How to Lose Weight: Biggest Loser Style

The Biggest Loser has been dominating weeknight television for years now, but why? Obviously because people love to watch reality TV, but there's just something more about this show. It's amazing.

The trainers (yes, even the new ones) are motivational, uplifting, and they help the contestants get results. That's what we all want, right? We want weight loss results and we want them now.

I'm going to show you how to get them. All tips and tricks in this lens are from The Biggest Loser books, DVDs, television show, weight loss magazines, and my blogs.

All images created by me.

This chart from the BIGGEST LOSER is if you are sedentary. If you are working out, you will add more calories. Try myfitnesspal.com to see how many calories you are burning. Also, this calorie list may seem low - that's because it is. But it's how the Biggest Losers do it, and this is a "How to Lose Weight Biggest Loser Style" lens, so that's what I'm posting. Always consult a doctor before making drastic changes to your diet.

At about 250lbs, I was eating 1,800 calories a day and losing weight. Be careful about restricting calories, as your body can go into starvation mode if you are eating empty calories (like a Snickers bar for 300 calories instead of shrimp and pasta). Make healthy food choices and this calorie list will serve you well for short term drastic weight loss.

If you want a simpler way to lose weight without counting calories, check out these free Weight Watchers meal plans for ideas. I love Weight Watchers because it makes weight loss simple.

They say weight loss is 80% diet, and 20% exercise. These Biggest Loser books will help you get on the right track with both.

Mantras originated in Buddhism and Hinduism but are now used for lots of other things - like helping you concentrate on your weight loss. Speak it, and it will happen. View all of my weight loss mantras on my blog.

If you do this workout, choose one exercise from each muscle group and do 3 sets of 12 reps each, resting 30 seconds between exercises.

Do this workout if you don't have time to create your own.

This is an example of a Fitness Inspiration Board I created on my blog. Click here for complete instructions.

Can't get to the gym? Use these workout DVDs to get in shape fast.

Your main chest muscle is called the pectoralis major. Its job is to pull your upper arms toward the middle of your body. Exercises such as push-ups and bench presses are the best way to work your chest out.

There are many variations of the chest exercises listed here. For example, you can do a regular push-up, a modified push-up, or even a push-up with your feet on an exercise ball. There are weighted push-ups (where you place a weigh in between your shoulders on your back), and staggered push-ups.

Incline dips are a great way to work your chest as well as your arms. Working more than one muscle group at the same time will enhance your weight loss results.

A strong back will help you get a strong upper and lower body. Without a strong back, you will not be able to do certain exercises properly.

Some of my favorite back exercises are rows. You can do many variations of rows, such as the elbows-out row, the single-arm row, or even alternate your arms in a regular row.

Chin-ups and pull-ups are hard to do when you first start out but as you lose the weight and build muscle mass, these will become easier.

After your workout, be sure to stretch really well - especially if you do any core or back exercises.

Benefits of strengthening your shoulders include better posture, and more power to perform better workouts!

Exercises like the shoulder press target your front and middle deltoids, as well as your triceps. Master the shoulder press, and you can do dozens of variations to keep from getting bored with your workouts. Try the seated barbell shoulder press, dumbbell shoulder press, or even alternating shoulder presses. If you're working on cardio at the same time, put on some music with a good tempo and do some step aerobics while including moves like the shoulder press and front raise.

Sculpted shoulders are sexy, so even if they're a bit sore and you feel like skipping, don't! Of course if you are injured, you need to see a doctor and be released before exercising again.

Work your biceps, triceps, and forearms for summer-perfect arms. Your arms assist you when you're doing other upper-body exercises. Keep them in shape and you will be able to do more with the shoulders, back, and chest.

Don't be worried about "bulking up", that won't happen overnight and it definitely won't happen while you are still really overweight. Focus on shedding the pounds, and then you can tone and sculpt your body. If you actually ended up bulking up, you could always slack off a bit and do lighter weights to go back down. But like I said, it's better to worry about shedding the pounds than not doing certain exercises so you don't get too buff.

There are many variations to the curl: standing curl, sitting curl, twisting standing curl, dumbbell curl,

barbell curl, exercise ball preacher curl, and more.

Switch it up to keep your workouts exciting.

Squats and lunges suck, no doubt about that, but these two exercises are the best way to exercise your quads and calves. Squats also work the muscles of your core, so you're getting an ab workout as well.

Have bad knees? Squats and lunges actually help make your knees more stable and you're less likely to injure them if you do these exercises regularly. Always consult a physician if you're unsure, before trying any workout routine.

The great thing about squats and lunges? You can do them at home (or anywhere) with zero equipment. Using your body weight is absolutely fine. Once you're ready to make it a little more difficult, add weights a few pounds at a time.

So, you want a nice butt? Of course you do. Whether you're a man or a woman, a nice butt is a good feature to have. While working your glutes and hamstrings, you're getting lots of great benefits. Glutes are your biggest muscle group, so they're going to burn more calories than most others. A strong set of hamstrings helps stabilize your knees, which lowers risk of injury.

Hip raises are one of the easiest exercises to do, in my opinion. If you've never worked out before, this is a great one to start with. Make sure you're pushing with your heels when you're doing your hips raises, so you don't injure your back.

There are many variations of hip raises: weighed hips raises, marching hip raises, hip raises with your feet on an exercise ball, and if you want to be really hard core you can try marching hip raises with your feet on a medicine ball! The most important thing to remember is to keep your hips up. If they're sagging, you're not using proper form and can get injured.

Your core includes your hips, abdominals, and lower back. After completing core or back exercises, be sure to do a complete stretch to avoid injury. A stronger core will support your spine, which means less back pain for you.

Planks are my least favorite exercise ever, but they work. They're amazing, and there are so many variations that you could do a different one every day of the week. Try the 45-Degree plank, wide-stance plank, exercise ball plank, or even a plan with arm lifts. Adding in arm and leg movements will give you a full body workout.

If you can't do a plank for 60 seconds, start out with 10 seconds and then rest for 10. Keep going until you can get up to 30 seconds, and then a minute. Once you accomplish that, you will feel amazing.

Yes, you might feel like you're dying in the mean time,

but you won't die.You will survive, and you'll come out stronger!