Burn & Learn, baby

by JEN BIUNDO

Local fitness enthusiasts will have a chance to work up a sweat with eight previous contestants of the NBC reality show, “The Biggest Loser.”

Body Interiors, a Buda-based fitness studio, is partnering with Hays CISD to put on “Burn & Learn,” a day of workouts, nutritional counseling and motivational sessions on Feb. 20 at Hays High School.

“We’re really trying to inspire people to go out and try some new things in hopes that they find something that really works and find the body they’ve always wanted,” said event organizer Krystal Loyd.

Participants will work out alongside “Biggest Loser” contestants Tracey Yukich and Liz Young from season 8, Simone Fa from season 7, David Griffin from season 4, Pete Thomas, Andrea Overstreet and Ryan Kelley from season 2, and Lisa Andreone from season 1.

On the hit reality show, morbidly obese individuals show up on the Biggest Loser campus, where they trade out a fast-food and slow-moving lifestyle for dieting and hours of daily workouts with personal trainers. In dramatic transformations, successful contestants lose as much as 50 percent of their starting weight and wean themselves off a slew of medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and other obesity-induced ailments.

Some of the 200+ contestants in the show’s eight seasons have fallen back into old habits and regained the pounds, but many others maintain their new weight.

“They really have continued their healthy lifestyle they learned at the ranch,” Loyd said. “They’ve really changed their lives.”

The event costs $59 for an adult or $19 for a teen, and includes a healthy lunch, snack and T-shirt. For more information, visit www.workoutlikealoser.com.