The Final Weigh in revisited

The weigh-in is over and here is a brief recap of this year.

We started with 16 people and 12 finished. Here are their results.

Place, Name, Starting, Ending, Total, Percentage

12) Josh F., 380.8, 353.2, 27.6lbs, 7.25%
11) Steve F , 328.4, 289.4, 39.0lbs, 11.88%
10) Marsha H, 175.4, 151.8, 23.6lbs, 13.45%
09) Krista O, 287.0, 238.2, 48.8lbs, 17.00%
08) Debbie L, 312.2, 259.0, 53.2lbs, 17.04%
07) Mark M, 285.2, 236.2, 49.0lbs, 17.18%
06) Darcey L, 189.0, 156.4, 32.6lbs, 17.25%
TOP 5
05) Josh B, 326.0, 241.4, 84.6lbs, 25.95%
04) Tracie B, 245.4, 177.4, 68.0lbs, 27.71%
03) Rich A, 395.0, 279.6, 115.4lbs, 29.22%
02) Vic G, 326.4, 221.4, 105.0lbs, 32.17%
WINNER
01) Mary S, 209.6, 140.0, 69.6lbs, 33.21%

Those that did not finish were;

Joe T, 420.4, 376.6, 43.8lbs
Jennifer L, 315.0, 292.8, 22.2lbs
Pete W, 265.2, 258.0, 7.2lbs
John S, 356.8, 314.0, 42.8lbs

Congrats to all who finished. Now you have a second chance on life. Make the best of it.

The Final Weigh-in

Well it is finally over. No it is not, it has only begun. In January we started with 15 people and in the end 12 lasted the full 6 months and for that they have reap a benefit that will last them a lifetime. They have a new start on life. Whereas some have completed their goal and now need to maintain, and still some need to still lose weight, all have gained an experience that one day they will tell their grand children changed their life forever.

My goal and desire (as it always has been) was to give them an opportunity to begin a new life much better than their past. To get them off of their medications or at least reduce them. To let them feel better about themselves and to dream and have those dreams come true. Some told me that they haven’t felt so good since their high School years and others told me that they had never been so fit, but all pretty much agreed that the experience was well worth the time in the end.

Some (if not all of them) had some question about how certain things were run this year and I would not give them an idea on how and why I did certain things. Well, now I will tell why I did what I did.

Over the last few years my eyes have been opened to the fact that we have become a very overweight society. Well, let’s call a spade a spade; we have become a very FAT and lazy society. Now not just in the sense of being overweight but also in our attitude to settle for second best in everything we do. When we fall short of our goals we can always find someone that will say that is was “ok” but very few will say “No! It is not OK, you are better than that so now get out there and get-it-done”. Of the three people that quit, that was their problem, they had people that would enable them to settle for second best instead of challenging them to stick it out and finish.

On several of the challenges as soon as the challenges got a little hard (i.e. The Obstacle Course) I would have people coming to me to change that challenge in some way. I never gave in, why because I knew that you could complete whatever task I put in front of them and I was not going to enable them to fail. Then when they did complete it they were a better people for it. We have become too nice to those that, at this point in their life, we should be challenging. Unfortunately, my job was to and is to challenge you to become better people. For some it is working but for most it is not.

I can say that those 12 who finished are better people for it.

Marsha H 175.4 151.8
Debbie L 312.2 259.0
Josh F 380.8 353.2
James F 328.4 289.4
Krista O 287.0 238.2
Josh B 326.0 241.4
Vic G 326.4 221.0
Tracie B 245.4 177.4
Darcey L 189.0 156.4
Mark M 285.2 236.2
Richard A 395.0 279.6
Mary S 209.6 140.0
They just have not finished the task in front of them; they have begun a new life a second chance, a chance to tell a story but this time with a good, happy ending. Now to those that did not finish and quit before the end, yes you failed, but it is not too late. You can still change your life but it will take a strong effort for you do to that. Get with a person that will not let you settle for second best and will hold you accountable and get rid of all those people who have gotten you to where you are today. Those bad influences are just that bad for you get rid of them. No it is not “ok” to be on medications that you really don’t need to be on if you lost the weight. No it is not “ok” and you are not “just think boned” people. You are made in the image of God not a “cream-puff” or a “hamburger” and don’t let anyone tell you any different. I am here for you and can help you.

Now to all, may God bless you and keep you. May he shine his face upon you and may you never, never, never forget the blessing He has given you…..LIFE.

AAU track and field

My kids are the greatest gift I have ever gotten. They have made it to Regionals.

