L&S Unscripted

All totaled the Lawrence & Schiller Biggest Loser contestants logged 9.25 million steps on their pedometers and lost 175 total pounds which is a 4.81% decrease in body weight.

Total Pedometer Steps:
- Jeremy Peters:  1,013,000
- Jeff Hanson:  979,011
- John Pohlman:  972,202
- Melody Morton:  888,756
- The Judge:  852,571

Percentage Weight Lost:
- Hanson:  14.18%
- Judge:  10.43%
- Pohlman:  10.28%
- Derek Soukup:  9.07%
- Courtney Lotzer:  7.77%
- Korena Keys:  6.03%
- Sarah Rindels:  4.55%
- Kevin Phipps:  4.43%
- Michelle Adrian:  4.35%
- Nikki Gronli:  4.14%

I hope you enjoyed this “tape-delayed” accounting of our Biggest Loser’s Contest which took place in January and February.  What began as a New Year’s resolution challenge from Media Strategist Korena Keys turned into something as spirited and fun as an office fantasy football league without the draft night health hazards. 

Most importantly, of course, Korena’s challenge also improved the health and well being of her teammates, including me.

Six months after the contest began I stepped into my doctor’s office for a regular checkup.  My parents left me with many blessings but low blood pressure and cholestoral are not among them.  This checkup found me 30 pounds lighter with a 50 point drop in total cholestoral and textbook blood pressure.  That was a great day to be a loser.

Thank you, Korena! 

- The Judge

In week 10:

- Jeff Hanson is mortal for one week.

- Jeremy Peters walks his way to a double win.

- Contestants seek Judge’s pre-ruling on drastic tactics for final week.

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, The Keg where “It’s All About the Deep Fat Fried Chicken” which is going smoke free on March 29.

In a week with no big losers Peters (1.45%) took top honors. He was followed closely by Molly Schenkel (1.32%), Courtney Lotzer (1.08%), Kristy Anderson (1.05%) and Derek Soukup (1.05%).

Lotzer continued her late charge into the competition for grand prize money awarded to the top three losers at the end of the contest. She has devised an aggressive strategy for the final week which has received The Judge’s approval. Like grandma always said, whatever doesn’t kill you just makes you stronger. Hanson’s slight gain combined with John Pohlman’s loss tightened the race for first place and Korena Keys moved up one position. Standings to date are: Hanson (11.78%), Pohlman (9.27%), The Judge (7.75%) Soukup (7.60%), Lotzer (7.09%), Keys (5.46%) and Nikki Gronli (5.26%).

Hanson and Gronli’s exit from the Judge’s Club (no weight gains in any week) leaves only three members: Keys, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

In the footstep race Peters (154,734) became only the second contestant to break the 150,000 barrier which is roughly a 2.5 hour per day commitment over 7 days. Pohlman (104,123) turned in his first century mark. This week’s additional members of the 10,000-steps-per-day club were The Judge (85,060), Soukup (80,475), Hanson (78,147) and Sarah Rindels (76,261).

The Keg Deep Fat Fried Watch  for the final week:

Will Gump hold off Sparky for the top prize?

Will Lotzer’s strategy propel her into the money?

Who will be the biggest loser on the final week?

Reset your pedometers and let the final week begin.

-The Judge

In week nine:

- Courtney Lotzer wins back-to-back
- Jeff Hanson’s pedometer addiction reaches insane new high
- Only two more weigh-ins remain

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, The Olson Twins C2 Diet Plan.

In a performance worthy of comparison to the SDSU Women and NDSU Men’s come from behind Summit Basketball Championship victories, Lotzer destroyed the field for the second week in a row with a 3.14% loss. The closest followers were Hanson (1.88%) and Michelle Adrian (1.47%)

Lotzer’s late charge has moved her into the competition for grand prize money awarded to the top three losers at the end of the contest. Not bad considering that two weeks ago she weighed in half a pound heavier than when the contest started. Standings to date are: Hanson (12.02%), John Pohlman (8.47%), Soukup (6.62%), Lotzer (6.08%), Nikki Gronli (6.02%) and Korena Keys (4.89%).

