Diamond Bar deputy join Battle of Badges

As a part to get the staff in shape and encourage better health, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department begins its annual battle of the bulge.

Four teams have joined the Battle of the Badges to see who can lose the most weight over the next 10 weeks. The official weigh-in took place Thursday.

Last year, Eli Celnik lost more than 100 pounds, while Pearl Cruz lost 52.

All 45 competitors will be a winner in the long run. Many are like Sgt. Annadennise Briz, a resident of Diamond Bar.

“I’m tired of the extra weight, I haven’t weighed this much since I was pregnant with my last child,” the 47-year-old admitted.

Briz works in the County Services Bureau in downtown Los Angeles. She is a hostage negotiator.

“I helped with the man who threatened to jump off the overpass in East L.A., closing the freeway for hours,” Briz said.

Despite her high-stress job, Briz agrees “it’s just laziness, it’s so easy to grab something quick to eat rather than make something healthy.”

Briz wants to lose 40 pounds. The 5-foot-2 sergeant weighs 179 pounds.

“I think 140 would be an ideal weight for me,” Briz said.

She’ll join her brothers and sisters in the department as they shed unwanted pounds. They’ll follow the Lindora weight loss program to lose 10 percent of their body weight in 10 weeks.

The program includes diet, moderate exercise and motivational tools. The cost is being paid for by the Lean For Life Foundation, Lindora’s nonprofit group that promotes obesity research.

“One of our hopes in establishing Battle of the Badges was to create healthy heroes out of our participants,” said Lindora CEO Cynthia Stamper Graff, whose new book “The New Lean For Life” was given to all the participants.

“My three daughters are so fit and they want me to live a healthier lifestyle,” Briz said. “I’ve already started jogging three miles with a friend three or four times a week. I also want to join a gym in Diamond Bar.”

The busy sheriff’s deputy hopes it will help with her cholesterol.

 

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