Is Food Your Drug Of Choice?

Get Thin—Be Happy:

The winner, Ryan Benson, was able to lose a staggering 122 pounds!

So how is Ryan Benson doing these days?

A recent article in Time magazine looked at some of the former Biggest Loser winners. Benson gained back close to 90 pounds after the show was over.

From Time Magazine—

But while the message of the show is inspiring, it is also unrealistic. The Biggest Loser achieves rapid transformations—contestants often drop more than 9 kg in a week—through calorie restriction, endless exercise and no small amount of dehydration that occurs behind the scenes. Ryan Benson, 38, an actor who works for a DVD distributor in Los Angeles, lost 55 kg to win the first season in January 2005 but says he regained 14.5 kg within five days simply by drinking water.

Matt Hoover, 31, a motivational speaker based in Seattle, had a 7-kg rebound within a day of winning Season 2. Last season’s runner-up, Kai Hibbard, 28, an aerobics instructor in Alaska who says she spent the night before her final weigh-in hopping in and out of a sauna for six hours, consumed only sugar-free Jell-O for several days and wolfed down asparagus, which is a natural diuretic. “It’s amazing the things you learn in a weight-loss competition,” she says.

Benson said that as soon as the show was over, he regained “14.5 kg [32 pounds] in 5 days simply by drinking water.” So, what does this tell you?! It points to the fact that when anyone rapidly loses weight, (faster than 1-2 pounds a week) usually the weight loss is mostly due to water loss.

Also, the contestants in the show are exercising (with a trainer) between 4-5 hours a day. This creates a dramatic loss of water in their body!

Another factor is that they are on television, held accountable by the millions of viewers and (of course) a huge monetary prize at the end.

When you read my book, Get Thin—Be Happy!, on page 51, “Why You Do What You Do” explains all of this. Read it and you have your answer!

Get it here:

“I lost 10 lbs. In 14 days at LA Weight Loss!”

Did you ever wonder why you hear this so often? It’s because of water!


It wasn’t the amazing weight loss center, or their magical scales or the “delicious” meals they tell you to buy (costing you around $5,000- $6000 a year!!). It was the water they drank. Lots and lots of water.

You (yes, you!) probably don’t drink enough water. Most people don’t, but you need to.

Why? Because you need to metabolize the fat in your body.

One of the main functions of the liver is to convert stored fats onto energy. But, if the kidneys are not getting enough water to work properly, the liver will need to step in and pick up the slack — which takes away from its main function, converting that fat into energy.

So, drink less water and store more fat. It’s an easy equation.


“But, This Is Too Hard To Do!”

One of the easiest ways to lose about 10 pounds is to start drinking water. Is that really so hard to do? Of course, you’ll be running to the bathroom constantly, but after a few weeks your body will become accustomed to the water and you won’t be running so often.

This is because your body will not have to retain the water anymore because it “knows” that it’ll get hydrated! (Your body is very smart.) You see, your body was in “survival mode” — it didn’t know when or if it was going to get its necessary water. So, after a week or so, the water it had been retaining is flushed out of the system. (Usually 8-10 pounds of water!)


Some Additional Benefits to Drinking Water

Did you know that drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day will also help you look and feel younger? Drinking water will:

• Flush out impurities in your skin, improving your complexion.
• Hydrate your skin (filling in those wrinkles and sagging skin).
• Improve your muscle tone (you need this water if you are lifting weights).

How Much Water Should You Drink?

Now, check with your personal physician first, as this is in no way medical advice. The average person should drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day. And, for every 25 pounds you are overweight, an additional 8 ounces.

Most of my clients carry a water bottle around with them to remind themselves to drink the water. (I know one guy who just fills up a one-gallon container and sips from it throughout the day.)

Oh… coffee is not water. Tea is not water, Juice is not water. Soda… get it? Water. Add a slice of lemon, if you want some flavor.

And, one more thing: Stop drinking about three hours before bedtime.

As always, results may vary.