Today’s guest blog post comes from Bernie Salazar. Together with Rebecca Scritchfield, a weight management expert, he co-created.

I never realized exactly how much of an impact my relationships had on my overall health. Have you? Often times we forget to communicate to the people in our lives that we are taking the time to nurture ourselves and truly focus on getting healthy.

With the “old Bernie,” food was king! Almost all of my family functions revolved around food. Dates with my better half always included a restaurant, outings with friends consisted of drinks and appetizers, meetings with co-workers didn’t officially begin until the desserts were present, and my dog’s chubby figure was a direct result of me sharing my in between meal snacks with my “best friend.”

The relationships we maintain are a critical part of our transformation and often are the ones that are most often overlooked. The fact of the matter is our relationships must change if we are to be successful, not just in the immediate but long term.

So how do we communicate to our loved ones that we are taking the time to nurture ourselves and get healthy? The approach I found to work best is:

1.    Write a few words to describe each of the relationships in your life.
2.    Assess whether the relationship is a healthy one and if you think adjustments are needed to help you reach your goals. (Prepare yourself for the realization that some relationships may need to end.)
3.    Identify and record how each relationship you have is going to nurture the new you.
4.    Communicate your findings with your loved ones, share how your new relationship will positively impact your new life.
5.    Finally, discuss with them if the terms of this new relationship works for them and ask how you can in turn be supportive of their needs and wants.

By introducing the “new you” to friends and family you have increased your accountability to follow through and make the changes you have said you will make. You will soon realize that the new relationships you have with your family, friends, and even pets will all serve to support and nurture your dreams of being a better, healthier you!

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

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5 Ways to Adjust Personal Relationships During a Lifestyle Change

This guest blog comes from Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM HFS, a Washington, D.C. based dietitian and weight management expert. Together with Bernie Salazar, at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, she co-created “The Nurture Principles” – Five mantras to help people change their lives and find wellness within.

I have a new client – a very lovely 40-year-old female who regularly appears on national TV. She has so many great qualities she can’t see because right now she is overpowered by her excessive weight, food choices, and lack of exercise. She was convinced I was going to give her a gym workout to follow and she dreaded the thought. Imagine her surprise when I asked her to tell me exercises she thought would be fun. She responded with “I never thought about fun.” Right there is the reason she is not active. Why would you move your body if it is not fun? How likely will you be to repeat it if you don’t get the feel-good benefit? Not likely. Is physical activity you despise nurturing? No way.

Exercise works when you repeat it; when you look forward to it; when you embrace it. Exercise should make you feel good. It should be nurturing. Start with what sounds fun and just schedule a time to do it! My client chose water jogging. She planned to stay in the water for 30 minutes and ended up staying 45.  She had fun. She said she felt bouyant and stronger than expected. Most of all, she felt successful.

When you start with nurturing exercise, it becomes easier to nurture yourself in other ways, such as eating healthy and managing stress. Together these behaviors nurture your whole self, which allows you to nurture those around you – your family, friends, and co-workers.

If you aren’t exercising or feel unenthusiastic about what you’re doing, check in with yourself. What sounds fun? You have the potential to get way more out of exercise than sweat and calorie burn. You just have to approach it from the inside out and nurture yourself.

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Nurturing Exercise: Hard Work Doesn’t Have to Hurt

This guest blog comes from Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM HFS, a Washington, D.C. based dietitian and weight management expert. Together with Bernie Salazar, at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, she co-created “The Nurture Principles” – Five mantras to help people change their lives and find wellness within.

What sounds better, restrictive dieting or nourishing yourself for lasting health? Think about it. There are so many diets out there based on restriction. People diet to get healthier. It’s no wonder “healthy” has a negative connotation. But dieting and health are not synonymous. Healthy eating is all about taste, pleasure, and satisfaction! If this approach is more your speed, learn how you can nurture yourself and manage your weight at the same time. 

First and foremost, you need to be ready for change. It’s important to understand that “nothing changes until you do.” If you want something different, you have to actually do something different. Write down some changes you think you need to make to eat healthier. Then think of one easy (and I mean easy) thing you can do about it.

Here’s an example. Many people order take out because it keeps them from having to cook and grocery shop, which saves them time. Suppose you order a pizza and usually eat 3-4 slices. Here are some simple changes that can make a huge difference:

• Start with a salad and light dressing and after you finish it put one to two slices of pizza on your plate – enjoy every bite!

• Order veggies on your pizza instead of high fat meats.

• Replace the mozzarella on half with feta cheese (if available).

• Make your meal last at least 30 minutes.

If you think you can achieve one or more of these changes, you’ll cut the calories and fat in half!  You’ll also meet your veggie quota for the day.

