By Bob Fenske
Tribune News Editor
They came together for the first time with plenty of goals — lose weight and get into shape and learn how to “eat healthy on the run” just to name a few — in mind.
And the 18 participants in the 2010 Big Loser program were more than ready to go.
“It is exciting to see your enthusiasm,” said Chickasaw Wellness Complex Director Shellie Gebel, whose facility helps sponsor the annual program.
“You’re going to work hard, learn a lot ... but best of all, trust me, you’re going to get a lot of support from the community.”
Other sponsors include New Horizons-Chamber, Mercy Medical Center-New Hampton and the New Hampton Tribune.
The program is patterned after the television show “The Biggest Loser” and will run through the end of May.
Although the program is competitive — the winner is decided by who loses the highest percentage of weight — Gebel said one of the benefits of the program is the camaraderie that comes with being a part of the Big Loser group.
“If you talk to the people who did this last year,” Gebel said, “I guarantee you they will tell you one of the reasons they felt it was successful is because they were able to talk to each other and bounce ideas off of each other.”