One of the biggest losers went to LSC

4/24/08

By Catherine Story
Business Manager

Virginia “Ginnie” Bourque a 2002 LSC alumni was severely overweight when she signed up for NBC’s reality show The Biggest Loser.

“There was an open casting call in Boston and I happened to have the day off,” Bourque said.

Bourque weighed 277 lbs when she started the program and she lost 114 lbs.

“It’s not just what you eat but how you eat,” Bourque said.

Bourque worked the night shift as a news producer and she often skipped breakfast, had a snack from the vending machines at night and then went home and gorged herself on take-out or fast food.

“A lot of people stop at McDonalds occasionally,” Bourque said. “For me it was a five times a week occasion.”

Students and staff came to the event with questions focused on how to lose weight and what Bourque had learned while on the show.

“College is hard,” Bourque said. “Keep whatever you can in your fridge to minimize what you grab in the dining hall.”

Bourque gave students advice about what to avoid when they slide their meal card.

“Most salad bars have the full fat dressings,” Bourque said. “If you keep lemon juice or other low fat toppings in your fridge you can avoid those extra calories.”

Bourque also encouraged the group to snack often but on healthy foods.

“If you eat five cups of fruit and five cups of vegetables everyday that’s a lot of food,” Bourque said.

“In the first biggest loser book there are lots of snacks that you can carry around with you,” Bourque said. Bourque emphasized holding your hunger back until you can find something healthy with nuts, raisins and other healthy nibbles.

Bourque also emphasized squeezing exercise into a busy college schedule.

“When I first finished the show I didn’t think it was worth exercising if I didn’t have a solid hour and a half to dedicate to it,” Bourque said. “Now I’ve realized that even if it’s just 15 or 30 minutes it’s worth taking a walk, every little bit helps.”

There is a difference between starving yourself and trying to lose weight.

“If you don’t eat enough your body is going to store more,” Bourque said. “Breakfast is important because it jump starts your metabolism.”

“If you only eat one meal a day your body will start storing,” Bourque said.

Bourque’s lifestyle has changed since her time on The Biggest Loser.

“Understanding what you’re putting in your body is the most helpful,” Bourque said. “I spent hours in the super market looking up the calories of food when I began my lifestyle change.”

Bourque still keeps a food journal about what she eats each day.

“I don’t like calling it a diet because it’s more of a lifestyle than a diet,” Bourque said.

Not everyone is perfect when it comes to dieting.

“I went a little crazy with sundaes last summer,” Bourque said. “That’s why I’m up about 10 lbs.”

Life after reality Television hasn’t been that different for Bourque.

“I don’t get recognized,” Bourque said. “ I do get a lot of friend’s family members commenting about how they saw me on television.”

“The time between when the show was shot and when it aired was a little over my head,” Bourque said. “I was a little surprised when people started saying they had seen me on television.”