Ruby Gettinger is back this week for the start of season two of her show, Ruby, which airs on The Style Network.  Originally she weighed 500 pounds and she has already lost over 100 pounds!  During the second season Ruby will learn some new ways to eat properly and get in some more exercise now that she is much more mobile.

Also this week, her DVD will be released:  Ruby: A Journey to Lose the First 100 Pounds which includes the season one episodes as well as mini-workouts and diet and fashion tips.  Ruby is so motivated, she is even hoping for a meeting with President Obama to discuss health issues:

“I’ve written a letter to him.  It’s my dream to have the President and First Lady come out and walk and talk to me.  I have so many ideas,” she says. “I have a program in my head that I want to go over with the President, because they talk about money and cost of things and that has a lot to do with obesity and health issues. I have to get to him. It will save the economy. It will save the American people. People are dying from this.”

Episode one of Ruby season two airs on July 5th at 8/7c.

Source

This year’s drama filled Biggest Loser is becoming more a game of “Survivor” rather than an inspiration for those looking to lose weight. With the Biggest Loser contestants now competing as “Trios”, Neil sabatoged the weigh in last night by drinking 2 gallons of water and gaining 17 pounds of “water weight” from last week. His former blue team members as part of a conspiracy voted off Jez.

You may be surprised but I don’t blame Neil. It’s the system and incentives that the producers of the “Biggest Loser” created that is to blame. Currently it rewards those who know how to “play the game” rather than those who are successful at weight loss and deserve to remain. It seems every week that the real role models for weight loss are voted off because they are viewed by the other contestants as threats. Weight loss and eating healthy is tough enough as it is. Rewarding dishonesty and game playing, seems not in keeping with a positive health message this show is purportedly trying to convey. The Biggest Loser is rapidly sinking into insignificance. The Biggest Loser is turning into a “loser” of a show and frankly it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

This latest installment started off with a perverse temptation. Each contestant spent 4 minutes in a room filled with high calorie foods. The contestant who ate the most would be given a 3 lb pass. Hey I thought this was a weight loss show? Patty of the Blue team went awol eating the most and creating controversy as the rest of the Blue team agreed that Neil would eat for the gold.

The red team finally won a weigh in and the blue team was left to eat its own so to speak. Patty was safe with her 3 pound pass which put everyone else on the chopping block. It was a surprise to see the elder statesman, Jerry voted off. The team captain, the contestant who lost the most weight so far and he’s out? The blue team just cut off its own head and is weaker for it. Jerry left with these parting words, “When I picked the team, I thought that I had picked a team that would have the biggest loser on it. I don’t think the blue team is going to have the biggest loser anymore.”

We’ll miss Jerry…

Enter the Black team!  The castaways from show one, show what stuff they’re made of.  The Red and Blue teams were in for a surprise as they marched into the weigh in only to see that Black is back, with Jillian!

The Black team trained without any fancy equipment or air-condition gyms.  Just good old hauling sand bags up a hill, and doing bench presses with logs out in the desert.  Of course it also helps to have a drill Sargent like Jillian making sure you’re on track.  And the Black Team put a stake in the ground by winning the weigh in.  Just shows what a little elbow grease and motivation can do!  Lezlye, the Katrina Survivor, from the Red Team was voted off.  The Black Team is going to be the team to be reckoned with.

Season 4 of the Biggest Loser will debut September 11 with a few new twists. Allison Sweeney, soap star from “Days of Our Lives,” will be replacing Charlotte Rhea, as the Biggest Loser host. While Bob Harper and Kim Lyons will continue to train the Blue and Red teams respectively, Jillian Michaels will return to the show this season to train an all-new Black team.

Here’s the cast for the 2007, Season 4 of the Biggest Loser:

The Twins
Twins, Jim Germanakos and Bill Germanakos, are 40 years old and hail from Long Island New York.

The School Teacher
Amy Zimmer, first grade school teacher, is 28 years old and hails from Rochester, New York.

Private Kae
Kae Whang, former private in the US military, is 27 years old and hails from Clark, New Jersey.

The High School Music Teacher
Bryan Washington, high school music teacher, is 29 years old and hails from Riverdale, Georgia.

The Paramedic
Amber Walker, a paramedic with southern charm, is 30 years old and hails from Houston, Texas.

