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Week one is officially over!

The first week is one of toughest for the players, physically and medically. Their poor de-conditioned bodies went from couch potato to professional athlete in 7 days! Of course, they all had a full medical exam, blood work, and cardiac stress test in our office before starting with Bob, Kim, and Jillian… but just because we felt that they were healthy enough for the rigorous program doesn’t mean that their bodies were ready for what the trainers put them through. They worked their butts off, and I am so proud of them all for their amazing effort.

The first week can be a bit dangerous if we’re not careful, since the vigorous exercise and lower-calorie nutrition plan is such a shock to the players’ bodies. Especially when working out in the hot dry desert -- taking in enough sodium and water was very important! We made sure to examine them several times and run repeat blood tests the first week. Everyone had a LOT of aches and pains, and some of them had significant breakdown of muscle cells due to the intense exercise. This was expected, and we made sure that they all stayed well-hydrated to protect their kidneys and aide in the muscle healing process. Also, the players had the advantage of an on-site medic during their time on the Biggest Loser Campus -- Sandy Krum spent hours each day wrapping knees and ankles for support, icing minor injuries, and keeping the players as healthy as possible.

We never like to see one of our family members go, but unfortunately it has to happen every week. This week was Amber’s turn. Before beginning the program, every contestant has a state-of-the-art body composition scan in our office (the iDEXA) to determine their body fat percentage as well as their bone strength and muscle mass. We use this scan to follow their fat loss, as well as to watch their muscle mass and see whether they gain muscle or lose muscle over the course of the program.
Here is Amber’s starting iDEXA scan:

Her starting body fat percentage was 53%, but she had a lot of muscle hiding under there, as you can see! Her time training with Kim on campus gave her a jump start on the path to a new, healthy lifestyle, and she has continued to follow this way of life at home, losing 65 pounds so far! Congratulations, Amber, on a kick-butt week -- we can’t wait to see your follow-up iDEXA scan and your new, healthy body in December!

ASK DR. JEN:
Each week I will try to answer a question or two from you fans out there! Last week, Kathy posted a question about whether contestants may need surgery to remove excess skin after such a massive weight loss. The answer is, yes -- some prior contestants (myself included!) have chosen to undergo surgery to remove some of the extra skin that was left drooping on our new, fit bodies -- the skin usually doesn’t do any medical harm, but can be a cosmetic nuisance. It’s tough to tell who will be affected by this, and varies from person to person -- some people are lucky enough to have their skin bounce back into place as they lose weight, and other people’s skin has unfortunately lost the elasticity needed to do this. It’s advisable to wait at least 6-12 months after reaching your goal weight to see whether your skin might retract on its own before making any decisions about cosmetic surgery.

To be honest, I think it was a blessing in disguise not to be picked for the ranch. Competing from home forced me to make lifestyle changes in the real world -- I had to figure out how to prioritize exercise and meal-planning while continuing with my full-time job and other obligations. It was tough, but the 36ers formed a little support network through email and weekly conference calls, and we all helped each other get through it.

I am still in touch with the other “36 at home” players! Besides individual emails and phone calls with friends that I’ve made, Dr. Huizenga and I are keeping tabs on everyone’s weights on a regular basis (maintaining the weight loss is perhaps even more important than losing the weight in the first place!), and we have a monthly conference call just to give everyone a chance to check in and say hello. Also, Mark from Montana has created a little newsletter for all 50 of the season 3 contestants called “The Turtle” where people can write and share their thoughts, struggles, and advice. Reading it keeps us all inspired and connected!

Being a contestant on The Biggest Loser is, as you might imagine, life-changing. As I grew stronger physically, I also grew stronger mentally and emotionally. I took stock of my life and thought about how else I could change it for the better; and I realized that although I enjoyed my job teaching medical students and residents, my passion really lay in the treatment of obesity (as this is obviously a personal struggle for me!). So I took a chance and asked Dr. Huizenga for career advice and offered to help him with his research. He felt that I could perhaps be a benefit to his practice and to the show, because not only was I a pretty accomplished doctor, but I had also gone through the trials and tribulations of struggling with my own weight all my life. There is no substitute for personal experience and understanding when dealing with a condition that often includes a lot of underlying emotional issues!

Living in California is pretty different from Virginia! I can’t complain about the weather, that’s for sure! I’m not a surfer yet, but Southern California also has some beautiful shorelines and canyons to hike… and best of all, I can run outdoors even in the middle of summer (whereas in the DC area, it was just too hot and humid for me). Honestly, people are friendly in both places! But I miss the gorgeous fall colors and the chill in the air come October, and Christmas carols just don’t sound quite right when you’re singing them in 70-degree weather!

I LOVE working with this season’s players! They are the most driven, dedicated group of people whom I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know -- every single one. And of course, it helps that they’re hilarious -- we always have fun! But aside from the personal relationships that I’ve developed with them all, it’s been immensely rewarding to participate in their journey of transformation. They’re going through a lot, and I do my best to provide whatever advice and encouragement I can to them. It was particularly important to me that the players not feel abandoned once they were eliminated from the game, so I put together a weekly conference call where they can talk to me and to each other to ask questions, share difficulties, and just stay connected as they continue their weight. I have an amazing new job, and supporting them is my favorite part. ☺

Have a specific question for Dr. Kerns? Leave a comment!