Most people play to win. Otherwise, what's the point of the game? And whether we admit it or not, there's always a part of us that wants to be number one. But each of us has also had to contend with not winning, too. And that's OK.

In fact, it's more than OK -- in a moving article in The New York Times, losing is praised as a necessary and important life lesson. Losing not only teaches us humility but earning our victories the hard way teaches us how valuable it is to dedicate ourselves to something. As columnist John Scwartz points out: "Americans tend to frame things in terms of contests and wars that must be won or lost. Many challenges, however, are about hanging in there and managing a bad situation. Losing prepares you for the slog that is life. The world doesn't give us many finish lines, but it does give us the long run." To read more, click here.

I couldn't agree more. Your thoughts?

(via Well Blog)

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I just finished chatting with one of favorite friends who called to share some great news regarding his weight. Last month he stepped on the scale at a whopping 259 pounds. Not good news. That day though, he entered the "Biggest Loser" competition at his workplace, and he's lost about 20 pounds since. Great news!

Funny thing. He was telling me that some of his friends are now telling him how "worried" they are that he's losing so much weight. This dude is nowhere near anorexic. My gut reaction was, "where were these people and their vocal concern when you were creeping towards 300 pounds?" This guy is no more than six feet tall. He shouldn't be 259 pounds! He and I have talked weight loss in the past, but where were his other friends?

Anyway. I know it's taboo to tell a friend their weight is worrisome. But, isn't that what friends are for? Aren't we supposed to watch out for each other? Of course people need to choose good habits on their own, but a little heart to heart with your closest companion seems fair to me.

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A woman had never been crowned The Biggest Loser before last night when Ali Vincent won the $250,000 grand prize for shedding a whopping 112 pounds, the most ever for a female contestant in Biggest Loser history.

Vincent, a 32-year-old hair stylist from Mesa, Arizona who nows weighs 122 pounds, first arrived on the Biggest Loser: Couples ranch with her mom Bette-Sue Burkland -- mom was voted off the show a while back but still lost 86 pounds -- and impressed both her competitors and TV viewers with her dramatic transformation.

Why did she take a leave of absence from her every-day life to work her butt off in front of a national audience? "I want to be strong and healthy and I want to look good and I want to set a good example," she says.

Vincent's inspiring story will be featured in PEOPLE magazine, available on Friday.

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Prevention magazine offers kudos to NBC's Biggest Losers in this online article. Spotlighting three female contestants -- Kae Whang, Hollie Self, and Isabeau Miller -- the editors gathered up eight strategies these gals use as they strive to maintain their weight loss for the long run.

• Weighing in at spot number one: Believe you can do it. Nothing is impossible.
  
  

• Number two: Don't forget to eat. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger and overeating.
  
  

• Three: Do cardio you enjoy every day. Try for 60 to 90 minutes per day, sweat, and mix up your routine.
  
  

• Four: Weight-train at least twice a week. It will boost your metabolism and offer a mental lift too.
  
  

• Five: Take advantage of early momentum. Early results, like rapid weight loss, are common. When things taper off, stay tough.
  
  

• Six: Expect -- and push through -- plateaus. Be patient, stick to your plan, and the scale will move in your favor.
  
  

• Seven: Build a support team. Find a partner, a program, a health club that motivates you.
  
  

• And eight: Face emotional eating head-on. Write down everything you eat, ask yourself, "Is it worth it?," put your health first, and let your success inspire you.
  

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After losing 164 pounds, 40-year-old Bill Germanakos became the fourth winner of NBC's The Biggest Loser on Tuesday. Bill takes home $250,000 -- and a new lease on life. His twin brother Jim, voted off the show earlier in the season, takes home $100,000 for losing the highest percentage of body weight among all voted-off contestants. WOW -- these double losers really won big. But so did the others, despite the empty pockets they took home.

I love The Biggest Loser. I think it's witnessing the transformation of the contestants that keeps me coming back for more. I mean, these people have a lot of weight to shed when they first arrive at The Biggest Loser campus. With a lot of hard work, sweat, and tears, these folks make amazing strides.

