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May 8, 2008

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Titusville nurse details life on 'Biggest Loser' By Susan Walden Kelly Fields is a big winner. The Titusville resident was a finalist on NBC's The Biggest Loser and came in third recently in the finale, losing a whopping 109 pounds and 40.22 percent of her weight. The registered nurse who works in Wuesthoff Medical Center-Rockledge in the cardiac catheterization lab, held a press conference April 30 and unfolded her story to a handful of press and a cafeteria full of co-workers who have been cheering for her ever since she left for California to be on the show. "This has been an amazing adventure," she began. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life, but definitely the most rewarding." Tired of being overweight all her life, she made the decision to apply for the show's fifth season because she felt she was a hypocrite. "Working in the cath lab, we tell people to lose weight and exercise and I clearly wasn't doing any of those things," said the 39-year-old, who spent 15 weeks at the Biggest Loser Ranch in Calabasas, Calif, outside of Malibu. Fields said she waited 10 hours in line at the Seminole Hard Rock in Miami with co-worker and friend Teresa Cox, at the casting call. "The lady in back of us had a kid in the stroller and it would hit us in the back of our legs," she laughed, praising Cox as always being there for her during the show. "She's the reason I had the strength to stay." Her other strength ­ for a time ­ came from her ex-husband Paul Marks, 43, of Rockledge. When Fields found out the season was going to be couple teams, a representative from the show asked herif she had someone to compete with her. "The only other person I know who's fat is my ex," she told him, including that Marks was a "ham." "I had a digital photo of him. He's five-foot-three, 300 pounds and was in a speedo," she said. "(After showing the representative his photo), he circled our names." Fields said after being chosen, she and Marks laid the ground rules for how they would get along, since they divorced in 2006. "I said that we needed to make sure we won't hurt each other's feelings. Š then he opens his mouth the first time I'm on the scale," she quipped. "Paul means well, he just doesn't have a filter." Unfortunately, in February Marks was the 12th contest-ant to be voted off, which was emotional for the coupleand a sad part of the show. Fields and Marks explainedduring the show that Marks'father had died at a youngage from complications associated with obesity. "Paul and I worked very hard and when it was between either him or me, I wanted him to stay." Ironically, Marks fell ill under similar circumstances hisfather did following his exit from the show. "His father hada ruptured diverticula, got a colostomy and threw a clot,exactly the same thing that happened to Paul," she said."Paul's dad died. The weight loss is what saved (Paul) andPaul gives credit to the show for saving his life." She said Marks is a little leery of the spotlight nowsince a not-so-reputable national tabloid disingenuouslycontacted Fields, who referred them to Marks thinking theywere going to give a good interview and story, but didn't. Life at the Biggest Loser ranch, which had been a Japanese college, wasn't luxurious. "When we first got there I thought they'd take us into it kind of easily and work up to it," she said, "but it wasn't like that at all." The contestants worked out eight hours a day from the very beginning and between exercising, doing their laundry and preparing their own meals, they didn't have time for much more. There were no TVs, newspapers, Internet and no scales. The contestants didn't know their weight until the official weigh-in, which took four to five hours to film in a cold room. They referred to their makeshift gym, which sported a tarp for a roof, as "$5 fitness." "It's not quite what you think of Malibu," the Satellite High School graduate said. "We had no air, no heat and for a period of time we didn't have hot water." But what wasn't the Hilton in accommodations, was top dollar in other ways ­ their trainers Bob and Jillian, and the close medical attention given to them." I wanted Bob (as a trainer) and Paul wanted Jillian," said Fields, who explained that she was "scared" of Jillian. But when they got Jillian, Fields thought differently. "Jill ended up being more understanding and she was more emotional and wanted to find out why you put on the weight," said Fields, who is looking forward to a long friendship with the trainer now. Fields recognized she was an emotional eater ­ one that had looked upon food as her friend to comfort her, even as far back as when she was a latchkey child. After the finale, Fields came home and it seemed that everywhere she looked her rival Ali Vincent, the first female to win the show, was on the Internet and on the TV. Fields was upset and the refrigerator was on her mind. "My friend said, 'Kelly, why are you doing this to yourself? 'I recognized I had control over it. That's what Jill taught me." They were given multi-million-dollar medical lab testing weekly under the direction of Dr. Rob Huizenga, physician for the Oakland Raiders and were attended to when they had medical complaints. Things were moving along week after week until after the triathlon in Australia, which was close to the end of the show. Instead of using the elevator after a challenge, Fields decided to run down the 44 flights of stairs and somewhere along with way injured her back. She suffered a herniated disc with nerve impingement, which rendered her in pain and decreased use of movement, especially in one of her legs. "If they did an MRI and diagnosed me I'd be disqualified," she said. After the weekly show ended and she became one of the three finalists, her next hurtle was to lose more weight despite the injury, and five weeks later in front of a live audience, weigh in and become the biggest loser. Fields was invited to train and stay with the show's season four "female biggest loser" and second-place finisher Julie Haden. Fields worked out for free with Haden's trainer. She visited a physician in Jacksonville who was concerned about her back. "He said, 'This show is just a blip in your life. You are looking at a potentially serious injury.'" But Fields wasn't going to give up. "God didn't bring me this far for someone to put a road-block in my way," she said, tailoring her exercises to a lower impact on her back by doing the elliptical trainer and step mill. Running was now impossible to do. She still receives weekly shots in her back, opting for the least invasive method at the moment. Fields works out one and a half hours a day and eats 1,800 calories daily, having once consumed a mere 800-a-day calorie diet during part of the show. "Do you know they say the national average Americans eat in a day is 4,000 calories? Isn't that scary? I've now lost 110 pounds ­ that's 11 10-pound bags of potatoes. I wasn't lazy; I was just tired." After the weigh-in, they'd have a high caloric day to essentially trick their bodies so they didn't hit a plateau and not lose any more weight. "We had a chocolate cake one day and Bob absolutely freaked out saying, 'Is that what you are going back to?'" The contestants convinced him that they were still diligent about losing weight. Looking back, she said her worst fear came true in the beginning of the show when she had to come out in the show's weigh-in garb ­ a sports bra and spandex shorts ­and be seen by her co-workers and the nation on TV. Fields would do it all again, despite the hard work and injury. She said that being a nurse tends to put everyone else first. "I'm a really good daughter, nurse, mate and friend . ... I put myself last. This was the first selfish thing I've ever done." What's Fields biggest pointer for those thinking of losing weight? "We're worth it." Inspiring others Even off the TV, Kelly Fields continues to inspire people. Whether a fan of The Biggest Loser or a patient who just met the friendly cardiac cath lab nurse at Wuesthoff, Fields is already making a stir. "I've been an avid viewer of The Biggest Loser for all five seasons, so I've cheered on Kelly since day one know that she hailed from Titusville," said Titusville resident Laura Kelly, who attended the April 30 press conference and got a chance to meet the finalist. "What impressed me most about meeting Kelly in person is that she really seems to be just as beautiful on the inside as she is now on the outside. Before meeting her I had imagined that someone with such a phenomenal weight loss success story would have an overabundance of self confidence or what some would call a "big head," but that was far from the case. She has a genuine, compassionate and humble nature about her that is clearly evident. Carolyn Harris of Titusville agrees after meeting Fields at Wuesthoff when her husband had a procedure done at the hospital recently. "She was so nice to us; we both agreed that what she did was an extraordinary accomplishment," said Harris, who has been a fan of the show almost from the beginning. She has been so inspired by the show that Harris and others at The Great Outdoors have a small weight loss group called the Weigh Down. "We all watch "The Biggest Loser" and discuss it at our meetings. We have picked up some good pointers on weight loss from the show," she said. Harris admires Field's sacrifices in doing the show after watching it week and weeks and seeing how hard it was to lose weight on the show and the challenges the contestants went through. Fields inspiration might have sparked a new club in town. "Kelly has absolutely inspired me to take control of my own health, and her willingness to share her weight loss journey, struggles and tips with me was invaluable," Kelly said. "In fact, I just joined the Titusville YMCA with my daughter. I'm actually hoping that other people struggling with their own weight loss will join me so together we can start a "Brevard Biggest Loser" club. To start the Brevard Biggest Loser Club, call The Beacon at 269-1070 or write news@northbrevardbeacon.com.

