By Melissa Rollins (Florence, SC) — McLeod Health and Fitness Center was packed more than normal Tuesday night as the kick-off for Florence’s Biggest Loser commenced. All 72 contestants made it to the event, something that didn’t happen last year when a freeze caused the contest to be pushed back.

Contestants heard from dietician Kitty Finklea, life coach Robin Lewis and MC Kim Frederick, who welcomed the contestants.

“At the end of this, you are going to be a better version of you, and that is a blessing for all of us in this room; for your family, your co-workers, for your friends,” Fredricks said. “I applaud you for being here.”

Each contestant was paired before the event with a trainer based on the person’s availability for work-outs and physical capabilities. Tuesday night was the first time they were able to mingle with their group trainers and fellow losers and find out just what was in store for them in the next 10 weeks.

Trainer Steve Murphy met with his group and encouraged them to make a change, not just for the 10 weeks but for the rest of their lives.

“Ten weeks sounds like a diet but diets don’t work,” Murphy said. “This is meant to change your life. If you want to only do it for 10 weeks, you are wasting your time and mine. The key is being consistent; there will be times when it might be hard but don’t give up.”

Finklea spent a large part of her time during the event answering questions from the contestants. There were questions about how much water to drink (it is based on how much you weigh); what kinds of oil to use when cooking (either olive oil or coconut oil); should dinner be the biggest meal of the day (try to make breakfast the biggest meal and dinner the smallest).

One thing Finklea suggested to contestants as a way to combat over eating is to keep a food journal.

“One of the most tried and true methods for people loosing weight is to log their food,” Finklea said. “What happens when you log it is that you are a lot more mindful. You aren’t just going to sit down and eat a bag of chips because you are going to count them out.”

Though there is always the option of physically writing or typing the journal, Finklea said there are apps available to help with the tracking.

Contestants will have their first weigh-in Thursday, while training sessions will begin Sunday. The first event will be next Tuesday.

Look to the inside food section of today’s paper for a sample meal plan from Finklea. There are suggestions for a full week of meals, including snacks.

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