18 Apr 2011 Conway man thankful for what he ‘gained’

by Sonja J. Keith

Rick de Roque feels that what he’s gained from participating in the reality TV show “The Biggest Loser” is just as big as the weight he has lost.

Motivated by the love for his family, the 54-year-old pediatric physical therapist applied to be on the show in hopes of losing weight and extending his life. Thanks to the TV show, he will be able to do just that.

A resident of Conway, Rick and his wife, Laurie, have been married 33 years. They have a son, four daughters and nine grandchildren.

Rick was not overweight growing up with his five siblings in the San Francisco area. He played football and enjoyed an active life. After he got married, bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle lead to weight gain.

“The more weight you gain, the less you want to do.”

In 2001, Rick weighed 420 pounds. He had gastric bypass surgery and dropped to 320. “But that’s as far as it went,” he said. “I tried to fix my stomach but my head was the problem, and that’s where ‘The Biggest Loser’ came in.”

Rick was visiting his daughter in December 2009 when he saw his first episode. It was the season finale, which he described as a good show to watch because it featured each contestant at the beginning of their journey and at the end of the season.

“I was inspired by what they had done,” he said. “It was amazing.”

With his family encouraging him to apply, Rick began watching the show, but he was not optimistic he’d make it to the ranch where the show is filmed. “The chances of getting on the show are slim to none,” he said. “But if you don’t try out, your chances are none.”

Rick decided to enjoy a “fun weekend” in Nashville, Tenn., and audition for the show. It was set up with producers spending about five minutes with groups of 15. To his surprise, Rick was among the handful who received a call back.

“I was excited about that, but still the chances of making it are slim.”

The field was narrowed, and a group of 60 was selected to travel to Los Angeles for 10 days of physical and psychological testing. “I’ve never been so poked and prodded,” he said. “They want to make sure your heart and lungs can handle it.”

The group was reduced to 35 and sent home to wait. “Then I got a call.”

With cameras rolling, Rick and two others competed in Atlanta for two slots on the show. “I hadn’t run a mile in 32 years, and the other two were much younger,” Rick said. “But there was nothing going to stop me from being on the show at that point. I won that race.”

Rick already knew about nutrition and the importance of eating right, but there was still a lot to learn about his relationship with food. At the ranch, his daily calories were 1,500 to 1,700, “which when you eat right, that’s a lot of calories.”

“They want you to fuel your workout,” he said, adding that he never felt starved.

On the ranch, five to seven hours every day was spent exercising, and the workouts were tough – just like they are depicted on the show. “I knew it was going to be hard…They push you further than you think you can go,” he said. “The trainers are as tough as they appear on TV.”

During the first week, Rick said contestants are doubtful that they can do it, but their bodies adjust. “You’re sore all the time.” There are no phones, Internet or TV. “They want you to concentrate on you,” Rick said, adding that the hardest thing was being away from his family for two months.

Another difficult aspect of the show for contestants is revealing their physique on national television. Men don’t wear shirts during the weigh-ins. “That’s not something you want to show, but you can no longer hide behind something,” he said. “This is your problem, and you must face it. You can’t hide and pretend it’s not that bad. It is that bad.”

Like other contestants, Rick had to come to terms with his weight, which he described as peeling back the layers of an onion. “As you peel back you realize your relationship to food,” he said, adding that if you return home and nothing has changed, you can expect the weight to return, too.

Rick said it was a hard experience but worthwhile. “If you want to change your life, anything worth anything is going to be hard,” he said. “It took a lot of hard work but it added years to my life.”

Although he did quite well at the ranch, Rick was eliminated in the fifth week in a vote by the other contestants. He continued the diet and workout regime when he returned to Conway and was runner-up in the “at home” competition on the show.

Since “Biggest Loser,” Rick has lost 165 pounds and plans to lose another 25. He lost 63 pounds at the ranch and 102 at home. He is thankful for the five weeks on the ranch – which was long enough for him to learn what he needed. Show producers, doctors and trainers have stayed in touch to check his progress and offer encouragement.

“There’s always support. There’s never a time when you feel like you were alone.”

In addition to the weight loss, Rick’s blood pressure has dropped, and his blood sugar is now normal, so he does not have to take medication.

Rick works out between an hour and a half to two hours each day at the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center. He is committed to eating healthy but knows that he’s not perfect. “I’ll have to work out for the rest of my life,” he said. “Your body is going to want to gain that weight back…I will not be perfect at everything. When I fall, I will get up and keep going.”

Looking back, Rick recalls in eight months he went from not being able to run 100 yards to running in the Little Rock Half Marathon in March. “I ran the whole thing, I never walked,” he said. “It was a life-changing thing.” In November, he plans to participate in a full marathon.

Rick encourages others to put their health first and make exercise a part of their daily routine. “Most people watch TV for more than an hour and a half each day.”

While Rick was not the biggest loser on the TV show and the recipient of $250,000, he does consider himself a winner in a more important contest – the game of life. “When I started this journey I didn’t even expect to get on the show. I have great memories and have added years to my life. Only one could win the $250,000, but everyone on that show could have their life back. It was up to us.”

Rick and Laurie have started a foundation to help schoolchildren get fit, exercise and eat right. (Visit www.betuff.org for more information.) Rick has also been a guest speaker for groups.

“I was inspired when I was on the show,” he said. “I know not everyone gets that opportunity. If I can inspire someone to make a change in their life, I want to pay it forward…You can change your life.

“Without doing what I’ve done, I know I was in the last decade of my life. You don’t see 350-pound men at age 75.” Rick knows that if he were to have a stroke or heart attack his family would suffer. “How do you put a dollar amount on 20 years of life? That’s worth a lot more…It was life-changing for me.”

Rick is pleased to share one of his favorite recipes with 501 LIFE readers.

Chicken Veggie Chili

20 oz. chicken breast (diced)
15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)   
1 ½ cups onions (diced)
7 cups frozen broccoli cuts (diced very small in food processor)
1 yellow squash (diced small)
1 zucchini (diced small)
1 red bell pepper (diced small)
1 green bell pepper (diced small)
2 cups frozen spinach (diced very small)
3 cans Rotel tomatoes (may use mild for less spicy chili)
8 oz. can tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
3 garlic cloves (minced)

Pan grill chicken using Pam spray, then dice up and set aside. Sauté onions, bell peppers and squash.  Add broccoli, spinach, Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Add all spices, black beans and chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes. Makes 12 cups.
Serving size:  1 cup
Calories:  100 per cup
Protein:  15 g.