You may recognize Jackie Evans as part of the weight loss dynamic duo from Season 5 of The Biggest Loser, but Jackie says that being a contestant was about much more than losing the weight; it was also about creating a new life for both her and her son Dan. Jackie says she spent most of her days before The Biggest Loser feeling guilty. She would look at her son Dan and know that he needed to lose weight, know that he needed help but felt she could not help him if she couldn’t even help herself. In an effort to make changes in both of their lives, Jackie made the choice to join Dan in becoming a contestant on The Biggest Loser. While Jackie did not win the title of Biggest Loser at the close of season 5, she ended up winning something even more valuable; a brand new life.
Jackie continues to work out and eat healthy everyday and says her days at the ranch taught her that, “exercise and eating for health is not an option. It is life. It is wellness.” While her lifestyle does not allow her the luxury of time she became accustomed to on the ranch, Jackie says she still manages to squeeze in her workouts. “You have to make your own well-being a priority,” she says. “Once you realize that your workouts are part of your wellness, you make it happen.” These days, Jackie focuses more on training for events than watching the scale. She says she always has an upcoming event marked on her calendar and has completed 11 marathons in the past year alone. Her current training schedule revolves around 30 minutes of strength training four days a week (10 minutes of lower body, 10 minutes of upper body and 10 minutes of core work), as well as walking or running three to four miles three days a week.
Since her amazing transformation, Jackie has become a huge advocate of walking and running and feels that the combination of the two is a sure fire way to jump start anyone’s weight loss journey. She is currently working with The Biggest Loser and previous Biggest Loser contestants, to launch a walk/run series to help people get off the couch and get back in shape.
While Jackie Evans can certainly sympathize with the hectic schedule of a busy mom, she no longer sees it as an excuse for giving up and encourages other moms out there to make time for themselves and make time for fitness. “Get involved with run/walk events,” she says. “It is a great social community. People who are really fit will cheer you on and you will see many people less fit than you. Everyone is very supportive and you will find yourself becoming more and more fit just by being around that group of people.” She feels that finding balance between family, fitness and work isn’t always an option, and sometimes the best that can be done is to make yourself a schedule of how you’d like your days to look, and then do your very best to stick to that schedule.
Jackie and her son Dan Before and After
Jackie Evans has indeed come a long way since her initial weigh in at the ranch, but her determination to push through and continue to be healthy, despite life’s little obstacles, is what’s most impressive. So get up, get motivated, get moving, and remember; you’re the only thing standing between you and your own amazing transformation. Don’t you think it’s time you got out of your way?
