Ever since NBC's The Biggest Loser debuted, I have been a big fan of trainer and coach Bob Harper. Bob's integrated and holistic approach to weight loss has inspired show contestants to lose hundreds of pounds, but who knows how many folks watching at home are motivated by Bob's positive, you-can-do-it, one day at a time approach to health and fitness. I even left our phone conversation feeling inspired and more positive than I'd felt in months.

With such an engaging personality -- even though we merely spoke on the phone, I could feel his smile and enthusiasm -- it's little wonder that the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) picked Bob Harper as the spokesperson for the Diabetes and You: Step It Up To Get It Down educational campaign.

Harper came up with six and a half practical steps (more on the half step later) that each and every one of us can put into practice on a daily basis to improve their health. When I say each and everyone one of us, it's because a healthy diabetic eating plan is simply a healthy balanced diet that can deliver benefits to nearly everyone, regardless of their blood sugar count.

Bob says it's pretty simple -- whether diabetic, borderline or normal, it all comes down to eating right. He's on board with the campaign in order to give people the tools and knowledge they need to improve their health, starting right now and using each day as a new opportunity to improve their level of fitness and wellness.

It's the Little Things

That's where he says the " half step" in his plan comes into play. The half step is just getting started. Getting started can be the hardest part, especially when a person has a lot of weight to lose and/or is very out of shape. Regardless of how large the final goal, Harper maintains it's better to focus on each and every day individually. What can you you today to help you reach your goals? It's a lifestyle choice to be healthy.

"I can tell you what to do, but the hardest part is getting started," he says. "A narrow mind actually comes in handy -- just focus on what you need to do today Thinking long term can set you up for failure. Approach diet and fitness on a day to day basis, like a checklist."

Bob considers part of his mission with the Diabetes and You campaign to make people realize that just doing little things like taking the stairs instead of the escalator, or parking their car in the farthest parking spot in order walk further -- will make a big difference. "I want people to simply start to move around a little bit more," he maintains.

The Biggest Loser

Since he seems to focusing on the little things, I find it the perfect moment to bring up the sometimes unbelievably big rapid weight loss numbers contestants achieve on television's The Biggest Loser.

Bob is emphatic. "I always tell people do not ever compare yourself to the show. The contestants on the show have no responsibilities, they don't have children to take care of, or a job to go to, or a house to clean. They are essentially at a boot camp, my boot camp, and that's why they are able to get the results they get."

Bob stresses that it's much more manageable to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week. On the ranch, he will work out with contestants as much as 4 hours a day, say if they go on a long hike, or as much as two hard hours in the gym. One of the trickier parts of his job is finding the fine line of just how hard he can and should push his team. Realistically, folks at home dealing with their day to day lives and responsibilites, simply do not have the time to work out at such levels, even if they wanted to.

Of course, The Biggest Loser has a lot of built in motivation for contestants to succeed, not the least of which is a substantial cash prize. After two seasons on the show, Harper says the ironic thing is that the money is a big motivater at the beginning of the show, but becomes less and less important as the weeks go by. He says a transformation takes place during the show's run and the contestants "start owning their own bodies again." Then the motivation becomes about something much bigger than money.

I ask Bob about the old adage that it takes 30 days to change a habit, as that has not been my personal experience. He concurs it hasn't been his experience either, nor that of his clients He says enthusiastically, "It's a day to day thing, it's ever changing and ever evolving. It's about what I'm doing today and there is no finish line."

Motivating Through Plateaus

On the subject of weight loss plateaus, you can almost hear Bob cringe. "That's a dirty word in my business," he laughs. "Sometimes it happens though, and you won't have changed anything, but still the weight won't come off. It's the body's way of saying I'm real comfortable right now."

Bob says the best thing to do is stay the course, stick with your eating and exercise plan, and give your body time to catch up. His advice, as usual, is simple and practical. "Go back to the basics, don't try to reinvent the wheel and try new diets or fads. Write in your food journal and do all the things you needed to do to lose weight in the first place.

He also maintains the difference between success and failure can be mental. "It's important to not let it get the best of you. Reprogram any negative negative thoughts our doubt. Replace negative thoughts by saying to yourself, 'I know what this is, my body needs a break right now.' It's not the end of the world."

Bob firmly believes that health and fitness education is important for staying motivated. Read magazine articles, books and websites. The more you know about how what you eat and how much you exercise effects your health, the more motivated you will be to stay on course.

"I'm not saying you can never eat your favorite foods again," he says. "You can, even in a diabetic diet. You just can't eat them every day of your life."

The ultimate secret to losing weight, says Harper, is to keep your brain on track of staying healthy, not just losing weight. If you are eating and exercising for optimum health, weight loss will naturally follow.

Resources and More Information

Get a FREE copy of Bob Harper's 6.5 Steps Toward Better Blood Sugar Control at the Step It Up Diabetes website.

Get a FREE Diabetes cookbook from the State of Diabetes in America website.

More Diabetes Related Resources

• Power Of Prevention
• American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
• www.Diabetes.org
• US Government Center for Disease Control
  
• Diabetic Friendly Recipes from FabulousFoods.com