Dropping weight and winning big

Alison Schwamkrug

The Signal Staff

Maricela Lopez, contestant in the UHCL Biggest Loser contest, walks on the treadmill to start her goal of losing weight.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake is helping students become their best physically by holding a “biggest loser” contest. Students will participate in an eight-week challenge hoping to win the grand prize.

Like the reality television show, the 38 students who are participating will have to rely on themselves to complete vigorous daily workouts and follow a strict diet. The eight-week process will allow the students to teach themselves a completely different lifestyle. Contestants will learn to eat healthy and commit to regular exercise as part of their new regimen.

“This is a self-discipline program, meaning there is no one to train participants in their workout or tell them how to eat,” said Julie Cruz, program assistant for the UHCL Fitness Zone. “We offer each participant a cardio calendar and it’s up to them if they use it or not.”

The UHCL Fitness Zone encourages contestants to workout more than three times a week. To help the contestants do this, the Fitness Zone created a cardio calendar. The calendar consists of moderate to easy exercises every other day. The exercises are broken up into intervals with a total time of 30-60 minutes a day, five days a week.

“I think the hardest part is making time to get to the gym and get the best workout in,” said Maricela Lopez, student staff assistant in the Office of Intercultural and International Student Services. “I do my best to measure my meals and stay away from my vices, such as chocolate, popcorn and Coca-Cola.”

A few seasons back, Lopez sent a tape in to the reality television show, “The Biggest Loser,” to be part of a team that had the same mindset to lose unwanted pounds.
“Since then, I’ve lost 49 pounds and there are so many things I can do now, things I believed were lost to me forever,” Lopez said. “I wanted to join UHCL biggest loser contest to complete the challenge I have already made more enjoyable for myself. Maybe I will meet a few like-minded people too.”

Contestants participating feel the contest is a great motivator to get in shape. With support from the program, losing weight will not seem impossible.

“My reason for getting involved in the contest was to motivate myself to lose weight,” said Rebecca Smith, student assistant for the student ife office. “I have lost 60 pounds in the last two years and want to lose about 50 more pounds. I expect to actually lose some weight and get in shape during this contest. The hardest thing for me during the competition and afterward is fitting workout times within my crazy schedule. If I can master that, then I really have won regardless of winning the competition.”

The winner of the UHCL “biggest loser” contest will be determined by who has lost the highest percentage of body fat at the end of eight weeks. The winner will be announced the week of Nov. 23.  The grand prize, as well as participation prizes, will be available to all who complete the eight-week program.

“The grand prize winner will receive materials that will help him or her continue losing weight and to continue their healthy lifestyle,” Cruz said.