And the winner is....
weight loss, biggest loser, exercise, diet
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The results are in! The winner of The Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser Challenge is Tom Feeney, who lost an astounding 49 pounds in three months. That was about 20 percent of his starting weight!
As his prize, Tom won an extra week of paid vacation, a six-month gym membership, and $10 for each pound lost, for a total of $490! Tom lost the weight on a combination of healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle changes.
Second prize winner Pat Turner lost 8.4 percent of her body weight. Five other participants, Peter Barash, Jack DaSilva, Vinessa Erminio, Brian Levy and Beverly Reid exceeded their weight loss goals. These seven people together lost 176 pounds.
Of the 59 people who initially signed up for the challenge, 27 attended enough weigh-ins to qualify for recognition. Altogether they lost 407 pounds!
Thanks to Mona Rowe and Monique Alston of The Star-Ledger's Human Resources Department for organizing this challenge. They hope to start another one in the fall. I'm looking forward to coaching again!
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on 7/10/2008
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0 |
7.6
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Just one week to go!
biggest loser, weight loss, healthy eating, walking, jumping rope
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The Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser Challenge is nearing the end!
The final weigh-in will be next Tuesday, and then we'll know who the winner is! Right now Tom Feeney and Pat Turner are just about neck-and-neck in terms of percentage weight loss.
Today about a dozen participants took part in the walk around the building at lunchtime. They walked around the block five times for a total of a mile. Then we gathered for a healthy lunch of salad and wrap sandwiches.
After yesterday's weigh-in I got a small group together on the parking deck for a jumprope session. Those who joined me were amazed at how much exercise you get from jumping only 30 seconds!
Our cumulative weight loss is now 382.4 pounds! The winners for the last two weeks were Vinessa Erminio, 5.2 pounds, and Beverly Reid, 2.4 pounds. Way to go gals!
Let's see if we can break 400 pounds at the final weigh-in next week!
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on 6/26/2008
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0 |
4
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"Glorify God in your body"
treadmill, weight loss, pushups, bench presses
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"Know you not your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
A story moved on the wire today about Mark Brown, a football player turned pastor who has written a book called "Coming Alive at 55."
In the interview, Rev. Brown tells how he got himself back in shape after being injured in an auto accident a few years ago and letting his weight get out of control. He believes strongly that physical and spiritual health go hand in hand.
Rev. Brown's website (www.drmdb.com) includes a feature called "Word and the Workout," in which he reads Bible passages while running on the treadmill. He cites the above quote from 1 Corinthians as his favorite Bible verse.
Memo to Fitster Kettlebell: What a great example of how promoting fitness can be doing God's work!
Here's a link to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's interview with Rev. Brown:
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1213432344262990.xml&coll=2&thispage=2
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on 6/17/2008
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0 |
17.4
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Star-Ledger Biggest Loser Challenge update Week 9
weight loss, biggest loser
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I haven't posted the latest BL news for a couple of weeks. The total weight loss is now 353.2 pounds, with 24 people weighing in faithfully each week.
The winners for the last two weeks are:
Week 8: Peter Barash (5.6 pounds)
Week 9: Sandra Comarcho (8.2 pounds)
Good work you guys! Beach season is here, and you're going to be looking better in your bathing suits!
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on 6/12/2008
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0 |
3.9
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Star-Ledger Biggest Loser Challenge Week 7
biggest loser, weight loss
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After seven weeks, participants in The Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser Challenge have lost a total of 326 pounds!
This week's winner, Cindy Delonas, lost 3.2 pounds!
Also, I neglected to post last week's winner. In a repeat performance, Brian Levy lost another 3.4 pounds. Congratulations Cindy and Brian!
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on 5/29/2008
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0 |
7.9
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Star-Ledger Biggest Loser Challenge Week 4
weight loss, squats, deadlifts, exercise ball, shoulder presses
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Nice going, Biggest Loser Challengers! After four weeks, our total weight loss is now 255 pounds! Collectively you lost 50 pounds last week, 2 1/2 times what you lost the week before!
Congratulations to Keisha Wade, biggest loser of the week at 6.2 pounds! Way to go, Keisha!
After a month, it's time to change your workout. Here’s a fat-loss workout program, adapted from "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. ¶
Superset 1)
¶
Squats: 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec. rest
Deadlifts: 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec. rest
Superset 2)
Supine hip extension on Swiss ball: 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec rest.
Dumbbell shoulder press (can pimp it up as push press): 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec rest
Superset 3)
Lunges: 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec rest
Swiss ball crunch: 3 sets, 15 reps, 75 sec rest)
Do this workout twice, resting at least a full day between workouts.
For the next two workouts, do only 12 reps per set, but lift slightly heavier weights and rest only 60 seconds between sets.
Then for the fifth and sixth workouts, go a little heavier still, doing 10 reps per set and resting 45 seconds between sets.
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on 5/9/2008
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0 |
4.4
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Biggest Loser club hears from a real winner
weight loss, biggest loser, walking, spinning, nutrition
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"Biggest Loser: Couples'' contestant Jenn Widder shared her experiences on the NBC reality show Tuesday with participants in The Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser Challenge.
