University Times

The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) had about 40 people sign up for the MyHealth Weight Race.

Elaine Linn, assistant director of the global studies program, was assigned to “Larry’s Buff Buddies,” named for UCIS director Larry Feick. Her team comprises three women (one faculty member who also is a program director and two staff including Linn) and two men (a staff member and Linn’s husband Ahmed Abdelwahab, an adjunct faculty member who teaches Arabic).

“I had not even met two of my team because they’re in different locations. They are two young staff members with Study Abroad, one located in Benedum and one with the CBA (College of Business Administration) in Sennott Square,” said team spokesperson Linn. “I went to meet them at a study abroad fair, and we talked about our goals,” she said.

“One of them said he felt pressured by his colleagues to sign up, even though he didn’t really need to lose weight. But he set a goal of five pounds to have something to shoot for. The rest of us mainly felt we needed to lose some weight — and wanted to lose some weight,” which can be two different things, Linn said.

After her team was chosen, Linn took it upon herself to motivate her teammates. “I’ve been emailing the team to remind them to go to the weigh-in,” she said. “And I plan to send out encouraging emails, like: ‘The weather’s nice. Let’s get out and walk.’ It’s kind of a pep talk. I’m a competitive soul and I’d like to see our team do well.”

Linn said that to benefit all UCIS weight race teams she’s also pushing for a few area-wide strategies, such as providing an in-house scale so members can weigh in at work during the self-reporting weeks of the weight race.

“I used to be in Weight Watchers, and I know there’s more motivation, more peer pressure, when you’re weighed in front of a group rather than at home by yourself. But that’s a good pressure. It’s healthy,” Linn said. One of her team members decided to join Weight Watchers online as a strategy for the weight race, she added.

Linn also has suggested that UCIS team captains establish a weekly brown bag lunch to share dieting and exercise tips. “A lot of us have been on different weight-loss programs and can give good advice about what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “I also wish there was an exercise class in Posvar Hall for after work, or at least a designated room for exercising. It’s a bonding thing. I know my colleagues would be enthusiastic and take advantage of putting on casual clothes and working out at 5:30, instead of trudging over to Bellefield, which is kind of small and you can’t always get the machines you want.

“I know the purpose of the weight race is that UPMC [Health Plan] wants us to get healthier and be more productive workers and it will lower the cost of health care. That’s the bottom line,” Linn said. “But if we can benefit as individuals, I don’t feel jaded that I somehow need to be more productive at work. This benefits me directly in the short term and the long term.”

She added that Pitt has a pressing need for more on-campus workout space. “I’ve been here a long time, and I know space is tight, but if the University is really pushing this, they should back it up. What’s going to happen, for example, after the weight race is over? I know I’ve lost 30 pounds before and then gained it all back. This is something you have to stick with, or it won’t be worth much in the long run.”

Linn said she and her husband have a built-in support system, taking their weight-loss efforts home with them. Linn already had been exercising regularly at home while watching an exercise video. She often walks in the mornings near her home and always takes the steps to her 4th floor office in Posvar Hall. Now her husband is on the exercise bandwagon too.

“In the information we got with the pedometer, it said the average person walks about 2,000 steps a day, and that a good goal is to gradually, incrementally get that up to 10,000 steps a day,” she said. “Over the weekend, my husband and I walked about 2.5-3 miles and it was about 3,000 steps, so we have a long way to go. But he’s wearing his pedometer regularly, and he’s really committed to this weight race, which helps me.”

—Peter Hart