In the first week of January, the annual program of NSU’s Biggest Loser began. The program has the same name as the television show, but that is where the similarities end.
Marcela Sandigo, associate director for Fitness and Operations, said the office is considering changing the name of the program because people think it’s the same as the show. She said the show is very extreme, and that’s not how the program works at NSU.
“That’s actually the opposite of what we do,” said Sandigo. “We don’t want people to focus so much on that number on the scale and losing a really big amount of weight in a really small amount of time, because that’s unhealthy. We want them to be able to get those resources and lose weight gradually, but make it into something they’re going to do for the rest of their lives.”
Although NSU’s Biggest Loser isn’t as demanding as the television show, there’s a great deal the participants do every week, such as working out three times a week with a trainer and completing challenges.
“We have a relationship with the Broward Fire Academy, so they do the fireman’s challenge there. We do one beach workout [and] one park workout on Saturdays,” said Sandigo.
In addition to the workouts and challenges, the participants receive cooking demonstrations and prizes from Whole Foods. They have healthy lifestyle coaches and a nutritionist. Sandigo said the resources the program offers is the greatest benefit.
“Yes, they lose weight, and they become healthier during the program, but it’s everything they learn and they can take away. So, when they are finished they can continue on,” said Sandigo.
She said entering this program is a huge commitment, and it’s not for those who are just looking for a quick way to lose weight.
“The goal of the program is not to say, ‘Oh, we want you to lose this amount of weight.’ The goal is to give them the resources, so they can make this change forever, for the rest of their lives. This is just a little stepping stone to get them into the habit of eating well and working out regularly,” she said.
The program will continue through April, and the winner will be announced the first week of June. Applications for next year’s Biggest Loser program will be available in September.