The final challnege

Last year’s challenge was very hard and took over 2 hours to complete. They took a whole bunch of dirt and filled a hole 10X10X4 then after that was done they took 3 tons of rock and move it into a truck by hand. This whole year some of the challenges were the same and they just knew that because it was going to be at the same location, the challenge was going to be the same. Well, surprise surprise, they were very shocked when they found out it wasn’t what they thought.



This year they had to take two pavers weighing over 200 pounds apiece and run them in a relay. Only one person could move it at a time and they were to pass it, like a relay to their team mate who would them pass it again until everyone on that team had run with it 30 meters.



Then when that was done they had to move a 700 pound bale of hay another 30 meters, end over end, in relay style. This time two could only go at a time. Once they got to one side they had to turn the bale of hay around for the next two people.



Once that was complete, they then had to take 3 tons of wet lime stone and move it 50 meters passed a line. Every bit of that lime stone had to be moved before a winner could be declared. Vic’s team won the final challenge but it was close. Congrats to his team.


As I had mentioned to the challengers, this may have been a final challenge but it is not THE FINAL CHALLENGE. That challenge comes as soon as they put on their regular cloths and go back to their life every day. What are you going to do when life starts throwing you curve balls and the excitement of the competition is gone? This is the real challenge. I hope I have prepared them for that time to come.

Volleyball

It is one thing to play volleyball in a gym on a hard floor and it is totally something different when you are playing on sand. I found out the sand moves and to get your footing for a spike is almost impossible.

This week the WLC played volleyball. They broke into two teams and for giggles I had another team which consisted of Sally (WLC trainer), Jodi, Kathy (WLC trainer), Sue and me. We went against Vic and his team, Mary, Mark, Marsha, Steve, and Darcey and Rick and his team, Josh B, Josh F, Debbie, Tracie and Krista.

This was a round robin game were you can score points both on offense and defense and each game was to 15. In the end Vic’s team had the most wins at 3 followed by Rick’s team at 2 wins and bring up the rear Sally’s team with just 1 win.



Then we came back and had the weigh-in. If I told you that this was getting interesting I would not doing it any justice. At this time for the first two years we pretty mu knew who was going to be the clear winner. This year, over the last four weeks we have had different leaders. We have had Rick as the leader than Mary than Tracie. Here is the latest top 10



Name Pounds lost Percentage lost

10) Steve Foust 45.2 pounds 13.76%
9) Mark Meinhardt 40.2 pounds 14.10%
8) Debbie Lorenz 49.8 pounds 15.95%
7) Darcey Lowerre 31.8 Pounds 16.38%
6) Krista O’Brian 55.2 pounds 19.23%
5) Tracie Brasch 65.4 pounds 26.65%
4) Josh Branham 88.4 pounds 27.12%
3) Richard Andrus 107.8 pounds 27.29%
2) Vic Glassey 91.2 pounds 27.94%
1) Mary Schiefelbein 61.2 pounds 29.20%

The Yellow Brick Road

How many times in your life has someone told you that you could not do something either because of and physical or mental issue? How many times have you heard that you were too old to do something or you were not smart enough to do something?
Over the last four months these challengers have run miles, lifted more weight than ever before, gotten a mental hold on their eating habits, Kayaked over a half mile, played indoor soccer, and now run a 5k (3.1 miles) in under 45 minutes. The fastest time was 28 minutes which turns out to be about 9 minute miles. This is after I was told that she could never and would never run that consistent.
Take into consideration that some of them are suffering with ACL issues and lower back pains, physical disabilities which after the challenge is over could lead to surgeries, with all that said they put that aside and GOT IT DONE.














I hope over the last 5 months they have inspired you all to GET IT DONE. This is the last month and it is heating up now. Stay tuned for THE FINAL WEIGH-IN. Who will win, nobody knows.

The Kayak Challenge

Last year at this same time on this same weekend the Weight loss challenge people were to hold their water challenge. It is was to be a quarter mile lake course that they were to kayak. It never happened. Why? That same week we had a flood of rain come upon us that flooded the lake. Last year WLC went and did service work.




This year, however, we got it in. At first it began to rain but when they hit the water for the challenge the sun came out and the water was calm. This was an individual event that can only be won by the fastest time over the half mile course. The winner this year was Rick who finished the course just ahead of Mary by 1 second. Each challenger competed and did their best. Some who had never kayaked before said that they really enjoyed it. It was grueling for them but in the end they did well and all finished.



Welcome Kathy our new Personal trainer for the blue team. She was our runner up weight loss challenger in 2008 and she lost 100 pounds and has kept ALL of it off.