Ochsner.org

Hundreds of pounds have been shed and countless lives changed for the better through the Biggest Loser program at Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center.

Elmwood Fitness Center Director of Health and Fitness Tavis Piattoly said the 10 week training and lifestyle program, which is not affiliated with the NBC show of the same name, has produced dramatic results among its dedicated participants.

“For the current program that just ended, our men lost more than 309 pounds. The winner of the program lost 50.6 pounds in 10 weeks, so he went from 235 to 185 pounds,” Piattoly said.  “The females lost over 339 pounds, but they lost 300 inches - more than the males who lost 219 inches.”

As opposed to the television show, which sequesters a group of participants for extended workouts and intense training sessions, Piattoly said the program at Elmwood focuses on lifestyle changes and one-on-one interaction with a personal trainer once a week, allowing for participants to continue their lives while shedding pounds and learning how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“The problem with the program on TV, and the reason I think it’s really unrealistic, is that the people are locked into a closed environment for a certain period of time with the right foods; they train for anywhere from four to eight hours a day; they don’t have to go to their jobs; they don’t have their kids to worry about; so it’s not a realistic lifestyle environment,” he said.

With the program at Elmwood, participants receive points by attending group fitness classes, nutrition lectures, local races, and each time they use the facility. Their one-hour weekly sessions with a personal trainer is designed to give them guidance and support, Piattoly said.

“What we’re doing is giving them one hour a week and the rest is up to them, so it’s more realistic to their daily schedule, making the results even more impressive,” he said.

The local Biggest Loser program takes place three times a year, with the next session starting in September. Non-members of Elmwood Fitness are also welcome to join and are given a 10-week membership to the fitness center.

With a 70 percent retention rate over an extended time period, Piattoly said the program has proven successful by all measures and has spawned some dedicated repeat participants working to becoming as healthy as possible.

“We have one gentleman who has completed four programs,” he said.  “When he started with us about a year and a half ago he was over 400 pounds.  Today he weighs in at 265, so in that year and a half he’s really made a lifestyle transition, and that’s what this program is really all about.”

To learn more about the Biggest Loser program at Elmwood Fitness Center, click here.