The Collegian
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Staff members motivated by weight-loss contest

Led by Jackie Pfamatter (headset/mic), students and faculty burn carbs and dance to salsa music Zumba on Tuesday Sept 23rd at 12:00pm in the Fitness Center.
Led by Jackie Pfamatter (headset/mic), students and faculty burn carbs and dance to salsa music Zumba on Tuesday Sept 23rd at 12:00pm in the Fitness Center.

For six seasons, Americans have tuned in to NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser," a weight-loss competition whose winner receives $250,000.

The show's sixth season, which is currently airing, documents the struggles and sweat of eight teams, each made up of two family members.

But, when the new season began airing on Sept. 16, the television contestants were not the only ones that started a new diet and exercise routine. Members of the University of Richmond's staff also teamed up to participate in a "Biggest Loser"-style weight-loss competition, which will last for most of this semester.

The competing teams are made up of staff members from throughout the university. There are 14 team competing this semester. Bookstore staff members have teamed up to compete under the name "The Bookstore Sweats." Other participating teams, including the "Cyber Spiders" and the "Shrinking Spiders" include staff members from other departments.

"The goal of the program is to bring people with a common goal together and help them achieve that goal," said Weinstein Center fitness coordinator Jackie Pfamatter, who helped organize the program.

"We want to help people to create new, healthy life styles."

The contest officially began last week when contestants measured their initial weight and body fat percentage. Then, participants entered their first real week of the competition, which included beginning their new work out routines. The competitors had their first official weigh-in to measure their progress Tuesday.

The university's competition, which was organized by Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness staff members led by Pfamatter, will take a more holistic and less ruthless approach in its judging than the TV show, on which the team that loses the smallest amount of weight each week must vote of one of its members. Instead, the judging will reward exercise, effort and lifestyle changes, not just results.

The goal of the competition is not only for participants to shed pounds, but to encourage them to reduce their body fat percentage and improve their physical fitness by attending exercise classes at the wellness center. None of the competition's participants will be voted out of the game during the 12 weeks the contest will span.

"We want to bring this University together and help people lose weight and get healthy," Pfamatter said.

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The contest is being scored on a points system. Throughout the week, competitors will earn two points for their respective teams each time they attend a group exercise session at the wellness center. Then, there is an official weigh-in each week where additional points will be awarded to competitors who have either lost weight or reduced their total body fat percentage, which is measured by a special machine in the wellness center.

At the end of the contest, the team that has earned the most points will be rewarded with a prize. But, several contest participants said the real prize was the healthy lifestyle the contest would help them develop.

"All of them are very competitive and ready to win," Pfamatter said of the teams. "If nothing else, I think we will have some really great success stories!"

In addition to the exercise classes and weigh-ins, contest participants are being encouraged to meet with the dietitians and personal trainers that work in the gym, though the meetings are optional and are not worth points. Student wellness center employees Kerry Kelly and Stallone Mannan are helping the contestants with their training, and Wellness Center staff members hope to expand the program this spring.

"It has been so much fun getting everyone together," Pfamatter said. "This is a program that we want to continue each semester. Our hope is that even more people will want to compete with us when we launch the program again in the spring."

Contact staff writer Emily Baltz at emily.baltz@richmond.edu

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