Last month, Division of Aviation (DOA) employees concluded a four-month PHL Well “Biggest Loser” weight loss competition. This friendly contest came from employees' New Year’s resolutions to improve their overall health and wellbeing. The Biggest Loser competition is one of several initiatives by PHL Well to promote employee wellness and included 15 participants who, as a group, lost 36.8 pounds while competing for cash prizes.
“The competition has been overwhelmingly constructive with the participants enjoying and sharing their journey at various brown bag workshops,” said Training and Development Manager Linda Ivey. “Employees read labels, committed to self-care, utilized strength training exercises, and made healthy recipe exchanges.”
The PHL Well “Biggest Loser” winners were:
1st place: Mae Mitchell, Purchasing Administration Unit (PAU)
2nd place: David Salindong, Airport Operations
3rd place: Gloria McNeil, HR
During the pandemic, many employees became sedentary while working from home and participated in the competition to lose their unwanted weight. Mitchell focused on exercise, meditation, and self-care during her weight loss journey.
“Losing the pandemic pounds sounded like something good to do,” said Mitchell, who lost over 20 pounds. “I ate grapefruits, stopped consuming white starches, and included green vegetables with meat for dinner.” Mitchell’s “cheat days” were the weekends.
Salindong focused on strength training and portion control. As a result, he lost a total of nine pounds. “I’ve been meaning to lose weight for a while, and the PHL Well competition was a structured way to do it,” he said. “The friendly competition allowed for accountability with a set end date. It was a lot more motivating than doing it alone.”
“The PHL WELL team has been working diligently to be a resource, cheerleader and established a support system for our employees,” said Administrative Technician I Latia Hayes. “We are striving to help people create healthy habits mentally and physically. The program is never-ending, so I cannot wait for everyone to see what is next!”
Third place winner McNeil emphasized her appreciation of the closing ceremony. “The celebratory closing ceremony was very special,” she said. “There was a lot of thought and love put into the event. I want to take this time to thank everyone who had a hand in planning the ceremony. You saw and felt the love.”
Participants humorously followed the PHL Well 10 Commandments, Thou Shall….
- Get off the ‘gram (Instagram)
- Don’t deflect compliments – accept them
- Know thy worth and add tax
- Believe that your personal journey is a unique one
- Be thankful
- Use positive affirmations
- Respect and be kind to others
- Engage in consistent self- care
- Set boundaries for yourself and others
- Heal and forgive thyself
