8 secrets to double-digit weight loss

By Sarah Mahoney

updated 11:38 a.m. ET Nov. 27, 2007

Losing 20 pounds might take the rest of us a few months. Kae Whang, a contestant on “The Biggest Loser,” did it in one week — breaking the female record on the hit NBC reality show. Fellow contestants Hollie Self and Isabeau Miller both shed about half that amount in the same short time. If you watch the show, you see them test their physical and emotional limits during challenges. What you don’t see is what happens the rest of the week on campus — the meal planning and calorie monitoring, the training and strengthening, the advice and support from a team of experts, all working toward the same goal: to help these participants lose weight now, keep it off later, and restore hope that they can live happy and healthy lives. We asked three of this season’s stars, along with the show’s medical and nutrition advisor, Michael Dansinger, M.D., and its nutritionist, Cheryl Forberg, R.D., to share what it really takes to shed mega-pounds fast, and why the process is nothing short of life transforming. Here, eight “Biggest Loser” strategies that can inspire you to reach your own weight-loss goal.

Believe YOU CAN DO IT

At the time of the Prevention photo shoot, Hollie Self had already lost 43 pounds, going from 255 to 212.

For Hollie, the show is not only changing the way she looks but also the way she looks at life: “Nothing is impossible.” A little tough love from her team leader and trainer, Jillian Michaels, taught her that. “I needed someone to push me out of my comfort zone, to keep telling me, ‘You can do more,’” Hollie says. Now, she’s setting new goals. “I always hated running, and then one week I actually won the minitriathlon challenge. When I get home, I want to try a real one.”

Even the most confident, though, have their moments of doubt. Finding a mantra or meaningful phrase worked for Isabeau. “When I started questioning my determination, I would remember the last thing my parents said before I left for the show: ‘Never, ever give up.’” And she won’t until she reaches this milestone: to join her family in a 7-mile race they run every year.

Don’t forget to eat!
That means breakfast and lunch and dinner, plus two snacks — every single day. It’s not groundbreaking news, but according to Forberg, it’s worth repeating. “When I started working with the show, I was surprised how many contestants skipped meals,” she says. That can lead to out-of-control hunger and overeating. Stick to a regular eating schedule to keep your metabolism revved, hunger satiated, and energy up. Some basic “Biggest Loser” diet principles:

• Find your ideal calorie budget. Each contestant’s individual calorie limit is determined by a complex formula that considers starting weight, body-fat percentage and goal weight, says Dansinger. Kae, for example, first weighed in at 225 pounds and follows a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet, while Isabeau, who started at almost 300 pounds, eats between 1,500 and 1,600 calories daily.
• At home, use this simple formula to determine your limits: If you are obese and sedentary, multiply your goal weight by 10 as a starting point. So, for instance, if you want to get down to 135 pounds, eat about 1,350 calories a day. If you’re somewhat active, multiply by 13 per pound, or about a 1,755-calorie allowance. (Register — for free — to use My Health Trackers at prevention.com/healthtrackers to determine a good goal weight.)
• Make healthy substitutions. “The quality of the calories is just as important as the quantity,” says Forberg. That means choosing natural foods (such as whole-grain bread) and passing up processed products (white bread). You can find a nutritious version of everything you like, says Isabeau. “At home, I had french fries with every meal. Now I have sweet potato fries — they’re tasty and so much healthier.” But her biggest surprise was how much she got to eat: “I’m never hungry.”
• Understand “why.” Contestants learn about nutrition so they understand why whole-grain bread, for example, is better than white (it’s high in fiber, so you stay fuller longer). “It’s easier to stick to a plan that makes sense to you,” says Forberg.

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