Teachers aim to encourage healthy eating through “Biggest Loser challenge”
by KERRY MULIA
Trying to adopt a new lifestyle, Physical Education teacher Amber Ackerman started the Biggest Loser Challenge to motivate teachers to lose weight and be conscious about their eating habits.
Ackerman began the challenge last year to help jump-start her healthy lifestyle.
“For me personally, I wanted to start eating right and losing weight to get in shape and the other teachers wanted to do it as well,” explains Ackerman. “I feel like it’s important for the teachers to be aware about their health. “
The challenge began April 22 and will be continuing for eight weeks. Teachers will be weighing every Wednesday to check their progress. Calculations for the weigh-in are done by body fat percentage, due to the fact that men lose weight more quickly as well as people who are heavier to begin.
Nine teachers are participating in the challenge. Being the only male teacher to take part in the challenge, Peter Murashige faces the competition head-on.
“I have 220 reasons why I started this. I did it because I’m trying to find a different motivation,” said Murashige. “By publicly saying I need to cut some weight, it’s added a new dimension of pressure.
Murashige plans to walk and swim to help lose weight; his wife Susan is also encouraging him to eat healthier. Ackerman is giving meal plans to the teachers who are participating, to help them jump-start their diets. The meal plans includes consuming lots of protein, vegetables and hours of when to eat.
Teachers are still welcome to participate, despite beginning two weeks late. The last weigh-in will be June 3, and the winner be announce on that day as well.
Ackerman hopes that this challenge gives a message to teachers as well as students to be conscientious about what they are eating and to start incorporating more healthy foods in their diets.