Jenn revealed that although her weight loss was officially placed at 65 pounds on the show's finale, she has actually lost 85 pounds, down from her starting weight of 254. She said she has gone from a size 24W to 12. She says she's got about 40 pounds to go to reach her goal.
Jenn got off to a slow start on the show because in the past she had tried all sorts of crash diets, which really messed up her metabolism. She finally reached her stride in the fourth week of the show, and started losing five and six pounds a week before she was voted off the show.
Since her elimination, Jenn has been working out full time, doing a program of mostly cardio exercise with some weight training. Asked what she recommends as the single best exercise for weight loss, she said "Walking, walking walking." She also enjoys spinning classes at her gym.
Jenn follows a diet of 1,400 calories a day six days a week, but allows herself one day to indulge to kick up her metabolism. She eats mostly organic food because following that regimen helps to keep her in the right frame of mind, although she says it's not absolutely necessary to follow an organic diet.
Jenn and her best friend, Maggie King, constituted the Purple Team on the show. They met a decade ago at Camp Shane, a camp for overweight children. Jenn will be returning to Camp Shane this summer as assistant director. She is also pursuing a career as a personal trainer so that others can benefit from her experience.
About 40 Star-Ledger staffers turned out for the meeting, and Jenn fielded questions from a number of them. She stayed afterwards to autograph pictures of herself.
Congratulations to The Star-Ledger's biggest loser of the week, Brian Levy, who lost five poun... read entire entry
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on 5/1/2008
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0 |
14.9
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Grow up and get out of shape!
swimming, exercise, weight loss
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Some 20 years ago I happened to run into the captain of my high school swimming team. We were both in our 30s at the time. I was still in fairly good shape at the time ... I was active in Masters' swimming and was doing a lot of bicycling. I had yet to fall into the sedentary rut that would lead to my weight problem. In high school, I had never been able to hold a candle to my teammate, but it was evident that this once slim and toned athlete had already become noticeably paunchy.
Although I already knew the answer just from looking at him, I asked him if he had kept up with swimming. He snickered and shook his head as if that were the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. I went on to tell him that I was involved in Masters' swimming. "Oh yeah?" he responded, clearly unimpressed. Implicit in his response was an unspoken "Grow up!" Clearly, to him, swimming didn't count for anything anymore. Now that his glory days of being a high school sports star were behind him, it was time to move on and devote all his time to his career, and keeping himself in shape was no longer a priority.
Despite the record number of people joining gyms and exercising, that's still the attitude that we fitness advocates face. Somehow most Americans have the perception that exercise is childish and frivolous, while being sedentary is viewed the sign of a mature and responsible adult. In some quarters, being overweight is seen as a sign of prosperity.
I'm reminded of an Off-Broadway show I saw a while back, Stewart Parker's "Spokesong." The central character is a bike shop owner and an advocate of bicycle transportation. He approaches his city fathers with a plan to make bicycles a major part of the community's transportation plan. Following the meeting, he reports that the officials agreed that bicycling is an efficient, economical, clean, environmentally friendly form of transportation ... ... read entire entry
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on 4/28/2008
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0 |
18.4
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Biggest Loser Challenge Week 2
biggest loser, weight loss
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The results are in for The Star-Ledger's Week Two weigh-in. The 37 people who weighed in lost a total of 136 pounds!
The week's biggest loser, Tom Feeney, lost an astounding 19 pounds!
See you all on top of the parking garage tomorrow at noon. It's supposed to be a beautiful day!
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on 4/18/2008
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1 |
5.8
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Star-Ledger Biggest Loser Challenge Update
biggest loser, weight loss, warmups, squats, pushups
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We had the first official weigh-in yesterday. So far, the number of people who have signed up is 45 - and counting, according to Monique.
Following the weigh-in, I gave a demonstration of warmup exercises as well as my suggested beginner workout, which is a slightly modified version of the Men's Fitness beginner workout. Here it is:
Beginner’s workout
1) Front squat
2-3 sets, 8 reps, rest 60 seconds
2) Superset
a) Three-point dumbbell row
2 sets, 12 reps (each arm), rest 30 seconds
alternate with
b) Pushups
2 sets, 12-15 reps, rest 30 seconds
3 Superset
a) Single-leg bridge
2 sets, 12 reps, each leg, rest 30 seconds
alternate with
b) Dumbell pullover
2 sets, 12 reps, rest 30 seconds
4) Plank
1-2 sets
hold for 60 seconds
rest 60 seconds
For illustrated instructions on how to do them, visit the Men's Fitness website at :
www.mensfitness.com/fitness/beginner_weight_training/219.
When weather permits, I'll be holding impromptu noontime workouts on the top of our parking garage. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day, so I'm planning to be out there.
Follow this blog for updates on the challenge. We're off to a great start!
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on 4/9/2008
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0 |
4.7
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Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser Challenge begins
biggest loser, weight loss, exercise, star-ledger, bob harper
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I'm psyched! Tomorrow afternoon we have the kickoff meeting for The Star-Ledger's "Biggest Loser Challenge," which I'm going to coach.
