Biggest Loser 7

My Path to Wellness

Well, I live in Texas, so we start everything with Hey Y’all.

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Michelle; I am the Season 6 Winner of the Biggest Loser. I’m excited to share a little about myself and my experience on The Biggest Loser and my life after!

Let me start by saying a big thanks to milk. I believe in this campaign and its vision for helping us all stay on track with happy and healthy lives! Go Milk Go!

The number one thing I hear most from people is that they feel like they know me after watching my transformation on the Biggest Loser. But I was a young woman no different from most of you. I woke up one day and decided it was enough… that I needed to change in a dynamic way. Through hard work and determination, I was able to walk away a winner, and you can too by "losing" whatever it is that is holding you back from a full life! For me it was my weight. And at the same time become healthier in the process.

So, where to begin? Identify your personal roadblock to wellness. When I got to the ranch I had to peel back the layers and take a deeper look at who I was, and you have to do it too. After all, you can’t move forward unless you know what’s holding you back.

My way of thinking has changed and my relationship with physical activity has changed. If you watched the show you have seen the physical pain the other contestants and I pushed through to achieve some amazing weight loss week in and week out. There is no magic pill they give you on the ranch, but instead its a lot of hard work that is the key to our success. For me, “wellness” is about simple, everyday choices that can help me be healthy and well. The habits I learned from the trainers, like exercising, watching my calories and choosing nutrient-rich foods like three glasses of lowfat or fat free milk each day, will stay with me for the long run. Drinking milk is a vital part of living well. With that said, I like to give people the advice of starting slow, and focusing on maintaining your achievements.

That’s why it’s called a “work out!” Since returning home from the show, I have scaled back my workout routine to be more of a "maintenance" mode. I need to stay active so I spread it out and I get 3-4 workouts a week. I split my time with an hour of cardio and an hour of strength training. I ensure my cardio activity gets my heart rate up and I build a good sweat that means my body is on the right track. If I am not sweating, it’s because I am not pushing myself hard enough. I keep my body guessing by doing different forms of cardio, elliptical, incline training on the treadmill, spinning and the dreaded stairs. My strength training consists of low weight and higher repetitions. I am looking to tone my body and arms. I have a summer wedding right around the corner and want them to look amazing in my dress.

Be flexible. My schedule keeps me moving and sometimes away from the gym, but that’s okay. I know many of you may not have access to a gym, but you’re not off the hook. There are many body-weight exercises that can help. If I find that I am stuck at an airport, I keep moving with squats and lunges. When I am at a hotel room, I do jumping jacks or pushups. I can even pretend to be jumping rope. All of these things get my heart pumping. When all else fails, I go for a walk.

Learn what works for you. I learned a lot about eating right from my trainer and now I eat a healthy breakfast every day. I start every day with a bowl of cereal... the cereal type has changed dramatically, and I have learned to be wise about my portions, but the milk still remains! It has become fuel for my body. Not to mention it is simple and a bargain, because it offers more nutrition for your dollar than virtually any other beverage you can buy.

More than anything, I want you all to know that the scale doesn't define you! There is a healthy amount of respect that I have for my former self. You see it was that version of "me" who decided to change. Now I can look back and see the journey that I have already come through and that is what helps me look forward for the life to come. I hope that each one of you will take some time to find your reasons and be compelled to move forward knowing that it is possible. You can decide to change and you can have the same level of success that I have when you balance your life with a healthy knowledge of physical activity and healthy balanced meals.

Keep an eye out for more form me next week, I’m planning to share tips for dining out in a healthy way.

Your Friend,
Michelle Aguilar