Here's to the Winners - Fitness Incentive

I saw amazing results that I never thought would be possible in just ten weeks.

Shannon Culkin

Feeling Fantastic

What does it take to make a winning team? That is definitely a question I’ve been asked on more than one occasion. The truth is, through the years, I feel like I’ve seen every different combination of teams: all male, all female, mixed genders, mixed ages, and mixed goals. And there is one thing that remains a constant variable for victory: consistency! That’s the key. If the members of this year’s winning team had one thing in common, it was consistency in their effort to follow our plan. They were not a “stacked” team, looking for a win. They weren’t friends with a plan. What they were was a mother and her daughter, coupled with two ladies. They knew nothing about the competition, other than they wanted to give it a try. They came together ready to change their relationship with food and to learn how to group train successfully.

My Everyday Detox Plan is a serious detox, and the first couple of weeks can prove to be the biggest challenge of everything involved. But they got through it and learned how to handle cravings and make better nutritional choices. The workouts were definitely a challenge, but every workout, whether with Jillian, myself, or the both of us, they each came prepared to give it their all. Despite all the challenges life hands us during the 10-week competition; vacations, weddings, work, and endless opportunities to be defeated or cheat, these four ladies remained consistent! And for that, they won! Congratulations ladies!

Dianne Lombardi

I am 55 yrs old, married with three boys, and work full-time as a registered nurse. The biggest challenge for me was making the time to plan my meals, shop, and do all the prep work and still get to the gym. Now that the challenge is over, I am still going to the gym, watching my diet, and trying to lose even more weight.
My aha moment was at the end of week three, when I returned from vacation at an all-inclusive resort, got on the scale, and saw I had still managed to lose weight. I had planned my vacation before deciding to do the contest and was not sure how the trip was going to affect my progress, especially after I had done well at the weigh-ins weeks one and two. It was then I realized I could do this! I worked out every morning, made good food choices even had a few drinks (I was on vacation). When I returned, I got back on track and tried to work even harder to make up for the week I lost.

I have been a member of Fitness Incentive for years and have thought about doing the contest but just never did. After turning 50 and changing to a desk job, it was harder to lose weight. I mentioned to my husband that I was thinking about joining the contest, and he encouraged me to do it. So before I changed my mind (LOL), I signed up! It was the best decision I ever made! Training with a team made me accountable, and we all encouraged each other. Eileen and Jillian pushed us and gave us food tips for success. Eileen’s food plan was easy to follow and helped me to plan and prepare ahead in order to make good choices. I would encourage anyone who is looking to lose weight to give the contest a try! Who knows you could even be a winner like my team and me!

Kathy Culkin

My name is Kathy Culkin. I’m married and have six children. I joined the challenge with my daughter, Shannon.
What was the biggest challenge?: The biggest challenge for me was getting my body in shape. The first week of training killed my legs. I was in so much pain. I had to crawl up the stairs. That was rough.
Where do you see yourself post challenge?: I have kept the weight off but would like to lose another 10-15 lbs.
Still exercising, training, detoxing?: I’m walking a lot but need to get back in the gym for the great training sessions with Eileen and Jillian.
When was your Ah-ha moment?: My Ah-ha moment was about three weeks into the challenge. My body was getting stronger, my pants were getting looser, and I felt great and had more energy.
When did you think, “this isn’t too bad!”: It was about two weeks in when I realized I could do this. Eating healthier was getting easier, and I wasn’t craving pasta, bread, or sweets anymore.
Why did you do the competition?: I did the competition because I was about to go up another pant size and I didn’t want to do that again. Also, my daughter wanted to lose weight too, so we did it together, and friends of mine completed the challenge a few years ago and, they look great.
First Time?: Yes, this was my first time competing in the challenge.
Was it what you expected?: The training was harder than I expected, but I enjoyed working out as a team. Congrats to my teammates, Shannon, Diane and Carolyn. You guys are awesome. Thanks to Eileen and Jillian for making it fun to come to the gym and for always pushing us.
Would you do it again?: Yes, I would compete in the challenge again, even though it was a little pricey.
How was Eileen’s Everyday Detox Plan?: Eileen’s Everyday Detox Plan was great.

Carolynn Lilly

I’m Carolyn Lilly, a wife, and mom of four. My biggest challenge would have had to have been the food plan. Not so much what I needed to eat, but making sure I had things readily available to grab. Meal prepping was a big help with that, but I didn’t always make the time to get it done. I will also say that it wasn’t always easy getting myself back to the gym at 5 pm for gym sessions but always felt good after.
Now that challenge is over, I am completely motivated to keep going since there are more goals to reach. I’m still sticking to the food plan (mostly), getting to the gym pretty much every day, and will continue training. The biggest reason I joined this challenge was to get myself back to the right mindset that allows me to do all these things. Now, when I miss a day at the gym, it feels like my day just isn’t the same.
My Ah-Ha moment came around about week 8. By then, I was used to the way I was eating, lifting heavier weights, and breathing better during cardio classes. Naturally, I was looking forward to the end of the challenge and seeing all the results, but part of me actually wanted it to last longer. Who woulda thunk that? Not me!
I joined this challenge to get myself back to a better, stronger place. The past year I was not doing very much of that. I was not going to the gym as often as I should, and I was not eating my best. I knew this challenge would get me back to the place I wanted to be. I watched this challenge pass me by the last few years and decided that wasn’t happening this year and joined solo. So glad I did! It was everything I thought it would be and more. I may not have reached all my goals, but I feel so much better! Isn’t that what it’s all about? I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!!! Can’t wait till next year!
Looking back at the contest, the food part was definitely a challenge for me, especially in the beginning. The plan itself was easy to follow, and we were always getting messages from Eileen about different foods that would work or even restaurants that had good options. That was a big help for me, especially when I didn’t want to cook!! It did get much easier the last few weeks, and I actually looked forward to my salads with beets and salmon.
I also discovered a new “best snack” – Brussel sprouts!!!! I’d meal prep a whole bunch of them the beginning of the week and would grab them when I needed; a lifesaver! Roasted with some garlic and olive oil or sometimes with sriracha sauce. Yum Yum.

Shannon Culkin

Hi, my name is Shannon Culkin. I am 19 years old, and I am currently studying at SUNY Oneonta.
The biggest challenge that I faced during this competition was sticking to the detox plan when going out to get with friends.
Post competition I am still exercising and training to complete my goal of completing the Maggie Fischer Memorial Cross Bay Swim this summer.

My “Ah Ha” moment during this competition came when I went on vacation to California during the third week. It was there that I realized that if I can commit myself to sticking to the detox when at Disneyland I can do it with no problem at home. Eileen’s Everyday Detox plan was very easy to follow. Instead of just saying what we should and shouldn’t eat for ten weeks, she would send out shopping lists of beneficial foods and gave you the freedom to create your own recipes.

The reason I joined the competition was because of my mom. She was the one who came to me with the idea to enter the contest together. We had both struggled to lose weight on our own and failed to commit to any diet we tried before. But after hearing about the results many people have had after the ten weeks, we decided to join the challenge together. We both expected ourselves to fail, but when you work with a group of strangers, you feel held accountable to do the work. I didn’t want to be the reason why my group lost. That thought pushed me to stay on track.

I would do this competition again. I saw amazing results that I never thought would be possible in just ten weeks. The only reason I got these results were because of the easy to follow detox diet and the encouragement I received from my trainers, my fellow teammates, and my family and friends.