Become the winner by being the biggest loser.

The Biggest Winner: You Gotta Lose It to Win It competition hits campus.

The Health Education Resource Center has created a competitive program, The Biggest Winner, based off the NBC television series The Biggest Loser.

For those not familiar with the series, participants go though a lifestyle change over a period of time by introducing a healthy eating plan, exercise and learning self-control.

Eastern’s version is similar to the television series.

The Biggest Winner program is a ten-week lifestyle-changing program, which combines nutrition and physical activity requirements for participants to engage in.

Participants are required to complete eight weeks of workouts at least three days per week and to attend eight nutrition presentations or programs through the 10 weeks.

Also required is attending Tuesday night meetings.

Participants have the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with a nutritionist to discuss their eating habits and learn what can be changed to help obtain a healthy lifestyle.

“The program is designed for all Eastern Illinois University students, faculty, and staff,” said nutrition education coordinator Dawn Wilcox. “To qualify for the program you must be willing to making a lifestyle change.”

All participants are kept confidential and are known only by a participant number that is received at registration.

The meeting held Monday was the last informational meeting before the competition officially starts.

The information provided includes: sizing up your servings, nutrition tips and a pocket guide to eating out.

Times for presentations and programs vary but are a required part of the competition. Some topics for these covered sessions include: Why we eat the way we do, portion size distortion and getting the most out of your workout.

The Biggest Winner male and female is determined by the greatest percent loss of body fat, and the most presentation and workout sessions attended.

“It is a ten-week program that will show beginning results that should be continued, as the program is only part of an entire lifestyle change,” Wilcox said.

The winners will be announced at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Martinsville Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Students and faculty members may still join the program until Friday at 4 p.m. by registering with Dawn Wilcox in Health Services.

Sophmore finance major Jasmine Montiel tests her pulse outside of the Martinville room in Martin Luther King, Jr. Union Monday afternoon. Eastern thought of the “Biggest Winner” from the NBC show “The Biggest Loser.”

(more…)