Vessyl

Have you heard about this new cup that, when you pour something into it, it senses exactly what it is and tells you what it is and how many calories are in it?!

I'm not kidding, this actually exists.

 

 

 

It's called the Vessyl, and works basically like this...

Pour

 

 

 

 

Sense

 

 

 

 

 

Report

 

I am amazed and awed by this thing.  If someone wants to send me a sample to do a product review on ... I'm all for it.  (It appears to be available starting in 2015 for $99.)

Losing the Last 10 Pounds

Like many of you out there, I'm looking to lose a little of the extra weight I've been carrying as of late. 

And while it may seem like common sense, this article had an interesting assortment of weight loss tips that I thought I would add my own two cents to. 

Let's do it!


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8 Tips to Help You Lose the Last 10 Pounds


(1) Eat More Fiber

OK, first off - eating more fiber does not mean you go out and buy those stupid Fiber One processed food garbage bars.  Or adding Metamucil to your morning orange juice.  Or switching from white to whole wheat bread (although I DO endorse that idea).  Eating more fiber means following my mantra... FRUITS AND VEGGIES, FRUITS AND VEGGIES!!!

If you remember what I talked about the time I went vegan for three days straight, when you shift your focus to a vegetable heavy diet (at least 1 serving at every meal - not counting fruit, which you should also add), you end up feeling really full.  All the time.  And for very few calories.

Sometimes just conquering that hunger hurdle is all you need to help you lose weight.  After all, when you're not hungry, you're less likely to snack or over indulge on other things.



(2) Cut Out Liquid Calories

Many people out there don't realize the calories they consume in a day, just by drinking.  Plus, they also don't realize that those calories do essentially nothing to help them feel full or stay full, not to mention the lack of nutritional benefit. 

For example, a relatively healthy person can almost double their daily caloric intake just by enjoying some "standard" daily beverages:

Breakfast
     - instant oatmeal (120 calories), banana (90 calories) = 210 calories
     - Caribou large vanilla northern lite latte with non-fat whip = 215 calories

Lunch
     - assorted salad with vinaigrette dressing and chicken = 350 calories
     - 20 ounces of regular cola = 250 calories

Dinner
     - beef and vegetable stir fry with rice = 500 calories
     - two 16 ounce, non-lite beers = 280 calories

Daily calories, food - 210 + 350 + 500 = 1060 (58% of daily intake)
Daily calories, drinks - 215 + 250 + 280 = 745 (42% of daily intake)

In the above example, just under half of the day's calories come from a skim latte, a bottle of cola and two regular beers.  Aside from the skim milk in the latte, these calories do nothing to help fill the stomach (as they are processed quickly by the body and then "dumped"), and the nutritional benefit of those beverages is almost nil.

Imagine if you swapped all those calories out for food... even if you weren't being healthy, 745 calories could get you a pretty awesome mid day snack AND an after dinner dessert.



(3) Hydrate

 

When I first started taking hot yoga, I remember reading a poster about hydrating that I found pretty interesting.  Although I cannot recall all the facts on it now, there was one fact on there about how many people initially mistake thirst for hunger that sticks in my brain even to today.

I'll keep my comments on this simple, and just post a fun fact:

"Clinical studies have shown that 37% of people mistake hunger for thirst because the thirst mechanism is so weak. By doing so, the body is led to think that it needs food when what it’s really asking for is water. Moreover, the fact that the symptoms of dehydration (i.e. feeling weak, dizzy and cranky) mimic those of hunger contribute to people’s confusion between the two signals."



(4) Increase Cardio

This one is pretty obvious.  The more you work out, the more you burn.

However, it's not all about spending more time.  Think about other ways to maximize your burn.  Can you push harder?  Go faster?  Lift heavier?  Don't get too comfortable in your workout routine.  Push yourself to the edge of your comfort zone, just past that border of what you know you can do into the area of what you're not sure you can do.  Adding just one more set or going just a little harder can make all the difference.



