STUFF
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Date: 2010-04-04Jan 2nd, 2010 kicked off the official weigh in and agility course time trials for the 2010 Fat Loss & Fitness Challenge. This year, 23 people had entered the contest motivated for various reasons. Some people claimed their reason for competing was that it would be a great way to help them achieve a certain amount of weight loss or Fat % loss, some people the $500 cash prize was all the motivation they needed, and others simply got involved to be a part of a great event to just see what they could achieve. Whatever the motivation, was no one can deny that the possibility of taking first place, the prideful feeling of knowing that your hard work and dedication would culminate to absolute victory is always a part of entering such a competition.
The Fat Loss & Fitness Competition was different than your normal weight loss competition. Most competitions dealing with weight loss are only judged on how much weight is lost. People will do very unhealthy things to just simply lose weight, and that goes against everything F3 Fitness is about. F3’s competition was judge on three categories: Percentage of weight lost, Fat% lost and time improved in the agility course. This wasn’t a bulletproof way of stopping unhealthy practice but it made it a little more difficult for people to just simply starve themselves to win the prize. If you did starve yourself (though you would have done well in the percentage of weight lost) you would not have necessarily done well in the fat% lost and if you are weak and feeble from starving yourself you would not have been able to perform well in the agility course.
The last three months I had the pleasure of watching a majority of the contestants work their butts off, cut bad foods completely out of their diets and really adopt a healthy lifestyle. In the last month people tightened their diets up even more and many started doing two-a-day workouts. Although none of my trainers nor I ever suggested to anyone to do that, people were taking the initiative on there own, although I’m sure most people didn’t want to be out done by anyone else, so they started mirroring each others regimens.
Through the last week of the competition, nervous excitement was building, everyone was looking great, had been noticeably losing weight and getting in phenomenal shape. A few people were starting to show classic signs of over-training, and most couldn’t wait to get some type of delectable man made carbs stuffed in their mouth’s post the contest.
April 3, 2010 was finally here…the finals and award day! Out of the 23 people who signed up 11 endured the hard three months. Last years contest saw 17 people sign up and ended with only two making it to the final day, so this year was a vast improvement.
The day started at 11:00, everyone weighed in, had their final fat percentage analysis and then tackled the agility course one last time. I personally witnessed some amazing transformations, like Big Khal, losing 40 pounds, three people dropped over 7% body fat in three months, and I also witnessed some tear jerking and motivating performances on the agility course. All contestants rooted each other on showing no jealousy or ill feelings what so ever! There was such a great sense of comradery! After all the weight and fat% was taken, and everyone posted their improved agility course times, Three individuals stood on the top of the mountain. In 3rd place Gail Saivore (lost 12.94% of bodyweight, 6.62% in fat, and took 2:13 off her agility course time), 2nd place Maria Bellon (lost 13.19% of bodyweight, 7.47% in fat, and took 52 seconds off her agility course time) and barely edging out 2nd place was Amanda Gonzales taking home the gold (lost 13.63% of bodyweight, 7.37% of fat, and took 60 seconds off her original agility course time).
I just want to congratulate the winners, and that being everyone who had made it to the end, because there wasn’t a loser in the bunch! Everyone lost weight, lost fat percentage and improved in the agility course.
I must give special thanks to all those who supported the contestants and helped them get through this life changing three months. I also want to thank Diane Lesage, Chrissy Klaes, Ilena Vacerrelli and Cedrick McKinney for being a huge help in getting sponsors, making up the medals, helping to make the final day a lot of fun, and run smoothly. And last, but definitely not least I want to thank the sponsors: Better Health, Wate-man, Massage Green, Coral Beach Tanning and Image Salon for providing great prizes and believing in Healthy Living.
Until next year…
G