PORT ANGELES — James Southern is the winner of a $1,000 weight-loss challenge offered by Anytime Fitness of Port Angeles.
The contest was open to all Clallam County residents and was based on body fat percentage lost.
Southern, 48, of Port Angeles lost 22.19 percent of his total body fat, according to Anytime Fitness.
Amber Valdez of Port Angeles finished second.
Southern began the contest at 255 pounds and finished at 233 pounds, a loss of just under 10 percent of his total body weight.
He and his wife, Tabatha Bernier, had decided to work on a weight-loss program together before hearing of the 10-week challenge, which added a $1,000 incentive to their goal.
“I was tired of sitting around feeling bad,” Southern said. “I knew I neeeded to get moving.”
The couple used SuperTracker, an online tool offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and exercised using the Les Mills Pump fitness routine.
The couple changed their eating and exercise habits, and Southern even quit smoking about halfway through the challenge.
“In mid-May, I was unable to walk up a 20-foot flight of stairs without being out of breath, ” Southern said.
“By mid-July, I quit smoking, and on Aug. 6, I jogged for an hour, covering 5.1 miles.”
The hardest part of his regimen, he said, was avoiding night snacking, pretzels and beer.
A short interview with Southern after his win is at www.tinyurl.com/leorwzx.
Garrett Leffers, a Peninsula College student and Port Angeles Anytime Fitness intern, designed the $1,000 weight-loss challenge as a means to inspire Clallam County residents.
Leffers suggested the weight-loss challenge for a marketing project. Anytime Fitness owner Colton Boddy donated $1,000 for the prize, while Leffers came up with contest guidelines.
A second weight-loss challenge is planned for this fall. For information, phone Anytime Fitness at 360-457-3200.
