The main focus on this contest of contests known as Florence’s Biggest Loser obviously is to lose weight, but more importantly it’s to retrain your mind and body to eat healthy and implement an exercise routine.

Eating healthy can be fun. I’m having a great time in finding new healthy recipes and cooking. I just made Baked Eggplant with Italian bread crumbs topped with low-fat cheese.

In the classes the contestants have attended, we don’t use the “D” word, if you know what I mean. Rather this is a lifestyle.

After this contest is over, I will have trained myself to eat healthy, and it just will be who I am. My personal goal (I hope it’s all of ours) is to continue far past the 10 weeks. Hopefully the United Way will make this a yearly event so I can speak of the success of the program to the next 60 contestants in 2015.

The group’s nutritionist, Kitty Finklea, held a label-reading exercise last week at Harris Teeter. It was a lot of fun to meet other contestants as we walked through the store and read certain labels for milk, cereals, cheese, yogurts, salad dressings and frozen meals.

Her first tip was to read the ingredients and then the nutrition facts. The word glyercide means fat, OSE means sugar, and OL means sugar alcohol that can cause bloating and diarrhea. Another simple tip: If you can’t read it (unless you’re a chemistry major), then try to pick an alternate food.

We learned much about reading things such as calories, sodium and sugar on nutrition labels. One large to very large meal will be 500-plus calories. Sodium is recommended to come in at less than 600 mg. Look for sugar to be no more than 10 mg, because 5 grams equal 1 teaspoon. Saturated fat should be around 2 mg. Between 14 to 21 grams of protein will increase feelings of fullness. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber (dietary).

As I mentioned, educate yourself to see what works best for your body. This is the quick version, so consult or attend a nutritionist class. You will find it very beneficial.

Do you have a favorite contestant? Or do you want to practice random acts of kindness to a stranger? Then please support them by leaving words of encouragement, and better yet, buy them some brownie points!

John McElwee is the regional controller at the Morning News. Contact him at [email protected].  See this story & more at SCNOW.com!