Health: The Shred Diet Challenge Results Are In For SEPTA Workers
By Stephanie Stahl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The SHRED diet challenge results are in for SEPTA. The group dropped a combined 7,000 pounds in six weeks.
Agnes Daniels, a SEPTA project coordinator, is now happy to drop her fat pants after losing 25 pounds and two dress sizes in six weeks.
Agnes says she feels wonderful and "I want to do 25 more."
She is among 41 SEPTA employees who joined the SHRED diet challenge.
3 On Your Side was there in January when Dr. Ian Smith, the creator of the SHRED Diet, was first introduced to SEPTA employees.
The best selling diet book says the average weight loss is 20 pounds, along with four inches and two dress sizes for women. But the SEPTA group only lost an average of 10 pounds each.
"That's a great showing for the first six weeks. They started off at 7,726 pounds. They lost 450 pounds in just six weeks", said Dr. Smith.
Bus driver Rhonda Bell lost 18 pounds during the six week challenge. She is now happy to show off her newly belted waist.
Daily exercise was an important part of the program, for the mostly sedentary SEPTA employees. And they say the comradely helped a lot.
Rhonda says "We pull into a depot and somebody will lean out the bus and go 'I'm at 16 pounds.' I'm like yeah well big deal, I'm at 17lbs."
Dr. Smith says, "Weight loss studies show that those who have some kind of support system not only lose more weight, but are more successful in keeping it off."
Ron O'Neal, a transit instructor, lost 26 pounds following the SHRED plan of eating low calorie healthy food every three to four hours. And there's a lot of variety, something called diet confusion, to keep the metabolism revved up and burning calories.
Ron says, "It gives you a lot of food, you're never hungry."
The SHRED diet outlines specific meals and snacks with a variety of substitutions. You get between 11 and 14 hundred calories a day. Diet experts say just about anyone will lose weight with that kind of calorie restriction, no matter what plan you're on.
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