1,379 pounds shed in Weigh to Win program

By Teresa Stowell of the Daily Times staff
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 1:04 PM CDT

Brian Fendt, a member of the Amados Weigh to Win team, is pictured above getting a health screening done by Cari Gorkowski, Watertown Area Health Services fitness instructor, at the Weigh to Win grand finale. The Amados team had the highest percentage of weight loss as a team. (Teresa Stowell/Daily Times)

The Watertown community is a little lighter these days with residents losing a combined total of 1,379 pounds for the Watertown Area Health Services Weigh to Win program. Participants gathered at Windwood Country Club Monday night for the program's finale.

“Watertown Area Health Services initiated the Weigh to Win program in response to community health assessments which showed that our community's most common health problems are heart disease and ‘being overweight,'” Tina Crave, of Watertown Area Health Services, said. “We wanted to offer a free program to provide the tools and motivation to help community members make healthy lifestyle changes.”

A total of 1,030 people signed up for the 10 week program and 233 residents completed it. People joined the program, which offered educational classes on health and fitness, as individuals or in groups. Participants were weighed at the beginning of the 10 week period and had a final weigh-in last week to determine the amount of weight lost.

“It's so wonderful that this many people would stick with it for 10 weeks,” Crave said. “The weather this winter was terrible but it shows that people really want a healthy lifestyle.”

After the final weigh-ins it was determined who the individuals and teams were that lost the most weight.

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Pam Poff, of Watertown, had the highest percentage of weight loss as an individual. She lost 17.4 percent of her total weight during the 10 week period.

“I think what really made the difference was getting rid of white bread and switched to whole grains. I also worked out six days a week with a trainer at the HAWC,” Poff said. “My youngest child is 7 years old now and I've been trying to get rid of the baby weight. I've tried different diets but have never been successful. Cutting out the whites really made the difference.”

Poff lost 33 pounds during the Weigh to Win competition, but has lost a total of 55 pounds since Dec. 1.

“My youngest child weighs 54 pounds so it's interesting to pick her up and realize how much weight I've lost,” Poff said. “I have so much more energy now.”

Jenn Christian, of Watertown, had the highest total weight loss of 34 pounds. She attributed her success to cutting out soda entirely from her diet and exercising as often as possible. Her husband, who did not sign up for the Weigh to Win program but also worked to lose weight, has lost a total of 60 pounds in the same time frame.

The team with the highest percentage of weight loss was Amados. The team members lost 4.2 percent of the total team weight. Those members include Mary Fuentes, Bob Kleinsteiber, Teresa Justmann, David Johnson, Brian Fendt, Carolyn Burtch, Pete Berres, Katrina Salli, Laura Nechkash and Mandy Sell.

“I heard about this last year and decided I'm getting older and I need to get healthier,” Fuentes said. “I'm really proud of our team.”

Berres lost the most weight out of his team members for a total of 29 pounds.

“I worked out a lot and kept a diary of the amount of calories I burned which totaled about 20,000,” Berres said. “It was hard at first because it was three weeks before I started noticing any weight loss. I watched what I ate and exercised a lot. It's all about persistence.” To help encourage customers to eat healthier, Fuentes developed a special menu at Amados that included dishes with fat free cheeses and other substituted ingredients to cut down on calories.

“We had a lot of positive comments about the special menu,” Fuentes said. “If people continue to enjoy it we'll keep it around.”

At the grand finale Monday night, Weigh to Win members participated in health screenings for blood pressure and body fat, watched healthy cooking demonstrations and won door prizes. Special grand prizes were also given away including a one year family membership at the fitness center of choice, a gift card to purchase new exercise clothing and a new pair of athletic shoes.

“The Weigh to Win program has greatly exceeded our expectations. Over the last two years, the program has helped the community lose more than 3,500 pounds,” Crave said. “We think this is a fantastic accomplishment, and we applaud participants for their hard work and dedication.”

Watertown Area Health Services plans to facilitate another Weigh To Win program next year. Tomorrow's Hope is a co-sponsor of the program.

Jenn Christian is pictured at left and was the individual who had the highest total weight loss for the Weigh to Win program with a total loss of 34 pounds. Pam Poff had the highest percentage of weight loss for an individual. She lost 17.4 percent of her total weight.