Erin is the Biggest Winner!!!

Erin and Jen 2010

As I said in this post, my bestie Erin got booted in the first round of her school's "Biggest Loser" competition.  To know Erin is to know that she is not a person who takes "no" for answer.  This early setback filled her with a fiery determination to be crowned her school's at home winner.  I chatted with Erin to find out how she lost nearly 20 lbs. while working two jobs, getting her master's degree and keeping a (very) active social schedule:


Tell us a little about the contest.
The contestants were split up into two teams. Weigh-ins were Monday mornings at school, every two weeks. Each person’s percentage lost was calculated and noted. Then each team’s overall percentage lost for those two weeks was calculated. The losing team then automatically lost whichever teammate did the worst at that weigh-in. Unlike on the TV show, we did not want to create drama in the workplace by voting people out of the contest.

How long did it last? 
The first weigh-in was the Monday after your wedding! So, I weighed in on Tuesday, October 5th.  It ended on June 6th, 8 months later.

What was your plan of attack? 
Well, when the competition began, I already had pretty healthy habits – comparatively speaking. I really felt like I was going to be a prime competitor. A few years ago I had great success with Natalia Rose’s Raw Food Detox Diet and I had managed to incorporate some of those habits into my everyday life. My plan for the competition was to work slow and steady(and try not to drive myself crazy...). Since the weigh-ins happened every 2 weeks, I was going to follow my usual “healthy” plan in the first week, then amp it up the week before the weigh in.

How was it that you were the first one kicked out of the competition?
I followed my plan for the first ten days and lost about 3 pounds. Then my boyfriend’s “birthday weekend” began. We went out with friends on Friday night – they ordered beer and greasy appetizers, I ordered wine and a decent entrée. Did I have four or five glasses of wine? Perhaps. Did I then drunkenly share a dessert with my very thin and fit friend? Possibly. But that was fine! I was not a cheeseburger eater and I exercised regularly! No problem! Or so I thought.  Saturday night was Birthday Fiesta Part 2. The boys had apps, shots, and beer – I had wine, chicken, and vegetables. (I may have also had a couple of vodka and club sodas...) On Sunday I baked birthday cookies. The wheels were clearly off the bus at this point. But I still kind of figured, “Honestly, how bad could it be??! I don’t eat McDonald’s! I am a well-oiled machine!”

Cut to Monday morning: first competitive weigh-in. Not only am I 3 pounds heavier than I was at the first weigh-in, but I also managed to gain 5 pounds since Friday morning!!! Since my team lost the weigh-in, and I was figuratively the “biggest loser” (as in fool who manages to gain 5 lbs. in 3 days), I was the first person booted! Out of like 16 people! My first thought was, “WHAT THE F@*&!!!!!”

How did you get back on track?