RSSKeeping weight off the bigger challenge
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Competitors in a weight-loss competition between Yakima and Yuma, Ariz., are trimming down, but will they keep the pounds off once the eight-week contest is over?
About 90 percent of people in such contests return to the way they were before in no time, said Yakima heart doctor Dave Krueger.
Citing research, he said those that do keep the weight off have undergone a lifestyle change that includes about four hours of exercise a week, and eating large breakfasts, medium size lunches and small dinners.
"Those things are significantly proven to keep the weight off," he said.
Meanwhile, contestants in dozens of teams in both cities are watching what they eat, hitting aerobic classes and lifting weights.
The contest between the two cities launched Oct. 24 after a for-profit online newsletter -- QualityHealth.com -- ranked Yakima as the eighth fattest city in the country and Yuma the second. The contests ends Dec. 19.
Both cities formed official teams that included mayors from both places. In addition, various companies and individuals formed auxiliary teams.
The latest results show the official Yuma team has lost a total of 47 pounds, a 2.5 percent decrease in overall weight, while the Yakima team lost 36 pounds for a 2 percent decrease.
Results from this week's weigh-ins were not immediately available for all teams Friday.
Either way, the real challenge to keep extra pounds off will come once the competition ends, contest organizers said.
That challenge is more than what and how much is eaten and the amount of exercise. It can involve who you socialize with regularly, Krueger said.
Studies have shown who you hang around with can influence your weight, he said.
"Obesity is infectious," he said.
But there are some methods people found useful in staying committed to keeping the pounds off.
Once reaching a weight-loss goal, a person needs to develop future goals to keep going, said James Hatley, manager of Anytime Fitness in Yakima.
"You've got to keep setting goals to keep that, whether it be a weight goal, body fat goal, the number of times working out in a week goal," he said.
At the YMCA in Yakima, where the contest is being facilitated, a computer program that tracks a person's physical activity sometimes helps them keep going, said YMCA Health and Fitness Manager Laura Menke.
"Actually they can record anything they do, mowing the lawn, swimming, aerobics," she said.
Incentives such as free T-shirts are offered to people who reach certain goals, she said.
Other tactics, such as working out in group settings, forming a health conscious social network, also help, she said.
"And if you miss a couple of days and come back, everyone is like 'Where have you been?'" she said. "It's kind of a guilt trip so you don't want to miss."
For contestant Evie Thompson of Yakima, it's a complete lifestyle change that she has undergone, not just a competition.
Before entering the contest, she had lost 40 pounds by eating healthier and exercising. She hopes to shed another 40 pounds.
But she said it's also a spiritual quest to improve her health. She describes herself as an emotional eater, and has formed a network of friends to help her deal with her emotions rather than using food.
Since the start of the competition, she's dropped another seven pounds. A devout Christian, she says she prays before each meal and assesses whether she's eating to fill an emotional or physical need.
It's hoped people will walk away from the contest with a firm commitment to live healthier, something that sometimes can be tough in a life filled with busy schedules, Menke said.
"They need to schedule time out for themselves, making their health a priority," she said.
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