Last year's 'losers' weigh in on contest

Chronicle Staff

Published: Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

By Billy Drown   Just starting to get in the grove of working out,  but still needing an extra push, Heather Grace and  her husband, Michael, signed up for the Biggest  Loser competition last year. That decision turned out to be a wise one, Heather said. “The Biggest Loser competition made my  husband and I more accountable for working out,”  Heather said. “We were more committed to  getting healthier after signing up.” Combined, the Graces lost a total of 80  pounds during the competition. The key to their  success was working with one another. “With my husband’s work schedule it was  hard to actually work out with one another.  But I would always ask Michael if he worked  out and he would always ask me. We would also  discuss the foods we ate that day and reminded each  other to continue to eat right. Doing that made us more accountable  for what we did,” said Heather. The Graces worked on cardio and weight training. Heather also mentioned that they used workout DVDs at home and used the Internet. “Sparkpeople.com is a great website that is free for everyone to join,” said Heather. “On the website a person can track the amount of calories they take in and how much they burn out.” The Graces have done a good job of keeping most of the weight off they lost during the competition last year. But with the passing holidays it was tough. “We haven’t gained back all the weight we lost, but over the holidays we both gained eight pounds back,” said Heather. “But we have started back up again and we are on the right track.” Knowing that signing up for the competition last year was a brilliant move, the Graces plan on doing it again this year. “It was such a good thing for us last year,” said Heather. “Having those check-ins every month makes you more accountable for losing weight. You want to see that weight drop every month. When asked what she would tell a person who is a bit hesitant about joining the competition, Heather replied, “Go for it and put your all in it. Know that there are people there to help motivate you and provide you with great information. If you do sign up, find a buddy. Checking in with your buddy each week helps you stick it out. It is harder for a person to do alone. Heather mentioned that her husband and she are willing to help people out this year who join up and show them the path they took to losing a combined 80 pounds. Like the Graces, Kerry Steever found herself signed up for the Biggest Loser competition last year, but under different circumstances. Early last year Steever walked into the Chronicle office to learn a little bit about the competition. After leaving the office, unbeknownst to her, she was signed up. She didn’t find out until someone called her to come to the weigh-in. Steever said being signed up for the contest unexpectedly was one of the best things that could have happened to her. “I learned so much about working out and about eating healthy,” she said. Last year Steever lost close to 20 pounds during the competition. Since then, about a year ago, she has kept it off. While she did say that she doesn’t work out quite as often as she did during the competition, she does stay active. “I’m still active. My friend, who I partnered up with during the competition last year, and I still try to go on Sunday afternoon walks every week,” said Steever. Besides losing the weight and learning to eat healthier, Steever said the best thing about the competition was meeting and making new friends. “To this day, whenever I see someone from the competition or they see me, we always give each other the loser sign and say, ‘Hi, loser.’ It’s fun.” Stever laughed. For those joining the competition this year, Steever recommends the buddy system. “When you work out with someone else, it keeps you focused and makes you work out harder. You have someone there with you and you don’t want to let them or yourself down,” she said. “My favorite thing about the competition was making new friends. Everybody who partnered up with one another are still close. I’m still working out with my partner.” During the competition last year, Steever and her partner worked out at each other’s home, where they took turns using each other’s equipment. A friend of Steever’s, who is an athletic trainer, taught them how to properly use the weights and also taught them about eating healthy. “I used to love eating fried foods such as cheese sticks, but after my friend told me about how much fat I was putting in my body I stopped. I definitely watch what I eat now and have cut out my sweets,” said Steever. Even though Steever never really signed up for the competition she is happy someone wrote her name down. “It was a very positive experience and I encourage everybody else to do it,” she said.