Couple tackles Trim To Win challenge

MAT-SU — The Valley will be seeing much more of Jeremiah and Amber Bartz over the coming months, but the Palmer couple hopes to see much less of each other.

Readers of the Frontiersman recognize Jeremiah as the newspaper’s award-winning sports editor. In concert with his wife, the Bartzes are the faces of the 2010 Trim To Win weight loss challenge. In its third year, the community health initiative invites Valley residents to become more healthy and lose those unwanted pounds.

Leading the way, Jeremiah and Amber have agreed to share their Trim To Win experience online at frontiersman.com while uploading daily blogs, along with other community contributors, recipes and tips. By going public with their weight loss journey, the couple hopes to stay motivated.

“I suggested (we both participate) because I thought it would be an interesting twist on the contest,” Jeremiah said. “And with some of the popular weight loss shows, like “The Biggest Loser,” it seems to be a trend. The biggest thing is it’s nice to not have to do it by myself.”

Jeremiah lost 55 pounds in Trim To Win’s first year while Amber dropped about 40 pounds. This time around, their motivation is drawn from family.

“I have to say my kids are probably the biggest motivator,” Amber said. “Our oldest is 5 and the youngest just turned 1, so I want to make sure I’m there to watch it all.”

Her husband agrees, adding that, “I want to be around a long time for the kids.”

While they have each other for support — they will use the Weight Watchers point system as a diet guide — there are other benefits to being the faces of the 2010 contest. Also sponsored by the Mat-Su Health Foundation, AT&T Sports Center and Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the couple will work out at the sports center with the help of its personal training staff.

“I think that’s going to be really good for me, because it’s going to give me someone to really push me,” Amber said. “So, I’m going to take advantage of that. It’ll make me stick to it.”

Physical exercise is key, Jeremiah added. When he dropped 55 pounds in 2007, he worked out religiously at home.

“I’d like to at least match what I lost before, or if I could lose 75 pounds I’d be happy,” he said. “Last time I did that without a gym membership. I used my elliptical so much last time I broke it.”

Although the Bartzes will have help from the sports center, those who signed up for Trim To Win have another motivator — cash.

Whoever loses the most weight by body percentage will win $3,000, with $2,000 awarded for second place and $1,000 for third. That helped prompt about 240 people over the past two years to complete Trim To Win and lose a combined 4,235 pounds. Last year’s winner, Joseph Brock of Palmer, dropped more than 93 pounds in the three months of the contest.

Follow Jeremiah and Amber Bartz for the next three months, and even if you’re not a Trim To Win participant, Jeremiah has some advice.

“It’s really not as hard as it looks or sounds,” he said. “The hardest part is basically getting on track and getting started, changing your routine. With small changes, (losing weight) is possible.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.