The contestants still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding weight gains in any week are: Keys, Gronli, Hanson, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

In the footstep race Gump went just plain nuts and became the first to break the 150,000 barrier. I’m not exactly sure how many hours The Floating Brain spent on the Sanford Wellness Center treadmill last night but he did admit to telling his wife she better drive separately to the gym. Jeremy Peters, who was also gunning for 150,000 this week, finished second with 123,400. Melody Morton, who says she has given up the “crazy chase”, logged 110,005.  This week’s additional members of the 10,000-steps-per-day club were Pohlman (89,869) and The Judge (85,599).

Because Hanson has won the pedometer cash more than once before the prize money goes to Peters. 

The Olson Twins Caffeine and Cigarettes Watch for week ten:  

Will Lotzer continue her charge for the cash?
Will the contestants resort to Hollywood tactics with only two weigh-ins to go?
Will Hanson embark on a Gump Run to the coast?
Who will finish in the money as The Judge has declared an ONLY TWO PREVIOUS WINS WEEK*?

*For week ten prize money will be paid to people who have not won that contest three times or more. I haven’t checked the records but this may be the “Hanson Rule”.

Reset your pedometers and let the week 10 contest begin.

-The Judge

In week eight:

- For the second straight week, a first-time weight-loss champion

- Jeff Hanson’s pace slows amid steroid testing threat

- Walking his way to work and a pedometer victory

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Lee’s Meats “The Champions of Cheddar Injecting.”

In the weight loss contest Courtney Lotzer destroyed the field with a 3.77% loss. Her secret? Go on an indulgent vacation, gain a bunch of weight and then cash in the following week. The closest followers were Derek Soukup (1.55%), Billie Jo Waara (1.26%), Laura Mitchell (1.19%) The Judge (1.14%) and Kristy Anderson (1.06%).

The contestants still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding weight gains in any week are: Korena Keys, Nikki Gronli, Soukup, Hanson, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

The grand prize for the contest will be based on total percentage weight lost over all 12 weeks. Top performers to date are: Hanson (10.34%), John Pohlman (8.27%), The Judge (7.22%), Soukup (6.86%), Gronli (5.64%) and Keys (4.60%). The top three will finish in the money and The Judge is not eligible for cash awards.

Jeremy Peters won his second pedometer championship with 109,395 steps. He may want to watch out for a silver Nissan as he walks back and forth to work as Melody Morton was right behind with 107,682.  This week’s additional members of the 10,000-steps-per-day club were Pohlman (93,555), Hanson (92,328), Keys (79,892), Michelle Adrian (77,680) and The Judge (79,601).

Because the top four placers had all won before, Keys took home the pedometer cash prize.  

Total steps this week were down about 110,000 to 869,451.   

The Lee’s Meats Cheddar Injected Watch for week nine:  

Will Gump bounce back?

Who will finish in the money as The Judge has declared an ONLY ONE PREVIOUS WIN WEEK*?

Will we see changes in the top three as we move into the home stretch of the contest.

*For week nine prize money will be paid to first or second time winners only. If someone has won the pedometer contest they are still eligible to win the weight-loss challenge and vice versa.

Reset your pedometers and let the week nine contest begin.

-The Judge

In week seven:

- A first-time weight-loss champion

- Jeff Hanson reclaims pedometer crown (steroid investigation pending)

- Celebrations, vacations and illnesses derail top performers

- Contestant narrowly escapes with her life after pedometer malfunction leaves burnt spot on her hip

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Balco Labs.

In the weight loss contest Krista Noren edged the field for a first-time victory with a 1.35% loss this week. It appears Noren’s strategy of leaving tasty treats right outside of the The Judge’s door on weigh-in day finally paid off. Half a dozen competitors also claimed celebrations and/or illnesses hindered their performance this week.

The closest followers were Jeremy Peters (1.24%), Nikki Gronli (1.17%), The Judge (1.13%) and John Pohlman (1.08%).  This week marked the first time the contestants collectively gained weight with a 4.5 pound increase over last week.

