Biggest Loser: How Jackson Carter Keeps It Off
A few weeks ago I interviewed Jackson Carter, former “The Biggest Loser” contestant.
The first question everyone wants to know — yes, he’s kept off most of the weight that he lost in Season 14. He made it to the last three contestants at the finale, losing 138 pounds in the process. He’s 15-20 pounds heavier than his 190-pound finale weight. He says that’s typical of most “Biggest Loser” contestants, including this season’s winner, Rachel Frederickson, who alarmed viewers when she weighed in at 105 pounds. “I’m friends with her on Facebook and I see the pictures of herself that she’s posting, and she looks stunning,” he said.
“I’m one year out, and I know firsthand how hard the struggle is when you get off the show,” said Carter. “The real world is not on the Ranch, with 1,200 calories and eight hours of workouts a day. ”
So he’s found ways to surround himself with fitness. When Carter was selected for “The Biggest Loser,” he was majoring in theater education at Weber State University and volunteering at Ogden’s OUTreach Resource Center, a support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths. After coming back from the show, he’s become a personal trainer at the Planet Fitness in Ogden — something he never would have considered when he weighed over 300 pounds. He’s taken the certification classes and is also a certified spin instructor.
On weekends, he has a part-time job an ambassador for the Biggest Loser RunWalk Race Series. On any given weekend he’s in a different city across the country, running a 5K, 10K or off-road race. He moved from his parents’ Layton home, and he and his roommate are both dedicated to exercise and healthy eating.
“So basically I work with fitness, I play with fitness, and I live with fitness,” he said.
He’s also the 5K ambassador of the Ogden Marathon on May 17. He will conduct the warm-up beforehand, and run along with the group. So those who come and run will have a chance to meet him.
“My first half-marathon was with the Ogden Marathon, and they put on a really good race,” he said. “I’m convinced that anyone can do a 5K, even if you have to walk or crawl it.”
Some of this weight loss/maintenance tips:
– Occasional indulgences keep you from feeling deprived or bingeing. “I live by the 80/20 Rule, where 80 percent of the time, my diet is awesome; and 20 percent of the time, I might eat pizza. Now I realize it’s not the end of the world if I eat a chalupa.”
– Exercise isn’t the total answer. “Dolvett (his trainer on The Biggest Loser) told me you get fit in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen,” Carter said. “I tell my clients that they can burn 700 calories working out with me in the gym, but when they come home and eat a big 700-calorie meal, it’s a wash.”
– He and his roommate have a strict rule that neither of them can bring any “garbage foods” in the house. “So if I want to eat any of that, I have to leave the house and go somewhere to buy it and eat it.”
– Traveling every weekend can be hard on when you’re trying to eat healthy. He packs a sandwich and protein bars in his carry-on bag, to stave off hunger avoid the temptation of airport fast-food venues. “The novelty of airport food wears off when you go through the same airports over and over.”
– He tries to get in three or four workouts a week. And, he’s usually running in a race on the weekend. “So if I’m able to take a swim in the motel pool or go for a run on my own, that’s a little bonus.”
– Find a type of exercise you enjoy so you’ll stick with it. Carter likes spinning and running. “I love going out to races. But maybe swimming or lifting weights is your thing. As a trainer, I would give people a workout plan of so many reps of certain exercises, but they wouldn’t do it because they didn’t like it. I want people to find something they enjoy, because if you are passionate about it, you will never stop doing it.”