Weigh to Lose

For the second year in a row, Washington Hospital has teamed with NBC4 to present the Weigh to Lose Challenge, helping local contestants lose weight and learn to live a healthier lifestyle. This year's four official contestants are:

March 2008	Contestant Bio	July 2008
	Marvelyn Fowler, 48, a social worker from Bowie, Md., who wants to help prevent illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, which run in her family. When asked about this challenge she stated: “I feel like at this time in my life I have the time, energy and desire to focus on my own health.”
	Judy McClimans, 49, a pre-school principal from Fairfax, Va., who hopes this contest will provide her with new ways to help improve her family's overall health. In particular, she is focused on her 12-year-old son, recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In addition, she has a personal goal: “On February 11, 2009, I will be 'Fit and 50'…not 'Fat and 50.'”
	Jim Preston, 51, a Southwest Airlines pilot from Alexandria, Va., who has been grounded since a heart attack in 2005. He hopes the contest will help him lose the weight and improve his fitness enough to get him back in the cockpit. His sense of humor keeps him focused, he says. “I'm tired of having a snack on the couch and being able to use my stomach as a TV tray. I'd rather have my spare tire in the trunk than around my waist.”
	Jenny Thompson, 34, a District Heights, Md., homemaker and mother of six children under the age of 10, whose busy schedule has made it challenging to incorporate good nutrition and exercise into her daily life. According to Jenny, she has always been overweight, but she says, “I am absolutely ready for a change and am resolved to live the rest of my life healthier!”
	In addition, one Washington Hospital Center employee is also participating in the contest in an unofficial capacity. He is: Joe Brothman, a 57-year-old administrator with Washington Hospital Center, who has had a lifelong struggle with weight and also had a heart attack in 1995. When he read about Metabolic Syndrome last fall, Joe realized he was at risk for developing not only this disorder, but possibly diabetes. “I knew right then that if I didn't do something, I would die sooner rather than later. I decided to take control.”

These four contestants are documenting their progress with updates twice a month until December 2008. The winner will be announced at the NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo in 2009!

The Weigh to Lose Campaign: You Can Be a Part of the Journey!

The goal of this campaign is to help the contestants – and everyone who follows along – learn how to “put food and fitness to work for better health” as they lose weight and get fit!

Click here to request a Weigh to Lose Kit, which includes:

• tips for healthy weight loss
• ideas for healthy eating on a budget
• ways to build exercise into a busy day,
• a "Power of Portion Control and Vital Vegetable" placemat, complete with sample meal plans, and
• a series of vegetable-friendly recipes for nutritious eating.

For a Healthy Meal Plan that meets your needs, visit the Weigh to Lose site on NBC4.com, and click on Meal Plans, or visit each individual contestant's page to see the unique meal plans developed just for them.

Click here for healthy recipes that are quick, easy to prepare and delicious.

Think you have all the “Facts on Fat”? Click here to take the Weigh to Lose Nutrition Quiz to see just how much you know about healthy eating and fitness.

Do you know the “Skinny on Heart Disease”? Click here to take the Weigh to Lose Heart Quiz to see just how much you know about weight, health and heart disease.