Win prizes, self-esteem in Weight Loss Challenge

By Aaron Urbanski

Photo by Aaron Urbanski--Chris Deans, from Hemingford, completes his final rep of flies on Jan. 23. The Cushing Facility is open from Mondays thru Thursdays from 7:00am - 6:00pm and Fridays from 7:00am-4:00pm.

It could be time to spend $10 on yourself and begin the new year on track to a healthier weight and regular exercise.

That’s a bargain for many carrying around a few unwanted pounds from the endless sheets of sugar cookies and slices of pumpkin pie. That’s why Bryce Abbey and the Health and Wellness Department are teaming up with campuses across Nebraska and Iowa to give UNK employees and students a chance to get back on track with a healthy balance of diet and exercise.

Bryce Abbey

“The Employee and Student Weight Loss Challenge is an Internet-based program where the individual will log his or her weight and total amount of physical activity for the week,” said Abbey, who coordinates the Employee and Student Health and Wellness programs and is the assistant director of the Human Performance Lab located in Cushing Coliseum.

Each participant can choose to complete the challenge alone or compete alongside fellow UNK friends and family on teams ranging from 2-10 people. “The goal is to get people active and develop better exercise habits and healthy choices,” Abbey said. “We’re trying to help people build themselves into better habits. Once they reach their weight loss goals, we’ve seen people start feeling better about themselves and more confident in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

The program’s three years of success speaks for itself. “The program has been able to successfully help 149 participants lose a total of 854 lbs and log over 600,000 minutes of physical activity,”  Abbey said. But the benefits don’t end there.

Upon registration individuals will receive a free T-shirt, a one year subscription to a variety of promotional magazines through the program, and access to many helpful dieting and exercise tools available through the Live Healthy Nebraska website. Every participant recording a minimum of 5 percent body fat loss will be entered into a drawing to win either an Apple iPad or a Kindle Fire. In addition, those who log a total of at least 2,000 minutes of physical activity through the Live Healthy Nebraska website will also be entered into a statewide raffle for an Apple iPod Touch.

The cost of the program may be the greatest benefit of all. Participants can register for the 100-day program for only $10 now that the 5,000 $5 coupons are allocated.To register for the Live Healthy Nebraska Weight Loss Challenge, visit www.livehealthynebraska.org. Then enter the UNK corporate code between now and the first week of February.

Employees participating in the challenge will be required to visit the UNK Human Performance Lab for their initial weigh-ins beginning Jan. 23 and 24. Students will not be required to visit the HPL for initial weigh-ins, but will instead use the “honor system” and can enter their weights from home.

For more information, Abbey can be contacted via email or telephone at  865.8177 or at wellness@unk.edu.

Category: Sports