The contestants still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding weight gains in any week are: Korena Keys, Gronli, Derek Soukup, Hanson, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

The grand prize for the contest will based on total percentage weight lost over all 12 weeks. Top performers to date are: Hanson (10.34%), Pohlman (7.66%), The Judge (6.15%), Soukup (5.39%), Gronli (4.89%) and Keys (4.31%). The top three will finish in the money and The Judge is not eligible for cash awards.

Hanson reclaimed his pedometer championship just weeks after double surgery. After intense questioning about his quick recovery The Floating Brain admitted to taking steroids in weeks two through four, saying they were legally obtained by his cousin from North Dakota. Hanson says he is now more mature and has been clean since then. However, all contestants will be forced to submit urine samples at weigh-in for the duration of the contest.

Jeremy Peters followed up last week’s win by finishing second with 107,959 steps.  This week’s additional members of the 10,000-steps-per-day club were Pohlman (97,650), Melody Morton (85,146), Sarah Rindels (77,213), The Judge (74,417) and Soukup (70,625).  

In the most severe injury reported so far, ask Keys to show you her hip. While plugging in a laptop at home her pedometer came in contact with the computer and exploded, leaving a black spot. President Obama has launched a federal investigation into the safety of pedometers.

Total steps this week were up about 143,000 to the second best week of the contest at 978,724.   

The Balco Labs watch for week eight:  Will Gump continue to dominate in this new era of steroid testing? Who will finish in the money as The Judge has declared a NEW WINNERS ONLY WEEK*? Will we see changes in the top three as we move into the home stretch of the contest.

*For week eight prize money will be paid to fist time winners only. If someone has won the pedometer contest they are still eligible to win the weight-loss challenge and vice versa.

Reset your pedometers and let the week eight contest begin.

- The Judge

In week six:

- Melody Morton rides the power of “7″ to victory

- We have a first-time pedometer champion

- Jeff Hanson is regaining form

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, The China Buffet.

In the weight loss contest Morton “Orange Crushed” the field with a wicked 2.69% loss this week. Melody, who shares a last name with former Denver Bronco quarterback Craig Morton (jersey #7), was dragged to greatness by her 7-month-old golden retriever puppy, Elway, who was named after another former Bronco QB who also wore jersey #7.  So just like John Elway couldn’t win a Super Bowl until his team finally acquired a great running back, the running game powered Melody to victory.

The closest followers were Kevin Phipps (1.86%) and Michelle Adrian (1.11%).  This week’s grand total of 11 pounds lost was 2.5 more than last week.

The contestants still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding posting weight gains in any week are: Julie Flannery Allen, Korena Keyes, Nikki Gronli, Billie Jo Waara, Derek Soukup, Hanson, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

Jeremy Peters earned this week’s pedometer championship and broke the century mark for the second week in a row with 102,466 steps.

Nipping closely at Peters’ heels were fellow centurions Morton and Elway with 100,956 steps. This week’s members of the 10,000-steps-per-day club were John Pohlman (97,850), Jeff Hanson (90,976), The Judge (80,320) and Sarah Rindels (76,434).

Total steps this week were down 10,000 to 836,009.   

The China Buffet watch for week 7:  Will Morton’s lucky number power her to victory again? Can Peters hold off the relentless steppers for a repeat? Will Gump return to pre-surgery form?

Reset your pedometers and let the week 7 contest begin.

-The Judge

In week five:

- John Pohlman “Steels” the weight-loss award

- Melody Morton gallops (Broncos reference) to the pedometer award

- Jeff Hanson misses the weigh-in

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Carnaval Brazilian Grill.

In the weight loss contest Pohlman was heard humming “The Steelers Victory March” as he stepped on the scale. After last week’s Super Bowl diet setback he annihilated the field with a gaudy 2.31% loss this week. The closest followers were The Judge at 1.39%, Derek Soukup at 1.26% and Courtney Lotzer at 1.05%.  This week’s grand total of 8.5 pounds lost paled in comparison to last week’s 22.5 pounds. Obviously we missed Hanson’s contribution.

The contestants still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding posting weight gains in any week are: Julie Flannery Allen, Korena Keyes, Molly Daniel, Nikki Gronli, Billie Jo Waara, Derek Soukup, Hanson, Jeremy Peters, Scott Lawrence and The Judge.

