DECATUR - Whenever Mike Walker passes the mirror in the front hallway at Eisenhower High School, he has to stop and sneak a look at himself.

"I say (to myself), 'Looking good!' " Mike, a senior, said with a delighted grin.

Mike is the winner of The N's "Student Body," a reality show pitting Eisenhower High School students against MacArthur High School students in a quest to lose weight, develop healthy habits and confidence, and do it all in front of TV cameras.

The series premiered July 11 on The N and ended Aug. 24. Mike won the $25,000 individual prize, and MacArthur High School won the $25,000 school prize.

Mike's money is in the bank, and he plans to use it for college. He wants to go to Columbia University in Chicago to study the music business.

"I'm trying to get my mom to let me have $100 for new clothes," Mike said, "but I want to use most of it for college."

Though Mike is pleased with the way he looks now that the extra weight is gone, it's how he feels inside that really matters, he said.

"I have a ton more confidence and my self-esteem has risen uber amounts," he said. "I have a lot more energy. I'm in show choir and doing really good and not keeling over. It was a good experience. I feel really good and really healthy."

He said none of that is due to being on a TV show, it's because he learned he can face a challenge and overcome it.

Wayne Carey feels the same way. Wayne, a student at MacArthur, said his whole life is different now.

"I really think my life will be changed forever," he said. "Just being addicted to going to the gym and staying active. I'll never eat a bit of butter again; I never drink soft drinks anymore. It's like everything is just so much better now. I thank The N forever for a great opportunity."

He's lost a total of 60 pounds and has found he loves running, he said. He couldn't run before and didn't want to; he was too heavy and tired too quickly.

"I didn't like it because I wasn't good at it," Wayne said. "The show forced me to run, and I discovered something I enjoy doing. This year, I think I have the confidence to tryout for soccer. It's something where you run a lot and will be a great way for me to stay in shape."

The students on MacArthur's team will decide what to do with their prize of $25,000. So far, Wayne said, they've bought new robes for the school choir. Several of the members of the team also are in the choir, and the robes were needed. They've also thought about a scholarship fund and adding some new and healthy foods to the choices in the cafeteria.

The biggest idea is starting a Student Body group at the school.

"Once a week, we'd have meetings, kind of like Weight Watchers, but we won't have a program," said Haylee Bruce, another member of MacArthur's team. "We'd work out together and weigh in and get businesses to donate, like a dollar for every pound lost, to raise money for our school."

Haylee is planning a career in forensic chemistry, something she'd already thought about before Student Body, but her success in that program has convinced her that she can meet any challenge.

"I learned what I was capable of doing," she said. "Before, I would sell myself short."

They also are getting a taste of what it's like to be a celebrity. Mike said he answers every message he receives on his MySpace page, especially when someone asks advice on weight loss and exercise.

Wayne said he gets "love" from the fans. "I've talked to so many people who were inspired by the show," he said.

For Haylee, seeing herself on TV was a bit surreal, especially the way her voice sounded. She watched with three friends.

"We'd go bowling before and then watched the show at my friend's house because I didn't get the (N) network," she said. "It was just so weird, because I knew I was a part of it, but there was just no way to prepare myself for 'Hey, I'm on TV!' "

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