RECREATION

Hotel employees sweat it out in their own version of "Biggest Loser"

Housekeeping head wins contest by dropping 26 pounds

By Pamela LeBlanc
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, June 08, 2009

No one pointed TV cameras their way or offered up a $250,000 prize, but contestants in an Austin hotel's "Biggest Loser" competition did what their prime-time reality show counterparts did — they axed junk food from their diets, started exercising and sweated off pound after pound.

In the end, Heidi Brazil, the 48-year-old head of housekeeping at Hilton Austin, emerged victorious last week from the three-month contest. She credits her 26-pound weight loss mainly to an hour of brisk walking a day.

The only downside? "Blisters! The faster I walk, the more blisters I get!" Brazil said after her final weigh-in.

Brazil was one of 87 employees who signed up before Valentine's Day for the downtown hotel's competition, spawned by the Hilton's effort to get certified as a partner in the Mayor's Fitness Council. Certification means that a company has launched in-house exercise and nutrition programs and is monitoring employee health. Eight Austin companies, including Austaco Inc., the parent company for more than 70 area Taco Bell restaurants, have been certified since the program started four and a half years ago.

At the Hilton Austin, signs went up in the back offices, encouraging workers to take the stairs instead of the elevator. A yoga class started, a running club formed and a group of employees ran the American-Statesman Capitol 10,000. The hotel's employee cafe revamped its menu, offering more salads and vegetables, smaller portions and items cooked with less butter.

"They used to really mound the food onto plates here," says Frank Carmona, manager of the Hilton's Tower Health Club and Spa, as he walked through the food line last week. "The chef is truly on board."

The hotel also offered support classes in basic exercise and reading food labels. It matched wannabe exercisers with partners and allowed employees participating in the contest to use the hotel fitness center during off hours.

"There's no mistake that physical activity and good nutrition make a healthier workforce," says Lou Earle, a member of the Mayor's Fitness Council executive committee and publisher of Austin Fit and Austin Runner magazines. "Number one, though, it's the right thing to do for the people who work for you."

Some of the effects at the Hilton? One employee started dance lessons, another bought an exercise bike and one quit drinking three glasses of chocolate milk every day. Gus Melgar, assistant executive steward and manager of the employee cafeteria, got the pleasure (sort of) of seeing how different he looks in a photo taken before he started his weight-loss campaign.

"I'm like, 'Whoa, put that away,' " Melgar says.

Brazil says she's looking at the changes she's made as permanent. "God knows I've tried every diet, and that's not what I'm about at this stage in the game," she says. For her efforts, she won two round-trip airline tickets and 12 weeks of sessions with a wellness coach.

That eased the pain of the blisters.

pleblanc@statesman.com; 445-3994

Claudia Garcia, 25

Assistant administrator of housekeeping

Weight lost: 19 pounds

Why did she enter? Garcia's two cousins have diabetes, and her grandmother died of complications from the disease.

How did she do it? 'I started going to the gym. I do 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the stationary bicycle and 100 push-ups. At the beginning it was really hard, but then I got used to it.'

Nutrition: 'I'm trying to eat less and not eat after 7 p.m. I quit drinking sodas (I was drinking four or five a day) and drink water instead.'

Reaction from others: 'My family is really excited because they see the changes. They're like, "Oh my God, Claudia, you look good!" A lot of co-workers have noticed, too.'

Hardest part? 'The eating habits, like cutting out desserts and soda. Sometimes you have friends and family eating junk food ... And I miss my mom's green enchiladas.'

Side benefit: Her parents started walking and her sister joined a gym.

Advice: 'It's never too late to try. Keep it up; try your best; never give up. Co-workers and family are important to success.'

Final thought: 'My goal is to get to 150 pounds. I have 35 more pounds to lose.'

Gus Melgar, 39

Assistant executive steward/employee cafeteria manager

Weight lost: 17 pounds

Why did he enter? 'It seems like the last 10 years I've put on 5 pounds a year. Then one day you realize you're uncomfortable. I had gone to the doctor about blood pressure, sleep apnea and diabetes. I figured the best way to get this under control was to lose weight.'

How did he do it? Melgar actually launched his own weight-loss program a year ago. He started doing cardio work, plus a twice-a-week boot camp packed with basics like jumping jacks and running stairs. 'I've been hurting in places I never even thought could hurt.'

Nutrition: 'I don't eat anything fried. I eat salads, whole wheat breads, fruits, nuts and nothing heavy or fatty ... We're not buying Twinkies or DingDongs. We're buying fruit.' He also cut out the seven or eight cans of soda he was drinking every day.

Hardest part? 'Plateauing when I'm doing everything right. Why isn't it coming off?'

Side benefit: 'When I look in the mirror, I still see the person in the (fat) photo. But people tell me I look different.'

Final thought: 'I did the Cap10K. That was my first 10K — or any K! It took me an hour and a half. It was tough, but I know I can do better next year.'