Hopes high for Garden Street land By Debi Fleming If everything goes as planned, an important piece of land on Garden Street will finally be adequately protected and preserved as an integral part of the city's water supply and be an ecopark. Grassroots leaders Lisa Smith and Arlynn Baker have been strong advocates of the land, located across the street from South Lake Elementary School, for years even fighting and winning the war against Wal-Mart's proposal to put a store there. For nearly a year, the two have worked with the city and have drawn up proposals for various grants to buy the land so the state can own it and the city can manage it. As reported in the June 28, 2007 Beacon, the land is a prime water recharge area for Wellfield 2 and part of the Atlantic Coast Ridge. More than $10 million is needed to purchase the land from the owner, John Evasius and president of Falcon Land and Development in Boca Raton. Evasius wants to build apartment complexes in the front of the property and 132 single family homes in the back portion, although Evasius is open to a buy-out through the grant money. The two women envision the land remaining a prime recharge area and the ecopark a place where many can come to see nature while strolling on trails. Smith and Baker ­  working with Richard Stillwagon, special projects coordinator ­ say they may be close to a win. Representatives from Florida Forever, one of the state's land acquisition grant programs, came to a public hearing in Titusville May 5. "It was a great turnout," said Smith. "I think they were really impressed." Rep. Tony Sasso also showed up to give his support, echoing community member's feelings that the project was worthy of the grant. "Florida Forever also came down on April 4 and brought 10 staffers who spent over three hours looking over the environment. For them to come again May 5 is important because Florida Forever typically looks at purchasing large parcels of land," said Smith, who thinks they are interested because of the water situation, being on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge  and their existing Brevard ecosystem project." Baker and Smith are also working with Stillwagon on recently submitting an application for a grant through Florida Communities Trust. "For this grant, you need matching funds and it would be more difficult with the current economic situation throughout the state to match the 25 percent that we would need. The maximum you can get is $6.6 million," she said. "With this trust, you have to have more defined recreational aspects, but we need to make sure these aspects would be low impact environmentally." Baker and Smith are also feeling pretty positive about the possibility of the Florida Forever grant, which will be voted on June 13. "The state legislation just voted to give Florida Forever $300 million for the next year so they have been refunded. They were down to only $25 million, which was pretty much committed. So this give us a lot of hope." Smith says getting involved in something this important is simple. "We need to leave water for our children and grandchildren."

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