‘Biggest Loser’ Fits In Smart Food, Exercise
Erik Chopin smiles proudly when people call him a big loser.
Chopin, 36, lost 214 pounds to win NBC’s "Biggest Loser" competition last
season and in the process lost a lot of the health problems that accompany
obesity.
"I hadn’t been seeing a doctor. I was getting zero exercise, and my diet was
terrible," Chopin says. "When I got on the show, I had all the health
problems you expect at 407 pounds — high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
sleep apnea and high blood sugar."
Still, Chopin says he was "shocked" when he found out that he was developing
diabetes.
"The first thing they told us when we started was that most of us needed to
get our blood sugar under control, and if you can’t do it with diet and
exercise, you take medicine, otherwise you are in for diabetes, heart
disease and death, and it doesn’t need to be that way,." Chopin said during
a recent visit to the "Star-Telegram".
No one knows exactly how excess fat increases insulin resistance and raises
blood glucose levels, but scientists agree that the twin epidemics of
obesity and diabetes have combined to create the biggest health threat of
the 21st century.
There’s nothing easy about controlling blood sugar with diet and exercise,
and Chopin says losing more than 200 pounds was the hardest thing he has
ever done.
"You can’t fake that kind of weight loss. It’s grueling and intense," Chopin
says. "I lost the first 50 to 60 pounds and got some momentum and it was
extremely inspiring."
(Carolyn Poirot, CPOIROTstar-telegram.com. Visit the Star-Telegram’s online
service at www.star-telegram.com.)
WITH BC-DIABETES — SIDER 5-TEX
Erik Chopin’s
weight-loss plan
Exercise: To jump-start his weight loss, Chopin worked two to three hours a
day with a personal trainer, then "homework was another hour or two hours of
cardio." Exercises included spin classes, elliptical trainer and treadmill.
Diet: He was on a 1,700- to 2,000-calorie-a-day diet on the show. Chopin,
who owns and operates a New York City delicatessen, says there are a lot of
temptations out there but also a lot of good options: "I had mostly quality
carbs: oatmeal and sweet potatoes vs. white flour and sugar. I ate a lot of
fresh fruits and vegetables, and no butter."
Maintenance: He maintains his weight with an hour a day of cardio with "one
or two days a week off" and by consuming about 2,000 quality calories a day,
except for one day a week when he has dessert. "I was around the deli so
long, and I always had roast beef sandwiches and hero sandwiches. For the
last year, I haven’t even touched a roll or a bagel," he says.
February 11th, 2007 at 4:08 am
I was at a Health Expo in downtown Seattle about a month or so ago and
met this guy. If I hadn’t remembered seeing him on The Biggest Loser,
I would have thought he was a life long jock type of guy. He looked
muscular and fit and was so upbeat and positive. It was hard to
believe he was once twice his size.
I love reading stories of weight loss and health turn around successes
as it is so inspiring to me to show that hard work does indeed pay off!
Stefanie