BOUNTIFUL — Not everyone gets the chance be on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" reality series, where contestants compete for a $250,000 prize by losing weight.
But, you don't need to be on a TV show to get in shape, said Heather Hansen of West Bountiful.
On last season's "The Biggest Loser," Hansen lost 56 pounds while staying at the show's secluded ranch. She saw obese contestants dramatically improve their health through diet and exercise.
"So many had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and those started disappearing," she said. "My asthma was gone in three weeks with all the extra weight off me."
For anyone making New Year's resolutions, Hansen offers the following healthy habits:
Drink a gallon of water a day. (That's in addition to the one diet drink a day that Hansen allows herself.)
Do one hour of cardio exercise five times a week. "You should sweat when you work out. If there's no sweat, you need to push yourself harder. A great workout is to keep alternating two minutes of regular cardio (on a treadmill, etc.) with 30 second intervals at your fastest speed.
Do about 40 minutes of weight training three times a week. "This will help transform your body," she said.
Limit calories to 1,200-1,800, depending on how large you are. "At the ranch, even Erik (Chopin, who won the contest), as big as he was, only got 1,800 calories."
Give yourself one "free" meal a week. "That's whatever you've been craving all weeklong. It's fun to go out to a nice restaurant and not feel bad, and it's good for you body not to feel deprived. But I'm talking one sit-down meal, not a whole day."
Moderation was the most important thing she learned on the ranch, she said. "I learned you don't have to eat the whole thing. Yesterday I wanted an Egg McMuffin and a hash brown. So I got them, but I cut them in half and threw half away. People might think that's strange, but it was enough that I felt satisfied. If I hadn't thrown out half, I would have eaten the whole thing."
Eating or exercise? Hansen said weight loss is 90 percent the food and 10 percent exercise.
"You can lose a lot of weight just by eating right," she said. "But the workouts jump-start you and help you look better in the end. We would work out five or six hours a day, and it transformed our bodies. I got down to my wedding weight, but my husband thought I looked so much better because of my muscle tone."
Plan ahead and keep it simple: "On Sunday, I figure out the game plan for the week. I own a business, I'm a mom and a wife and I'm busy. So I plan to cook a meal every other night. On the nights I don't cook, we have Lean Cuisine, because I know how many calories we're eating. On the other nights, I make something like soup, chicken or steak."
She also makes a low-fat taco bar: whole-wheat tortillas, 96-percent lean beef, tomatoes, lettuce, low-fat mozzarella, chilies, fat-free sour cream and salsa.
"Subway is my staple for lunch. They're probably sick of seeing me four or five times a week, but it makes my life easy, because I already know I'm having a turkey breast sandwich, with extra lettuce, extra pickles and extra tomato and no mayo. And if I'm really feeling crazy, I'm going to get a bag of fat-free chips with it. But if I do, I can't have cheese on my sandwich. Those two triangles of cheese are about 100 calories, the same as the chips."
Getting veggies: When she has salads, she tossed in a little chicken or beef, "because to me, a salad without meat is not that fun. I'm not a rabbit."
Her salads used to include lots of ranch dressing and cheese. "But you might as well have a Big Mac for all the calories you're getting."
At the ranch, she often made grilled filet mignon salads for herself and teammate Kai Hibbard. She grilled the beef to medium rare, sliced it and weighed out six-ounce portions to seal in plastic bags.
"Just before lunch, I'd throw a bag in the microwave for 30 seconds so the meat was medium-well done, and it would come out fantastic. I'd put that with a salad in a big gallon-size zip lock bag, add the dressing and shake it up together so it was evenly coated. Often I'd have the same thing for dinner."
Whole grains: Hansen now limits white bread, tortillas or potatoes to her "free" meal. "I like whole wheat bread better now; you really develop a taste for it," she said.
Create a support system: On "The Biggest Loser," people worked out with their teams with trainers to spur them on.
"It's hard to do it on your own. So find friends or family to support you. Here at work, we work out together during lunch and get Subway together."
