Cowboy Challenge achieves weight loss, confidence and more

Monday, November 30, 2015

The Cowboy Challenge successfully led 22 participants to a healthier lifestyle and a personal transformation.

The 10-week program is aimed at Oklahoma State employees. The Cowboy Challenge encourages its participants to jump start a healthy lifestyle under the guidance of the Department of Wellness staff and personal trainers.

Participants split up into three teams, and each team had a coach (professional Department of Wellness staff member) to help team members stay on track. Throughout the program, participants competed in weekly challenges that were scored based upon a point system.  Aside from the weekly challenges, participants met with a Registered Dietician, kept a food log and attended exercise sessions with a personal trainer. To assess one’s growth throughout the program the participants had specific blood and performance variables measured during the initial and final weeks of the program.  At the end of the challenge, the winning team won Fitbits and the top male and female each won a 60-minute massage.

Jim Meinkoth was one of the participants of the challenge. He said although he exercised every once in a while, his eating habits were not the best.

“My food habits were pretty much like everyone else’s,” Meinkoth said. “I ate what I wanted and when I wanted.”

Before registering for the Cowboy Challenge, participant Emma Ellis, was also unhappy with her lifestyle. She hadn’t been to the gym in years, had bad eating habits and barely drank any water throughout the day.

“Sometimes I didn’t eat all day. I’d get home starving and eat chocolates and cakes, so the weight just piled on,” Ellis said. “I thought I was too big, and I was embarrassed.”

Ellis’s team won the challenge, and after 10 weeks of nutrition counseling, specialized exercise and motivation from her teammates, Ellis transformed from a size 22 to a size 14.

“The weight started falling off,” Ellis said. “As it progressed, it got easier and easier.”

Meinkoth also had some improvements of his own.

“A couple of weeks in I started noticing physical changes,” Meinkoth said. “I was more toned and feeling better.”

The victories weren’t just weight loss. The coaches said participants reported sleeping better, feeling more confident, drinking more water and being more active with their families.

Eric Conchola is the Fitness Specialist for the Department of Wellness and was one of the Cowboy Challenge coaches. He was in charge of writing workouts for all the participants and was able  to see their progress throughout the challenge.

“You can just see they carry themselves so much better, and they feel confident going into the gym now,” Conchola said.  “They don’t have that apprehension.”

Tabi Deal, Health Educator and another one of the Cowboy Challenge coaches, fed off of the participants’ energy and excitement. She also got to see all of the participants’ transformations.

“At the pre-test, everyone was anxious and nervous,” Deal said. “At the post-test, they were completely different people.”

Although the workouts and challenges were difficult for many of the participants, the Cowboy Challenge Program helped motivate the participants, and allowed them to get to know one another.

“You get a lot of camaraderie,” Conchola said. “They pushed each other to achieve limits they never thought was possible before.”

Now that the Cowboy Challenge Program is over, Meinkoth has developed a habit of going to the gym in the morning with his workout group and plans to continue his routine.

“If you can get your butt up and go to the gym, then things don’t fall apart later in the day,” Meinkoth said.

Both of the participants also registered for small group personal training to continue their weight loss journey. Ellis said she now eats more vegetables, drinks more water, and plans to keep up her healthy lifestyle.

“The minute you start feeling good about yourself, everybody else notices it,” Ellis said.

Both Ellis and Meinkoth said they recommend the Cowboy Challenge Program to anyone looking for a lifestyle improvement. Those looking to apply for the Spring 2016 Cowboy Challenge can visit https://wellness.okstate.edu/special-programs/cowboy-challenge to fill out an application.

“I think it’s amazing OSU has offered the number of services that they do,” Meinkoth said. “There’s no reason not to it.”