Sign-ups are finished and teams are ready to begin the challenge. The Student Wellness and Recreation Center’s Biggest Loser competition is back.

Students, staff and faculty will be competing to become this semester’s “biggest loser.” Similar to the reality weight-loss show on NBC, contestants will be weighed weekly. The group weighing in with the highest percentage of total weight loss will be the week’s winner. The overall winner will be determined the same way.

Weekly winners earn prizes like free yoga classes, nutrition sessions and fitness assessments. All prizes can help contestants lose more weight.

Last semester about 70 people participated in the competition. This semester, 88 people are registered, said Pepsi Hutton, wellness coordinator at the rec center.

“It gives the person who has a goal to lose weight the chance to be held accountable,” Hutton said. “They don’t want to let their team down.”

The program will be similar to last semester’s Biggest Loser Competition, but elements have been added to challenge participants.

“We want to instill a little bit more competition this time,” Hutton said.

During the competition, contestants will have daily caloric intake and blood pressure screenings. Like last semester, contestants still receive weekly health tips and recipes, but they also have physical challenges. Teams will compete against each other at personal training sessions. Hutton hopes this will keep team’s motivation high during the middle of the competition.

Sylvia Johnson, a staff member at the developmental office, is participating in the competition for a second time. Although Johnson admits she did not lose a lot of weight, her team took second place in the competition last semester.

“I’m looking forward to losing a lot of weight this time,” Johnson said.

Jennifer Dolejs participated in the competition last semester as a student, and now she is trying it again as a staff member. Dolejs works in the development office at Kent State. Last semester, Dolejs lost 10 pounds in the competition. This time she is trying to lose more weight by pairing the Biggest Loser competition with a diet developed by Weight Watchers.

“It’s a little extra push,” said Dolejs about the competition. “You know you have to get on that scale so you can’t have that extra cheeseburger.”

Last semester Biggest Loser contestants had a total weight loss of 188 pounds. Hutton said this semester they are working towards the 200-pound mark.

Contact student recreation and wellness center reporter Erika Puch at [email protected].