Our Human Resources Department has been sending out e-mails and putting up flyers for the past week. Tomorrow we'll be taking signups for the contest and organizing teams. The company is providing workout space and some equipment, and will be providing prizes for the individual participants and teams who lose the most weight and the greatest percentage of weight. I will be giving a pep talk, telling how I lost 60 pounds myself and sharing my tips on how others can lose weight. I will be demonstrating some exercises that contestants can do on their own.
I'll be donating a prize of my own: Tonight I had the opportunity to meet "Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper at a signing for his new book, "Are You Ready?" at Barnes & Noble in Paramus. One of the winners will receive my signed copy of his book.
Looking forward to telling you all about the success stories in our contest.
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on 4/2/2008
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0 |
11.3
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Me Tarzan
weight loss, upper body strength, rope swing, chin-ups
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It's certainly gratifying when people start to notice that you're losing weight and putting on muscle. Co-workers started telling me how great I looked when I'd dropped 30 or 40 pounds. One co-worker told me I looked 15 years younger!. Hmmm....did that mean I now looked 39 or that I looked 69 before? Our sports editor started calling me "Schwarzenegger," which is the sort of teasing I'll take any day, thank you!
But it's even more gratifying when you discover you're able to do things you couldn't do before. For me that included being able to do chin-ups for the first time in my life.
But the best experience came the following summer, when my wife and I went to the Berkshires and stayed in our favorite bed and breakfast near Tanglewood. This pleasantly casual inn is located on a lake, and it has a nice waterfront. One of its nice features is a rope swing hanging from a big tree by the lake. In past years, I had jumped on the swing, only to drop like a rock right into the water. Now, not only was I carrying 60 pounds less of dead weight, I had more upper body strength so I could hang onto the rope longer. To my delight, I was now able to swing out to the full length of the rope and sail wayyyyyy out over the water! It was so cool!
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on 3/15/2008
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1 |
9.1
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The do re mis of working out
weight loss, weightlifting, gyms
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Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start.
It's late spring of '05. I'd started walking to and from the railroad station. I'd started doing yardwork. I was starting to show a modest weight loss.
Okay, I thought, let's strike while the iron is hot...time to get to the gym.
I had been an off-and-on member of (now defunct) Health Spa 2 in Paramus for almost 20 years, but I'd been off for several years. Now I resolved to get serious.
My first step was to get a physical exam. With my doctor's blessing that it was safe (and necessary!) for me to start a workout program, I rejoined the gym.
Most gyms give new members a couple of free sessions with a trainer, to give you a quick evaluation of your health and to determine your goals. My trainer ( a lovely young woman named Lorraine Vasquez who I hope has found a good place to work since Spa 2 shut down) took me around to show me how to use the Cybex weight machines and the various cardio machines, and then gave me a full-body workout routine that I could follow. The routine involved a circuit of about a dozen machines that worked each muscle of the body.
The weight machines are great for working your way into a routine, and I dropped about 20 pounds in about three months following that program. However, my research convinced me that I should try freeweights because they built more lean muscle that burn fat 24/7.
When I was considering starting in with freeweights, I discovered a book that proved extremely helpful: Lou Schuler's "The New Rules of Lifting." Schuler breaks down all exercises into six basic moves: squat, deadlift, lunge, push, pull and twist. He also introduced me to the concept of supersets...alternating exercises that work muscles in opposite directions so that one exercise actually helps your muscles to recover from the previous lift. His book contains several good workout plans devised by Alwyn Cosgrove, including a good breakin program and rout... read entire entry
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on 3/1/2008
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0 |
8.8
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Biggest Loser Jersey
weight loss, weightlifting, diet, yoga, spinning
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Permit me to introduce myself. I'm Jim Berrie, and by day I'm a mild-mannered copy editor for The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's biggest daily newspaper. Outside of work, I'm working on getting my certification as a personal trainer. Three years ago, at the age of 53, I weighed 225 and was on meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression. I got on a serious fitness regimen that emphasized freeweights, and in a little over a year I lost 60 pounds and got off all three meds. Since I've been able to keep the weight off, I want to help other people lose weight.
In addition to becoming a personal trainer, I will be serving as a coach for a Biggest Loser afflilate club being launched by The Star-Ledger for its staff. We expect to have the program up and running in early April. On this blog I hope to share some of my own experiences in weight loss and fitness, as well as success stories from The Star-Ledger's Biggest Loser program.
Although I usually labor anonymously behind the scenes, I have a rare byline in tomorrow's Star-Ledger. Unless Britney Spears does something outrageous today that bumps my story out of the paper, my story about Jenn Widder, one of the contestants in the current "Biggest Loser: Couples" season will be running on the cover of the Today section. Jenn lives in the same town I do, River Edge, N.J., and she has kindly offered to come and speak to our Biggest Loser club. Jenn was eliminated from the show in Week 5 after having lost 31 pounds, and since then she has lost another 31, as she continues to work out six days a week full time. She should be an inspiration to anyone battling a weight problem. For those of you who don't live in The Star-Ledger's circulation area, the story should be posted on nj.com, and I hope to provide a link on this blog tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences with all of you. Stay tuned!
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on 2/27/2008
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0 |
10.7
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