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Over 1,200 pounds shed in weight loss challenge
Published 3/3/2010 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
At a city health fair last year, Bob Arellano had his blood sugar checked.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram Hillary Arteaga, left, gets her blood pressure checked as Garden City Recreation Commission's Joan Scherman assists during check out Tuesday for the Corporate Meltdown at GCRC.
It was 331 points, and the woman at the booth asked him if he needed to go to the doctor.
In January, Arellano decided to try Corporate Meltdown, an annual fitness challenge in Finney County.
The challenge brought together 47 teams, each team with five individuals. Each person was weighed, had their blood sugar checked and was tested for flexibility. The challenge started Jan. 12 and ended Tuesday.
Over the course of the seven-week challenge, Arellano dropped 34.5 pounds and brought his blood sugar down to 104.
Arellano, excited about the weight he lost, said he was more pleased with the blood sugar count.
In order to make the lifestyle change needed to lose weight and become healthier, Arellano walked and lifted weights at the Garden City Recreation Commission's Wellness Center most days a week, and said he changed his eating habits.
"I didn't want to be on insulin," he said.
Arellano plans to continue his fitness regimen and said maintaining it without the support of his Corporate Meltdown teammates would be the hardest part.
As the challenge wrapped up Tuesday night, Linda Beech, Finney County Extension agent, announced participants had lost a total of 1,244.5 pounds during the challenge.
In 10 years, participants have lost a total of 8,304.5 pounds.
Meltdown teams had the option of participating in a challenge for total weight lost or percentage of body fat lost.
Designated Dieters, a team made up of Tammy Weilert, Silvester Guebara, Tiffany Guebara, Juan Arteaga and Hillary Arteaga lost a total of 108.5 pounds, and won the total pounds lost category.
Weilert lost 31 pounds and said she did it by cutting calories and walking at the GCRC Wellness Center.
"I'm very competitive. I wanted to beat everyone and lose more than my teammates, too," Weilert said.
Weilert has participated in Corporate Meltdown before and was on the winning team last year. She said she always continues her fitness routine, but gains a little bit of weight back after each meltdown session ends.
"If I keep up what I'm doing for the next two years," I'll be at my ideal weight, she said.
Second-place in total pounds lost went to the team Heavy Duty Lenders, a team of five who lost 93 pounds.
Percentage lost winner was Pizza Hut, with a 14.6 percent loss. Second-place went to Drug Divas with a 10.2 percent loss.
Teams weighed in Tuesday at the GCRC and once again did the flexibility tests, blood sugar tests and a blood pressure check.
Although a few participants weren't satisfied with their results, Beech said most teams had lost weight.
Beech said even if people didn't change their diets, if they started exercising, most saw a change in percentage of body fat.
She said participants who had the most positive results changed eating habits and exercised more.
"It's always fun when you do what you're supposed to and see results you're supposed to see," Beech said.
Each week, team members participated in weekly meetings held on Tuesday nights. Topics of the meetings included eating healthy, watching blood sugar, optimizing exercise and tips for weight loss.
Corporate Meltdown was hosted by the Finney County Research and Extension Center, Garden City Recreation Commission, Southwest Kansas Diabetes Control Program, Garden City Community College, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, along with fitness centers in Garden City and Holcomb.
Each participant in Corporate Meltdown received a free pass to use any fitness center in Garden City and Holcomb, including the Garden City Family YMCA, GCRC, Holcomb Recreation Commission, Coyote's Family Fitness, and the Garden City Community College Aerobic SuperCircuit.
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