Last Call for Season 2 of the Biggest Little City Losers!

Today is the last day to throw your hat in the ring for Season 2 of the Biggest Little City Losers!

If you’ve got 50 pounds or more to lose and you want to connect with a great group of like-minded, motivated people facing similar challenges, join us! As a group we lost more than 400 pounds last season, with many members shedding more than 30 pounds (while gaining lots of new strength and energy) and going on to do things like rock climbing and mountaineering and kayaking and biking…things they never thought they’d do again.

Here’s what contestants from Season 1 had to say:

“For the first time I enjoyed, not dreaded, going to the gym because I saw friendly faces there. Members became friends! Group events and meetings kept us motivated and energized. We experimented with different classes and activities outside of the gym. We became educated and what we learned, we shared with the others on our group network. The support was amazing! Now, I feel like I am capable of doing things I’ve never imagined because my weight was holding me back”

- Shannon

“I started out very tired and unable to finish an entire class without being completely winded. Now, I can run several laps around the track and I can finish an entire class plus still have energy left for some racquetball with friends. This group has put me in contact with some truly amazing people that I would have otherwise never had the privilege of meeting. Many of these new friendships have carried over outside the gym, helping me to keep up my healthy habits and get together for fun activities. This has turned out to be the best decision for me!”

- Angela

“Losing 30 pounds over the last six months, after having little to no success at it for about 20 years, is testament to the power of this group. The people are amazing, the gym has been so welcoming and friendly, and I’m constantly amazed at all the new stuff I and other members have been able to do and enjoy now. I’m definitely on board for Season 2!”

- Tee

If you’re ready to make some big, long-lasting changes to your life, email us at biggestlittlecitylosers@gmail.com and we’ll get you all set up. But we gotta hear from you today!

And the winner is…

Tee! With 31 pounds and 12.4% body weight gone since January 1st. Followed closely by Kelley, Shannon and Bryan, who all lost more than 10% body weight during the competition. Congratulations to everyone who participated, and many thanks to everyone who stuck it out for the whole six months! That’s an achievement itself, and one worth rewarding.

Stay tuned for the next season of Biggest Little City Losers!

BLCL “Season 2″ is open for new contestants!

Want to be part of the group that lost more than 400 pounds during the first half of 2010? Want to meet, support and work out with other people who have at least 50 pounds to lose? Want to have fun with fitness challenges geared toward your fitness level, learn from nutrition and fitness experts, win prizes for your progress, and enjoy a state-of-the-art gym facility with great trainers where you can feel comfortable getting in shape?

It’s yours for just $30/month! ($25 for gym membership, $5 contest dues)

Come join us for the second season of Biggest Little City Losers, and have a great time getting in shape with new friends. Many of our members from last season went on to do things they haven’t done in 10, 20 years or more (or ever!) – like long bike rides, hikes, marathons, finally shopping in the juniors section, kayaking/canoeing, even summitting mountain peaks. It’s been amazing!

Alumni members will be involved, too, to help shed light on how they did it (it’s not as complicated as the weight loss industry wants you to believe), what they learned and how their lives have changed.

We’ve loved the results, and we’d love to have you on board for the next round! The only rules are:

1) you must be at least 18 years of age

2) no artificial/chemical/supplemental weight loss products allowed, all efforts must be related only to healthy exercise and eating habits

3) you agree to do your part to promote a healthy, supportive environment for our members

4) you must attend at least one official BLCL meet-up a month

That’s it!

Interested? Send an email to biggestlittlecitylosers@gmail.com and we’ll send over more info on signing up. Hurry, we’re getting started the first week of July, and new sign-ups will close when we reach 50 members.

The Final Stretch

Folks, we are down to 12 core members competing for the grand prize. We’ve seen some incredible progress, including five members who have lost more than 25 pounds in less than six months, and several more who have hit the 20 lb mark this month. As we begin the home stretch of our last 30 days of the competition, those of us who remain are working hard to finish strong. Final weigh-in will be held on Saturday, June 26, at South Reno Athletic Club…and the tension is high. Stay tuned for results!

