Winners lose big in fitness competition
By Pamela Manson
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 05/12/2010 01:18:40 PM MDT
CLEARLINK puts its money where its mouth is.
In an effort to encourage better employee health and help the community, the Salt Lake City marketing firm paid $10 to the Utah Food Bank for each pound of fat lost and each pound of muscle gained by its employees during a 90-day fitness competition.
The results: Trimmer workers and a $2,520 donation to the food bank, which will use that money to buy $12,600 worth of food.
The food bank also benefited when CLEARLINK employees put their newly acquired muscle to work last week sorting donations and packing boxes. One of them was James Katsanevas, who won in two men's categories.
"I knew I was out of shape," said Katsanevas, who works in the marketing department. "It's nice to have motivation."
The contest began in January and had 30 participants -- most of them employees and the rest spouses or significant others -- who each put in $200. The money was divided among the men's and women's winners in the categories of lowest body fat; highest percentage of weight loss; and total change, measured by the most weight loss combined with the most muscle gain.
Katsanevas stuck to a strenuous workout plan and ate five small meals spread out during the day to drop 40 pounds of fat and gain two pounds of muscle. He lost 18.5 percent of his total weight and cut his body fat from 25 percent to 7.3 percent.
On top of his health change, Katsanevas won $2,800, which he used for renovations on his house. He admits to eating ice cream his first day off his diet but says that was an aberration. "I plan to keep it up in the future," Katsanevas said of his healthier lifestyle.
So does Cecile Allen, who lost just 2 pounds overall from her slender frame but dropped enough body fat -- from 12.9 percent to 7.4 percent -- to take a prize. Already active, she pursued a personal goal to cut back on sweets.
Her significant other, employee Adrian Lazo, also cut out refined sugars and ate beans and fruit as a carbohydrate source. He didn't win in any of the categories but his 20-pound weight loss was its own reward.
The competition added a sense of urgency, Lazo said. "Obviously, it was a great incentive," he said. CFO Adam Mergist, who lost 20 pounds, said the "positive peer pressure" helped everyone. Some are still working toward personal goals. Ted Roxbury, director of online media, got down to 12.4 percent body fat and wants to lower that number even more, to 10 percent.
Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank chief marketing officer, said the donation and help from the CLEARLINK employees were "phenomenal." The food bank is on track to give out 29 million pounds of food this year, she said.
CLEARLINK has an interest in having healthier employees but also wants to raise their awareness of community needs and the value of volunteer work, according to Bret Fitzgerald, vice president of business development. The fitness program will help workers even if they leave for other jobs, he said. "When they move on, we want them to be a better employee and a better person," Fitzgerald said.