(5) Avoid Alcohol

This is how I really kicked my weight loss into high gear back when I was heavy.  As shown in point two above, liquid calories can really add up.



(6) Track Everything

I personally recommend this app for that, but anything to make you more aware of what you're eating (and how much of it) can really help you find your trouble areas in your diet.

Not to mention, as I discussed awhile ago, even finding one or two areas in your diet where you can eliminate a few excess calories can really add up to some substantial weight changes over the course of a week.



(7) Get Strong

Did you know that the more muscle you carry, the more calories you burn ... even just sitting around on your ass?!  If you aim to complete 2-3 strength based workouts each week, the long term benefit of carrying around all that muscle will start to add up.



(8) Revist Your Diet

AKA - the trouble spot that I'm working on right now.  Yep, saving the best for last.

Every once in awhile, it's good to do a check in to see where you're at.  While you may not always want to track all your calories (like suggested in point six above), there's no harm in picking a day at random to spot check your habits.  It may open your eyes to some bad habits that are starting to sneak back in like too large of portions, an extra serving when you don't really need it, or even excess snacking (my personal vice).  Catching those minor errors and correcting them before they become full fledged habits is MUCH easier than waiting until you've put 20 pounds back on and can't figure out how it happened.

Why I Can

Well, it's the end of the gardening season in Minnesota.  And unfortunately, my garden didn't fair well in the tomato department this year... although I did manage to get one good round of tomatoes - enough to fill a few pints. 

Regardless, that didn't stop me from going to the local farmer's market and buying a few additional bushels to jar as well.  Yes, yes - rather late, I'll admit ... but we had a late crop this year, so I got lucky.

You might be wondering - why would I go through all that work to preserve tomatoes when I can purchase them at the store for like $0.49 a can?

Yeah, yeah - I know, it seems dumb.  But here's the thing.  When I jar my own tomatoes, I know EXACTLY what's in them.  And that's tomatoes.  Tomatoes and nothing else.  No weird preservatives, added salt, etc. 

Plus, I know the quality of the tomato as well.  I know it was picked in season at it's peak ripeness.  I know it was cleaned and handled properly.  And, I know where it came from and how it was grown. 

Of course, there's also the pride in knowing I made the food myself. 

But most importantly, there's this article...

PS - Think canning is hard?  It's not, honest! 

Think canning is risky?  Try reading this to ease your fear...

Driving My Point Home

Just to drive my previous post's point home, another article:

Something Fun To Do

Another fun article that ties to my fitness philosophy... enjoy.


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Whatever you do, don't call it exercise

Whether you think of your workouts as fun or work could make all the difference when it comes to losing weight

By Linda Melone, CSCS

 

Whether you think of your workouts as fun or, well, work (so, basically the opposite of something fun) could make all the difference when it comes to losing weight, finds a new study published in Marketing Letters: A Journal of Research in Marketing.

Researchers at Cornell University set out to see why some people lose weight when starting a new exercise routine and others don't. They studied two groups of adults who were attending a camp at Cornell; both groups were taken on the same walk, but one group was told the walk was something "fun" to do, while the other group was told the purpose of the walk was to "exercise." After the walk, both groups were served an all-you-can-eat lunch. The differences in what they ate were pretty striking: The "exercise" group ate 35% more chocolate pudding than the "fun" group (they didn't eat more salad or veggies, just more dessert).

The results aren't surprising when you think about it--how many times have you "rewarded" yourself for completing a tough workout with something indulgent? The researchers suspect it's that mindset shooting so many people in the weight loss foot, often leading to taking in just as many calories, if not more, than were burned off from the exercise. Framing exercise as fun, on the other hand, takes the focus off the effort required by the activity, researchers conclude.

So consider this your permission to trade the same old boring workout for something you actually enjoy (it really is OK to step off the treadmill).

200th Post

In honor of my 200th blog entry, today I am reposting the reason why I started this blog... enjoy!