Morton earned this week’s pedometer championship by breaking the century mark with 112,596 steps. The accomplishment left her wondering how in the heck Hanson hit nearly 142,000 last week.

Morton was most closely followed by fellow centurion Jeremy Peters (100,517), Pohlman (91,981), The Judge (82,871), Kristy Anderson (82,608) and Sarah Rindels (81,631).

Total steps this week were down about what Hanson usually contributes to 847,407.  

The Carnaval Brazilian Grill watch is on The Floating Brain this next week. How strong will he be able to come back?

Reset your pedometers and let the week six contest begin.

-The Judge

In week four Jeff Hanson:

- repeats his double win from last week

- pockets the prize cash he left riding on the table

- smashes the pedometer record

- earns a new nickname (of respect) at the Sanford Wellness Center

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Doritos.

In the weight loss contest Hanson dropped another 4.5 pounds (2.34%). The closest followers were Courtney Lotzer at 2.05% and Sara Rindels at 2.01%. Mark Henderson (1.75%), Nikki Gronli (1.53%) and Laura Mitchell (1.51%) posted strong performances as well.  This week’s grand total of 22.5 pounds lost matched last week’s  total.

 As we near the halfway mark of the contest half of the contestants are still in the “Judge’s Club” by avoiding posting weight gains in any week. They are: Julie Flannery Allen, Korena Keyes, Molly Daniel, Gronli, Billie Jo Waara, Derek Soukup, Kevin Phipps, Sheila Rogers, Hanson, Jeremy Peters, Scott Lawrence and The Judge. Only Hanson and The Judge have maintained Judge’s Club “Emeritus” status by weighing in and recording a loss every week.

Hanson earned this week’s pedometer championship by melting the indoor track at the Sanford Wellness Center where a group of teenage boys were overheard saying, “Is that freaking Forrest Gump?!” as they observed The Floating Brain’s workout regimen. Hanson posted a gaudy 141,920 steps for the week.

Several contestants attempted serious charges toward dethroning Hanson. Michelle Adrian(102,313) became the only other to surpass 100,000 steps in a week. Melody Morton nipped at her heels with 99,262. Other members of the 10,000 steps-per-day club were: Jeremy Peters (83,135), Sarah Rindels (79,019), Kristy Anderson (76,544), The Judge (75,629),  Krista Noren (71,642) and John Pohlman (74,597).

Total steps this week were 985,433 compared to 902,972 last week.

The Doritos Crystal Ball predicts a new pedometer champion will be crowned next week as Floating Brain/Gump goes under the knife on Friday. Reset your pedometers and let the week five contest begin.

-The Judge

In week three the man with the double hernia becomes our first double winner. He celebrates by issuing a challenge to fellow contestants.

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, The Royal Fork.

Jeff Hanson battled through injury and living out of a hotel at the Tourism Conference in Pierre to capture this week’s honors for both highest-percentage-weight-lost and pedometer steps.

In the weight loss contest Hanson dropped 5 pounds or 2.54%. Closely following him was Laura Mitchell at 2.35% and Melody Morton at 2.28%. Congratulations to all three of you for maintaining your program in a un-diet-friendly conference environment. Molly Schenkel (1.98%) and Sheila Rogers (1.65%) posted strong performances as well.

Despite having a number of contestants living on the road this week’s grand total of 22.5 pounds lost doubled last week’s  total.

Hanson earned this week’s pedometer championship by walking around Luverne, MN during his son’s wrestling tournament over the weekend to amass a total of 80,223 steps. The usual suspects were on his heels:  The Judge (75,988), Jeremy Peters (71,701) and John Pohlman (71,012) also surpassed the 10,000 steps per day standard.

Total steps this week were 902,972 compared to 761,404 last week.

The Floating Brain doesn’t want his success to disincentive other contestants. So he has issued a challenge by letting his $42 in prize cash ride until next week. The competition for the double earnings will be steep. One unnamed contestant confidentially reported that he/she is shooting for 100,000 steps and everyone will have to avoid a Super Bowl crash.

