Weight Loss Biggest Prize for Impact Challenge Winner

Weight Loss Biggest Prize for Impact Challenge Winner

by Cecilia Harris

When Lenece Anderes signed up for the Impact Sports and Fitness Weight Loss Challenge in Abilene, she was more interested in what she could lose – unwanted pounds - than the prize money she could win.

“I was turning 50 (years old) and this was the boost I needed to change some things,” says Anderes, who won $500 for being the individual with the highest percentage of weight loss in the eight-week Challenge. “Of course the money was a great incentive, but that wasn’t what I was out for, I was out to lose some weight.”

Also winning cash prizes were Susie Sexton, who placed second, and Teresa Hudson, who finished third.

More than 60 participants in the Weight Loss Challenge privately weighed in every week with their certified Impact personal trainer, who then led an hour-long group training session to improve physical fitness.

Lenece Anderes works out with a medicine ball and chair as part of a group training session during the Impact Sports and Fitness Weight Loss Challenge.

Although Anderes previously had taken group exercise classes at Impact Sports and Fitness as a non-member, she thought the Weight Loss Challenge would provide the inspiration she needed to lose pounds while introducing her to all the full-service fitness center offers to keep individuals physically active.

 “I really needed something to make me more accountable,” Anderes says. “I knew the right thing to do to lose weight and exercise, but I thought it would be good to weigh in weekly and I would pick up some pointers from the instructor.”

Anderes kickboxes a freestanding training bag with her Weight Loss Challenge group’s certified personal trainer, Maurice Flynn.

She praises Impact personal trainer Maurice Flynn with offering the encouragement and practical instruction that kept her motivated.

“He talked about doing five minutes fast on the treadmill or the elliptical (machines) and then one minute slow and that was new to me,” she says, referring to the current popular fitness trend called interval training.

Flynn also provided examples of additional exercises that could be done at home, such as using the stairs and lifting cans of soup or bags of sugar as weights. 

By adding weights, Anderes enhances her work out on the step.

Anderes worked out every day for at least 30 minutes to an hour, seven days a week, except for one week when her daughter had unexpected surgery.

“It was one week that I lost nothing, I didn’t gain and I didn’t lose (any weight),” she says. “I didn’t exercise three of the days and I attribute it to not exercising, not that I ate bad at all during that time. For three days I had no exercise and I had no weight loss and that pretty much made me think that hour a day (of exercise) is pretty significant.”

The individuals Anderes exercised with under Flynn’s leadership won the competition for the highest total percentage of weight lost among all groups.

During one Weight Loss Challenge group session, Anderes uses a medicine ball, weights and a step.

“My group was really a neat group, we were all very positive towards one another and supportive and it was really fun. I was a little bit hesitant about doing it in a group with people I didn’t know, but it was fun to see the results of the other people as well. Three of us out of our small group lost more than 20 pounds each.”

Now that the Challenge is over, Anderes continues to work out regularly using some of the exercises she learned in the group sessions.

Exercising with bands was a new concept Anderes learned during the Weight Loss Challenge.

“I try to incorporate some of the weights and some of the moves that Maurice introduced to us. I never did much with the bands before and that’s an easy one to pick up at the gym and do on your own. He introduced some things that I probably wouldn’t have tried to do without having a trainer.”

While the Weight Loss Challenge stressed increased physical exercise, Anderes chose to also address nutrition by altering her diet on her own. “I definitely watched my carbohydrate and sugar intake, I had more protein probably than I normally would have and, of course, a lot of vegetables.”

She says participating in the Challenge led to healthier foods in her refrigerator for her whole family, who despite at first being just a bit skeptical of her commitment really “got into” encouraging her weight loss efforts.

“I told them I’m going to do this, and then I said I’m going to win it and my kids looked at me like I had lost my mind,” she chuckles.

No one was laughing when she walked away with the top prize money, which she says she may spend on something fun: “I might try to skydive.”

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