For Amy Kelley losing weight and keeping it off has always been a struggle. She hopes to make the process a little easier for herself and others as she kicks off the Chattanooga Biggest Loser program this January.
“I love ‘The Biggest Loser’ show and always wanted to do something like that without having to leave my family,” she said.
Instead of going on the show, Kelley decided to bring the show to the Chattanooga Valley by organizing a 12-week Biggest Loser program for friends and other locals interested in losing weight. Each week participants will weigh in, receive prize money if they have lost the highest percentage of weight, participate in a group exercise session with a local trainer and meet afterward in a session lead by Kelley to discuss frustrations and tips.
“It will be kind of like an A.A. [Alcoholics Anonymous] meeting for people who struggle with losing weight,” she said of her sessions.
The exact location and meeting time are yet to be determined, but Kelley said sessions will probably take place either Monday or Tuesday evenings.
Program entry costs $100 per person and will go toward the weekly prizes and the grand prize of $500-$1,000 for the Chattanoogan named the biggest loser.
Kelley said she hopes the accountability of the program and the monetary motivation will encourage people to participate and have success.
“I think people tend to cheat more on their exercise programs or not follow through on a diet when they do it on their own,” she said. “But with this program everyone will be able to tell that you’ve cheated when you step on that scale.”
The program, which will most likely start the first week of January, will also hopefully help build long-lasting relationships between the participants, Kelley said.
“Though this will be a competition, we hope to also make friends and share weight loss tips and advice,” she said. “We hope that some real camaraderie will be formed among people who all have the same thing in common.”
Biweekly challenges that incorporate exercise in a fun way, like an obstacle course, will also be part of the program.
The citywide competition is being sponsored by New Balance of Chattanooga.