Hanson will have plenty of motive to reclaim this week’s earnings as he will go on the injured reserved after next week’s weigh-in. Next Friday Hans will report to the Sanford Surgical Tower for a double surgery: hernia repair and something I’m simply not comfortable discussing or even thinking about.

Reset your pedometers and let the week four contest begin.

-The Judge

In week two the skinny chicks rule, the integrity of the official scale comes into question and one of last week’s champions falls to an abdominal injury.

The details are brought to you by this week’s sponsor, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The highest-percentage-weight-lost award goes to Kristy Andersen. Just like the wealthy are often the best savers it appears Kristy knows how to peel the pounds with a loss of 1.75%. She was followed closely by a pack of not-so-skinny-chicks: Kevin Phipps at 1.53%, Jeremy Peters at 1.43%, Mark Henderson at 1.30% and Jeff Hanson at 1.25%.

Overall many found this week to be a challenge while staying even or slightly gaining. A grand total of 11.5 pounds were lost this week compared to 62.5 pounds last week. Based on my home scale I personally believe the official scale is weighing two pounds heavier than when the contest began. As they say, this weight loss thing is a marathon, not a sprint.

Last week’s pedometer champion, John Pohlman, set the standard for everyone at 10,000 steps per day. This week John says he felt like “the mechanical rabbit at the greyhound races” as the Big Losers relentlessly stalked him. The Judge cranked out 17,000 steps on Wednesday with a Stairmaster/basketball combo. Melody Morton turned in 20,000 steps on Saturday, 14,000 on Sunday and a total of 87,263 for the week. Now that’s a smack down. The Pohlman-Morton grudge match is alive and well. Hanson may have trouble keeping up due to an abdominal injury. Details are sketchy but in layman’s terms I think he may have “blown a gasket.” Surgery may be imminent.

Four more contestants exceeded the standard of 10,000 steps per day this week. They are, in order of most steps to least: Pohlman, The Judge, Jeremy Peters and Kristy. Total recorded steps for all contestants rose to 710,873 compared to last week’s 678,266.

Reset your pedometers and let the week three contest begin.

-The Judge

The Week One Weigh-in is complete. A grand total of 62.5 pounds were lost. That’s an average of 3 pounds per person that weighed-in this morning.

The highest percentage weight lost award goes to Jeff Hanson at 4.09%. Jeff says his secret to success is that he quit smoking at the same time. Crazy! Jeff also is tracking goals he set for calories and exercise. All that paid off with an 8.5 pound loss for the week. Michelle Adrian, Kevin Phipps and John Pohlman all passed the 3% threshold as well. Nicely done! Jeff plans to use his $20 in prize cash to buy his old smoking buddies a pack of cigs.

Most steps travelled goes to John Pohlman at 68,001. John’s goal is 10,000 steps per day. (There were only 6 days in Week One.) He’s getting them by walking the dogs and jogging on the treadmill. He says the pedometer is such a great motivator he’s going to purchase a higher-quality unit. John’s earnings of $20 should cover the cost. Jeff Hanson logged the 2nd most steps with 64,000. The Judge came in third with 51,000. Rumor has it that Melody Morton was in the 60,000 plus range as well but she opted out of this week’s weigh-in. I see a grueling weekly battle developing between Morton, Pohlman & The Floating Brain.

The special Judge’s Award for this week goes to Korena Keys for creating the program. Nearly everyone lost weight and the pedometer has become a great motivator for many.

See you at Coyote Canyon.

-Judge Mark

L&S Big Losers,

I have received a number of reports of pedometer malfunctions. Among them are…

• Fell on floor of supermarket and reset inducing embarrassing profanity-laced tirade
• Fell in toilet
• Don’t know where the heck it fell because I can’t find it
• My child reset it
• It locked up at 999,999 steps
• The dog ate it
• Lost it snowboarding at Great Bear
• A bear ate it
• And so forth

It appears the pedometer is an inexact science at best but it is highly motivating and a fun gadget. So we want to keep it as part of the contest.

