In order to bring attention to NEIU’s group classes, personal training and campus recreation, Maria Patricia Montes, fitness and wellness program assistant, took NEIU student and co-worker Lisa Lindsey’s comment about wanting to be on the television show The Biggest Loser and made it a reality.
Montes came up with the basic structure and is directing Northeastern’s version of the Biggest Loser Challenge.
Sponsored by Campus Recreation with the help of the entire fitness and wellness staff, this 16-week challenge gives 36 participants that need to lose more than 10 pounds the opportunity to obtain a “healthier body, decreased chance of cardiovascular disease, and personal growth,” according Montes.
Jan. 20 marked the first day of the challenge, and participants were given body composition assessments consisting of height, weight, fat percentage, cardiovascular testing, and muscular endurance during registration.
Throughout the course of the challenge, ACSM-certified personal trainers with over three years of experience will give each participant four personal training sessions and is assigned to lead a team: blue, green, orange or purple.
Unlike the television show, the challenge focuses on the percentage of fat lost, not pounds. ‘After watching The Biggest Loser two or three times, I don’t professionally agree with the massive amount of weight people drop in a week,” said Montes.
With the help of the trainers, nutrition workshops, exercise program, and prescriptions that the participants were given, they are expected to lose a maximum of two pounds per week. Individual and team points are earned by decreasing body fat percentage, attending group exercise classes, nutrition workshops and bonus points at team competitions.
The person that loses the highest body fat percentage and the team with the most points by May 5 is the Biggest Loser.
Participants will be given another body composition assessment during weeks five, nine and during the final week of the challenge.
Team points will be posted every Monday on the Biggest Loser bulletin board located in the P.E. Complex, and the first week’s results are in: Green team 34.25, leader Dejan Slavnik; Blue team 24.5 leader Fadil Cosovic; purple Team 23.5, leader Nipun Patel; Orange team 11.5, leader Stoyan Angelov.
After the first week, how do the participants feel?
“I am feeling great. I have received great feedback from all the people in the gym, Martha Montes, and my personal instructor Dejan,” said Jacob Chacko of the Green team
“I have had more energy, know as ATP! I also feel better about myself because I am doing something about what is making me feel less of a person,” said Grisel Grace of the Blue team
“Working out makes me more motivated to do it again because I am starting to see results,” said Elisabeth Liecht.
Although the prizes have not been determined, some of the participants would like a gift certificate for clothes, gas or Becks Bookstore. Others expressed that they are not interested in the prize but are more interested in seeing their results.
Students interested in losing weight can still start their own challenge.Visit the P.E. Complex to receive more information about personal training, group exercise, and attend a nutrition workshop that is offered on Fridays from 2 to 3 p.m. in room 2140 in the P.E. Complex beginning Feb. 2.