When an Orem-based video game development company wrapped up an employee cooking contest in the spring, all signs pointed to the need for another competition -- immediately.

"Every couple of days we had somebody cooking some big, scrumptious lunch for everybody," said Steve Taylor, president of NinjaBee. "That was kind of the direction we were headed in as a company was to make everyone fatter and less healthy. That seemed to be the wrong direction to go."

Eight hours a day of programming or playtesting in front of an Xbox 360 did little to combat growing waistlines. Many of the employees' daily exercise constituted walking to the kitchen, where Taylor said a steady supply of snacks was kept.

"We all sit at computers all day, and we used to buy a bunch of junk food as a perk for the company," he said. "Soda, chips, cookies, jellybeans -- just all kinds of junk food constantly packed into the kitchen."

That all changed May 22, when the company challenged its workers to reverse the trend. Over 14 weeks, the group of 17 lost a collective 205.5 pounds -- but not before one last lunch to kick off the competition.

"Most of us went out to eat that day, to eat something really fattening," Taylor remembered, "and then we all weighed in."

Running

Joey Kendall was the contest's big winner, weighing in at 221 pounds in mid-September -- a loss of 37 pounds, or 2.6 pounds a week. The 6-foot programmer said he shed the pounds using a simple "calories-in-calories-out" formula.

"I really tried to make changes I could live with, instead of drastic things that I would really struggle with," he said. "I switched from regular potato chips to baked potato chips in my lunches. I went with more healthy breakfast cereal rather than Captain Crunch, which was my favorite."

He also joined a beginner's 5K running program in American Fork geared toward training for the July 19 Steel Days run.

He started out walking 1 mile three times a week, but with the help and encouragement of others, was running 4 miles at a time before the race. His official 5K time: 37 minutes, 15 seconds.

"I made the whole thing without stopping, and I felt pretty good about it," he said.

Kendall said he set only one goal at the outset of the weight loss competition: "I wanted to win."

Biking

Art Director Brent Fox finished second, missing the gold medal by a half-pound. Yes, it's a sore spot.

"I'm personally very motivated to try and beat these other guys," he said. "I changed my diet, I got more exercise, I got more water -- I did a little bit of everything."

But egos aside, Fox said he owes his new 224.5-pound scale reading to the contest.

"The biggest factor is just the fact that we had the competition at all," said Fox, who stands 5 feet 11 inches.

His diet was "horrible" before May, but now consists of six small meals daily with carefully portioned servings of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, Fox said.

But changing his diet never meant he felt deprived -- quite the opposite.

"It was hard to actually try to get all six meals in," he said.

Fox attributes most of his success to his decision to put away the car keys and bike to work. It was tough going at first, but eventually paid off, he said.

"The first time I did it, I didn't think I'd make it home," he said. "I remember being passed by somebody who was running.

"It was pretty embarrassing."

Walking

Taylor, the company's 5-foot-10-inch president, rounded out the top three, shaving 29 pounds to land at 242. His routine? Nothing special, he said.

"There was nothing fancy at all. I simply counted calories," he said. "I had never paid attention to what I was eating, at least for years. Writing it down, acknowledging what I was eating was a huge deal."

That meant cutting out his constant snacking throughout the day. To help, he and others used thedailyplate.com, an online calorie calculator.

"In a very nerdy way, we exchanged a few Web site addresses, basically," he said.

Beyond that, he simply walked -- every day he could, about 45 minutes a day, with his wife or friends.

"I said, 'I'm just going to do the best I can,'" he said.

Maintaining

Each of the three winners said the changes they've made are permanent. And the company itself has reformed, too.

"We've kind of changed our attitude about filling the kitchen with unhealthy food," Taylor said.

Having lost 14 percent of his body weight over the past 14 weeks, Fox suggested aspiring health nuts make their first step overcoming the biggest obstacle to success: themselves.

"The biggest thing is to not cheat," he said. "Whatever plan you decide to do -- because we all did different stuff -- the trick is to actually do it."

• Ace Stryker can be reached at 344-2556 or astryker@heraldextra.com.