Biggest Loser

For the first time in "Biggest Loser" history, a woman won. I didn't used to pay the show much attention, even when a former Iowa wrestler was a contestant. This year, however, it has been my constant companion as I've waged my own battle of the bulge.

When I next weigh in on Monday, I'll be something more than 35 pounds lighter than I was Jan. 14. That pales in comparison to the totals posted by contestants on the "reality" show, as does my prize, but I take just as much satisfaction in the accomplishment. And I didn't have to make a fool of myself on national TV.

The faculty/staff competition put together by a student fitness organization couldn't have come at a more opportune moment. A slowing metabolism coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the daily caloric intake of a teenager is not a healthy combination. By December, I was sufficiently dissatisfied with my appearance and concerned for my health that I decided to do something about it.

Exactly what wasn't clear until the "New Year, New You" faculty and staff competition was announced. I teamed up with two co-workers and we recruited a volleyball player/athletic trainer to be our coach.

My 30-pound goal became an obsession. It was as if my life depended on it. The day the body fat scale said I was no longer classified as "obese", I knew that it did.

I'm the last one to spew health advice, but there's no magic to weight loss. Burn more calories than you consume and you'll lose weight. Consume more calories than you burn and you'll gain. It's really that simple.

I did learn some things about helping my body work for me -- breakfast, for instance, isn't just a good idea, it's the law -- and I've learned to make smart choices about what I put in my mouth. I've learned I really can fit exercise in to my daily routine.

I'll be proud next week to be crowned "biggest loser" in our little competition, but -- just like the reality show -- the real prize is the ego boost that comes with feeling good and looking good. Even as grilling season nears, I know I didn't go on a diet -- I changed my life.