biggest Loser! As of today he has lost a total of 52.9 pounds!!! Greg has truly been an inspiration. Greg has pushed through so many barriers and shown everyone that you can do whatever you put your mind to. I admire Greg not only for his dedication to the program but also for honoring the commitment he made to the program. Not only is Greg a father, husband and doctor, he is now Cedar Valley’s Biggest Loser!

Congratulations to both teams for working so hard and getting great results!!! The teams were neck and neck but the Orange Team came out ahead with the title of Cedar Valley’s Biggest Losing Team. With only an eleven-point difference the Turquoise Team came in second place. There were a lot of factors that went into the ‘Team’ title such as strength, flexibility, abdominal circumference, weight, body fat, attendance, and competitions. The two teams were close and had a healthy competition so no one wanted to see the other team lose. I think that’s what this program is about. Getting together to help each other reach the common goal of making permanent healthy lifestyle changes and having fun while doing it. With that said, everyone who participated in this program is a winner!

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Click here for team rosters and participant bios.

Click here to go to Biggest Loser Home page.