Lighten ME!, Maine’s statewide team weight loss and get fit competition, has concluded its first session of 2007, and the state is now about 3,487 pounds lighter. In addition, 115,653 miles of exercise has been logged by some 600 competitors on 100 different teams. These teams are made up of two to 10 people and they represent corporations, schools, hospitals and other groups and organizations.
The initial session began on January 22, and the 102-day competition helped motivate team members to lose weight and/or log exercise miles on a regular basis.
In the exercise division, Team Em & M picked up top honors averaging 1,417.5 miles of exercise per team member. Team members Emily Smith and Marsha Waterman both work at NorDx in Scarborough. Waterman logged an impressive 2,054.7 miles of physical activity and exercise in just 102 days. This included two workout sessions nearly every day and constant activity measured by a pedometer. Waterman paced while on the phone, and she parked in the farthest reaches of the parking lot at work.
Second place in the activity division went to the Twist My Arm team from Maine Medical Partners in Scarborough. Third place went to It’s Time – another team from NorDx.
Overall, 23 participants lost 20 pounds or more. Kim Poulin of Arundel, a Hannaford employee in Scarborough, lost an amazing 38 pounds.
Forty-six participants logged over 500 miles each, with Marsha Waterman of Saco taking the top individual honors with more than 2,000 miles. Three local participants – Danielle Casey of Biddeford, Jim McAvoy of Saco, and Joyce Courtois of Biddeford all logged over 1,000 miles each.
For more information log on to www.lightenme.org
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