With the holidays over and the new year right around the corner, many people are embracing the common phrase, ‘New year, new me’ and the annual tradition of forming New Year’s resolutions. For many, that means tackling their physical health and making positive changes to improve their physical wellbeing. Here in Northwest Indiana, there is no better way to do that than with the Pure Fat Loss Challenge, which held its annual kick-off event Thursday evening at Avalon Manor.
Created by Justin Savich in 2015, the Pure Fat Loss Challenge (PFLC) is not your typical fitness program.
“I got tired of seeing so many ‘weight loss’ programs where people just lose ‘weight,’ which includes fat and muscle,” Savich said. “This program, on the other hand, is a challenge to see if you can lose pure fat, which we measure by consistently monitoring body fat percentage throughout the 12-week program.”
PFLC participants receive a free body stat analysis, which tells them their weight, BMI, body fat percentage, muscle percentage, visceral fat level, body age, calories they burn in a day, fat pounds, and lean pounds.
“That’s what we continue to track throughout the program,” Savich explained. “We make sure they are still hanging on to muscle in the process, and make adjustments to do that if necessary.”
This is what creates the challenge aspect of the program, as the participant who loses the largest percentage of body fat at the end of the 12 weeks will earn the title of Champion upon graduation from the program. Although there will only be one champion, all challenge members will be recognized for their efforts, receiving a t-shirt with the label 'FINISHER of THE PURE FAT LOSS CHALLENGE’ emblazoned with their name and a team number representing the amount of fat they’ve lost throughout the challenge.
The program also includes accountability aspects in the form of communication through a private Facebook group, accountability partners, and team leaders. Many team leaders even began as challenge participants themselves, and have completed the challenge several times. Lisa Pavlopoulos was among the participants of the first PFLC group back in 2015, and is now a member of the leadership team that runs the program.
“This program has the potential to be life-changing,” Pavlopoulos said. “Not only do you get to lose weight, but you get to work on yourself mentally and physically. It’s just awesome!”
Kristin Ripley, another Team Leader, has also experienced the benefits of the program first-hand.
“This is an event that’s for everybody and anybody,” Ripley said. “Whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100 pounds to lose, you absolutely can walk away with something valuable, and learn something about yourself and the weight loss journey.
“I started last year,” Ripley continued. “Thoughts of ‘Why am I even here,’ floated around, but I actually ended up winning the whole thing! It’s just a great experience with a lot of love poured into everybody that walks through the door. Justin’s program is wonderful, and everyone can benefit from it.”
Over the years, hundreds of people have shed thousands of pounds through this once-a-year program. With such a high level of commitment from current and past participants, PFLC clearly has the power to influence and change lives.
Savich attributes this great success to the program’s unique structure. With focus areas on nutrition, fitness education, exercise, mentality, and attitude, PFLC truly does offer the complete package when it comes to the fitness journey. What stands out in particular is its emphasis on motivation and the mental aspect of embarking on a fitness journey.
“I’ve studied so many different programs, and people always say, ‘I couldn’t stay motivated,’” Savich said. “There’s a great quote by Albert Einstein that reads, ‘When a person is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.’ That’s why our program is just filled with motivation.
“In fact,” Savich continued, “we have two midpoint sessions during the program that focus solely on mindset and emotions, human behavior, psychology, beliefs, how mind games come into play with our physical fitness. We really strive to provide an encouraging, supportive environment for participants throughout the entire program.”
Participants are encouraged to register with a friend or spouse and complete the challenge together, taking on the role of accountability partner for each other.
For anyone who missed the kick-off event, there is still time to become a part of this inspiring challenge! The challenge will officially begin on January 1, 2019 and run through the end of March, and registration will be open for the next few days.
To register or learn more about the Pure Fat Loss Challenge, contact Justin Savich at justin@lifesuccessgroup.com or visit their website at www.thepurefatlosschallenge.com.