Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Biggest Loser Winning Workout and Meal Plan

Helen Phillips's 5-a-Day Meal Plan

Total calories: about 1,800 to 2,000, which Phillips tracks by weighing her food and logging everything she eats in a food journal.

Breakfast:

• 1 cup steel-cut oatmeal with cinnamon
• 2 egg whites scrambled in Pam
• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries
• Coffee

Snack:

• 6 to 8 oz. nonfat yogurt with fresh berries (or fresh-frozen berries without sugar) or
• Carrot sticks or cherry tomatoes with 1/4 c. hummus or
• 12 to 15 raw nuts, like almonds or walnuts

Lunch:

• Salad: A variety of lettuces tossed with cucumbers, tomatoes, and other veggies
• Sprinkling of blue cheese, feta, or raw nuts
• A few pieces of shrimp or 3 to 4 oz. chicken breast
• Raspberry vinaigrette

Snack:

• Strip of turkey bacon with apple slices or
• Half a small whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese

Dinner:

• Seafood (orange roughy, shrimp, or salmon) with stir-fry vegetables cooked in water with herbs or
• Chicken kabobs (on the grill, loaded with vegetables) or
• Marinara sauce with ground chicken breast and whole wheat angel hair pasta
• Sparkling water with sliced citrus fruit or strawberries
• Fruit smoothie: Fresh or frozen strawberries and peaches blended with a little natural sweetener (stevia) and almond milk

The Winning Workout

Phillips normally arrives at her local gym between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. and works out for about two hours. "I like to get to the gym early, before I have time to make excuses," she says. "But if I don't make it in the morning, I go in the evening. I want my muscles to stay toned, so if I have only an hour, I'll split it between cardio and weight lifting."

Cardio: One hour, five or six days a week (treadmill, stair stepper, spin class, or swimming). Her treadmill settings: Incline 3-4; speed 5-6 mph. Tip: "If you can't run at first, set the incline at 7-8 for 10 minutes to get the sweat going, then lower it. You'll be running before you know it. That's how I started."

Weights: One hour strength training every other day, both upper and lower body
Arms: Bicep and tricep lifts using 15 lb. dumbbells. Deadlifts with a barbell loaded at 60-70 lbs.
Legs: A machine circuit that works the calves, thighs, and glutes
Abdominals: A combination of yoga moves and crunches on the mat

Additional Activities

Running: "Some days I run to the gym and back. It's about two miles from home. I never imagined I'd have the stamina for running, but now I've done a full marathon and two half-marathons, and I can't wait to run another one."
Walking: "I love to walk. I wear a pedometer and set it to miles. If I'm almost home and I've gone nine miles, I'll make it an even 10. Wearing a pedometer helps you push yourself farther."
Cycling: "As a family we bike on trails near our house. Sometimes we go for 25 miles and take a picnic in our backpacks. If you're nervous about biking, get out and walk the bike trails instead and enjoy nature."