Fourth Trim to Win challenge kicks off

Frontiersman staff

MAT-SU — After all the options have been weighed, dozens of Valley residents are on a mission to become a little lighter in their loafers over the next three months.

Along with partners Mat-Su Health Foundation, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and AT&T Sports Center, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman’s fourth annual Trim to Win community weight loss challenge is underway. Competitors signed up online, at the sports center or newspaper office and weighed in prior to Monday’s official start.

For the next three months, neighbors hoping to see a little less of each other will work out, diet and exercise with the shared goal to become healthier and perhaps put some extra cash in their pockets at the same time. Trim to Winners who have lost the greatest percentage of body weight by the April 15 deadline could win $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third.

And like the first three Trim to Win challenges, this year’s promises lively and active community involvement online. Leading the charge is Frontiersman Marketing and Sales Director Robin Minard, who will blog about her highs and lows while doing Trim to Win.

In her first post on Monday, Minard says her “quest to improve my overall health begins today. I’m nervous about doing this so publicly, but I’m also feeling like this extra sense of accountability will help me achieve my goals.”

Brian Lampton led the way for a trio of Palmer residents who swept the top three Trim to Win places in 2010. Overall, they lost a combined 121.6 pounds, with Lampton dropping 52.8 pounds over 12 weeks, a little more than 19 percent of his body weight.

Although initially not motivated, Lampton said he turned that around by changing his eating habits 180 degrees and adding regular exercise to his daily routine.

“Oh, I gave up bread, pizza, pasta, beer — everything,” he said. “I woke up in the morning and ran 30 minutes on the treadmill, and after work I ran an hour.”

One of the more difficult sacrifices was the beer, he said.

“Yeah, that was pretty hard,” he said. “I love sports and my buddies were always drinking and going out. I had to cut that stuff down.”

Minard touts the “nice folks at the AT&T Sports Center,” who have already helped out by performing an overall fitness evaluation and working up a training plan. It’s help Minard said is a benefit of being the contest.

“They are offering a cool program to support Trim to Win participants,” Minard says. “It’s called New Year, New You Challenge, and it includes eight weeks of mentoring and coaching, nutrition advice … and tons of support.”

The classes start today at 5:30 p.m., so if you’ve already weighed it and signed up, call the sports center at 746-7529 for more information.

DETAILS

What: Trim to Win online community, including blogs, comments, community message board, recipes and more.

Where: frontiersman.com, click on the “Trim to Win” logo.

When: Contest runs through April 15.