As you begin your journey to becoming healthy, here are the stories from the 2014 $10,000 Weight Loss Challenge winners. If you're not registered yet, it's not too late!

You have until January 10th to join us on the journey to be healthy.

 

If you have already begun  your journey, read on for some tips and inspiration from last year's winners.

2014 female winners

Korinne Jones

5th place women’s winner

Won $200                          Lost 48 pounds                  22% of bodyweight

Throughout the past 5 months Korinne’s motto has been, “One day at a time.” She tried to take each day in stride and make the best choices she could to help her reach her goals. It didn’t take Korinne long to learn that choosing healthier foods and tough workouts, like Crossfit, made her feel amazing!

Korinne had a wonderful team of cheerleaders motivating her and pushing her to succeed. She is grateful to have the support of her friends, family, and Crossfit trainer, Rick.

“I haven’t worked this hard to have to do it again,” she says. She plans to stick with this new lifestyle for her and her family forever!

 

Dorothy Petty

4th place women’s winner

Won $400                          Lost 56.6 pounds                             23.8% of bodyweight

Dorothy attributes her success to her daughter, Emilie, who helped keep her motivated throughout the Challenge. Together they read “Joy’s Life Diet”, adopted a healthier way of eating and cooking, and learned to make fitness part of their lives by working out 5-7 days a week.

To celebrate her success, Dorothy would love to take a trip with her daughter. Dorothy has no plans of stopping her new way of eating and moving. “We plan on sticking with this for the rest of our lives!” she says.

 

Chelsey Aeschbacher

3rd place women’s winner

Won $800                          Lost 42.2 pounds                             24% of bodyweight

Chelsey started eating better by measuring and tracking everything she ate using the MyFitnessPal mobile app. She made lots of little changes including reading ingredient labels, trying new recipes, and adding veggies to just about everything! “I never starved,” says Chelsey, “I learned I could still eat quite a bit, but it had to be the right foods.” She also started moving more by trying different machines at the gym, lifting weights, and walking in the foothills with her family.

Chelsey’s husband, Brad, was a big source of support for her. He encouraged her to keep going and complimented her on how good she looked. Her co-workers also offered Chelsey a lot of good advice for new exercises and healthy recipes to try. Her brothers supported her by joining her for hikes and acting as her workout buddies at the gym.

She looks better, feels better and has a lot of new knowledge about health! Chelsey says she plans to keep going to the gym to build more muscle and to continue her family hikes in the foothills.

 

Emilie Petty            

2nd place women’s winner

Won $1,200                       Lost 63.6 pounds                             24.4% of bodyweight

Emilie, together with her mom Dorothy, learned to eat in a healthy way after reading the book “Joy’s Life Diet”. She started cooking healthy recipes and realized that healthy eating could taste delicious! She joined the Idaho Fitness Factory and worked out 3-4 times a week. She also danced ZUMBA with her Wii for fun.

Emilie’s mom supported her throughout this process and would wake her up every morning to go to the gym! Her sister also motivated Emilie by giving her words of encouragement and reinforcing how good she looked. She says her friends have also noticed a difference and give her lots of advice and support.

Emilie only has positive thoughts and plans moving forward! “I remember what I looked like when I was heavier and how unhappy I was”, she says. She is committed to sticking with the changes because she feels so happy and healthy now!

 

Sandra Class

1st place women’s winner

Won $2,400                       Lost 60.8 pounds                             31.3% of bodyweight

Sandra exercised A LOT to get where she is today! She fit in two, 30-minute cardio sessions each day. She varied what she did prevent boredom – walking, biking, hiking, elliptical…she did it all. She even traded in her office chair for a recumbent exercise bike! Sandra ate a healthy diet of vegetables, fruit, lean white meat and fish, and whole grains. If she treated herself to something “not so healthy”, she would keep her portions small and fill up with healthy veggies on the side.

Her husband was her biggest supporter, even though he had no idea she was participating in the Challenge! “He just thought I turned into a health nut out of the blue,” she jokes. As a result, he has started eating healthier and exercising with her.

Sandra used the monthly weigh-ins to help keep her accountable and committed in the beginning, but after awhile, she stayed committed simply because she felt so good. She plans to continue doing exactly what she’s doing now by eating healthy and exercising daily for the rest of her life!

