Company: Physique Physical Therapy and Personal Training
Trainer: Keith Pacific
Plan of attack: My goal is to help Matthew adopt a healthier lifestyle. It’s not just about losing a lot of weight, but learning how to live healthier and keep it off. I want him to make this livable, and I want him to understand that it doesn’t have to be this extreme, life-altering change. We’ll start with a split two-a-day schedule in the morning and afternoon until he hits a manageable baseline. He’ll be working out in my studio in downtown Tampa, and I’ll also visit him on location. I’ll also teach Matthew how to eat foods that he’s supposed to eat. I want him to enjoy foods he likes, but it’s about portion control.
Goal: Lose 80 pounds
Contestant: Matthew Williams
Age: 29
Weight: 328.5
Height: 5′ 7″
Residence: Citrus Park
Occupation: Physical therapist, South Tampa Health & Rehab
Why he’s doing this: I’ve been big my entire life. I always want to lose weight, so whenever there’s a chance to do something new, I’m up for it.
How he feels going in: I’m very anxious. I’m ready to get started.
Why Keith: I’ve spent hours working with him at the nursing home, and he approached me with the idea to try this competition. His knowledge of fitness helped me trust his judgment. I know he’s not going to just throw me into a bunch of exercises. He has the skillset under his belt to keep me healthy during this process.
What his friends and family think: They’re all for it. My entire family is big, so they’re very supportive.
Company: Zone Personal Training
Trainer: Jason Smith
Plan of attack: The first step is getting him a BMI analysis and a health check up by a physician. All of my clients get a health analysis before we start training. I’m going to use a transformation of Crossfit and bodybuilding combined with cardio workouts. We’ll work out for one-hour a day, three days a week. But we’ll fill that time with intense workouts. Brandon has a busy work schedule, so a lot of the training will be done on location, as well as in my studio. Of course, nutrition is a must. I’m going to establish nutritional guidance and a solid food plan for him.
Goal: 120 pounds
Contestant: Brandon Smith
Age: 22
Weight: 329.5
Height: 6′ 1″
Residence: Largo
Occupation: Diesel mechanic
Why he’s doing this: I recently started this new job and I’ve seen how quickly I can lose weight. It’s a very physically demanding job, and in just the few months I’ve been there, I went from 350 to about 315. It got me excited to see how much I could lose.
Why Jason: Jason is my uncle, and he approached me a few weeks ago and said he wants to help me get healthy. I told him I think the contest sounds great. It’ll be nice to lose weight and get in better shape.
What his friends and family think: I recently got engaged, so my fiancé is so happy for me. I’m excited to get in shape and look good for my wedding. I have family coming down from Ohio to see us get married, and I’m debating on waiting until they get here to tell them just so I can see the look on their faces.
How he feels going in: I’m really excited. I know Jason is going to push me, but I’m ready to get started.
Company: Soul Rooster
Trainer: Tiffany Meeks
Plan of attack: We’re going to implement a combination of all of our classes here at Soul Rooster, including Pound, Turbo Kick, Piyo and cardio dance. My goal is to mix all of the workouts over the course of the week. I want to show people that you can lose weight and have fun doing it. Nikki will be in here four times a week, but I’ll also have her using some of our videos when she needs to workout from home. Nutritionally, we’re going to track her diet with MyFitnessPal.com. We’ll definitely cut out processed foods and bring lean protein and necessary carbs into her diet.
Goal: Lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week
Contestant: Nikki Counce
Age: 51
Weight: 172.4
Height: 5′ 1″
Residence: South Tampa
Occupation: Social worker, HCPS
Why she’s doing this: I needed a good challenge. At my age, I’m fine with my how I look, but I want to feel better and be more attractive for my husband. I have no one else to impress but him.
Why Tiffany: I was taking Zumba and someone told me about her classes. I stopped in, met her and I’ve been in love with it ever since. The energy level in here is great. It’s not like we’re exercising, and the classes are fun to come to. You almost forget you’re working out.
What her friends and family think: My husband is on board. He recently started losing weight as well. We have 150 social workers in Hillsborough County, so I know I’ll have a lot of support from them!
How she feels going in: I’m ready. I already started talking to people about nutrition. And since Soul Rooster chose me, I want to do this for them and make them proud.
Company: Optimum Fitness Training
Trainer: Ruben Cherres
Plan of attack: It’s pretty simple, I’m going to put her on a very regimented nutritional plan. That means a low carb diet comprised of vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. In the morning, I want her to do 30-40 minutes of cardio on an empty stomach. Then in the afternoons, we’ll do weight and functional training, which includes a combination of cardio boxing and boxing. I want her to eat small meals every 3-4 hours and drink at least a gallon of water. Her body will start to adapt, and we’ll find out what’s going to work for her. Every body is different. We’ll start working out 4 days a week and we’ll probably ramp it up toward the finish.
Goal: 50 pounds
Contestant: Porsha Lemos
Age: 24
Height: 193
Weight: 5′ 4″
Occupation: Graphic Designer, South Tampa Magazine & Fourthdoor Creative Group
Residence: New Tampa
Why she’s doing this: I recently got engaged, and I want a jump-start on a healthy life style change. I want to look amazing in me wedding dress. I would love to lose around 40 pounds, but I just want to look good and feel good. I’m excited to go clothes shopping, because everything I own is too big, not too small.
Why Ruben: A friend suggested Ruben and he has been amazing. He is extremely personable and a great motivator. He kicks my butt.
What her friends and family think: They are extremely supportive of my decision to get healthy. My fiancée and I exercise together when we can and are much more conscious of the foods we eat. My mother and my sister are the best cheering squad around. They are great motivators and keep me on track. The hardest part was cutting out beer and junk food, especially during football and tailgate season.
How she feels going in: I feel great. I’m highly competitive, and I’m playing to win. But in the end, it’s all about making a healthy lifestyle change.
Company: Harbour Island Athletic Club
Trainer: Garrett McCoy
Plan of attack: First and foremost, I want Geoff to sustain this for a lifetime. I’m here to help him form good habits because this is about making a lifestyle change. That being said, we’re going to focus on strength stability and core exercises. We’ll switch it up every month. We’ll start with strength training to change his body composition and metabolism. Then we’ll focus on high-intensity training and cardio. He’ll work out six days a week, alternating three days of total body strength and three days of cardio. On the seventh day, he’ll have what I call active rest, which means at least 12,000 steps. I want him to eliminate his vices and empty calories, and really clean up his diet.
Goal: Lose 2 pounds a week—60 pounds total
Contestant: Geoff Gluck
Age: 33
Height: 313
Weight: 6′ 1″
Occupation: Recruiting manager, Veredus; Co-owner of Pita Pit (SoHo)
Residence: South Tampa
Why he’s doing this: My dad recently passed away and he always struggled with his weight. I saw myself going down the same path. For me, this is about staying committed and holding myself accountable. I’m motivated to see it through for the long term.
Why Garrett: We’re actually college friends. We hung out at UCF and went our separate ways after college, but a few years ago we reconnected. Garrett really knows what he’s doing. I feel comfortable working with him. And I know we both have a common goal, and that’s to make a serious lifestyle change.
What his friends and family think: Everyone is being really supportive. I’ve already told them to hit me if they see me hitting that snack machine in the break room!
How he feels going in: I’m nervous and scared, but I’m ready.
