Edmonton Sun YOUR HEALTH Monday, January 8, 2007
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On road to Biggest Winner
Sun columnist Cary Castagna has melted 30 pounds in Club Fits challenge ... so far
My mama always told me its not polite to brag. Sorry mom, but I just cant help myself right now. You see, Im positively giddy over the progress Ive made so far in Club Fits Biggest Winner ConCary test a three-month Edmonton Sunsponsored fitness KEEPING FIT challenge to lose as much fat and build as much muscle as possible. Granted, I still dont quite resemble Michelangelos famed Renaissance sculpture David. And the Sun isnt considering bringing back the SUNshine Boy feature just for me. But I am definitely looking and more importantly, feeling a whole lot better these days. So please allow me a little harmless braggadocio, just this once.
Castagna
Incredible shrinking man
After a little more than two months, Ive melted about 30 pounds of unsightly flab from my 5-foot-10 frame. Woo hoo! As an incredibly shrinking man, Im starting to fit my skinny clothes the nowretro garments I packed away shortly after college. Heck, theyll be back in style soon. Friends, family and co-workers are also taking notice of my streamlined shape and showering me with compliments. I must admit, its all making me feel absolutely fabulous. Personal trainer Adam Dawe is putting me through my paces at the southside Club Fit three times a week. On the off days, Im doing cardio on my own. Ive also been following a meal plan prepared for me by nutritionist Rob Lim. Ive certainly had my ups and downs over the past several weeks including a little too much holiday cheer at Christmas. But with less than a month to go, I feel like I have a shot at being the Biggest Winner in the
TIM SMITH/SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Edmonton Sun reporter Cary Castagna works out using a heavy bag with trainer Adam Dawe at Club Fit on Gateway Blvd. last week.
media competition. Of course, Im up against some worthy adversaries. Fearless Fred Kennedy, 27, from 100.3 The Bear has packed on some hard-earned muscle on his upper body which the contest judges will factor into his final score while dropping an estimated five pounds of body fat. My strength has gone way up, says Kennedy, who didnt really get sidetracked over Christmas. I cant stand the holidays and I can stand the celebrations even less. Packing on muscle has also been the order of the day for Robbie (The Intern) Gibson from 91.7 The Bounce. The 22-year-old radio personality shaved off four pounds in the first month and is steadily building some Grade A beef. The holidays were tough to get through, he says, explaining he got off his routine slightly. My diet was the biggest problem. There were so many tasty treats, cheese, baking, chocolates and alcohol wherever I went over the holidays. It was hard not to indulge. Tim Schutz, 43, from Cool 880, also struggled through Christmas. But because he was a last-minute entry, he still has about two months of training left. I did lose about four pounds before the holidays, but I did gain them back. I can feel it with putting on the pants, he says, adding hes now back at it. Roni, my personal trainer, is a great motivator and gets a little gleam in her eye when she sees me struggle and sweat. And Jackie Rae Greening, 45, from Big Earl 96.3, another late entry, has lost three pounds so far going from 149 to 146 while dropping her body fat percentage from 27.6% to 25.5%. I worked out over Christmas, but I had to to offset the 42 shortbread and 82 butter tarts, she says. I definitely was not good. I was a bad girl, but a fun bad girl.
More power
Despite her yuletide splurge, Greening is showing progress. Ive noticed I have more power in my legs when I go to curl, the avid curler says. I go to throw a rock and Im like a rocket out of the hack. Unfortunately, Rob Hislop, 46, from Citytvs Breakfast Television, has dropped out of the competition due to a back injury. The one-time competitive bodybuilder was one of the favourites going into the challenge. Well Rob, theres always the Biggest Winner II. As for this years showdown, its shaping up to be a battle. But the question remains, will I be able to flatten my tummy and the competition? Stay tuned to find out.
Cary works out on free weights with encouragement from trainer Adam Dawe.
Follow my progress in Club Fits Biggest Winner Contest at: [Link]/Lifestyle/[Link] ml and [Link]/biggestwinner/blog.
THE BIGGEST WINNER