Hansen said after the weekly weigh-in at the ranch, the contestants often had a party, serving recipes from "Fast Food Fix" (Rodale, $14.95) and "The Biggest Loser Cookbook," both written by chef Devin Alexander. "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" features recipes from the show's contestants and trainers, as well as the Almost Fast Food Burger that Alexander demonstrated during an episode of the show.
BOBBY'S BROCCOLI WITH CHEESE SAUCE
Contestant Bobby Moore "was the best cook on the ranch," said Heather Hansen. "He would cook for the blue team every night, and he was able to adapt his cooking to the healthy lifestyle really easily. That guy could cook!"
3 cups ( 1/2 pound) broccoli florets
1/4 cup Tostitos Reduced Fat Zesty Cheese Dip
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli and cook about 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry. Divide between 2 serving plates. Meanwhile, spoon dip into a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on low in 10-second intervals, until just warm. Spoon the dip evenly over each portion of broccoli. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
Nutrition per serving: 72 calories, 4 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, 241 mg sodium.
— "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" (Rodale, $21.95)
ERIK'S VEGGIE TUNA SNACK WRAPS
In order to lose 214 pounds and win the "Biggest Loser" title, Erik Chopin gave up Porterhouse steaks and full-fat lasagna for this hearty wrap. He has since added it to the menu of the deli that he owns in New York City.
2 broccoli florets
1 can (6 ounces) reduced-sodium chunk light tuna in water, drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon light red wine vinaigrette
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, or to taste
2 whole-wheat flour, low-carb tortillas, 7 1/2-inches diameter
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli. Cook 1 minute, or until crisp-tender. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Pat dry and chop finely. Transfer to medium bowl. Add tuna, bell peppers and onion. Toss to mix. Add vinaigrette and mustard. Toss to mix well. Place one tortilla on a serving plate. Spoon half the tuna mixture over 2/3 of the tortilla. Arrange half the spinach leaves evenly over the tuna mixture. Starting at the filled end, roll the tortilla tightly into a tube. Repeat with the remaining tortilla, tuna mixture and spinach. Serve immediately.
Nutrition per serving: 217 calories, 22 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fat, 38 mg cholesterol, 12 grams fiber, 647 mg sodium.
— "The Biggest Loser Cookbook"(Rodale, $21.95)
ALMOST FAST FOOD BURGER
For each burger, you'll need:
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 pound 96 percent lean ground beef
1 slice ( 3/4 ounce) fat-free American cheese (optional)
1 whole-grain or whole-wheat hamburger bun (about 4 inches)
1/4 cup chopped romaine lettuce leaves
1 thin slice red onion
3 dill pickle rounds
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. Stir to mix. Set aside. Shape beef into a patty that is about 1/2-inch wider than the bun. Preheat a medium nonstick skillet or grill rack on high heat. Place the patty on the pan or grill. Cook 1-2 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. DON'T smash the burger with a spatula. About 30 seconds before the burger is cooked, top with the cheese, if desired. Place bun halves, cut sides down, on the pan or grill. Cook about 45 seconds, or until toasted.
Place the bun bottom on a serving plate. Top with the patty, lettuce, onion and pickles. Spread the reserved sauce evenly over the inside of the bun top. Flip onto the burger. Serves 1.
Nutrition per serving: 281 calories, 26 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 60 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, 736 mg sodium.
— "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" (Rodale, $21.95)
THIN-AND-CRISPY BBQ-CHICKEN PIZZA SNACK WEDGES
Note: Don't use a low-carb tortilla; it will smoke and burn, without becoming crisp.
1 whole-wheat, 96 percent fat-free tortilla (8-inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (should have 7 grams of carbs or less per serving)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded Cabot 75 percent Light Cheddar Cheese
2/3 cup (3 ounces) chopped grilled chicken breast
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tortilla on a small nonstick baking sheet. Bake 4-5 minutes per side, or until crisp. If air bubbles form, poke them with a fork, then press out the air with a spatula. remove the sheet from the oven. Top the tortilla evenly in layers with the sauce, cheese, chicken, onion and cilantro. Bake 2-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slice into 8 wedges. Serve immediately. Serves 1.
Nutrition per serving: 381 calories, 45 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 78 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber, 861 mg sodium.
— "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" (Rodale, $21.95)
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com