 

2014 male winners

 

1ST PLACE WINNER – MEN

WINS $2,400 and a complete outfit (Shirt, short and shoes) from Shu’s Idaho Running Company

ERNEST KLEIN – LOST 88.6 POUNDS, 27.63% OF BODYWEIGHT

Limiting is caloric intake was his key to success!  And when the refrigerator was calling his name, he left the house.  His wife was his biggest supporter, paying for his $50 entry fee and keeping all the junk food out of the house.  He plans to continue with a healthy meal plan to keep his new slim self! And a trip to Yellowstone with his wife will be the perfect way to use some of his winnings – and some new clothes!!

 

2ND PLACE WINNER – MEN

WINS $1,200

PAUL REEVE – LOST 58.4 POUNDS, 27.39% OF BODYWEIGHT

Diet and exercise.  It really works!  He started with cardio 3-5 times a week, and after about a month, added strength training to each workout.   He chose a low-carb meal plan, and cut out sugar drinks and fast food.  He also focused on portion control, and brought his lunch from home every day.  His wife was extremely supportive, making up exercise and weight loss charts that she posted on the refrigerator to help keep them motivated and make good food choices.   As he began to lose weight, he started to feel better and his clothes fit better, which further encouraged him to stay on his healthy path!  He plans to stay active through exercise and outdoor activity, and to continue with his new healthier way of eating.

He plans to spend his winnings on new camping equipment and taking the ferry across Redfish Lake!

 

3RD PLACE WINNER – MEN

WINS $800

BRENT FERRO – LOST 77.2 POUNDS, 25.12% OF BODYWEIGHT

This guy knows how to play!  He plans to put his winnings toward a new 4-wheeler !

He rode his bike, hiked and worked out on the treadmill for his exercise program, and eat small, low-calories meals. He credits his wife, Joann, with supporting him by reminding him to not eat too much, and his brother who harassed him to go exercise!   It was his family that kept him committed to his success.  Going forward, he plans to continue with his exercise and activity, and keep eating right.

 

4TH PLACE WINNER – MEN

WINS $400

ROBERT GEIER – LOST 59.4 POUNDS, 22.21% OF BODYWEIGHT

His main goals for the challenge were:
1) to lose enough weight he could get off his blood pressure medicine

2) Be one of the top 5 men!

Midway through the Challenge, his doctor reduced his blood pressure medicine in half, and on Wednesday, June 4 he’ll go back to see if his blood pressure is back to normal!  He didn’t sign up until the LAST DAY of registration, but despite starting 2 weeks behind some of the earlier registrants, he went full steam ahead!

Like all of our winners, he exercised!  He started with 30 minutes in the, then added a 30 minute walk after lunch.  Towards the end of the Challenge, he increased his morning walk to 60 minutes and he added another 60 minutes of cardio after dinner.  He followed the eating program from the Fat Flush Plan and – lucky him! – had his good friend Bonnie McCurdy help prepare tasty meals so he had a variety of foods to choose from.   He had LOTS OF SUPPORT – his brother Charles and his sister-in-law Chris, “Tiny” Egbert, Dave Hill, Connie Burningham and his friends and co-workers at Cougar Mountain Software – who all gave his encouragement and positive comments to keep him motivated!

He will be hopping a plan TONIGHT at 9:14 to play in the WORLD SERIES OF POKER! GOOD LUCK ROBERT!!!

 

5th PLACE WINNER – MEN

WINS $200

GARY HALTOM – LOST  53.6 POUND, 21.19% OF BODYWEIGHT

This was a team effort! He and his wife Sandy joined together, and having her support and encouragement was his greatest incentive. “This has worked really well for us!” Gary explains.  “We are both committed to a healthy lifestyle as a joint adventure!”

He started out eating “LEAN AND GREEN” with Take Shape for Life.  He ate 5 Medifast meals a day and then one ‘Lean and green’ meal – usually a salad and chicken or fish.  He ate mostly protein, vegetables and fruits – no sugar or starches.   For activity he walked with their dogs and did short bicycle rides.

Together, he and his wife have learned new eating habits, portion control and food choices!  “At times we wanted to cheat.  We realized that we would have been cheating ourselves!”

 

 

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