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It's no big surprise that I'm extremely active.

What does seem to take many people by surprise, though, is to hear about who I was just 3-4 years ago.

Then:

Now:

I've changed so much in the last few years that this actually happened: a group of old coworkers coordinated a goodbye happy hour for someone moving out of state.  Since I showed up a bit later than the rest of the group, I simply plopped down in an open seat and started listening in on the conversation.  I sat across from one of the girls who wasn't involved in the party planning and didn't know I was coming, someone I used to see every day at the office for years... she didn't realize it was me for almost 20 minutes, until someone finally said "Hey, Natalie..."  The look on her face when she realized who I was... it was priceless.  True story.

And whenever people see photos, or hear me talk about where I've been, and how far I've come, they ask me ... how?  Or, more frequently it's posed as a question I absolutely hate : "What's your secret".

And when I hear that question, I always internally want to scream:

Honestly, I think we all know the ultimate truth - keeping a healthy body weight isn't about magic coffee, or counting points, or the latest workout craze.  It's about eating healthy food and getting off your butt once in awhile.

But when you're the me of 3-4 years ago, pictured above in the green sweater vest and weighing 240 lbs, it seems so hard!  To think about totally quitting fast food, avoiding a glass (or bottle) of wine after a bad day at work, stopping at 1 or 2 slices of pizza instead of 4 or 5... or even worse, trying to haul your 240 lb carcass to the gym after the most exhausting day at the office... just thinking about those changes make you want to quit, and you haven't even started.

So, how did I do it?

Well, I suppose like most life changes, mine started with a huge push.

2009

In May of 2009, I joined the ranks of many Americans out there and became unemployed.  I was scared to death.  Not only did I have to figure out where my next paycheck would come from, I also had to face the fact that I was going to be stuck at home ... alone ... a lot. 

At 240 lbs, knowing that I was likely to spend my next few weeks, months, or years sitting at home depressed, bored and with nothing better to do than eat... I panicked.  I already knew I was too heavy, and I knew being lonely and depressed was only going to drive me to eat more than I already was.  Not to mention turning 30 years old was just around the corner for me, and my father developed type two diabetes in his late 30's after years of being overweight himself.

In attempt to calm my nerves, I cut a deal with myself.  I was no longer going to eat because something sounded good, or because I wanted it.  I was only going to eat when I was actually hungry.

At first, that seems like such an inconsequential decision.  I mean, of course if I want to eat, it's because I'm hungry... otherwise I wouldn't want to eat, right?  But it was amazing.  In the first few weeks after I made that agreement with myself, I started to realize that most times I was eating because I thought I wanted something.  Not because I was truly hungry.

For example: one of my biggest cravings every day was salty snacks (IE potato chips).  So for the next week, every time I wanted potato chips, I said to myself two things:

    (1) Am I hungry?

    (2) Am I REALLY hungry?  Because I can have a banana, or some baby carrots, or...

Like magic, after thinking about it for a few seconds, I wasn't so hungry.

And so began my life change.  By simply realizing the difference between a craving and true hunger, from May to October of 2009, I dropped around 10-15 lbs without any other lifestyle changes.  All I did was question why I wanted to eat what I thought I wanted to eat.

Then came the snow.  Because I do live in Minnesota, after all, and it was creeping into November.  So my husband suggested that since I had the time off (being unemployed), maybe I spend some time getting out of the house.  So off to Buck Hill I went.  Two to three days a week, in between turning the world upside down looking for jobs and attending unsuccessful job interviews, I headed to Buck Hill. 

Pretty soon, I was literally skiing my ass off, and everyone was starting to notice.

All winter long I kept up my "awareness" of what I was eating, and continued to ski.  And as the snow started to melt, my confidence started to go up as well.  Everyone was telling me how great I looked, and I realized... wow, this isn't so hard.  All I had to do was be a little more aware of what I eat and get off my butt and do something fun.

