One of the major success stories of The Biggest Loser season 11, Marci Crozier was actually able to reach her goal weight before being eliminated in week 11. Besides her daughter, many on the ranch saw Marci as a motivator and surrogate mom. However, she did not let her compassion for others sidetrack her from reaching her own goals, and attributes this success in part to her earlier life as a collegiate athlete.
At the ranch, one of the most important lessons that Marci says she learned is the importance of motivation. She says that for her, losing weight was about more than just food and exercise, but also about finding a balance between mind, body and faith. Marci says her faith has also been a big part of helping her find the strength to reach her goals.
Another important lesson that Marci says she took away from being at the Biggest Loser ranch is that “Food can be your friend.” She says she discovered that she had to eat more than she expected to lose weight, once she started eating right. Fresh fruits and veggies, plus lean protein, can actually be very filling.
After reaching her goal weight at 162 pounds, Dr. H gave Marci a radically different eating and workout plan. He advised her to burn fewer calories and eat more. Although this made her nervous at first, Marci says she’s been able to maintain her weight loss while building muscle and gaining strength. At home, she has trainers and works out for about 90 minutes per day. She splits her workout sessions into three parts: 30 minutes for endurance, 30 minutes for interval training and 30 minutes for strength training.
We asked her about the challenges of maintaining her new healthy weight, and about her next fitness goals.
Marci also shared how proud she is of her daughter Courtney, who proved her determination to lose weight before being cast on the show. Marci’s big advice to parents is “Don’t try to be your kid’s friends.” Instead, parents need to set limits and not be afraid of dealing out tough love, as long as they also work to build up their kid’s confidence.
