To be a biggest loser, you have to make lifestyle changes. It has been harder to do for some of our participants than others.
"I feel like every week I say it's a stressful week, there's new stress every week, but it's not going to change any time soon so it's about dealing with it for the long term,” said Jean Jordan, of Old Saybrook.
It’s been an important lesson for the mother of three. In an effort to keep the training interesting, Jean's trainer, Jessica, is showing her something new this week.
"Today, I'm bringing Jean to crossfit. I just want to expose her to a bunch of different kinds of exercise before our time together is over,” Jessica Dean said.
The last weigh-in comes next week.
"Right now, for me it's about mental endurance and sticking with it no matter what because I know I'm on the right path,” Jean said.
Our nurse, Suzi Waters from Middletown, hit a milestone this week.
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"I hit 20 pounds today which was really a relief to get there,” said Suzi.
The weight hasn't come off quite as fast as she would have liked, but the results have been life changing.
"I have a lot more confidence in myself. I'm feeling happier. I just feel like I have this joy inside me that I kind of lost for a long time," she said.
It's joy that will push her forward in the future.
"What I can easily see her doing is continuing this on after the 12 weeks," Suzi’s trainer, Chris Arnold, said.
Elizabeth Szewczyk, of Enfield, hit a hurdle after last week's outdoor challenge.
"The pollen got into my lungs. I’m really asthmatic. (I) had a lot problems after the challenge," she said.
Her setback required a dose of steroid medication, which resulted in water retention, not a good thing when you’re trying to lose weight.
It slowed Elizabeth a bit, but didn’t keep her down.
"She's definitively very self motivated. I basically just lay the groundwork for her and she tackles the job,” her trainer, Eric Jutras, said.
Already, the work Elizabeth has put in has paid off.
"It's made me appreciate my life. It's made me realize the second part of your life can be even better," she said.
J.R. Reaves, of Farmington, also hit a bump in the road this week when his back gave out during a workout.
"We were in the boot camp doing medicine balls and I went down, came back up and something just snapped in my back and I fell down,” said JR.
J.R.'s trainer, Tyler English, thinks it happened because J.R.’s not drinking enough water.
"Tyler wants me (to drink) at least two gallons a day," said JR.
"He even said to me, I'm barely drinking any water, seven glasses of water in like 2 1/2 days,” said Tyler.
The diagnosis is a slipped disc. Now, J.R. has to rely on nutrition alone to drop the weight.
Weighing in this week Suzi was the biggest loser dropping three pounds. J.R. lost a half a pound. Elizabeth and Jean stayed the same weight.
Overall, Elizabeth remains the biggest loser, weighing in at 208 with a loss of 34 pounds.
Jean started at 272.8 and now weighs 249. It’s a difference of 23.8 pounds.
Suzi has lost 20 pounds and now weighs 234 pounds. J.R. weighs 402.2, a loss of nearly 19 pounds.
Now, just one more weigh-in to go.