2010

With my small success in 2009, I started to think maybe this weight loss thing didn't have to be so hard.  If I made a few more small changes in addition to skiing and being aware of what I was eating, I could be even healthier. 

That's when I decided I wanted to run a 5K.  As the snow melted, I changed my time spent skiing into time spent running the local community center track.  As race day neared, I hoped I'd be ready.

At about 215 lbs, I ran my first ever race.  And I did run, the entire way!  So what if it was a finish time of over 36 minutes.  I did it.  I couldn't believe it.

I still have that race bib hung up where I see it every morning.  "New Prague 5K, #2023, 2010". 

Feeling happy that I could do it, I decided to run a few more races.  From spring 2010 to the following fall, I ran a total of 5 races, all at a 5K distance.  My "training" was running a 5K distance on the track 2-3 times each week, with a race about once every 3-5 weeks.  I started that spring around 215 lbs and by the time I finally got a temp job that July, I was just about to clear the 200 lb mark.

2011

Although I continued to remain active, somewhere in spring 2011 I hit the dreaded plateau.  I was being mindful of what I ate, and I was working out, but my weight loss tapered off.  At around 200 lbs, I didn't want to stall out.

I really thought about what I was doing and tried to decide how to keep the good times rolling.  I realized that although I was being mindful of what I ate, I was not really eating totally healthy.  I shifted my emphasis away from asking "am I really hungry", and instead focused on ensuring I was eating my 5 a day (fruits and veggies).  I also made sure I was working out at least 3-4 days per week.

Slowly but surely I lost more weight.  By the time I decided to give up my temp job for a full time permanent position in another office, I was about 185.  It was funny to turn in my ID badge to my boss, because even she looked at it and said "wow, it doesn't even look like you, what a difference".

2012

At 185, I was feeling great!  I had trimmed my 5K pace from 36 minutes to about 30-31 minutes, and I was starting to have serious fun with it.  Introducing... (drum roll)... costumes!

However, as my running improved, my personal life declined.

I spent the next 6 months in a major disaster.  The job I decided to take as a replacement for my temp position was not a good fit.  It was consuming all my free time and I had no work/life balance.  At first I started missing a work out here or there.  Then it was at least once a week, or maybe twice.  My weight started to creep back up to 190.

I knew that if I wanted to keep my health (not to mention my sanity), I needed to find a new job.  I committed myself to keeping as healthy as possible, and dedicated any free time I could to finding something else for work. Which didn't take long, thank goodness!

Upon accepting my new position, I was finally free!  I honed my workout routine, which was now 4-5 days per week, and decided to train for my first duathalon and half marathon.

My weight dropped back down to 185, and then 180. 

People started coming to me on a regular basis asking about weight loss.  I really started to wonder why it was I was so successful and why others struggled.  A friend of mine put it best when she said "You realized staying healthy is hard.  You have to eat right, and bust your ass.  You're working your ass off.  But, you look happy doing it!"

She was right.  I was happy doing it.  After I completed my training and crossed the finish line for both my duathalon and half marathon, I decided to share my happiness with others and pursued getting my group fitness certification.

2013

Although I completed my group fitness training at the end of 2012, I was not yet actively teaching since there were no openings at my preferred gym.  So, to fill my time, I started to read more about nutrition, vegetarianism and veganism.  I've always admired the healthy aspects of leading a mostly vegan lifestyle, but debated if I could ever sacrifice cheese.  I am a good MN/WI girl at heart, after all!

I decided my new years resolution was to attempt a month of living dairy free, while keeping up my emphasis on fruits and veggies, and continuing to work out.  It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought, and although I did not stay totally dairy free after my "test" month, I now find myself eating much less cheese and dairy than I used to.

Just after I finished my dairy experiment, a position opened at the gym, and I began teaching group fitness.  Which more or less takes me to where I am today.  I absolutely love teaching group fitness.  I can't believe it's a job... I feel like I'm 6 years old again and getting paid to play a game of Simon Says.