The Chemical Engineer Interrupted
Neil Tejwani, pursued a career as a chemical engineer, is 25 years old and hails from Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The Lawyer
Ryan Rodriguez, a high-powered corporate litigations attorney, is 29 years old and hails from Jackson Heights, New York.

The Cheerleader
Hollie Self, English teacher and full-time Cheerleading coach, is 28 years old and hails from Phoenix, Arizona.

The Performer
Isabeau Miller, singer and songwriter, is 21 years old and hails from Franklin, Tennessee.

Aspiring DJ
Nicole Michalik, a company receptionist, is 26 years old and hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Elder Statesman
Jerry Lisenby, the oldest competitor at 62 years old, hails from Peoria, Illinois.

The Do-Gooder
Jez Luckett, a Children’s Case Manager who helps mentally disturbed and handicapped young children, is 24 years old and hails from Garden, Kansas.

Aspiring Firefighter
Phil Hawk, whose dreams of becoming a firefighter are on hold after his firefighter application was turned down due to his weight issues, is 27 years old and hails from Powell, Ohio.

Beauty Queen
Julie Hadden, was once a pageant girl, is 34 years old and hails from Jacksonville, Florida.

The Cowboy
David Griffin, works as a rancher is 31 years old and hails from Cedar Hill, Tennessee.

Working Mom
Patty Gonzalez, a senior loan officer and mother of 3 children, is 34 years old and hails from San Diego, California.

The Survivor
Lezlye Donahue, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, is 34 years old and hails from Metairie, Louisiana.

I want to thank Matt for this update he sent me the other day in response to my earlier post on Matt and Suzy Hoover.  More after the jump.

“Thank you for the very fair article. It’s nice to see an article that says some weight gain is to be expected and not be crucified for it. Suzy and I have been working together to take the weight off slowly and keep it off. One of the most important things for us in raising our son is to not have him see us yo-yo all over while he is growing up. We also have been taking him for walks since he was 3 days old. People are shocked to learn that Suzy was working out up until the day of her delivery and began walking immediately after.

I think the real difference between what we did on the show and what we are doing now is that we are genuinely happy with 1-2 lbs of “real” weight loss a week as opposed to 10-20 lbs of weight lost in a week only to be taken off again and again.

We are no longer competitors on a show and have finally, after two years, learned that a healthy lifestyle can be achieved by “ordinary” people and are working everyday to achieve that. “

Thanks Matt! You and Suzy are an inspiration!

Since season 3 of the Biggest Loser ended last December, Amy Hildreth has been dating former blue team member Marty Wolff and together they live in Omaha. They will be featured on the NBC Biggest Loser reunion show Sept 4th. So how has Amy fared in the weight loss department since the show?

Amy Hildreth Biggest Loser Update
Amy lost an incredible 106 lbs going from 260 lbs to 154 lbs at the Biggest Loser finale on December 2006. She reports that she went from a size 22 to a size 8 and her body fat percentage went from 49% to 23%. Since than she as gained back 26 lbs and weighs 180 lbs. She considers 172 lbs to be her realistic weight goal. “I believe this to be my true “liveable” weight, and the weight that I want to work to maintain for many many years.

Amy’s Biggest Loser Diet
Amy’s calorie goal on the Biggest Loser was 1200/day. Her diet consisted mostly of lean protein, vegetables, high fiber carbs, and some fats.

Breakfast – High fiber cereal and fat free milk
Morning Snack – handful of almonds
Lunch – Big Salad with lots of veggies and a grilled chicken breast for lunch
Afternoon Snack – Wasa cracker with light spreadable cheese for mid afternoon snack
Dinner – Grilled shrimp and chicken, Vegetables a sugar free popsicle or jello for dessert

“One of the most important lessons I learned on the ranch was that you have to eat to lose weight! If you don’t fuel your metabolism, you won’t lose weight.”

Amy’s Biggest Loser Workout
Contestants worked out 4-6 hours per day. With trainer Bob, Amy reports they engaged in intense cardio and weight training. On their own, the contestants were instructed to do an hour of cardio in the morning and another hour at night.

Since her Biggest Loser days, Amy now works out 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week. She joined a gym and got involved with every program she could: running group, triathalon training group, fitness classes, learned to kayak as well as weight training 3x per week with a personal trainer. Her secret to sticking with a more active lifestyle was to “keep it exciting.”

