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On "The Biggest Loser" website, before-and-after photos testify to the BL contestants' dramatic physical changes. But beyond appearances, the hardworking contestants have completely transformed their lifestyles, too - starting with new eating habits.

Seven months ago, I met BL12 finalist John for the first time. Our meeting was part of the screening process for Biggest Loser applicants, which includes comprehensive medical testing and a discussion of their dietary history and eating habits. In our first meeting, three habits caught my attention:

• Although I was happy to see that John started every day with breakfast, his morning meal was filled with processed grains and simple sugars, a sure way to start off with a bang and end with a thud as his energy levels crashed (and his hunger increased) by mid-morning.
  


• A fabulous cook, John regularly made dinner for his family - a positive habit, but one that backfired because of the high-fat, high-calorie dishes he chose, which were spartan in the veggie department.
  


• John liked to snack regularly, but not in a good way. His evening habit of munching on sugar-laden treats before bed was pushing his weight (and insulin levels) to its limits.
  

Here's John's typical daily menu before he arrived at the ranch, weighing in at 445 pounds:

Breakfast
Get up at 7:00 a.m. to get kids ready for school - frequently made Belgian waffles from scratch. John had four Belgian waffles with lots of butter and a 1/2 cup maple syrup. That's about 1500 calories, mostly from carbs and sugar - not a good balance of nutrients.

Morning Snack (10:00 a.m.)
Bowl of sugary cereal (3 cups) with 2-1/2 cups fat free milk (650 calories).

Lunch (around noon)
Fast food - typically four double cheeseburgers (1760 calories), two spicy chicken sandwiches (900 calories) and a 32-ounce diet soft drink. That's 4810 calories so far...

Snack
No afternoon snack - too busy.

Dinner
John cooks all meals. Dinner can range from take-out of sandwiches, Chinese food or pizza to a homemade crockpot or hot dish.

Crockpot dinner might include a couple cans of cooked pinto beans (high sodium) with (more high sodium) taco seasonings, a couple of chicken breasts and 2 cups of salsa and a half cup of salsa verde. Not too terribly bad so far, but... John's serving would be covered with a large dollop of sour cream and 2 cups of white rice. He usually didn't prepare any vegetables with that, but occasionally heated up a can of green beans or can of corn. Diet soda was the beverage of choice for this meal (1000-ish calories).

Late Snack
Another big bowl of breakfast cereal (e.g. 650 calories).

Typically no dessert after dinner, but... almost every night, John or his wife went to a local store at about 8:00 p.m. to buy a large 8-ounce chocolate bar (1200 calories), two four-ounce packages of candy (2 x 450 = 900 calories) and one box of red licorice (800 calories), totaling about 2900 calories. They did that four times a week, including the nights when they were watching "The Biggest Loser." They didn't stock up on this candy; they'd buy it each night so as to not keep it in the house. : (

On occasion, John would also have a couple of meat sandwiches after his wife went to bed, about three times per week.

Overall, John's calorie intake averaged three to four times the calories his body needs. Understandably, the result was significant weight gain (and plenty of weight-related health concerns).

John's diet was heavy on starchy carbohydrates, unhealthy fats and plenty of added sugar. When he arrived at the ranch, John learned to rebalance his diet. He aimed to get 45% of his 2,150 daily calories from complex carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables and fruit), 30% from lean protein such as poultry, fish, dairy, beans and legumes, and 25% from good fats such as avocado, nuts and seeds and olive oil.

Here's a sample menu from one of John's days at the ranch, showing just how dramatically he altered his habits.

June 8: 2137 calories

Breakfast - 416 calories
1 ounce turkey bacon
2 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup oatmeal
Fat-free milk
Fresh blackberries
water

Snack - 342 calories
2 low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks
1 fresh orange
Water

Lunch - 381 calories
Whole wheat pita bread
Sliced turkey
Mustard
Low-fat cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Water

Snack - 351 calories
2 low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks
1 fresh orange
Water

Dinner - 447 calories
2 corn tortillas
Roasted chicken breast
Salsa
Shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Water

Snack - 200 calories
Sliced turkey
2 slices whole grain bread
Mustard
Low-fat cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Water

Total calories: 2137

For more nutrition and cooking tips, visit Cheryl's website FlavorFirst.com, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.