A Decade of Dedication: Spring Win by Losing Victors Continue Winning Ways

08.13.2019 | 3 min read

The spring 2019 round of Win by Losing marked the 10-year anniversary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s popular weight-loss competition. In those 10 years, there have been:

More than 160,000 pounds lost
20 rounds
80 winning teams

Over the years, there have been two keys to winning — teamwork and fun. The following teams used those methods to win the spring 2019 competition:

Patriot Restoration, The Patriots: 10 and under participating employees
Magna Exteriors, MEB Meltaways: 11-29 participating employees
VanAire, Wellness Warriors: 30-59 participating employees
Henniges Automotive, Team 1Henniges: 60+ participating employees

Team 1Henniges

A team mentality — the desire to not let down teammates — sparked a victory for Team 1Henniges of Henniges Automotive. “It definitely adds a little pressure when you feel like others are counting on you,” said team captain, Angela Profeta. The 60 employees encouraged one another to a total team weight loss of 601.1 pounds for a winning percentage of 4.89%. The biggest support tool for members of Team1Henniges was their Facebook page. Angela said the page was “open for any member to post words of encouragement, funny weight loss cartoons, recipes, and even selfies showing progression.” “I have seen so many employees use this site, sharing their own words of feeling defeated, and then other employees encouraging them to ‘hang in there, you’re doing great,’” she said. “Others have posted their excitement for meeting their weight loss goals from week to week, and their co-workers praise them and feel inspired by their success.” A benefit of the competition, along with weight loss and better health, is the solidarity it creates among the teammates. “The camaraderie that this weight loss challenge brings together is amazing to see,” Angela said. “At a time when many would otherwise sulk in the post-holiday season, and eat and be sedentary, this challenge has helped to pull people out and get them moving and paying attention to what they are putting in their bodies.” Some team members are Win by Losing veterans who participate round after round. “I have had several employees tell me that they look forward to this weight loss challenge as it gives them encouragement. And, they don’t feel like they are alone in their weight loss struggle,” Angela said.

Wellness Warriors

An internal competition led to a total weight loss of 292.6 pounds for the Wellness Warriors and a first-place spot with 5.54% total weight loss. “I think that the biggest factor in our success was the internal competition that we had ― ‘Sitters vs. Standers,’” said team captain Amanda Iverson. Sitters included employees who work at a desk, office or cubicle; standers were machine operators, shipping department employees and others who stand for the majority of their shift. “There were some fun internal sabotages (bringing in cupcakes and other baked goods) and heckling between the two groups,” she said. “It really made it more of a game than a weight loss competition for us.” The last few weeks of the competition, to keep the momentum going, Amanda said they offered prizes for the “biggest loser.”

MEB Meltaways

Weekly weigh-ins were crucial to the success of the MEB Meltaways. “Weighing in weekly made people more accountable,” said team captain Dawn Hendon. The 23 team members lost a total of 269 pounds for a 5.53% weight loss. “There is always power in numbers,” Dawn said. “Everyone really enjoyed the competition and kept each other motived.”

The Patriots

The five Patriots of Patriot Restoration lost a total of 78.5 pounds for a winning percentage of 6.81.