Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Angie – for winning last week’s giveaway for the set of Kim Lyons’ new DVDs, Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes. Enjoy! And if you didn’t win, here’s another chance for you to try for the DVDs again – good luck!

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You’ve seen her whip contestants into shape on The Biggest Loser. Now celebrity personal trainer, Kim Lyons is taking on diabetes with her new workout DVD series, Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the U.S. – up more than three-million in about two years – and obesity is a major risk factor for the type 2 diabetes epidemic. I recently spoke to Lyons about all this. She tells FatFighterTV, it’s time to turn things around now.

Diabetes-friendly workouts
One of the first things I wondered about these DVDs was how these workouts were different than others. What makes them specifically for diabetics? Lyons says they eliminate the exercise intimidation factor.

“A lot of the workout videos that are out there right now are very high intensity, and they’re the kind of videos that are going to draw in people that already exercise, whereas people that have diabetes or are struggling with obesity issues or both are going to really be intimidated by that,” Lyons tells FatFighterTV. “This is kind of a way to get people started and help them get off the couch. There are even workouts where they can sit down and get moving. A lot of people don’t even know they can exercise while they’re sitting down.”

Can you really get a good workout if you’re sitting down? Yes and no, says Lyons. The DVDs are designed for beginners, so while they may not benefit someone who already exercises, working out while sitting down may be just the right place to start for someone who’s new to physical activity.

Doctor’s orders
The workouts were developed with the help of Dr. Shaila Singh, a Diplomat of the American Association for Family Physicians (AAFP) who has managed type 2 diabetes and weight loss in patients for over 22 years.

“Recent research has really brought to light that you can almost halt the disease progression; you can change it, even,” says Dr. Singh. “People who have type 2 diabetes really can [stop being] type 2 diabetic just by exercise and healthy diet modification.”

Lyons adds, “I think it’s just really important to give those people hope and let them know that, yeah, you absolutely can change your life – just 20 minutes a day.”

Beyond the DVDs
Along with the DVDs, there is also an online support program that includes nutrition tips, recipes, and Q&As about diabetes with Dr. Singh, all at StartFitnessNow.com.

Giveaway
To tie in with American Diabetes Month, The Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes 3-DVD set is giveaway #2 in FatFighterTV’s Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway series. Again, the workouts are designed for diabetics who need to start a fitness routine, or other exercise beginners.

To enter for a chance to win, just tell me why you want to try these workouts… or if you want to give them to someone as a gift, why you think that person would enjoy them.

See you in the comments!

Contest runs through midnight EST this Friday, November 13, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter, and we will use random.org to pick the winner.

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Want to lose weight and help feed the hungry? The Pound for Pound Challenge can help you do both.

It’s a new program from General Mills, NBC’s The Biggest Loser and Feeding America. For every pound you pledge to lose this year, the campaign will deliver a pound of groceries to a local food bank based on your zip code.

There are three ways to join the Pound For Pound Challenge:

• Pledge to lose weight at PFPChallenge.com or BiggestLoser.com

• Mail-in the Pound For Pound lids and seals from specially-marked General Mills products. For every lid or seal you send, General Mills will donate 10 cents to Feeding America. Brands include Cheerios, Fiber One products, and Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers. Get coupons for some of the products here.

• Donate directly to Feeding America

If you pledge to lose weight, you have until April 27 to record your weight loss. You can mail in lids and seals until December 31, 2009.  The Pound for Pound Challenge hopes to donate up to $775,000 to Feeding America.

And if you’re looking for a healthy breakfast to get you going on your weight loss journey, check out these Mexican Breakfast Wraps from Eat Better America.

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Before she was famous for becoming the first female to win The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent was a nationally and internationally ranked synchronized swimmer. So how did this fit and trim athlete gain more than 100 pounds? Ali talks to FatFighterTV about how that weight kept piling on, how tough it was to shed 112 pounds on The Biggest Loser, and what it’s like keeping that weight off in the real world… nearly six months after the Season 5 Finale.

Before… The Biggest Loser

Falling off the Deep End
“I never really considered it [synchronized swimming] exercise. It was just what I did. It was my life. So when I quit my sport, I didn’t substitute it with anything at all. Athletes that are at that level – we eat a lot because we have to. I didn’t substitute the physical activity I was doing, but my habits of eating remained the same. I ate a lot.”

Five Pounds at a Time
“All I ever saw was five pounds. Five pounds was controllable even though I wasn’t doing anything about it. By the time I got to the new five I had come to grips with the old five. Before I knew it, five pounds was 50, and 50 was 100.”

Losing Control
“It was uncontrollable. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to get myself out of this big, dark hole that I had built around me. I felt like I was looking up, trying to reach for something but there was nothing to grab. It was too big. To know you have to lose over 100 pounds seemed too overwhelming, too impossible.”

During… The Biggest Loser

Tough Training
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life and then double that. It was so hard because they’re constantly pushing you to do more. You think you’ve worked out and done the hardest thing in your life, and then the next moment you’re doing the hardest thing in your life again.”

