A’ndria Salcedo loves competition.
This love of competition has brought the 28-year-old third-grade teacher to number one in the Biggest Loser competition at the Federal Way Community Center.
In nine weeks of workouts so far, Salcedo has lost 28 pounds — 13.86 percent of her starting body weight of 203 pounds.
Salcedo agreed to let The Mirror chronicle her weight loss as added incentive.
“My mom told me ‘You better sign up,’” Salcedo said, laughing.
At a weigh-in before Tuesday’s workout, it was another three-pound loss for Salcedo.
“At first I was losing five pounds a week,” Salcedo said. “Any loss is a good loss.”
Then it’s time to exercise with their trainer, Jason Bowman.
“I choose him because he looks like the type that would push you,” Salcedo said. “I needed someone to tell me I have to do those last five.”
Within minutes, the sounds of heavy breathing from the all-girl team fill the room as they begin an hour of kickboxing, now using weights too.
Swing kicks, jabs, lunges and punches — all with the added weight in their hands.
“I’m gonna wipe those smiles off your faces real quick,” Bowman barked.
“Told you, no one is smiling now,” he laughingly added a minute later.
On non-weigh-in days, Bowman sends all the women running on the track before beginning the kickboxing workout.
“If I don’t go fast, he chases me,” Salcedo said.
Bowman offers other incentives for the women. For the biggest loser on their team at last month’s weigh-in, Bowman bought hand weights. This time he is buying her a resistance band for next week’s workout.
Both times, Salcedo has been the biggest loser, earning her the nickname “Number 1.”
Salcedo has helped her team, the Gold team, to its current first-place position. The team as a whole has lost 155.5 pounds.
In winning that first-place position at week nine, the gold team won an extra personal training session with its trainer in the last week of competition.
Then it’s time for one of few 60-second breaks, and the women rush for the cool air of the open door.
All too soon, break time is over and it’s back to kickboxing.
“Your legs are on fire!” Bowman shouts. “Let it burn.”
Biggest Loser: Current results
Gold Team: 155.5 pounds lost, 7.26 percent
Red Team: 134.25 pounds lost, 5.73 percent
Purple Team: 121.4 pounds lost, 5.32 percent
Green Team: 112 pounds, 5.29 percent
Black Team: 105.75 pounds, 4.68 percent
Blue Team: 133.9 pounds, 4.84 percent
Orange Team: 95 pounds, 4.29 percent
Total weight lost so far as a group: 872.8 pounds
Average weight lost per person: 12.29 pounds
Top 10 individuals heading into the past three weeks
1. A’ndria Salcedo: 28 pounds, 13.86 percent (Gold team)
2. April Ellington: 25 pounds, 13.74 percent (Orange)
3. Colleen Persson: 24.5 pounds, 12.89 percent (Gold)
4. Alan Ishikawa: 21.5 pounds, 10.70 percent (Green)
5. Laurie Sherwin: 17.5 pounds, 9.51 percent (Gold)
6. Mike Milholland: 26.5 pounds, 8.88 percent (Red)
7. Sandy Schifert: 25 pounds, 8.83 percent (Blue)
8. Jacob Cook: 24.5 pounds, 8.48 percent (Blue)
9. Greg Gorgen: 22 pounds, 8.40 percent (Red)
10. Christie Taylor: 14.85 pounds, 8.31 percent (Purple)
