Sep 3 2006
Can you compare losing weight after the surgery to losing weight on the show?
It’s very different. There are similarities and differences. Some of the similarities would be that you are on a restricted diet. Obviously, with the gastric bypass surgery, in the first three or six months, you’re eating much less food than you’re used to so we’re talking very restrictive. But Fit Club was restrictive in the sense that I didn’t eat bread for 100 days. I didn’t eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread, for 100 days – or corn! I was very, very strict. There were times when I kind of went off course, but very slightly. I was so, so good. I can truly say that for the 100 days I was on the show, I was very strict. And that’s another similarity. When I did the surgery, I knew that was something that I had decided to do. I decided to try my hardest, and I did. It was the same thing with the show. It was a commitment. It was a major commitment.The difference would be losing weight at a much slower pace, plus the grueling physical activities that we’re forced to do. But that’s why it was almost harder to lose weight with a bypass, because I had to decide on my own to do that exercise. I mean on [Fit Club] we were on our own, no one forced us to literally work out. But on those Fit Camp days, we had Harvey there, we were on camera, and we were competing. We want to win and to do well. We don’t want to let anyone down. When I had to do the exercise in front of the world, I didn’t want to let anyone down. I wanted to let everyone know, “Hey, you can make this work for you and have great results.”...
You mentioned that you made great friends. It was a great cast this season. Do you keep in touch?
Oh, absolutely. Almost every day I am talking to one of them. We are all friends…I was sort of scared. I had never done anything like that before. I mean, I get along with everybody. I can get along with anyone, but I thought “We’re going to have to spend a lot of time together.” But I just had this feeling that it was going to be a very amazing, bonding experience when everybody gets together and has that common problem, like self-restraint and food issues. I considered my lifestyle very healthy when I came into that show, believe it or not. I mean I really changed my life – the way I eat and exercise
Do you have any favorite moments from the show?
Whenever we got together for the weigh-ins. We were very supportive of each other. And it just seems that while we did those activities, it was so great to have somebody cheer you on. The support was beautiful.
Any embarrassing moments?
Every time I did the activities, it was embarrassing. I felt like I wasn’t strong enough. I always underestimated myself. That’s what Harvey was saying to me before some of the weigh-ins. “You always underestimate what you can do.” I did a swimming event that was embarrassing. It was just ridiculous. I looked like an idiot. I could barely keep my head above that water. It was horrible.
What do you think of Harvey? He’s pretty tough!
Harvey is just an absolute love. He is so passionate about what he does. All three of the [experts were]...And Harvey is just like a real sick mofo. He loves it! He lives for it! I said to him before one of the challenges, “You really are a sick f**k. You love it don’t you? “Now that you had a taste of reality TV, would you do another show?
Oh, yeah! Sign me up!
