Posted 8:58 am Tuesday, May 01, 2012
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Keep Whitehouse Fit Initiative Gets Underway With Weigh-In
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
WHITEHOUSE — It was time for their moment on the scale.
Staff Writer
WHITEHOUSE — It was time for their moment on the scale.
With seemingly eager attitudes, Whitehouse Assistant City Manager Kevin Huckabee and Whitehouse High School Principal Duane Barber were weighed and measured Monday as they prepared to challenge each other in a battle of the bulge. Huckabee took items out of his pockets before stepping on the scale, and after the first weigh-in, both were confident they would win the friendly fitness competition.
“Two hundred thirty-four pounds, when this is over, it’s going to be more like 199, something like that,” Huckabee said.
Barber quipped, “I feel really good except for the fact that he weighs so much. If I do lose, it’ll be because he’s so much bigger than I am. He has more opportunity.”
The weigh-in signified the beginning of a new Keep Whitehouse Fit initiative, which was prompted in part by Tyler’s 10-in-10 Challenge between City Manager Mark McDaniel and Tyler Morning Telegraph Publisher Nelson Clyde.
During the 12-week challenge, Huckabee and Barber will track progress based on percentage of weight lost, body fat percentage, inches and appearance. They also selected team members to join them in their fitness journey and encouraged residents to get teams together.
Barber quipped, “I feel really good except for the fact that he weighs so much. If I do lose, it’ll be because he’s so much bigger than I am. He has more opportunity.”
The weigh-in signified the beginning of a new Keep Whitehouse Fit initiative, which was prompted in part by Tyler’s 10-in-10 Challenge between City Manager Mark McDaniel and Tyler Morning Telegraph Publisher Nelson Clyde.
During the 12-week challenge, Huckabee and Barber will track progress based on percentage of weight lost, body fat percentage, inches and appearance. They also selected team members to join them in their fitness journey and encouraged residents to get teams together.
On Monday evening, more than 20 people showed up for the weigh-in, including representatives from the YMCA, Whitehouse ISD, City of Whitehouse and Whitehouse Area Chamber of Commerce. Challenge participants also could weigh in earlier in the day.
Participants will go through weekly weigh-ins and have the opportunity to attend educational talks about losing weight and nutrition. The registration cost is $35 per person. Any person who gains weight since their last recorded weigh-in must pay $1 per pound, and each person who is absent from a weigh-in must pay $5, Huckabee has said.
All proceeds will go to the YMCA, and there will be a team winner and a winner of the individual challenge between Huckabee and Barber.
One challenge participant, Whitehouse Junior High School Principal Jarrod Bitter, said he believes the challenge provides some incentive and accountability.
“It’s a good thing to keep in check and live a healthy lifestyle. ... It gets easy to get into a sedentary lifestyle and go by and not do anything for your health. This will be good for us,” he said.
Huckabee and Barber also spoke in favor of the initiative last week.
“I think it’s a great idea. It’s something to encourage people to spend some time exercising,” Barber said. “I think we all get busy with our work schedule and don’t take care of health as we should. I think it will help me be accountable to do some things I haven’t done in past.”
He has said he also hopes to promote a healthy lifestyle for the high school students who watch him participate.
Huckabee echoed Barber, saying he’s excited to be involved and is confident he will beat his opponent.
“It’s all fun and games, but I’m going to take it serious, and I am going to beat him despite what he says,” he said Tuesday.
Participants will go through weekly weigh-ins and have the opportunity to attend educational talks about losing weight and nutrition. The registration cost is $35 per person. Any person who gains weight since their last recorded weigh-in must pay $1 per pound, and each person who is absent from a weigh-in must pay $5, Huckabee has said.
All proceeds will go to the YMCA, and there will be a team winner and a winner of the individual challenge between Huckabee and Barber.
One challenge participant, Whitehouse Junior High School Principal Jarrod Bitter, said he believes the challenge provides some incentive and accountability.
“It’s a good thing to keep in check and live a healthy lifestyle. ... It gets easy to get into a sedentary lifestyle and go by and not do anything for your health. This will be good for us,” he said.
Huckabee and Barber also spoke in favor of the initiative last week.
“I think it’s a great idea. It’s something to encourage people to spend some time exercising,” Barber said. “I think we all get busy with our work schedule and don’t take care of health as we should. I think it will help me be accountable to do some things I haven’t done in past.”
He has said he also hopes to promote a healthy lifestyle for the high school students who watch him participate.
Huckabee echoed Barber, saying he’s excited to be involved and is confident he will beat his opponent.
“It’s all fun and games, but I’m going to take it serious, and I am going to beat him despite what he says,” he said Tuesday.
