The Biggest Loser Challenge: GUWellness: Mind, Body, Soul

University Information Services has deployed five rounds of their version of The Biggest Loser contest within their department.  Participation has fluctuated, with 22 participants engaged in the current round of the competition.  Although not everyone in the department participates, even non-participants seem more conscious of their overall health, and many former contestants continue to excercise and eat well. 

The most weight lost by a single individual during a six-week contest was 15 pounds!  To level the playing field between men and women, UIS tracks percentage body weight lost and activity points earned, as opposed to just pounds lost.

Feel free to follow these simple steps to replicate the UIS version of this contest in your department.  You may also wish to form a departmental team and challenge another department in a group challenge.  Get creative, the possibilities are endless.

Simple Steps:

1. Identify and/or appropriate prizes for your winners.  Identify resources for participants to utilize in tracking their progress (i.e., www.sparkpeople.com).
2. Send out an announcement email, inviting members of  your department to participate.  Click here for an email template you can copy or modify.
3. Organize a kick-off event for participants to review the rules and weekly weigh-in guidelines.
4. Create, embellish or modify this sample activity points tracking system.  Track points earned in addition to pounds lost.
5. Hold weigh-ins on this first and final week of the competition (weekly weigh-ins can be on the honor system).
6. Announce winner at event celebrating the conclusion of the competition.

Special thanks to Jeremy Sarnovsky, Karen McNamara and Johanna Lund in UIS for sharing this great idea.  If you have questions about implementing this challenge, feel free to contact Johanna Lund at lundj@georgetown.edu.