My wife, the biggest loser

Cathi called me at work one afternoon a few months ago and told me she spent $50 to join a weight loss competition among 107 other ladies!  I wasn't too thrilled with that information, but Cathi worked her butt off.... Literally!

She is a running machine.  Over the past several weeks, not only has she been eating like a monk, but she has been running over a hundred miles per week!  Last week she set a new personal record of running 120 miles in one week (She NEVER runs on Sunday either).

So on Tuesday this week the 8 week competition ended and this afternoon she was given the results.  She won!  She lost 21.66% of her body weight over that time.  Losing just over 38 pounds.  The second place finisher lost 19.38%.

I asked Cathi to bring home from the results meeting some stats if they would give them to her.  I'm a total nerd and wanted some data.  Much of it is very disturbing....

Out of 107 participants:

• 54 ladies over 200 pounds

• 37 out of the 54 dropped out (68% gave up)
•  Average lost among those who stuck with it in this group was 6.4% 

• 51 ladies over 100 pounds

• 25 out of this 51 dropped out (49% gave up)
• Average lost among this group was 6.8%.

• 2 ladies over 300 pounds

• 1 dropped out and the other lost 3.4% total (50% gave up)

I figured at the beginning that there would be some drop out rate, but not that much!  And I had no idea that given such a huge field that she would be victorious and win the title, and a $1000 check!  She won several things along the way for being the biggest loser for several weeks:  a hour long massage, a months pass to a tanning salon (Thanks for giving that to me Cathi!), and a $25 gift certificate to a metal craft shop.


Congratulations Cathi for not only doing so well and inspiring many people, but for ending up looking like a supermodel!  That was the best $50 she ever spent!