Woodville inspired to take fitness challenge
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Courtesy photo SWEET SUCCESS - The Dogwood Doughboys enjoy an expense-paid trip to Las Vegas to receive a $5,000 check for winning the 911 Fitness Challenge. Pictured left to right: Scott Yosko, Bryan Weatherford, Jeremy Byron, Phil Ryan and Christopher Stanley.

What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas, according to the Dogwood Doughboys of Woodville. In fact, they brought it home with them, and a major part of the town is now in on "it."

"It" is a fitness program that won the Doughboys an expensepaid trip to Las Vegas a month ago. With all the zeal of new converts, the Doughboys are offering to help others start their own fitness challenge.

Patrolman Phil Ryan is captain of the winning team. He has taken the strategies they learned and is offering to help others get fit. "People know us and saw the results we got, and it motivated them," Ryan said. "More than we expected got into it."

Almost 100 people in Woodville started their own fitness challenge three weeks ago. At $25 per person entry fee, that means one of the teams of three or four will split close to $2,500 at the end of the 12- week challenge, according to Ryan.

DOUGHBOYS AT HOME: Yosko, above, gained weight but lost pants size during the challenge. Ryan, left, discovered he loves the gym.

Beginnings of slim

It all began when Detective Stanley Christopher (son of Jasper community service coordinator of the same name), spotted an article about a 911 Fitness Challenge for law enforcement officers and first responders.

The 911 Fitness organizers say the goal of the challenge is to help police and fire professionals get fit, "Their demanding, often hazardous schedule compounded by everyday stress make it difficult to adhere to a traditional exercise curriculum."

In January 2007, Woodville formed two teams to enter the 911 challenge. Besides Ryan and Christopher, the Doughboys included patrolman Jeremy Byron Justice of the Peace Bryan Weatherford, Woodville Police Chief Scott Yosko. The County Rejects included DPS trooper Buck Odom and Woodville patrol officers Jathon Bocel and Lawrence Hicks.

Newsboy photos/ Sharon Kerr

The goal is not just weight loss; the biggest points are earned by losing fat while gaining muscle as measured by BMI (body mass index). At the end of 12 weeks, the Doughboys were declared the winners of the Central division. Four teams from the U.S. and one from Canada won an expense paid trip to Las Vegas for a gala awards ceremony and presentation of a $5,000 check to each team.

Whole town helps

Yosko said the whole town got behind their efforts. "People in the courthouse got interested. I think everyone could see we were getting results," Yosko told The Jasper Newsboy in May.

Ryan said the local restaurants got behind them and put special items on the menu to fit their diet plan. "You can go into Z's Filling Station and order the Phil Ryan special," he said. "It's a grilled chicken breast and rice."

Fit not fat

Ryan said it's all about replacing body fat with muscle mass. The Doughboys won not because they lost the most weight, but because they dropped their body fat to a lean 10 per cent in most cases. Christopher, the biggest point earner for the team, started with a BMI of more than 30.

Yosko actually gained weight during the challenge. "I went down in my pants size, but up in my shirt size," the chief said.

"What makes you more athletic looking is that muscle is denser than fat," Ryan said. "When you build muscle, you become a walking furnace burning calories just to maintain that muscle."

Ryan says three things are needed to succeed: resistance training, cardio workouts, and diet.

Ironically, Yosko and Ryan agree the key is to eat more and eat more often, but eat the right things for your body. Their plan calls for eating six times a day.

"A good formula is 40 percent of calories from protein, 40 percent from complex carbs, and 20 percent from simple carbs," Ryan recommends.

"One day a week is cheat day," Yosko says, "but after you've been eating right for awhile, you find you can't eat much greasy food any more."

Ryan said he cut out fried food altogether and only did one cheat meal, not a whole cheat day, to achieve the lowest body fat on the team. That, plus an hour and a half of exercise six days a week.

"I love the gym," Ryan said. The Fitness Zone is the official check in locale for all the teams in Woodville.

Challenge continues

In a population of barely 2,800, almost 100 have signed on and they are still registering teams.

"They're at a little disadvantage starting late, but we're not turning them down," Ryan said. "We have teams from the courthouse, the hospital, nursing homes, doctors' offices, all over."

At the awards in Vegas, the teams were all male. "This time we have about as many women as men competing," Ryan said, and all ages. "Even if you've lived years out of shape, it's amazing what you can do in 12 weeks."

Yosko said the benefits of a lifestyle change (he doesn't think of it as a diet) are something everyone can see, but additional benefits that counties and businesses might want to consider are that health insurance carriers often lower premiums for a fitness program.

"It helps with diabetes, heart health, and just makes you feel good," Yosko said.

Ryan said he hopes the fitness challenge in Woodville will be an annual event.

Yosko said he would love to see Jasper, Newton and other surrounding counties get on the fitness bandwagon with Woodville, and Ryan agreed he'd be happy to come and show people how to get started.