Even though I have lost several hundred pounds, this has not diminished one iota my love of good food. Even when I was tipping the scales at close to 450 pounds, I adored fine dining, unique flavors, and overall great food finds. You see, I wasn’t that morbidly obese guy who spent all day eating fast food. Did I eat drive thru? You bet I did, but I also have more of a refined palate than that.

I had the good fortune of being in Baltimore for the FitBloggin’ convention last fall, which helped me network with tons of like-minded people in the health and fitness world, as well as aid me in furthering knowledge on my health journey. It just so happened that the natural products expo (Expo East) was right next door! I wandered over there and was like a kid in a candy store! Being the foodie I am, one of the booths that stuck out was Seitenbacher’s selection of oils.

Being a foodie I not only enjoy EATING the food, but also COOKING it (so I can then eat it). There are some bad food oils out there that aren’t too good for you, but this, being the natural products expo, I was expecting something exceptional, and I was not disappointed.
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By Margo Donohue of Brooklyn Fit Chick.

If you’ve ever wanted to see past Biggest Loser favorites like Bill Germanakos, Eric Chopin, Alfredo “Frado” Dinten, Mark Pinhasovich and Tara Costa then you are in luck. New York’s Stage 72 theater has just launched Saturday performances of “Gilbert Gotfried Presents: The Diet Show” and it features several past members of the hit weight loss show on stage giving very funny (and often times moving) monologues about weight, fitness, diets, family pressure and more. The dates for now are every other Saturday (the next show is January 19th) at 7 pm at the theater location at 158 West 72nd Street.

“The Diet Show” was created after producers contacted Mark Pinhasovich to see if he could recruit a few of his fellow Bigger Loser alumni to put on a showcase that would be part raucous comedy and part confessional theater for an audience looking for inspiration on their health and fitness goals. “I love the fact that I can make people laugh (laughter is the best medicine) and then verbally connect the emotional part of my journey while helping inspire others,” says Pinhasovich.
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One of the most important people behind the scenes at Biggest Loser left at the end of season 12. Changing directions at the show and within her own life lead Cheryl Forberg, RD away from the ranch for the first time since the show’s inception. But when NBC called her out of the blue last month and asked her to return, Cheryl says, “I said yes in about three minutes.”

“Yes, Cheryl is back and we’re looking forward to a great season,” said an NBC spokesperson, confirming the dietitian’s return.

It’s obvious that Biggest Loser is a place this renowned dietitian and chef can call home. When she announced her departure last November there was a lot of shock. She told us then that the seven-plus years she’d worked on the show, helping to co-author the contestants’ nutrition program, was the longest working relationship she’d ever had. Apparently, the “enriching” and “unique” experience she had couldn’t keep her away. The contestants are likely better off for it.

“She’s a very warm lady who is always there to help us even to this day,” said Mark Pinhasovich, the season 10 at-home winner, upon learning of Cheryl’s return.

Cheryl has already been out to the ranch to meet the newest batch of contestants, who will debut in season 14 this upcoming January. With a week or two of filming and training already under their shrinking belts, they’ve no doubt already gotten a heavy dose of Cheryl’s medicine. Early impressions are good from her viewpoint.

“I just spent a few days with the new cast and I love them all,” she told us. “Their positive energy and enthusiasm is contagious and I’m certain you’ll feel it when you watch the first episode.”
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By Mark Pinhasovich, owner of AMPD Fit Camp and at-home winner for Biggest Loser 10.

What did you guys do this past weekend? Did you take it easy? Did you work out hard? Maybe somewhere in between? You know I always push it to the max, so what did I do and where did I go?! Two words: Arnold Classic!!! That’s right, I was able to make it out for the world famous fitness and bodybuilding show started by the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger!!!

Let me preface this by saying that it is NOT a bunch of “I lift things up and put them down!” type people at this show. There were 48 different sports represented here including such pastimes as fencing and ballroom dancing! There were so many great people there from all walks of life. Estimates put the attendance numbers at over a quarter million people!

As I walked into the hall for the first time, the sheer amount of protein (or more likely the result of that amount of protein) hung in the air like a mist in the jungle. I was there to help out at the Ultimate Flurry Bar booth, which is a ridiculously good tasting high protein/low carb bar. They also had Xtreme Shock, a great Beta-Alanine energy drink, and Protein Ice, a Gatorade-like protein drink. Joining me at the show were Amanda Arlauskas, finalist from season 8 of Biggest Loser, and Coleen Skeabeck from season 6.

The first day went by in a blur. I was not expecting this amount of people! All day we were talking to great people with great stories and took tons of pictures! We were pretty wiped out by the end of day one. What did we get ourselves into?
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This is probably the most unlikely final four anyone could have imagined would be standing when the dust settled from the last elimination. It’s official. Hannah, Olivia, Irene, and Jay. This week there are no more eliminations, but there is another weigh in. In lieu of running the famous marathon this year, they stay on the ranch for another week and weigh in one more time to face the yellow line and leave it up to America to decide who will be the three to vie for the big prize.

One of the things I was really big on, and still am, is nutrition. This week’s pop challenge is to cook the best turkey burger possible (but can they top MY turkey burger recipe?). The winner gets $5,000 and a two-week stay at The Biggest Loser Resort for a person of their choice. The judges for this have the most discerning of palates: A bunch of children! Olivia’s green slime burger didn’t seem to win over many kids and neither did Irene’s burger. Jay’s volcano burger and Hannah’s burger as well seemed to be the overall favorites with Jay barely squeaking it out for the win.
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