Given that my muscles continue to grow and my waist continues to shrink, my focus has shifted away from the number on the scale.  I now focus on trying to achieve a lean body, and workout 5-6 days a week.  My fitness routine includes running, biking, group fitness/cardio classes, hot yoga, and even the occasional lap swim (much to my own surprise, since a bad swimming accident as a child pretty much kept me out of the deep end for many, many years).

I try to encourage those around me to be active.  I listen to what they have personal interests in, and then suggest physical activities that relate to that - because let's face it: if you don't enjoy it, you're not going to do it long term.

I (was) also a part of the Health & Wellness committee at work, and have developed a reputation for being the "health food nut" and "crazy bike commuter" of the office.  I truly work at leading a healthy lifestyle all day long.

And now, whenever someone comes to me and asks "what's your secret", I repeat the following mantra:

FRUITS AND VEGGIES, FRUITS AND VEGGIES... AND GET UP OFF YOUR BUTT!!

Cheers!

Fall TV Line-Up (Uh-oh, Biggest Loser)

It's that time of year again.

Yep.  The time of year where everyone is advertising their new season of TV shows in between political commercials.

Of course, that also means time for another season of my "favorite" show, Biggest Loser...  not that I have any intention of watching the show. 

But it did get me to thinking... I wonder what has happened to all the losers of seasons past?

With the help of Google, that question was quickly answered.  Thanks to this article, I got a little (although slightly outdated) snapshot of where folks are at.

Which lead me to thinking... that article is nice and all, but it doesn't really speak to the hard facts.  How are the losers REALLY doing post-show?

DATA CRUNCH TIME!


Season One

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Andrea Baptise	215	156	59	155	-1	-2%
Ryan Benson	330	208	122	300	92	75%
Kelly Minner	242	163	79	Not Disclosed
Average Regain
Pounds	46
Percent	37%

Season Two

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Jeff Levine	370	217	153	240	23	15%
Matt Hoover	339	182	157	237	55	35%
Suzy Hoover	227	132	95	175	43	45%
Average Regain
Pounds	40
Percent	32%

Season Three

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Marty Wolff	365	219	146	260	41	28%
Mark Wylie	307	178	129	225	47	36%
Erik Chopin	407	193	214	368	175	82%
Amy Wolff	260	154	106	Pregnant
Average Regain
Pounds	88
Percent	49%

Season Four

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Nicole Michalik	279	174	105	178	4	4%
Hollie Self	225	150	75	158	8	11%
Jim Germanakos	361	175	186	198	23	12%
Bill Germanakos	334	170	164	207	37	23%
Jerry Lisenby	297	187	110	213	26	24%
Isabeau Miller	298	185	113	220	35	31%
Average Regain
Pounds	22
Percent	17%

Season Five

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Ali Vincent	234	122	112	125	3	3%
Dan Evans	310	174	136	180	6	4%
Bernie Salazar	283	153	130	165	12	9%
Trent Patterson	436	301	135	324	23	17%
Roger Shultz	364	199	165	235	36	22%
Mark Kruger	285	156	129	189	33	26%
Kelly Fields	271	162	109	190	28	26%
Average Regain
Pounds	20
Percent	15%

Season Six

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Jerry Skeabeck	380	265	115	261	-4	-3%
Vicky Vilcan	246	145	101	150	5	5%
Phil Parham	331	185	146	193	8	5%
Amy Parham	229	124	105	137	13	12%
Heba Salama	294	156	138	175	19	14%
Ed Brantley	335	197	138	230	33	24%
Amy Cremen	239	135	104	160	25	24%
Shellay Cremen	216	142	74	165	23	31%
Coleen Skeabeck	218	154	64	179	25	39%
Michelle Aguilar	242	132	110	Not Disclosed
Average Regain
Pounds	16
Percent	17%