Roughing It
“You’ve gotta be willing, and know that you’re going to be in pain and you’re going to be sore and you’re going to be sweaty everywhere. It’s itchy when you’re sweaty and you’re fat and you get a rash in between your legs. It’s not pretty, but it gets you to where you want to go.”

Taking Control
“I knew this was the biggest opportunity of my life – just even to be able to remove yourself from your entire life and just focus on you. And I really took that on. I knew that I would learn how to eat right and exercise. But I also knew that my weight was emotional and I had to tell the truth about a lot of things in my life. I had to figure out what I was hiding from, what I was holding back, what I was afraid of. And I did… and I do. It’s a constant battle as far as telling the truth to yourself. That’s why it’s forever.”

Winning It All! (It was meant to be…)
“I knew that it was my destiny. I truly believed that it was bigger than me. I promise myself I’ll never forget what it feels like to go for things that feel impossible. I gave everything – everything I had and more than I thought I had – towards it. It was amazing to fulfill that and to feel that content.”

After… The Biggest Loser

Emotional Healing
“I didn’t win The Biggest Loser and that’s it. That’s not it. It’s constantly re-evaluating. It’s constantly figuring out my trigger things like, why am I hungry now? I just ate. I’m hungry now because that phone call upset me. Let’s tell the truth about it. And then deal with things in my life as they come up versus push them away and shove them down by shoving food down my throat. So I just started paying attention and started telling the truth.”

Who Is That???
“I still don’t believe I was that big. Honestly, why wasn’t there an intervention? (laughs) I didn’t see how big I looked. And now people are like, ‘Oh, you’re tiny!’ And I’m like, ‘I am?!’ I don’t see that, just as much as I didn’t see the big girl. I just see me. I guess it’s just because you get comfortable with your body. Whether you’re happy with it or not, you get comfortable. You gotta keep checking in to see if you’re happy, because that’s the difference. For whatever reason, I had to go there so I could get here.”

Decisions… Decisions…
“I still have to choose every day. Some days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m feeling good!’ I’m up and at ‘em. I’m at the gym. And some days it’s like snooze, snooze, snooze – the last thing in the world I want to do is get out of bed and the last thing I really want to do is go to the gym. But I make myself, because I know that it’s worth it. That’s how I remain in control of my life and that’s how I’m able to feel proud about myself.”

Training Wheels Are On
“I treat myself like a toddler now because I’m just learning how to walk in this world of being healthy. My house is childproof. I don’t have stuff that I can binge on that will let me go too far. There are grapes and there’s cantaloupe… and frozen yogurt with 68 calories in four ounces, so it won’t let me get that far out of control! It’s setting myself up to win.”

She Did It!
“The Biggest Loser provided me the space and the opportunity and the training. But I did it. It’s not the ranch. I changed my life!”

###

Want more Ali? Find out her weekly workouts, what she gives up to save calories, and her tips for those trying to lose weight at her Weight Loss WooHoo! page- just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

And check out The Biggest Loser Club for customized diet and exercise plans and to join up with other groups who have weekly motivational challenges. Plus you’ll get the scoop on everyone’s favorite Biggest Loser contestants.

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Meet: Ali Vincent (Winner of The Biggest Loser, Season 5)

Age: 33

Occupation: Weight Loss Spokesperson

Location: Arizona

Pounds Lost: 112

Ali’s energy is contagious! She had me ready to hit the gym right after we talked. Don’t miss FFTV’s interview with Ali. Find out what she has to say about how those pounds kept piling on, how tough it was to shed 112 pounds on The Biggest Loser, and what it’s like keeping that weight off in the real world. Here’s your Weight Loss WooHoo! Ali – Just FatFighterTV’s fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

How long she has kept off the weight: 6 months

Weekly workouts:
“I try to workout a minimum of five days a week, but I will usually do something active on that 6th day like dancing or swimming or go on a hike, whatever. I try to do at least an hour of cardio and an hour of some type of strength training. I try to. But sometimes life happens.”

Diet Philosophy:
“If I can’t taste it, I’m not going to waste it. What I mean by that is – if the cheese is just one of many things in my sandwich, then I’m not going to have the cheese. I’m not going to waste those 70 calories.”

“I eat whatever I want – I just budget it. I account for it. I do eat really bad things, but when I eat that really bad thing, I know how many calories are in it and I make sure that I burn that in addition to my normal workout.”

Weakness:
“I am a sugar girl. I never was a big candy and ice cream person, but now I am.”

Ali’s Weight Loss Tips:
“Start. Just start. Do something different today than you did yesterday that is in regards to it – if you want to start in your diet realm, then start food journaling. I’m not even telling you to change your diet. But start writing it down and start figuring out how many calories it is so you can just acknowledge how many calories you’re eating. You’ve gotta know where you are. You’ve gotta know where Point A is before you get to Point B.”

Ali’s Weight Loss WooHoo!:
“It feels so good to be healthy. I’m just flat-out excited to be alive!”

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

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