This is nurturing because you aren’t asking yourself to dramatically change everything at once. Notice, pizza is still on the menu and you’re still saving time. You’re also making a dramatic change with seemingly little effort. Your dinner still tastes good and satisfies you. You simply balanced it out with a salad, healthy substitutions, and portion control. There’s always time to tackle additional changes, which you’ll be more likely to do if you can succeed at easy ones first. Make your list. Choose a change. Do it. It’s that easy – and it’s nurturing!

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Nutrition that Nurtures: Healthy Eating from the Inside Out

See all of Bernie’s Biggest Loser 6 Finale interviews.

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Bernie’s Biggest Loser 6 Finale Recap

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Dr. Huizenga Interview at Biggest Loser 6 Finale

If it wasn’t evident before it most certainly is now, the game play is officially here! Episode 6 started off pretty normal, each team took a field trip. Bob’s team went to an ab strengthening acrobatics class, while Jillian’s team went to a ropes course. Coleen confronted her fear of heights, while back on the Blue Team Heba realized just how hard aerial acrobatics can be.

This week’s challenge tested contestant’s balance by having them race around a circular balance beam. For every completed lap by a team member a point was given, first team to 25 won. This challenge was a complete blow out! The Blue Team before even getting one point all ended up in the water, as a result they had to sit on the sideline waiting for all of the members of the Black Team to fall in before they were allowed a second chance.  That second chance however never came, the Black Team, thanks to an incredible effort by Renee, shut the Blue Team out with a final score of 25 to 0. For their victory the Black Team received live video’s from home. The Blue team really came across as sore losers by making comments that the prize wasn’t worth the effort. Thankfully, back at the ranch, Bob shared his disappointment in his team’s poor attitudes and reminded them that the most important thing is to always do your best.

Now on to ELIMINATION! I could sit here and type in detail everyone’s weight and play it up, but I won’t, the Blue Team fell below this week losing to the Black Team 3.2% to 2.09%. I will, however, provide you with two contestants weights- Vicki who lost 8 lbs., making her biggest loser of the week, thereby winning immunity from elimination. The other contestant whose weight I would like to draw your attention to is her husband Brady who lost a mind staggering 2 lbs. The look on Bob’s face was priceless! I’m not a betting man, but I would place my money on a certain individual on the Blue team putting up a very big number next week.

Now let’s take a quick step back, Brady, Vicki, and Heba are self-proclaimed best friends on the show, so if by chance the Blue Team had to enter into the elimination room neither one of them would vote for each other. And being that Heba was not getting along with Phil on the Black Team it would only make sense to hit him where it hurts, no not there! By eliminating his wife Amy P., In the end that is who indeed went home, and I’m happy to say she parted with a great deal of class! Amy looks FANTASTIC and is doing a great job at home! Beat of Luck to you Amy P.

Well there you have it- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. All in favor of game play say I, all oppose say Neigh! Whether you like it or not, the Game Play is here, please share your thoughts, and please keep all comments civilized!

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Bernie’s Biggest Loser Families Recap Episode 6

These guys trained for months to make sure they were physically ready to endure these 26 mile races.

Bernie Salazar completed the Chicago Marathon on October 12. His time was 4 hours, 15 minutes. (See Bernie’s marathon interview).

Matt Johnson completed the Wichita Marathon on October 19. His time was 3 hours, 23 minutes.

We’re very proud of their accomplishments!

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Fitness Experts at DietsInReview.com Run Marathons

Due to the presidential debate last night, episode 4 of the Biggest Loser was cut short, however tonight the wonderful folks over at NBC aired the second hour of the show. The second half of the show proved to be worth the wait! In the second part of episode 4, we saw Jillian really get tough and rightfully so, her teams weren’t doing the homework that she was assigning, which on the Biggest Loser is just as bad as sneaking snack cakes in the middle of the night!

We also saw Bob take his team to SUBWAY for a quick bite to eat, which is good because trying to find a place to eat on the go in the “real world” isn’t easy. I love the fact that the show is sharing information with viewers about how to make smart choices when eating out.

At the weigh-in, we saw the orange team Ed and Heba fall below the dreaded yellow line. The orange team was then forced to decide who was going home amongst themselves. In the end, Ed wound up going home leaving Heba to continue on her own.

During his at home follow-up, Ed looked Great! I wish him continued success at home and consider him a real contender for this year’s At-Home prize.

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Bernie’s Biggest Loser Episode 4 Recap Part II

Episode 4 begins with contestants receiving the prizes they received from the hill challenge on Episode 1. Amy and Phil got to go home for 24 hours and visit with their family; it was great to see them bring the lessons learned at the ranch in regards to diet and exercise home to their boys. Amy and Shellay won the incredible prize of spending 24 hours with their trainer Jillian. They spent their time at 24 Hour Fitness where with Jillian’s help we finally see Shellay begin to confront personal issues that are getting in the way of her weight loss journey.