Season Seven

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Estella Hayes	242	159	83	158	-1	-1%
Jerry Hayes	369	192	177	198	6	3%
Nicole Brewer	269	146	123	151	5	4%
Ron Morelli	430	238	192	251	13	7%
Sione Fa	372	226	146	239	13	9%
Damien Gurganious	381	245	136	260	15	11%
Helen Phillips	257	117	140	135	18	13%
Tara Costa	294	139	155	161	22	14%
Average Regain
Pounds	11
Percent	8%

Season Eight

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Sean Algaier	444	289	155	240	-49	-32%
Abby Rike	247	147	100	150	3	3%
Danny Cahill	430	191	239	215	24	10%
Average Regain
Pounds	-7
Percent	-6%

Season Nine

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
O'Neal Hampton	389	230	159	225	-5	-3%
Stephanie Anderson	264	165	99	170	5	5%
Sam Poueu	372	230	142	242	12	8%
Michael Ventrella	526	262	264	289	27	10%
Average Regain
Pounds	10
Percent	5%

Season Ten

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Ada Wong	258	159	99	165	6	6%
Patrick House	400	219	181	235	16	9%
Mark Pinhasovich	421	208	213	250	42	20%
Alfredo Dinten	367	205	162	247	42	26%
Average Regain
Pounds	27
Percent	15%

Season Eleven

Name	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Denise Hill	256	131	125	140	9	7%
Oliva Ward	261	132	129	142	10	8%
Hannah Curlee	248	128	120	138	10	8%
Moses Kinikini	440	287	153	315	28	18%
Average Regain
Pounds	14
Percent	10%

OK, ok, yes... that's a lot of data.  Let's condense it and make some sense of it.

First off, the big picture:

Season	Average Regain - Pounds	Average Regain - %
One	46	37%
Two	40	32%
Three	88	49%
Four	22	17%
Five	20	15%
Six	16	17%
Seven	11	8%
Eight	-7	-6%
Nine	10	5%
Ten	27	15%
Eleven	14	10%
Average Loser Regain (by season)	26	18%

If you average out the seasons, and then take the average of THAT... well...  it doesn't look that great.  The typical contestant leaves biggest loser and regains almost 20% of what they've lost, or an approximate 26 pounds.

And it gets worse if you think about that a little.  What do I mean about that?

Well, it takes time to fall back into old habits. 

Anyone who's been on a recent season is still in the limelight, and fresh on the "I'm gonna be healthy" bandwagon.  For them, it's easy to keep the weight off for a year, or two, or three or four even.  But what happens after the losers have been off the show and out of the public's eye years down the road?

By eliminating the more recent contestants, and looking at the first five seasons, you can answer that question fairly quickly:

 

Season	Average Regain - Pounds	Average Regain - %
One	46	37%
Two	40	32%
Three	88	49%
Four	22	17%
Five	20	15%
Average Loser Regain (by season)	43	30%

Yikes.  Those off the show 6 seasons or longer are up an average of 40 pounds, or 30% of the weight regained.

You might be saying at this point - but Natalie, at least they are keeping SOME of the weight off.  Plus, not all the contestants have done poorly.  For example, look at Andrea.  She was all the way back on season one, and she's not only maintained but lost MORE weight.

Yes, it's true.  It's great these folks have managed to keep even a portion of the weight off.  And I'm very pleased for Andrea.  It warms my heart to see someone has had long term positive results from this show.  But look at her season's male counter part - he regained 75% of his weight (92 pounds!), and is back up over 300 pounds.  When you look at that and other season's contestants, Andrea seems to be more the exception than the rule.

I say this because I also looked at the above data in terms of who were the biggest re-gainers and who were the best maintainers (as individuals).