Amy’s weight loss words of wisdom

“Losing weight is isn’t just a physical battle, but an emotional one as well. I would take some time to really reflect on why you want to lose the weight. Write yourself a letter. Look at that letter every time you are feeling a little down and perhaps you don’t want to stick to your program that day. Tap into that desire from time to time and you will not want to give up. After you identify your motivations, I would enlist the help of others. I absolutely needed my trainer, my team, my friends and my family to succeed. Don’t do it alone. Get help.”

Celebrity Diet Doctor weigh in…
Amy’s weight loss is astonishing and some weight gain is to be expected, considering that as you lose weight your metabolism is genetically programmed to slow down. Amy’s advice to eat throughout the day to fuel your metabolism is well founded. Skipping meals is a really bad idea because it will slow your metabolism making you more prone to binging and weight gain later. However always remember calories count! So the best strategy is to eat low calorie density foods such as unprocessed fruits, veggies and legumes. Snacks such as nuts are good too because they really help to curb your hunger, but portion control is essential with these more calorie packed foods.

Amy’s best advice straight from her myspace blog is:

“Never settle for being someone who you do not want to be. It’s that simple. Change is scary but it can be so rewarding at the same time. So if you are thinking about losing weight–whether it is 3 pounds or 300 pounds–there is NO DAY LIKE TODAY to get started!”

Couldn’t have said it better myself Amy! Way to go!

Amy’s Myspace Page:
Amy’s Myspace

Amy and Marty have also started a weight loss coaching program.
www.realitywellnessinc.com

A lot has happened since Matt Hoover and the now Suzy Hoover (formerly Suzy Preston), got married after Season 2 of the Biggest loser. They are the proud parents of son Rex, who is 2 months old, and are set to return to the Biggest Loser for the reunion show coming to NBC September 4. Have they managed to keep the weight off?

The Hoover Family Biggest Loser Update
Suzy Hoover as would be expected did gain weight as a result of her recent birth. On season 2 of the Biggest Loser she lost an incredible 95 lbs and according to People Magazine she is now a size 14 compared to her pre-pregnancy size 8. Suzy is working to get back to her pre-baby size 8, by weight lifting and taking daily 2 mile walks.

Matt Hoover lost an equally impressive 157 lbs which gave him the season 2 title of “Biggest Loser”, while Suzy came in third. He too reports gaining some weight going from a waist size of 32 to 36 since the show ended. Not to be outdone, Matt is looking to drop some lbs with cardio and weight lifting.

Hoover Family Biggest Loser Diet
Matt and Suzy’s diet plan includes:
Breakfast: FiberOne cereal or egg whites
Lunch: ground turkey or chicken
Dinner: Steak and veggies for dinner.

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh In…
Interesting to note that Matt was a championship wrestler and a 4 four time member of NCAA champion, Iowa. He’s obviously quite the competitor and little wonder he pulled off the win on the show. It’s not surprising that Matt gained some weight after losing an incredible amount of weight on the show. Suzy has a good exercise plan in place. I am a huge fan of walking which will help keep the weight off. The weight lifting will help her develop metabolically active muscle which will help her burn calories.

Reviewing their diet plan it’s a little heavy on the protein, which can be a good strategy for weight loss if it prevents you from overeating refined carb products such as bread, cakes and donuts. I would like to see more unprocessed fruits and veggies (helps lower overall calorie intake) along with a small amount of protein (protein helps curb hunger) at every meal.

Matt and Suzy Hoover prove that the family that stays together, loses weight together!

Fat March takes walking to the extreme with contestants walking from Boston to Washington DC. Considering you would have to walk 7 miles to burn off the calories in a Whopper hamburger, can contestants really expect to lose a significant amount of weight by walking?

Consider this:

• Walking is the most popular exercise of the most successful weight loss “losers.” For members of the National Weight Control Registry, over 5,000 members strong who on average lost over 70 pounds and have kept it off for 6 years, walking is by far the most popular exercise reported.
• Walking helps preserve lean muscle mass. As we age our metabolism slows by 2% per decade due to loss of metabolically active muscle. Since each pound of muscle burns about 50 calories per day, losing a pound of muscle could translate into a 5 1/4 pound weight gain per year.
• Walking helps keep your metabolism up long after you’re finished. Just 45 minutes of walking will keep your metabolism up for 20 hours post-exercise.
• Walking helps insulin work efficiently. By keeping your metabolism up, your muscles respond efficiently to insulin, allowing calories to be stored in muscle as glycogen. However when you combine long periods of inactivity with excess calories your muscles, already filled with glycogen stores, become less sensitive to insulin leading to a prediabetic condition known as insulin resistance. Your body responds by pumping out more insulin which promotes fat storage.

