Alison Sweeney: Weight Loss, Diet, and WorkoutAlison Sweeney has been fighting a weight battle, which she won with a healthy diet and exercise program.
And that made her the perfect choice to host the fourth season of NBC’s weight-loss reality show, The Biggest Loser, premiering September 11. Here is how Alison lost all that weight
How did your weight struggle begin? I was 21. I had moved out of my parents’ house and didn’t learn to cook and was packing on the pounds.
I used to complain about my weight all the time and how unhappy I was, but I never did anything about it. I would just eat unhealthy foods.
My boyfriend – now my husband – finally said to me, “I think you’re beautiful and I don’t think you need to lose weight, but I’m sick of listening to you complain about it.” That was a major moment for me when I realized he was right! I pursue lots of different things in my life, but this was one thing I was almost afraid to attack.
Also, I happened to go to the dentist and he commented that I had some cavities. He gave me this lecture about my nutrition. It totally changed my life. I looked at my goal like, “I want to be healthy and fit,” rather than thinking, “I’ll never be skinny like those actresses I work with.”
How did you lose the weight? I started going to the gym and changed my nutrition. I recognized that eating pasta, bread and desserts is not good for you. It sounds stupid, but I really just didn’t add it all up.
I just thought, “What’s the big deal? I have granola cereal every morning.” But it’s like 500 calories. So you just have to do the math and look at it. It was cutting out complex carbohydrates and focusing more on proteins and vegetables.
What do you do for exercise? I do the treadmill four days a week. I try to get in three or four 30- to 40-minute cardio workouts a week. Two or three days a week, I do resistance training, everything from sit-ups to strength training with tension bands. I like yoga too.
If there’s a game to be played – like a celebrity basketball game or playing my husband in a friendly game of racquetball – I will pass out on the floor before I give up because I hate to lose.
How much do you weigh? I’m not a big fan of the scale, which is ironic given the show I’m a part of, but luckily, I’m not a contestant! For me, it’s about dress size. What you have to think about when you’re working out is how do your clothes fit? How do you feel?
Muscle weighs more than fat, so technically, if you start working out at the gym, you’re going to potentially gain weight but lose fat; you’re going to look leaner and more toned. I’m now a size 4. At my heaviest, I was in the 10/12 neighborhood.
How do you feel after the weight loss? I feel sexier. I think it’s made me more confident in my life, in my work and in my relationship. I’m a different person.
Why are you hosting The Biggest Loser? I was a fan of the show. It helps these people who are obese and shows their struggle to lose weight. It gives them the education to eat right and work out to lose weight the healthy, no-shortcuts way.
I used to cry every week as these contestants made unbelievable life changes. I got a call out of the blue asking me if I would like to be a part of it, and I leapt at the chance. [via]