Jumpstart Your Fitness: With tips from "The Biggest Loser"

The TV show "The Biggest Loser" is a hit because it's about real people losing real weight the real way -- through commitment and hard work. Of course being on a TV show with America watching, access to experts, and the motivation of a huge financial prize helps, but the principles they follow are basic ones. It's about really wanting to lose the weight, getting rid of the stigma that diet food is always bad food, and realizing that exercise doesn't have to be a chore.

But even if you can get a handle on all that, losing weight and keeping on track still isn't easy. Here's some advice from the experts and contestants of the show that obviously made a difference for them, so will maybe make a difference for you too:

1) Eat often. Chef Devin Alexander says frequent small meals and plenty of snacks is key. If you keep portion sizes reasonable and watch your overall calorie intake, eating often will help prevent hunger pains and unplanned binges.
2) Have your carbs in the morning. Contestant Brian Starkey says doing this will help get your day off to an energetic start and even give you an extra motivational boost for your morning workout.

3) Post a picture of what you don't want to look like on your refrigerator. According to contestant Dana Desilvio putting up a reminder of yourself at your worst will help you resist reaching for those things you shouldn't.
4) Don't watch the clock while working out -- listen to music! Season 3 winner Eric Chopin says this works for him. And personal trainer Kim Lyons says everybody needs to remember that fun physical activities, like bike riding and playing Frisbee, can count as exercise too.
5) At restaurants always pack up half of your meal 'to go' before you even start eating. Contestant Bobby Moore says this way you'll both get used to eating smaller portions and you'll have yummy food to eat later.
6) Learn to cook healthy. Many of The Biggest Loser contestants were surprised to learn that healthy cooking can actually be easier, cheaper, and faster than what they were doing before.
7) Don't forget the seasoning. Alexander says many people don't realize how much power seasonings can have, even on simple dishes like chicken and fish.
8) Realize you don't need oil for good flavor. Pan-searing can give the same great flavor with no oil!
9) Don't try to workout too hard and for too long too fast. Lyons says it's intimidating and often discouraging for people when they set goals too high and/or get hurt because they jumped in too fast.
10) Self-esteem feeds off of itself. Every change, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Realizing that it's all part of the big picture and appreciating every bit of progress will not only help your weight loss goals, but your lifestyle goals as well.