Here is my recommendation and ruling. Begin a paper log and write down your pedometer reading every night. Those logs will be accepted at the weekly weigh-in. I will allow some “estimating” this week while we’re working out the bugs. The iron fist will come out next week.

Yes, that means we’re on the honor system. But in all reality we already were. It would be pretty easy to strap that thing to the bumper of the car on the way to work.

I purchased a pedometer at Lewis (shameless client plug) for $12 that hasn’t reset itself a single time. Come and check it out if you’re thinking about an upgrade. It looks pretty darn smart on my belt as well.

Another clarification, when you weigh in this Wednesday morning at 7:30 am your $2 fee will be paid out to the just completed week’s leaders in percentage weight lost (scale) and steps taken (pedometer). Please bring cash so I don’t have to turn my office into a retail outlet. Don’t anger the judge. I know where you live and how much you weigh, and I have a blog and team of internet marketing specialists.

Many have been swinging my office to check the official scale. Feel free to do that even if I’m not around.

See you at the Royal Fork.

-Judge Mark

On New Year’s Day every employee of Lawrence & Schiller received an email from one of our co-workers challenging us to participate in a company-wide weight-loss and fitness contest. That initiative sparked a 12-week adventure for the 24 Extra Milers who accepted the challenge and a great new spectator sport for the rest of the company.

I was asked to be “The Judge” of the contest. My job was to conduct weekly weigh-ins and write reports for the company blog. Those stories evolved into a unique combination of fact and exaggeration. At the request of several folks here I’m going to post them on “L&S Unscripted” over the next 12 weeks.

Here is how the L&S Biggest Loser contest worked:

-          Every contestant paid a $25 entry fee which was awarded to the top 3 weight losers at the end of the contest. Weight loss was based on percentage lost rather than pounds lost.

-          Every week contestants paid $2 to weigh in. Half of the weekly fee was awarded to the top weight loser for that week. The other half was given to the contestant who logged the most steps on their pedometer.

From my vantage point, looking past people’s feet to see the scale window while they weighed in, I learned a lot about my co-workers socks and have become an expert at guessing people’s weight. Watch for me in the Fool the Guesser booth at the next county fair.

A special shout out to L&S Media Strategist Korena Keys. Her challenge initiated an event where 175 total pounds were lost and lives were literally changed. Here is her New Year’s Day email.

———

To:  L&S All Staff

Subject:  Review. Regret. Resolve. It’s 2009.

Date:  01.01.2009

New Year’s Resolutions…

This is why I hate New Years Day. Everyone expects you to have all these grand resolutions on top of the guilt of over-indulgence during the holidays. Save money; be nice to people; lose weight; spend time with family; exercise; you know the drill. On top of this, you are smacked with TV ads showing you how you can get abs of steel simply by using their special bungee cord, you lose fat in your sleep by swallowing a pill, or join this gym because it will make you feel good just knowing you belong. Blah, blah, blah.

I know I will be pressured in making resolutions and, come February, I will not even remember what they were. So, my first, and only, 2009 resolution will not be to lose weight. No, I am not falling in that trap again. My resolution will be to get healthy (with the hope this will result in a smaller pant size).

Maybe you are better than me and can follow through on your resolutions. For me to be successful, I need accountability. Someone I know will track my goals and question me when they start to slide. Someone I know is simply watching to see if I will succeed or fail. Someone who scares me into success. Someone like you!

If any of this sounds familiar to you, or you just want to see me try, then I would like to invite you to join me on Tuesday morning at 7:30 here at L&S (Synergy War Room). We will have an introductory meeting to kick off the L&S Biggest Loser competition. I know, it sounds corny. But I figure that if it will help me, then it will probably help others in the office as well. On Tuesday, we will outline the program so that you can decide if you would like to participate. The contest will be held completely outside of office hours, and will have two parts; the first based on percentage of loss (not quantity so that it is equitable between all species, shapes, and sizes), and the second on the effort. More details to come on Tuesday.

If you are interested, but unable to meet Tuesday morning, please talk to me before Wednesday, January 7^th.

Breakfast will not be served.

Korena

———

Come back every week for the weigh-in reports.

- Mark “The Judge” Glissendorf