Lehi mayor weighs in on Slim to Win contest
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Jordan SteadLehi Mayor, Bert Wilson, right, gets measured by fitness instructor and personal trainer, Nita Wood, left, on the first meeting day of the Slim to Win challenge Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at the Legacy Center in Lehi. The six month program aims to turn weight loss into a fun competition between attendees. The mayor, who weighed in at 275 pounds, is aiming to drop 35 pounds minimum. "I'll be eating cardboard with a vinegar spritz from now on," Wilson said. JORDAN STEAD / Daily Herald
Forty-six individuals, some more robust than others, met Saturday morning at the Lehi Legacy Center to weigh in, measure their body fat and be introduced to their teams and coaches for the Slim to Win contest.
Entrants were neighbors, friends, business owners, homemakers, breadwinners and at least one politician.
Lehi Mayor Bert Wilson encouraged others to work hard so they could come in a close second; he plans on dropping 35 pounds.
"I'm going to win," Wilson said. "I've got more to lose than anyone else probably. I'm going to get used to eating cardboard with a vinaigrette twist on it, you know."
He said he was surprised they didn't have him meet them at Intermountain Farmers for the weigh-in where they have weighing machines for tonnage.
The grand prize for Lehi's Slim to Win contest is a $1,500 travel voucher toward a dream vacation, but the champion's prize is available to all the program's participants -- a healthier lifestyle.
"This will take a lifestyle change," said Tina Strong, who is the fitness program coordinator at the center. She also is a fitness coach. She along with Tiffany Wood, Susan Wilson and Nita Wood will train, coach and assist the competitors towards their fitness goals.
"I am really excited for this," Strong said. "This is great."
The contest will last for six months, with final weigh-in and the last body composition test on Aug. 4. Prizes will be awarded to the top loser in both weight and body composition percentage.
Quinton Smart signed up in the Slim to Win contest because he wants to get back in the shape he was in when he was deployed in Iraq. With the Utah National Guard's 222nd Field Artillery, known as the Golden Boys of St. George, he worked convoy transport and returned home six weeks ago. "I was working out all the time over there, two to three times a day, and I got down to 225 pounds," Smart said. "Since I've been home, I haven't been able to find a job. I've been working at fast foods and you start eating their food on your fast breaks and I ballooned back up to 246 pounds and I'm just here to get back in shape again."
Since he came stateside he has suffered from a lot of medical problems he said. His knees are bad, he said; and he suffers from depression and low self-esteem.
"I had confidence and I had a lot of people pushing me. When I came home you lose that foundation and that drive," Smart said. "So I am hoping with this I will get that confidence back, that my body will start to function a little bit better and I won't hurt as much."
Each participant receives a team T-shirt and has weekly team workouts with a personal trainer. Each week, there will be motivational and informational speakers to help contestants face lifestyle challenges.
Tammy Dankert brought a friend, Ieda Grover, to the weigh-in. They plan on supporting one another throughout the program and beyond.
Dankert is in her early 40s and said she started putting on weight when she was about 18 or 19 years old, a period of her life where she suffered from an abusive situation.
She said she thinks she started eating to cope with the abuse, then her thyroid disease became her excuse to eat whatever she wanted. Now she wants to lose the added fat and the ailments brought on by morbid obesity. She has sleep apnea, diabetes and other problems.
"I didn't realize I was gaining weight," Dankert said tearfully. "My main reason for losing weight is I have a 4-year-old daughter and she is beautiful, but I can't go outside and run, jump and play with her like she wants me to."
Those who missed registering for the program but wanted to can sign up for the Slim to Win for Me, a self-guided weight-loss program for individuals who want to lose 25 to 100 pounds. Go to www.lehi-ut.gov or go to the Legacy Center for more information.
Applications for Slim to Win for Me need to be turned in by 6 p.m. Feb. 17 to the registration office.
The official weigh-in for that contest will be 9 a.m. Feb. 18 with the final weigh-in on Nov. 17, the weekend before Thanksgiving. The participant with the most weight lost will receive a prize at the final weigh-in.
Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/lehi-mayor-weighs-in-on-slim-to-win-contest/article_dac1c77b-04e9-5e66-ad1b-2e22b7753fdc.html#ixzz1mbv1HQ44
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