TCI’s ‘Biggest Loser’ wins big
WALNUT — Will Shane is 44 pounds lighter and $1,200 richer after winning TCI Manufacturing’s Biggest Loser competition.
Shane, who works in the engineering department, jumped out in front with the lead from the very beginning, according to Bev Lindsay, safety coordinator for TCI. He averaged a four pound weight loss per week, for a total loss of 44 pounds. The contest was based on the percentage of weight loss, with Shane reaching a 19.2 percent body weight loss.
Placing second was Steve Maynard, who works in the welding department. Maynard actually lost 45 pounds, one pound more than Shane, but Maynard’s percentage of weigh loss was 15.63 percent.
Coming in third place was Mat Pistole, from the assembly department. Pistole lost 31 pounds, which resulted in a 13.96 percent body weight loss.
The three men got together Wednesday to talk about the challenges and rewards of the competition.
The TCI employees said they’d all tried to lose weight before, but getting weighed each Friday with their co-workers was a big motivation to take this challenge seriously. The money was also a big motivation to do well, the men agreed.
To participate in the Biggest Loser competition, each person had to put $50 “into the pot. Nothing like money for a great incentive,” Lindsay said.
However, the TCI employees decided to take the money incentive one step further and ask their boss, Mike Maynard, if the company would match the fund, which the company did.
“Now we’re talking some serious money,” Lindsay said. “The news spread like wild fire. We had 12 people sign up. If you do the math, that was $600 and with the company match, that made it $1,200. That amount looked really good to all of the contestants. So our journey began.”
To get his weight loss started, Shane said he started exercising at home, going to the Metro Center, and doing lots of running. Plus he cut out sweets, fried foods and fast foods. When he started, he couldn’t run a couple blocks, but now he’s running seven or eight miles a day and competing in races.
Maynard said he also watched what he ate and started exercising. At first, he couldn’t run much more than a half mile, but now he’s worked up to four miles a day.
Pistole also watched what he ate and has also become a runner. Sometimes he’s up at 3:30 a.m. to run before work, and he runs after work as well. He’s planning on running in the Quad Cities Bix this summer.
In looking back at the TCI Biggest Loser challenge, Lindsay said the competition began with a New Year’s resolution and too many goodies during the Christmas holidays.
Three months later, the combined weight loss of all 12 contestants for the TCI challenge was 225 pounds, Lindsay said.
“That’s a whole person,” Lindsay said. “We celebrated on our final weigh-in day with pizza! Since Will was the winner, he bought pizza for all those who participated. Even if we didn’t win the money, we still came out winners.”
Several of the contestants are continuing their weight loss programs, Lindsay said.
“The challenge was a great incentive to get everyone motivated towards better health,” Lindsay said. “For those who think New Year’s resolutions can’t be achieved, I say take a look at TCI – we did it!”
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