Tonight’s challenge had contestants submerged in huge a water-filled tank where they were asked to hold their body weight up using a bar for support. Throughout the challenge the water in the tank was slowly being drained making it increasingly harder for contestants to hold up their body weight. After an intense battle that lasted 107 minutes, Vicky from the Brown Team won, and with it won a care package from home and a 3-day vacation to Universal Studios with her family. Host Alison Sweeney informed the Brown team that they could select one other team to receive a care package from home. The Brown team selected the purple team, Shellay and Amy, which I feel, was the right choice being that Amy finished the challenge in second place.

Then Episode 4 was cut short due to the presidential debate! Just like many of you I realize the importance of the upcoming presidential election, I’ve done my research on the candidates and come November I feel ready to cast my vote. However, part of me was definitely frustrated with the interruption. If this presidential debate has taught us anything it’s that patience and being informed are the only way to bring about change!

Don’t miss my Part II Recap and get the rest of the story!

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Bernie’s Biggest Loser Families Episode 4 Recap

The trainers are constantly around, they are not there solely for shoot days. The amazing part of the whole Biggest Loser experience is that the trainers are there all the time, they truly take time to care for not only our physical well being but also our mental and emotional health as well.

2. I want to know how much of the show is scripted. Are there writers on the ranch that coach the contestants to help make good TV?

There were absoulutely no writers scripting anything! From what I observed there was no need to. There are hundreds of hours of the contestent’s interactions caught on camera, what you see is pretty much what you get.

3. Do contestants receive any sort of payment or stipend for their time on Biggest Loser?

Contestants are provided with a stipend to assist with there personal finances, however this was a welcome surprise as most of us went on the show to gain back our health, not receive payment.

4. Where and how do you get the new, fitting clothes? As they slim down, how does that play into the contestants wardrobes, since I assume with them being on the ranch full time there are no shopping trips?

There is a wardrobe department that constantly outfits us they make sure that we have the necessary clothes not only to workout in, but also for the challenges. The stylist are wonderful and very enthusiastic about continually fitting all of the contestants as we achieve our weight loss goals.

5. I’m curious about the general dynamics of the house. It seems like everyone gets along but – do they just sit around and chit chat or do the workouts, the Q&A with producers, the challenges, the eating and sleeping and the general pressures of being in the house keep everyone from spending much real “time” together?

The working out, Q&A, challenges, eating and sleeping do in fact take up a great deal of the contestants time; however, there is time at the end of the day, before and after challenges, and during meal time where we all get a chance to speak and bond. Depending on how long you are on the show, the time spent together can be quite significant. We truly do have a lot of time to bond and get to know one another.

6. What happens if you have a real issue with your trainer or vice versa (as we’ve seen hints of in previous seasons)? How much does that change the team and house dymamic(s)?

I didn’t have any real experience with this particular situation, however I’m sure that would greatly effect the team and house dynamics. Both trainers and producers are very accommodating and do as much as possible to ensure that contestants are as content as possible during their time on the show.

7. How much downtime do the contestants have, and what are they doing in their downtime? Do you ever just get to hang out and watch movies with Bob and Jillian?

jillian michaels

DOWN TIME, What’s that? Every once in a while contestants do have a couple moments to themselves; however, I spent my time either resting or reflecting on my goals and my overall well being.

8. There was a trainer named Kim Lyons. She had a falling out and actually behaved quite childishly with one of the contestants, never apologizing or even listening to the contestant (who tried to make things right) without interrupting and getting defensive. She seemed to have some anger issues. Is that why she isn’t on the show? Did the producers, casting people, etc. really think that a fake blonde was gonna do it for us?

I don’t feel I can answer this question as I had no experience meeting or working with Kim. I’m sure the producers of the show had their reasons for not opting to not have Kim continue on as a trainer on the show.

9. What day of the week do you actually weigh-in? What time? Do they take into account weight of clothing? Do you know your weight prior to the ceremony?

The producers of the show workout the details of the weigh-ins, I’m sure they take into account every aspect of the weigh-in process. Never are contestants provided with their weights prior to the weigh-in, confidentiality on the parts of producers and crew is strictly enforced.

10. What is something “Behind the Scenes” we didn’t ask, that you think would be fun or interesting to know?

Contestants are responsible for preparing their own meals, which is great because it prepares us for the real world. Contestants also are responsible for taking care of their own laundry and room cleaning, it is as true to real life as possible.

Tune in this Thursday for the premiere of Biggest Loser: Families, and sign-up for the DietsInReview.com Biggest Loser Updates Newsletter so you don’t miss any of the interviews, recaps, villain of the week, weight tracker and more.

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Top 10 Biggest Loser Behind the Scenes Questions Answered