As you can see many of weight loss benefits of walking are not captured in a simple “calories burned” calculation. Of course, no amount of walking is going to overcome the caloric devastation brought on by a Whopper, which is why a combination of diet and exercise is always going to be key. But, I digress. March on!

Photo Credit: drjeff.tv
Jeff Levine lost an amazing 146 lbs on season two of The Biggest Loser and has managed to keep most of it off, having only regained 23 lbs according to People Magazine. Known affectionately as “doc” on the show he’s a Family Practice Physician who sets a great example for his patients.

Jeff Levine: Weight Journey
Jeff traces his weight gain to his time as a family practice resident. Working 36 hours straight he got into the habit of eating a lot of junk food including hot dogs and hamburgers. As he states on his website drjeff.tv “I used food to keep myself awake, to relax and as a reward. Food became tied to my emotions. I literally became addicted to food.” By the end of residency in 1994, Jeff had gained more than 100 pounds. Reflecting back he says “I was in denial. I was still very active and figured that after the residency, life would get easier and I would lose the weight.”

With 4 kids to support during a subsequent fellowship in women’s health, Jeff moonlighted continuing his pattern of sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, stress and little exercise. Because of his weight gain he developed sleep apnea and needed a breathing machine at night to assist his breathing. His health by his own admission was a mess and he could barely walk up a flight of stairs. He had hypertension, high cholesterol and elevated blood sugars. After a visit to the ER for a bout of chest pain, his cardiologist recommended gastric bypass. Jeff says “Gastric bypass has some major risks. I also knew it wasn’t how I wanted to encourage my patients to lose weight. I wasn’t ready to take that step.”

Despite missing the deadline to submit his audition video, as luck would have it, he was still chosen to fly out to California for an audition. He says even the physician who performed his physical for the show was concerned about not only his health but also his reputation.

“My legs were purple, my ankle was very bad. The doctor was concerned because of the state of my health. He was afraid I would embarrass myself and ruin my reputation as a physician.”

On being a Biggest Loser Contestant
After Jeff was formally invited to be a contestant he found out quickly that life on the Biggest Loser was not going to be easy. No outside contact was allowed; no TV, magazines, newspapers or radio. Participants were expected to do 4-6 hours of exercise each day. Despite the rigors of the show Jeff says “It was like the fraternity I never joined. I made friendships that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

Biggest Loser Diet
A nutritionist calculated each member’s daily calorie goals. Jeff’s goal calorie intake was 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day, with an occasional increase to 2,000. All contestants are required to cook their own food. Dr Jeff’s diet advice is “Never starve or deny yourself. Variety, balance and moderation are key.”

Breakfast: either a four Egg Beater omelet with two ounces of Canadian Bacon, onions, peppers and mushrooms, and sometimes two ounces of fat free cheese (240 to 270 calories) or four ounces of lox on four Seven Grain Wasa Bread slices with fat free cream cheese and chopped onions (290 calories)

Lunch: lean sliced turkey, ham, or roast beef with salsa, fat free mayonnaise or hummus for lunch, and lots of salads with fat-free dressing

Dinner: fish, chicken, or beef, prepared with various spices and vegetables

One Daily Snack: a piece of fruit with some nuts.

After the Show
Dr Levine continues to exercise doing strength training 4 times a week and a 2 mile run twice a week. He eats a lot more home prepared meals instead of eating out. He also reveals that his weight loss has also had some extracurricular benefits in the romance department telling People that now when he does laps with his wife in the pool “she says, ‘bathing suits are optional!’”

Celebrity Diet Doctor weigh in…
Dr Jeff Levine’s lifestyle of sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, gorging on junk food and stress was a perfect storm for weight gain. The Biggest Loser opportunity was just what the doctor ordered. By incorporating exercise, cutting out the junk food and eating more home cooked meals together with a more sane sleep schedule the good doctor is in fine form. He puts it best, “now at least I can lead by example and not feel hypocritical when I advise my patients on weight loss and exercise. I tell them, ‘If I can do it, then you can, too.’”

Be sure to check out Dr Jeff’s website. It’s very inspirational with before and after pics and a couple of entertaining videos.