Posted 12:59 am Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Valentine's Day Doughnut Gift Sparks More 10 in 10 Competition
By JACQUE HILBURN-SIMMONS
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Now you see it, now you don't.
A wayward participant in the "10 in 10 Challenge" seems to be back on track with his weight loss efforts, supporters said Tuesday.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Publisher Nelson Clyde shed all the fun he had during Super Bowl weekend, just in time for the half-way point in the competition -- losing about four pounds for a total of 14 pounds in five weeks.
"I'm not going to gloat," he said with a grin. "I just want more people to get involved. It's important."
Efforts to shape up began in earnest last month when City Manager Mark McDaniel challenged Clyde to lose the weight or shave his head.
As of last week, the men were neck in neck -- each having lost a respectable 9.8 pounds within the first month of the fitness challenge.
Clyde, coincidently, had been roughly four pounds ahead of the manager in the number of pounds lost, but suffered what could be described as a "foodie meltdown" before the big football game: gobbling a cheeseburger, fries, pizza, ice cream and barbecue.
But he regained a foothold this week, according to his Tuesday weigh-in at Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, 315 N. Broadway Ave.
Clyde logged in at 267 pounds; his original weight was 281.
McDaniel was at 155 pounds while his starting weight was 166.
The men's very public weight-loss campaign is an off-shoot of the Fit City Challenge, a community campaign to promote fitter lifestyles.
People throughout the community seem to be getting on board with the physical fitness efforts.
"I'm up to about 80 people calling in their weights to me every week," McDaniel said. "It's wonderful -- we want more people to join in."
It's anyone's guess on whether Clyde can keep up the pace, especially after a random Valentine gift for the publisher appeared Tuesday at his workplace.
On top of the box was a hand-written message that read, "To sharpen your will power."
"It was a box of donuts from the city manager," Clyde's Executive Assistant Diana Dill said when the package arrived. "He obviously wants Nelson to gain weigh.t
... That was just plain mean. No one can eat them around here because we're all on a diet. This means war."
Clyde took the high road, calling the goodies a "sweet" gesture on the part of the manager.
"I laugh in the face of pastries," he said.
There was no word on how the publication plans to respond to the gesture, or how newspaper employees viewed the gift from the saboteur.
By mid-afternoon there was no sign of the sweets or the signature box.
The chamber's Chief Operating Officer Henry Bell said his organization wanted to get involved in the "10 in 10 Challenge," in part because good health is good business.
"It is important for employers and employees both to be healthy," he said. "It helps with production levels; it's just a good thing."
Earlier Challenge weigh-ins were conducted at the East Texas Food Bank, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, Andy Woods Elementary School and Tyler Senior Center.
The next waistline reality check is set for Feb. 21 at the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, fourth floor, Ornelas
Tower, 800 E. Dawson St.
Future weigh-ins are planned for 11:30 a.m. Feb. 28, Northeast Texas Public Health District WIC Clinic, 815 N. Broadway Ave.; 11:30 a.m. March 6, Smith County, Courthouse Annex lobby, 200 E. Ferguson, Suite 100; 11:30 a.m. March 13, East Texas Medical Center, Olympic Center, second floor, 701 Olympic Plaza Circle.
Final weigh-in is set for 3 p.m. March 21, Fit City Steering Committee meeting, Tyler City Hall state room, 212 N. Bonner Ave.
