Lose Weight with Alison Sweeney
Alison Sweeney has been hosting “The Biggest Loser” for four seasons. So what has the long-time soap star learned from her time on the ranch? You will be surpised about how she lost the weight she gained after she gave birth to her second child. Read on to learn her techniques.
She gave an interview few months back on her experiences on The Biggest Loser and what she has learned about losing fat fast!
Alison Sweeney on Weight Loss
Q: You’ve been watching Jillian and Bob help the contestants shed pounds for years. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned so far?
A: I think what’s constantly surprising is how bad packaged foods are and how aware you have to be. Take a personal pizza — you look at it and think it’s a single serving and there are a certain number of calories, but you have to check to see how many servings are really in there. Serving size changes everything.
Q: Any great diet tips you’ve been able to pick up since joining the show?
A: I try to bring snacks with me wherever I go so I never have to stop at a drive-through or vending machine. Almonds are my favorite snack. I like them and I can just have with me all the time. I’ll also make homemade trail mix and bring that with me.
Q: You watch all the contestants go through their weight-loss journeys. Do you ever get attached to them?
A: I’m invested in every person’s story and I care about all of them. You do get really attached the longer they’re there and the longer you get to know them. After many of the contestant leave the show, I’ll be Facebook friends with them and tell them “I miss you.”
Alison Sweeney has 2 children, on of which is 5 months old. When it was time to shed the weight she gained while pregnant with daughter Megan Hope, she drew from her experience as host of NBC’s The Biggest Loser.
“I’ve learned a lot about nutrition and how to count my calories” as a result of the show, she told PEOPLE at the second birthday party for pal Nancy O’Dell’s daughter, Ashby, over the weekend.
Of course, juggling a diet and exercise routine with two small children and a busy career is tough, but Sweeney says she found a great ally in the EA Sports Active package for the Nintendo Wii.
Not only does it save the Days of Our Lives actress, 32, the trouble of having to find a babysitter, but it is straightforward enough that son Benjamin Edward, 4 ½, can play along as well.
“It’s just a good example of how you can really get it done at home,” she says. “You don’t need to have a big fancy gym membership. One of the things we talk about on The Biggest Loser all the time is just how difficult it is financially to lose weight sometimes. And that isn’t an excuse anymore. There are really reasonable options.”
Sweeney revealed that she gained less weight with her second pregnancy than with her first, in part by reaching for fresh fruits over processed sweets. She acknowledged, however, that indulging each and every craving is a right of passage for most first-time expectant moms. “You deserve to be spoiled – but within reason,” she cautioned.
Alison Sweeney about her two children
Life with two has been twice as nice for Sweeney and husband David Sanov, who have enjoyed the learning curve that comes with a subsequent child. “There is a relaxation of just knowing you’ve been through it, knowing you survived and your kid survives and you can handle it,” she notes.
As a result, Megan is an “easygoing” baby who is “ready to rally” at a moments’ notice. “Because we’re taking Ben to soccer or we’re taking him to school or whatever it is,” Sweeney explains, “you do kinda relax into it, which was nice. It made me feel like, okay, I got this. I can handle this.”
As for Ben, who will graduate from preschool later this month, the role of big brother continues to be greeted with enthusiasm – for now! “Obviously she’s not stealing his toys yet or whatever, so I imagine the other shoe will drop,” Sweeney said. “But right now he is so loving towards her … We’ve been so blessed with that.”
