When Biggest Loser season seven began, Nicole Brewer and her fiancee Damien Gurganious walked on to the campus with the expectation that they’d be there for several weeks, training to lose weight. In week one, Nicole weighed in at 269 pounds, and she made it clear that losing weight to regain her health was her top priority. The game of Biggest Loser had other things in mind, and sent Nicole home at the end of the first week. If Damien remained on campus through week five, she could return. But he didn’t. Nicole remained at home in Brooklyn wear she set out to lose the weight she’d hoped to lose in California.
She earned a spot back on the Biggest Loser ranch in week 13, by losing 87 pounds on her own. Fellow contestants and fans alike were astonished. The weight loss pushed right into second place in the house, and made her an instant competitor. Unfortunately, a week at the ranch caused Nicole to gain five pounds, and she was eliminated once again from the game. The contestants often remind viewers that they can and should lose the weight at home, that earning a spot on the popular reality program is a slim-to-none chance. Fans rallied around Nicole and begged for her secrets, which she shared with People Magazine.
“I was going to be one of those people who proved it,” she told the magazine. In the three page spread she describes how her eating and fitness patterns changed. The best news of all, anyone can make these changes.
- She uses the Biggest Loser Calorie Counter and a food scale to manage portion control and a calorie budget.
- Seasons food with Mrs. Dash herbs and spices (salt-free).
- Mexican food is a favorite. She traded fried chimichangas for fajitas with whole-grain tortillas and once a week has baked tortilla chips with salsa.
- She has slowly become a runner, and works out until she can’t speak and has a good sweat. She started about by slowly jogging for one minute, then walking for two, and has progressed to jogging 10 miles a day.
- Motivates herself with a “before” picture and is committed to never going back.
- She’s loves cardio – getting in a 10 mile jog five mornings a week, plus spin or kickboxing classes in the evening.
- Focuses on strength training three days a week. Nicole uses 5 and 10 pound weights for bicep curls, tricep dips, shoulder presses, walking lunges. Between sets she jumps rope or does jumping jacks.
Nicole has had to make a lot of adjustments to her lifestyle to continue losing weight. She currently weighs 162 pounds and wears a size 12, with plans to be a size 8 for her June wedding. She follows a 1500 calorie per day diet, and some of the swaps she’s made look like this:
- Breakfast was cheesy eggs with bacon and pancakes. Now it’s oatmeal with fresh fruit and a hard-boiled egg.
- Lunch was fast food. Now it’s a salad with chicken and fresh fruit.
- Dinner was meat and potatoes with a dressing-drenched salad. Now it’s grilled fish with lots of veggies.
- For dessert she would have ice cream or cake. Now it’s just a serving of almonds.