Contestant Amy started her diet and fitness journey at 297 pounds and now weighs 171. David lost 140 pounds. Neil lost 211. Jerry, the oldest competitor at age 62, lost 110 pounds. And the biggest loser of all -- Bill -- well, Bill started the show at 334 pounds and now weighs 170 pounds.

I'm amazed, inspired, proud of all these determined individuals. And I can't wait to tune in on January 1 when the next installment of The Biggest Loser debuts. This series will feature couples, and I predict some pretty big success stories are about to unravel.

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NBC's Biggest Loser contestant Julie learned last night that she's lost 12 inches off her waist. Neil has lost the equivalent of 3.5 water jugs full of fat. Isabeau, pre-diabetic when she first arrived at the Biggest Loser campus 12 weeks ago, now has the best insulin of all remaining contestants. Bill, whose hypertension was once uncontrolled, now has good blood pressure. Bryan's cholesterol now reads 176 -- it was 279 three months ago. Nicole has lost 74 pounds of hydrated fat. And Hollie has lost more area in her hips than any of her Loser counterparts.

WOW. This crew has made amazing strides. It hasn't been easy. They've worked and worked and then worked some more. But the means to their ends are no mystery. They've done it through diet and exercise alone. Plain and simple.

Inspired by the accomplishments of these Biggest Losers? To learn more about how exactly they've cut the fat and to keep up with their progress, mosey on over to this website.

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He's lost more weight than he ever imagined, and he's still losing. He's dropping more weight at home, in fact, than he did as a contestant on NBC's The Biggest Loser. And that makes him a winner, despite his eviction from the show.

Jim Germanakos, 41, is 136 pounds lighter today than when he first set foot on the Biggest Loser set. He's dedicated everything to his weight loss, he told Today Show host Ann Curry on Tuesday. He left the comforts of home, left his wife and kids, and set forth on a journey he says is still not complete. Germanakos wants to lose another 35 pounds. I have a hunch he'll do it.

How exactly will he do it? Well, he'll work hard, hit the gym, and continue practicing what trainer Jillian Michaels has been drilling into his head about nutrition. He will (1) count calories, (2) avoid trans fats, (3) limit processed foods, and (4) consume mostly organic products. That should do it for the man who is putting his health and family first, the man who has inspired his wife to lose 45 pounds, the man who has happily become: one big loser.

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The contestants on NBC's The Biggest Loser compete in the ultimate of weight loss challenges hopefully for the sake of overall health and fitness but first and foremost for money. Lots of money. The one who comes out "the biggest loser" at the end of the show takes home $250,000. That's quite a chunk of change. And quite a motivator too.

Money motivates. And employers are starting to capitalize on this fact by paying staff members to slim down. It beats paying medical and absenteeism costs for overweight employees. And it seems to work.

Studies show overweight employees who were compensated for their weight loss efforts lost more weight than those who received no monetary reward. Now it's not clear whether or not participants will keep the weight off or if this strategy will be profitable for companies in the long-term, but financial incentives are surely worth a try. Don't you think?

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Do you need an attitude adjustment? Not to say that you have a particularly bad attitude, but maybe you're missing some particular habits and qualities that are keeping you from being as successful as you could be. Are you letting negative feelings or fear of change hold you back? Read through this list of the qualities that turn losers into winners and see if you can't find some inspiration:

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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.

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"The Biggest Loser" TV show is full of hard-earned and truly inspirational success stories, so whether you're into workout DVDs or not you've got to agree that The Biggest Loser Workout, Volume 2 must be doing something right. A plan responsible for that many hundreds and even thousands of pounds lost can't be complete hype, right?

A general run-down of what to expect includes a short warm up followed by low intensity cardio, then high intensity cardio (both suited for men and women specifically), a power sculpt session for the women, 15 minutes of boot camp, some functional flexibility training, and then a cool down. I'll be honest and admit that I haven't seen it myself, but this review makes it sound pretty good. The idea of real people working out with me, grunting and groaning and generally NOT making it look so easy, is a big selling point as far as I'm concerned.

Does anybody have this DVD right now? What do you think?

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