South Lake Press - Clermont, FL

Whether it's vowing to save money, work harder, spend more time with the family, go back to school, exercise more or lose weight, each new year is filled with resolutions people are determined to keep.

For those in South Lake County touting weight loss in 2013, Clermont's Performance 360 (P360) gym and Chik-fil-A are offering the perfect incentive -- the venue for exercising, the support and excitement that it takes to get started and $5,000.

"We want to help people do the very best they can," P360 Marketing Director Dusty Slaughter said.

So, for the third year running, the gym -- in partnership with Chik-fil-A for the first time -- is hosting South Lake County's "Biggest Winner" challenge, a five-week contest for anyone and everyone who would like to shed a few pounds.

Entrance into the contest, however, requires a partner since the contest is only open to teams of two competing with other teams to see which team can lose the most body weight percentage.

P360 wants to teach people the right way to lose weight -- by eating right and exercising.

Fasts, liquid diets and starvation diets are specifically for-bidden. Rather, contestants are encouraged to "change bad nutritional habits, but not attempt any extreme measures that can ultimately harm the body," according to the P360 website.

During the contest, which starts Jan. 14, all contestants will have access to P360, located at 1705 E. Highway 50, Suite A, during staffed hours for working out and Saturday group training, or "boot camp," sessions.

The ultimate goal of the contest is to help South Lake County lose 1,000 pounds in the allotted timeframe.

The winning team will split the $5,000 cash prize.

"We wanted to give people something to sink their teeth into at the beginning of the year," Slaughter said. "We wanted to give them an incentive, and help them out by providing an organized and exciting way to get healthier."

For John and Kathy Sparks, who entered the challenge in 2011, that's just what it took to change their entire lives.

"We were really overweight, me especially; I was over 100 pounds overweight," said Kathy Sparks about the couple's realization that they needed to get their health under control.

"We knew what we had to do and the challenge was the catalyst to our health and weight loss," John Sparks said.

In 2011, John lost 12 pounds during the "Biggest Winner" challenge and Kathy lost 22 pounds. That's not including the 15 pounds combined they'd lost just weeks before the challenge.

Although they didn't end up winning the contest in 2011, both are still working out to this day. Altogether, John has lost 25 pounds, while Kathy has achieved a 60-pound weight loss so far.

"Having participated in the contest made us aware of our exercise and eating habits. It really jump started what has now become a regular part of our lives," John said.

The husband and wife team are preparing mentally and are raring to get started on this year's challenge. They have already signed up to participate.

"Our goal is to win this time," John said.

"You have to stay determined and make up your mind to exercise every day because you can talk yourself out of working out before you even get up and into the gym," he said. "If you eliminate that, you can do really well."

According to Slaughter, the contest will offer three levels of competition, which will determine starting exercises and group sessions.

A starting fee of $99 per person is required to join tbut membership to P360 or any other gym is not required. Extra services, including personal trainers, will be made available at a discounted rate to contestants during the challenge period.

There will be three weigh-ins on the digital scale at P360. The first weigh-in has to be completed between Jan. 9 and 14. The second weigh-in has to be done between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2, and the third between Feb. 13 and 16.

A kick-off session will be held at P360 on the evening of Jan. 14 and a "grand finale" event -- where the winners will be announced -- will start at 6 p.m., Feb. 19, at the Chik-fil-A in Clermont.

Slaughter said last year's challenge saw 20 teams with the winners shedding 12 percent of their body weight combined.

Forinformation or to register, call 352-243-7333, or go to www.p360health.com.