Proud to be a 'loser'
PEAK Health and Wellness Center celebrated the victories of its latest Biggest Loser challenge contestants during an awards ceremony Tuesday in the Hagadone Event Center. The top "losers," left to right: Jeffrey West, Kaci Medlock, Krista Brookes, Chris Howell, David Gorringe and Daniel Keith. (Courtesy photo)
PEAK Biggest Loser contestants Paul Grady, left, and Jeremy Adams enjoy the awards ceremony Tuesday in the Hagadone Event Center. The event celebrated the accomplishments of those who completed the challenge. (Courtesy photo)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
Eight weeks and nearly 25 pounds later, Chris Howell is proud to be PEAK Health and Wellness Center's biggest "loser."
"I've battled weight my whole life. I was really an overweight child," Howell, 59, of Coeur d'Alene, said Friday. "This is really a success story for me."
Howell was honored as the first-place female for the Coeur d'Alene location and overall winner of PEAK's recent Biggest Loser weight loss challenge during an awards ceremony Tuesday evening at the Hagadone Event Center.
After two months of conscientious meal planning and a consistent schedule filled with workout classes and routines, Howell shed 24.2 pounds and 8.8 percent body fat.
She said her team and trainers were keys to her motivation, as well as how she felt as she started to see the pounds come off.
"My goal was to lose 10 pounds," Howell said. "I lost 10 pounds about halfway through."
Eating fish and low-carb vegetables were critical to her success, but she said everyone's path to a leaner, healthier body is different.
"When you diet and food journal, you notice your bad behaviors and realize some foods are trigger foods," she said. "Until you’re honest with yourself, you don't know what those problems are."
Howell was one of 300 Biggest Loser competitors in the combined challenge between the Coeur d'Alene, Hayden and Post Falls centers. More than 82 percent of those who signed up completed the challenge.
"It is by far our best program that we run at any one of the clubs," said PEAK owner Gary Retter. "It builds such a great atmosphere. There's so much camaraderie."
Howell said when her name was announced at the awards banquet, she was shocked. She viewed herself as an underdog and knew others were also working hard to reach their fitness goals.
"I was like, 'Really? You're kidding me,'" she said with a chuckle. "It was exciting to be a part of it. I was already a winner; I didn't need to win anything. I'm certainly grateful."
She was awarded the grand prize of a $3,500 trip to wherever her heart desires, on top of the other incentive prizes and cash she won for being the first-place female of the Coeur d'Alene center.
"For the trainers, the testimony of having all those people finish that started is really huge," said Coeur d'Alene club manager Lindsay Cantrell. "The best part about it is seeing the friendships that come out of it and the things you have to try."
Top contestants of the PEAK Biggest Loser challenge:
Coeur d'Alene club
First Place Female: Chris Howell — 24.2 pounds and 8.8 percent body fat
First Place Male: David Gorringe — 43.2 pounds, 6 percent body fat
Hayden club
First Place Female: Krista Brookes — 33.4 pounds, 4.6 percent body fat
First Place Male: Daniel Keith — 29.2 pounds, 5.5 percent body fat
Post Falls club
First Place Female: Kaci Medlock — 24.5 pounds, 4.8 percent body fat
First Place Male: Kevin Davis — 46 pounds, 7 percent body fat