Let's start with the positive - the top 20 maintainers:

Name	Season/Year	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Sean Algaier	Eight	444	289	155	240	-49	-32%
Jerry Skeabeck	Six	380	265	115	261	-4	-3%
O'Neal Hampton	Nine	389	230	159	225	-5	-3%
Adrea Baptise	One	215	156	59	155	-1	-2%
Estella Hayes	Seven	242	159	83	158	-1	-1%
Ali Vincent	Five	234	122	112	125	3	3%
Abby Rike	Eight	247	147	100	150	3	3%
Jerry Hayes	Seven	369	192	177	198	6	3%
Nicole Michalik	Four	279	174	105	178	4	4%
Nicole Brewer	Seven	269	146	123	151	5	4%
Dan Evans	Five	310	174	136	180	6	4%
Vicky Vilcan	Six	246	145	101	150	5	5%
Stephanie Anderson	Nine	264	165	99	170	5	5%
Phil Parham	Six	331	185	146	193	8	5%
Ada Wong	Ten	258	159	99	165	6	6%
Ron Morelli	Seven	430	238	192	251	13	7%
Denise Hill	Eleven	256	131	125	140	9	7%
Oliva Ward	Eleven	261	132	129	142	10	8%
Hannah Curlee	Eleven	248	128	120	138	10	8%
Sam Poueu	Nine	372	230	142	242	12	8%

And now, brass tacks time - the top 20 biggest re-gainers:

Name	Season/Year	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Trent Patterson	Five	436	301	135	324	23	17%
Moses Kinikini	Eleven	440	287	153	315	28	18%
Mark Pinhasovich	Ten	421	208	213	250	42	20%
Roger Shultz	Five	364	199	165	235	36	22%
Bill Germanakos	Four	334	170	164	207	37	23%
Jerry Lisenby	Four	297	187	110	213	26	24%
Ed Brantley	Six	335	197	138	230	33	24%
Amy Cremen	Six	239	135	104	160	25	24%
Mark Kruger	Five	285	156	129	189	33	26%
Kelly Fields	Five	271	162	109	190	28	26%
Alfredo Dinten	Ten	367	205	162	247	42	26%
Marty Wolff	Three	365	219	146	260	41	28%
Isabeau Miller	Four	298	185	113	220	35	31%
Shellay Cremen	Six	216	142	74	165	23	31%
Matt Hoover	Two	339	182	157	237	55	35%
Mark Wylie	Three	307	178	129	225	47	36%
Coleen Skeabeck	Six	218	154	64	179	25	39%
Suzy Hoover	Two	227	132	95	175	43	45%
Ryan Benson	One	330	208	122	300	92	75%
Erik Chopin	Three	407	193	214	368	175	82%

Notice anything there?

Here, let me show you:

	Seasons 1-5	Seasons 6+
20 biggest re-gainers	13	7
20 best maintainers	4	16

If you look at who has been able to maintain their weight the best (IE keep it off), 16 of the top 20 people in this category have come from seasons 6+. 

Meanwhile, those who have struggled the most with re-gain have come more commonly from seasons 1-5. 

I feel this proves my theory - the longer you're off the show, the harder it is to maintain the weight loss.

---

Another thing I want to point out about the show is the "type" of contestant they've been featuring in the more recent seasons.

Let's look at the overall pounds lost for the contestants (percentages aside - we're looking at just pounds of weight lost regardless of how large the person was to begin with).

Let's start with the lowest 20 - meaning those who lost the fewest pounds on the show:

Name	Season/Year	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Adrea Baptise	One	215	156	59	155	-1	-2%
Coleen Skeabeck	Six	218	154	64	179	25	39%
Shellay Cremen	Six	216	142	74	165	23	31%
Hollie Self	Four	225	150	75	158	8	11%
Kelly Minner	One	242	163	79	Not Disclosed
Estella Hayes	Seven	242	159	83	158	-1	-1%
Suzy Hoover	Two	227	132	95	175	43	45%
Stephanie Anderson	Nine	264	165	99	170	5	5%
Ada Wong	Ten	258	159	99	165	6	6%
Abby Rike	Eight	247	147	100	150	3	3%
Vicky Vilcan	Six	246	145	101	150	5	5%
Amy Cremen	Six	239	135	104	160	25	24%
Nicole Michalik	Four	279	174	105	178	4	4%
Amy Parham	Six	229	124	105	137	13	12%
Amy Wolff	Three	260	154	106	Pregnant
Kelly Fields	Five	271	162	109	190	28	26%
Jerry Lisenby	Four	297	187	110	213	26	24%
Michelle Aguilar	Six	242	132	110	Not Disclosed
Ali Vincent	Five	234	122	112	125	3	3%
Isabeau Miller	Four	298	185	113	220	35	31%

