La Costa Chiropractic is helping people get fit, live healthy and lose big through its Biggest Loser Contest, which kicked-off July 15.
About 30 people have entered the contest to see who can shed the most weight in three months. The finale will take place Oct. 14 when the Biggest Loser will be announced.
Dr. Michael Berry, director of La Costa Chiropractic, said the contest is a good fit for his clinic because losing weight improves overall health and those who are at their appropriate weight have decreased spinal stress.
“The contest is another way we can offer wellness benefits to our patients,” he said. “Everybody knows they need to lose weight and get fit through exercise. This motivates them to do it and holds them accountable.”
All of the contestants are either patients at La Costa Chiropractic or have undergone a consultation to ensure there are no medical reasons they shouldn't participate. No one pays to play so there aren't cash prizes, but the Biggest Loser will win a one-year membership to PureFitness.
Angela Lahe, the clinic's corporate wellness administrator, said the winner will be based on whoever loses the largest percent of weight over three months, not the number of pounds lost. She said each participant will work with a dietician, acupuncturist, massage therapist, natural supplement company, local gym and other fitness professionals who will offer free workshops throughout the contest.
“We're encouraging people to lose weight properly by eating healthy food and exercising,” Lahe said. “We're saying it's never too late to start over.”
Many of the contestants are trying to change their lifestyle by improving their health through diet and exercise.
Bill McGrath, 59, said he decided to do the contest because he put on too much weight after hip and knee replacement surgeries two years ago.
“As a culture, we wait for the dam to break before we fix it, we wait for an accident to occur before we put a stop light in, let's preclude that from happening by taking better care of ourselves,” he said. “I want to be around for my five kids.”
McGrath said he's not trying to win the contest, but to change the paradigms in his thinking. He explained that he never kept a food journal before, but now he does, which makes him think about what he's eating beforehand, and he's started regularly going to the gym.
Not all of the contestants share McGrath's attitude of not being in it to win it.
Patty Sasich, a self-described competitive person, said vying to be the Biggest Loser is part of the fun of it. She said the contest will keep her motivated to lose weight.
“You need everything you can get, all of the resources you can gather around you to be successful because it's really hard to lose weight,” Sasich added.
If this contest is a success, Dr. Berry said it will become an annual competition.
La Costa Chiropractic sees 100 to 150 patients each day. It is the busiest chiropractic office in San Diego County.
La Costa Chiropractic:
6986 El Camino Real, Ste. F, Carlsbad
(760) 438-9548
www.lacostachiropractic.com
About 30 people have entered the contest to see who can shed the most weight in three months. The finale will take place Oct. 14 when the Biggest Loser will be announced.
Dr. Michael Berry, director of La Costa Chiropractic, said the contest is a good fit for his clinic because losing weight improves overall health and those who are at their appropriate weight have decreased spinal stress.
“The contest is another way we can offer wellness benefits to our patients,” he said. “Everybody knows they need to lose weight and get fit through exercise. This motivates them to do it and holds them accountable.”
All of the contestants are either patients at La Costa Chiropractic or have undergone a consultation to ensure there are no medical reasons they shouldn't participate. No one pays to play so there aren't cash prizes, but the Biggest Loser will win a one-year membership to PureFitness.
Angela Lahe, the clinic's corporate wellness administrator, said the winner will be based on whoever loses the largest percent of weight over three months, not the number of pounds lost. She said each participant will work with a dietician, acupuncturist, massage therapist, natural supplement company, local gym and other fitness professionals who will offer free workshops throughout the contest.
“We're encouraging people to lose weight properly by eating healthy food and exercising,” Lahe said. “We're saying it's never too late to start over.”
Many of the contestants are trying to change their lifestyle by improving their health through diet and exercise.
Bill McGrath, 59, said he decided to do the contest because he put on too much weight after hip and knee replacement surgeries two years ago.
“As a culture, we wait for the dam to break before we fix it, we wait for an accident to occur before we put a stop light in, let's preclude that from happening by taking better care of ourselves,” he said. “I want to be around for my five kids.”
McGrath said he's not trying to win the contest, but to change the paradigms in his thinking. He explained that he never kept a food journal before, but now he does, which makes him think about what he's eating beforehand, and he's started regularly going to the gym.
Not all of the contestants share McGrath's attitude of not being in it to win it.
Patty Sasich, a self-described competitive person, said vying to be the Biggest Loser is part of the fun of it. She said the contest will keep her motivated to lose weight.
“You need everything you can get, all of the resources you can gather around you to be successful because it's really hard to lose weight,” Sasich added.
If this contest is a success, Dr. Berry said it will become an annual competition.
La Costa Chiropractic sees 100 to 150 patients each day. It is the busiest chiropractic office in San Diego County.
La Costa Chiropractic:
6986 El Camino Real, Ste. F, Carlsbad
(760) 438-9548
www.lacostachiropractic.com