The Biggest Loser and the Biggest Winner
I had to get really creative with how to burn extra calories when I was sitting at my desk at work. I would close my office door and my window blinds and dance around my office!

One-forty-two.” Those three words did not mean much when my doctor said them to me after weighing me…after all, I was only 11 years-old. Who would have imagined that I would be taken back to that day when my husband and I auditioned for NBC’s The Biggest Loser? Why that day? Well, it served as my benchmark because it reminded me just how long I had been struggling with my weight. Why that show? I was always amazed by the dramatic transformations contestants had on the show – and I wanted to know “the secret”. The time had come to find a permanent solution to my lifelong problem.

Although I was athletic, the scale was never kind. In high school, I weighed 175 pounds. When I got married, I was 205 pounds. A year after my first pregnancy, I weighed 248 pounds. During the four years preceding my second pregnancy, I had lost 60 pounds (kept off about 30). Despite my best efforts to nurse both children, I never returned to my pre-pregnancy weight. I was frustrated because I felt I would never lose the weight. Then, my husband and I were blessed with an opportunity of a lifetime to be contestants on “The Biggest Loser: Families” – away from the world to stay focused on losing weight and understanding how one gained the weight in the first place. But alas, our time was cut short, when we were voted off the show the first week. I returned to my real world with our children and full-time job (and my daily commute to Tyson’s Corner). I worked out 2 – 2 ½ hours, six days per week and counted calories. I was determined to prove to one person that I could still achieve my weight loss goals… …

Myself…AND I DID IT!

STATS:
How much did you weigh at your heaviest? At the age of 28, my weight spiraled out of control and I weighed 248 pounds. I have lost and gained weight over the years. When I was weighed-in for The Biggest Loser, I was 221 pounds.

How much weight have you lost? Since being at my heaviest, I have lost at total of 92 pounds. During the season run for The Biggest Loser, I lost 65 pounds. This is the smallest I have ever been as an adult.

How long have you kept it off? I’m going on 3 months of being on maintenance mode. It is a dramatic amount of weight to lose in a short span of time (about 6 months), and it takes a while for the body to adjust. So, I’m excited for each day the scale does not change.

What size were you and what size are you now ? I was wearing a size 20 – 22 at my heaviest; a size 18 – 20 at the start of the show. Now, I am in a size 8 – 10.

How often do you work out? I work out about 1 – 1 ½ hours, 4 – 5 times per week. I do mostly cardio (running, step aerobics, stair master) and circuit training.

QUESTIONS:
When did your moment of truth come? I think I have had “moments of truth” throughout my life with wanting to lose weight. I had one after I reached a peak of 248 pounds. After my second pregnancy when I started to gain weight again, I had another “moment” and decided to apply for the show.

How did you do it? After we were eliminated the first week, we had to return to our normal lives. This meant I had to figure out a way to squeeze in 2 – 2 ½ hours of exercise into an already full day. I worked out during my lunch hour (3 days per week with my personal trainer) and then, another 1 ½ hours once the children went to bed. The other part of the equation was the eating plan. I ate about 1250 -1300 calories per day, proportioned by proteins (30 – 35%), carbohydrates (45 – 50%), and fats (20 – 25%).

Any secrets or crazy things that worked for you? I had to get really creative with how to burn extra calories when I was sitting at my desk at work. I would close my office door and my window blinds and dance around my office! The show provided a great caloric management device called The BodyBugg. It helped me stay on track with food journaling and measuring my calories burned.

How did you stay motivated? I stayed motivated by reciting the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I believed that God blessed me with the opportunity to succeed and achieve my goals for weight loss. I just needed to prove it to myself. My children were also a constant reminder of why achieving my goal was so important.

Did you ever give up? If yes, what made you get back on the wagon? There were moments, especially when we first returned home from The Biggest Loser ranch, that I did not think I was going to succeed. I was afraid of burning out with all of the exercise and everything that comes with being a mom, a wife, and working full-time. With the help of my faith, my husband and my trainer I was able to push myself farther than I thought I could go.

How do you maintain the loss? I still keep a mental food journal and count calories. It is fairly easy, since I spent 6 months recording everything I ate. Now, it is like second nature. I also exercise regularly to keep my new body in tip-top shape.

Your favorite eating tips. Do not think of healthy eating as a “diet”. Diets are temporary… healthy eating is for life. Small changes translate to big results.

Your favorite exercises. Running and step aerobics (Cathe Friedrich is my FAVORITE)

What does your family think? My family is amazed at my transformation. I had been overweight most of my childhood and my entire adult life so to them, I’m a new person.

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