Students, staff of Aims rejoice in losing during celebration for "Biggest Winner" competition

Angela Warwick was only about a few seconds away from savoring a now forbidden delicacy -- a hamburger from a fast food joint.

Yet, as she recalls, something was a little different this time around.

"It tasted like crap," said Warwick, beginning to laugh. "I don't even like the taste of it anymore."

In 12 tough weeks, Warwick and dozens of other students and staff members from Aims Community College, 5401 W. 20th St. in Greeley, discovered how to be winners by losing after taking part in the Aims "Biggest Winner" program. The program, which ended on Thursday, is based on the NBC reality show "The Biggest Loser," which features teams of people trying to lose massive amounts of weight.

At a luncheon on Thursday to celebrate the completion of the program, Warwick said the difference from 12 weeks ago is something she notices everyday.

"I feel a lot better," said Warwick, who was named the "Biggest Winner" among students at Aims after losing 25 pounds and about 30 inches. "I feel more active. I can walk up a flight of stairs without dying."

Yet, while the "Biggest Winner" shared some characteristics with the show, Clayton Jones, the student at Aims who founded the program, said that there were also many differences that he hopes will help participants in the long term.

"We kind of went with the program that it was going to be about weight loss," said Jones in an interview by phone before the celebration. "But it kind of turned into, you know, just becoming healthier."

As a part of the program, participants weighed themselves and measured their waistline every week while taking part in aerobic activities such as Zumba and racquetball -- earning points for every activity that they attended. Along with physical aspect of the competition, participants were offered the chance to attend 10 educational workshops that focused on topics including heart health, eating on the go and diabetes.

"Sometimes society puts so much emphasis on the scale and, you know, that's the only thing that determines so many aspects of health," Jones said. "But, you know, glucose levels and cholesterol levels and high blood pressure levels -- you know all those things play a huge role in becoming healthier."

Jones, who himself is diabetic, said that at this time last year his glucose levels were at 415 -- well above the healthy range of 95-115. With the help of the program, Jones said they were back down to 95 as of two weeks ago.

With total of 311 pounds lost and 734 inches trimmed from the 82 participants of this year's program, there are many more tales of success from the 12-week event. For Warwick, however, continuing to stay healthy is something she plans to do well into next year's competition.

"I mean, it's a long process, you know?" Warwick said. "You don't put your weight on overnight, and you don't take it off overnight. But I feel good about it so just keep going."

Biggest Winner Final Totals

Total Participants: 82

Total Pounds Lost: 311

Total Inches Lost: 734

"Biggest Winners"

Among Aims students: Angela Warwick

Among Aims staff members: Jared Fiel

Among the team competition: Team O