Compare that to the highest 20 - meaning those who lost the most pounds on the show:

Name	Season/Year	Original Weight	Weight Post Show	Pounds Lost	Weight as of 2012	Pounds Gained Back	Percent Regained
Phil Parham	Six	331	185	146	193	8	5%
Sione Fa	Seven	372	226	146	239	13	9%
Marty Wolff	Three	365	219	146	260	41	28%
Jeff Levine	Two	370	217	153	240	23	15%
Moses Kinikini	Eleven	440	287	153	315	28	18%
Sean Algaier	Eight	444	289	155	240	-49	-32%
Tara Costa	Seven	294	139	155	161	22	14%
Matt Hoover	Two	339	182	157	237	55	35%
O'Neal Hampton	Nine	389	230	159	225	-5	-3%
Alfredo Dinten	Ten	367	205	162	247	42	26%
Bill Germanakos	Four	334	170	164	207	37	23%
Roger Shultz	Five	364	199	165	235	36	22%
Jerry Hayes	Seven	369	192	177	198	6	3%
Patrick House	Ten	400	219	181	235	16	9%
Jim Germanakos	Four	361	175	186	198	23	12%
Ron Morelli	Seven	430	238	192	251	13	7%
Mark Pinhasovich	Ten	421	208	213	250	42	20%
Erik Chopin	Three	407	193	214	368	175	82%
Danny Cahill	Eight	430	191	239	215	24	10%
Michael Ventrella	Nine	526	262	264	289	27	10%

Here's the summary:

	Seasons 1-5	Seasons 6+
20 biggest losers	7	13
20 least losers	10	10

Interestingly enough, those who lost the least amount of weight were well distributed over early and late seasons.  However, those who lost the MOST amount of weight were more heavily distributed in the later seasons of the show.

To me, this highlights something I've always thought in my head... Biggest Loser has become more and more focused how BIG of a contestant they can find, and how MANY pounds they can shave off them.

Not to mention one other factor.  Did you notice in the two charts above how I kept the yellow and green marks on the percent regained column?  If you go back to my first comparison - the top 20 who kept it off and the top 20 who regained it - you'll notice many of those names are repeated again in this section. 

Pulling those repeat names out, you can do a double comparison - who lost the most amount of pounds, and how did they do in keeping it off?  I saw an interesting trend in that sample:

	Lowest Re-Gain	Highest Re-Gain
20 biggest losers	5	8
20 least losers	8	7

What does this tell me?

(1) Of those who lost the MOST pounds - only 5 of them were able to also maintain the least re-gain, while 8 of them were on the top on the list for those who had the most re-gained. 

(2) Of those who lost the LEAST pounds - 8 of them were able to also maintain the least re-gain, while 7 of them were on the top on the list for those who had the most re-gained. 

Or, in other words - those who lost the LEAST pounds did the best in trying to keep the weight off.

Or, in even more other words - as Biggest Loser trends more and more towards massive weight loss, fewer and fewer contestants in the future are likely to be able to keep the weight off.

And this, folks, is why I do not like this show.  Living a healthy lifestyle and trying to lose weight isn't about being over 400 pounds, losing almost 200 of it as fast as you can for TV, and then regaining most of it later and weighing back in at 370.

As you can see in the above numbers, doing it slower is much easier to maintain.  And that's the true success in weight loss - keeping it off.