Weight-loss competitors losers and proud

Freshman Augustus Bennett is a loser and he couldn't be any happier.

The communications and soon-to-be theatre major won UCF's Biggest Loser program on April 20 by .4 pounds.

"I wasn't expecting this at all," said Bennett, who lost a total 25.8 pounds during the 12-week weight loss competition. "I'm competitive, but when it [came] to some of the challenges, I'm not the strongest, so I didn't think I was going to be the biggest loser."

The final day of the program included weigh-ins, physical challenges and the announcement of the teams' results.

Though Bennett, a member of the Gold team, was the individual who lost the most weight, the Black team lost the most as a whole with a combined total of 135.5 pounds.

Junior business administration major and member of the Black team Svetlana Nechayeva lost a total 25.4 pounds over the 12-week period.

"I think the program has been great," Nechayeva said. "It's too bad it's over."

Nechayeva originally discovered the program when she was browsing the classes available at the Recreation & Wellness Center.

"I knew I was overweight,"  Nechayeva said. "I didn't feel well and I kept getting sick. I got tired of it finally and decided to do something about it."

She said one of the most difficult parts of the whole process was changing her eating habits.

"I know that potatoes are evil because every time I eat even a small piece of potato it shows on the scales," Nechayeva said.

Cutting out potatoes was just one of the sacrifices Nechayeva knew she had to make because her teammates were depending on her.

"I learned to love broccoli,"  Nechayeva said, with a laugh.

This semester's program marks the third year that the RWC has offered their version of the popular TV show during the spring.

Bennett, Nechayeva and the other 14 students who participated in the program lost a combined total of more than 230 pounds.

To do this, each team met with their trainers for workout sessions twice per week and they also participated in team challenges once each week.

The final challenges day included a keg toss, shuttle runs and tug of war.

The Gold team won the tug of war challenge with sophomore accounting major Patrick Gardner leading the team by chanting much like a coxswain.

Gardner, who said his biggest challenge was team work, has since learned that the challenges take a team effort.

"You can do as great as you want, but you have to make sure they're doing a great job too and that you're pushing them also," Gardner said.

In addition to pushing his teammates, Gardner — who has always considered himself a self-motivator — still had to push himself.

"There were days at six o'clock in the morning when I did not want to wake up for this," said Gardner, who recommends sticking with the program despite the early morning workouts.

Trainer for the Black team Chris McGill became accustomed to his team occasionally groaning at the earliness of the workouts.

McGill, who served as a trainer in the program last year, said building morale that early in the morning can be difficult.

"I come in and I'm all wired," said McGill. "It's hard to pick up eight people sometimes."

Someone he didn't have to pick up was Black team member Courtney Chesher.

The junior legal studies major walked on to the field more than ready to go.

"I'm ready," said Chesher. "I prayed. I prayed to a higher power."

Chesher, who lost a total of 20.8 pounds, is now able to run a 5K in an average amount of time.

"I never thought that I would run a 5K, even if it took me five hours, I never thought I would run a 5K," said Chesher.

Chesher said she plans on continuing with personal training and hopes to lose 20 pounds this summer.

"It seems intimidating at first … but it's really worth it."