BREMERTON, WA, and USS RONALD REAGAN, AT SEA — The mania surrounding the reality television show “The Biggest Loser” has taken hold of Navy Fitness, inspiring many sailors to lose weight.

More than 100 Naval Base (NB) Kitsap sailors and Department of Defense (DoD) employees visited Concourse West Fitness Center in early February for the first meeting about The Biggest Loser Two competition. Participants will attend mandatory stress management classes for motivation, coaching lessons and nutrition classes, which include tips on meal planning, building a healthy kitchen and making the best of commissary shopping trips. Participants are also encouraged to keep track of their progress in a provided fitness and nutrition journal.

The physical requirements consist of five cardio workouts a week. Of the five, two must be a group exercise session. Before enrolling in the program, each athlete must fill out a physical assessment sheet.

Sailors assigned to the USS Ronald Reagan and the Carrier Air Wing 14 also kicked off the carrier strike group's second Biggest Loser competition in early February with dozens of men and women lined up to be weighed and measured in the ship's medical department.

This year's contest challenges sailors to lose weight while the ship is under way on the current surge deployment. Those who lose the most weight during deployment can earn prizes up to $1,000.

“I hear everybody everywhere talking about how they want to lose weight, and this is a way to give them some incentive,” says Lt. Kimberly Musa, Ronald Reagan's physical therapist and health promotions officer who organized the contest.

The contest has been well received by sailors aboard Ronald Reagan, and participants have been eager to sign up for the program. The ship departed San Diego on Jan. 27 on a surge deployment to support operations in the Western Pacific.

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