BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal Janice Combs, from center clockwise, Lydia Williams, Kathleen Raiche, Shannon Leddy and Anna Herring get ready for the Great American Weight Loss Challenge at International Pharmacy in Carson City on Thursday. Sign ups for the challenge are due Monday.
Shannon Leddy says she and her friends are big fat losers, and she doesn't care who knows.
"That's phat with a P-H," she said from her office at Pharmacy International in Carson City. "We're printing up shirts that say it."
Fat loss has become the top priority for Leddy and nine of her friends.
They're one of 28 teams that have registered for the Great American Weight Loss Challenge II, a nine- week, city-wide competition set to begin Sept. 18.
Annette Luis, representative for the event's sponsor HealthSmart, said she's hoping 200 teams will sign up by Monday's registration deadline.
"We've got a pretty diverse group so far," she said.
People don't have to belong to a team to sign up or get a sponsor, and dozens of people are doing it alone, she said.
Leddy's team of five co-workers, one of their sisters, a daughter and two friends from Gardnerville has already begun working out and cutting back calories and carbs.
"There's one skinny girl we almost didn't let join," Leddy said. "But she's serious about losing 10 pounds."
Leddy said she feels more motivated with a team supporting her, keeping tabs on her progress and intercepting her temptations.
The women have a weakness for the catering truck that stops outside their office every weekday, she said, but the spirit of competition should keep their hands off the tacos and hamburgers.
"I don't know what we're gong to do about all of the ice cream that's still in the freezer," she said. "I guess we should keep it for the guys."
Leddy would like to lose 50 pounds, but nine weeks doesn't give her enough time to do it in a healthy way.
"I think 20 pounds is a more realistic goal," she said.
The Big Phat Losers have committed to working out in the gym together five days a week, while their diets will vary. Some will do Weight-Watchers, a few will cut carbohydrates, and others will count calories.
The event will culminate with the Victory Celebration on Nov. 19 at the Nevada Appeal on Mallory Way.
Awards and prizes will be presented to teams that lose the most collective weight in three categories.
To register a team or as an individual for the Great American Weight Loss Challenge II, call HealthSmart at 885-1728, or enroll online at www.healthsmartcarson.com.
The registration fee is $50 for every sponsor and $5 per person.
HOW TO ENROLL
• To enroll or help with Great American Weight Loss Challenge II, call HealthSmart at 885-1728, or e-mail W8Loss@healthsmartcarson.com. The deadline is Monday.
• The official kickoff will be Sept. 18. The program runs for nine weeks.
• The Great American Weight Loss Challenge II is sponsored by HealthSmart, a nonprofit organization working to enhance the health, well-being and quality of life in Carson City.
• Organizers want to enroll 200 teams and 2,000 participants who together will lose more than 10,000 pounds; a 20 percent increase over the 8,288 pounds lost last year.
Contact Robyn Moormeister at rmoormeister@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.
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