March Madness

March was a bumpy month for a lot of the group, in large part because of the natural ebbs and tides of a six-month long commitment. We saw two members removed for non-participation (putting us at 26 active members), smaller losses this month than in January and February, and even some gains. Oops!

But there seems to be serious solidarity among members in the kicking of April’s butt, and we’re getting ready to huddle to bang out April’s playbook and get everyone back on track.

Many thanks to Whole Foods Market in Reno for sponsoring March’s prize, a $100 gift card that went to Bryan W. for the largest percentage of body weight lost this month. Congratulations, Bryan!

Can the rest of us bring it in April? Stay tuned!

What a weigh-in!

So today was the big day: our official 30-day weigh-in. I admit I was a little apprehensive getting ready. But my husband and I packed up the kids and headed to the gym, signed the kids into the gym’s daycare center, then started looking around for fellow contestants. We found a couple of others and all decided to do a quick work out before the weigh-in…maybe it would better our chances on the scale!

Just before 9:30 we met up with the rest of the group by the dreaded scale upstairs. One by one people jumped on the scale, and most were excited about their results! Watching my fellow “losers” were losing pound after pound, I got up the nerve and jumped on myself. After standing there for a little while, I realized that I actually had to move the little markers down for my weight. So I did it, and I loved the results. I lost 16lbs in 30 days! I was so jazzed I think I actually jumped off the scale!

We waited as everyone got their results, and I couldn’t wait to hear how my husband did. When it was his turn to step up, he did even better than I did: he lost 20lbs! A few members didn’t lose as much as they’d hoped, but everyone encouraged them to keep going and reminded them that when we’re building muscle, too, sometimes the scale doesn’t reflect accurate progress. (When I say that our group has a bond like no other, that’s what I mean: everyone banded around and encouraged anyone who felt disappointed.)

Most of the group decided to stay for our Total Body Conditioning class with Brie, a cute SRAC trainer who volunteers to torture us every Saturday morning. I think she does it for the enjoyment of watching us struggle through it (not really, she is an awesome instructor). We got through our class and as usual, took a beating in it. But we left feeling accomplished and excited to see what the new month will bring!

- Maria

Member voted out, group feeling changes for the better

The Biggest Little City Losers January mid-month meeting was held tonight at South Reno Athletic Club, where we discussed changes we’re experiencing (from confidence boosts to energy levels to newfound interests in exercise), upcoming challenges, and made a decision to vote out a member of the group who hadn’t participated since we began – leaving us with a solid 34.

We’re just five days away from weigh-in. The winner this month will receive a great prize package from discount indie bookstore, Grassroots Books. Stay tuned!

Two weeks down, 23 to go

Is that some long-lost definition I see beginning to re-emerge?

You wouldn’t know by watching and listening to us when we meet at the gym that we’ve only known each other for barely a couple of weeks. Friendships are being forged, workout partners are hooking up to support each other, sub-groups for boot camps and athletic classes are taking shape around interests. This project has taken on a life of its own, and some days I feel like I get my workout in just trying to keep up. I’ll take it!

We’ve got some hardcore members who’ve grabbed the bull by the horns, to use a terrible cliche, and are still hitting the gym just about every day, pounding it out, sticking to routine, pushing through the urge to let up or take a break. But for many of us, the honeymoon of the hyper-energized first week is over, and that weighted sense of hard work and long-term commitment has kicked in.

We don’t have a Jillian Michaels hovering over us, pushing us on (or a contract that says we have to or face legal action, for that matter) and so that motivation has to come from within, and from each other. And we’re workin’ it. I’m VERY encouraged that there’s only been one day of the past 14 that I’ve walked into South Reno Athletic Club and not run into at least one or two of our 35 members there working out at the same time, and several members have walked away from the scale smiling this week. Let’s keep it up!

Check back in a few days to see how our group’s exclusive Beginner’s Total Body Workout class with hardcore SRAC trainer, Brie, goes this Saturday. Wish us luck!

Off to a great start!

Just six days into our challenge and it already feels like we’ve all known each other for months. I’ve been to the gym every day this week so far, and never fail to see someone else from our group there, and I definitely notice I stick around for a longer workout when I’ve got somebody else I know doing it. The same seems to be true for most of us in the group, and I anticipate some big successes here over the next several months.