How are they doing it? What diet are they on? As the dietitian for "The Big Loser Competition," these are the questions I’m getting from the general public as they marvel at the pounds dropping off the participants. Since inquiring minds want to know, I took a poll and asked each of the participants how they are losing their weight. Here’s a sample of what I found.Laurie Hunter already lost 30 pounds before starting the contest; therefore, her weight loss is slow and steady with a strict 1,000-calorie balanced diet (three fruits, four vegetables, eight-ounces protein and three starches daily). She goes to the cardio room at the fitness center three times per week.Nate Skattum has a similar program where he eats 1,000 calories per day and works out three times per week for 45 minutes. He pays attention to portion sizes.The Connells – Chantel is preparing a lot of green vegetables such as salads, green beans and brussel sprouts! They also eat lean meat such as fish, chicken, pork and turkey and try to walk as much as possible. Terry has cut out all soda, which is quite an accomplishment since he was hooked on six sodas per day. He has also cut out convenience store foods and snacks.Evan Verbrugge is doing Weight Watchers Program. He counts points, drinks a lot of water and exercises almost every day. His exercise program consists of 40 minutes on the treadmill at various speeds and inclines, burning up about 600 extra calories a day.Amy VandeVoortused to eat breakfast, dinner and sometimes supper out EVERY DAY. Now she’s "brown bagging" it and has noticed a difference on her pocketbook as well as the scale. She sticks to 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day with only bites of her favorite high calorie foods and has cut back on pop and alcohol. She walks a minimum of two miles every other day, walks on her breaks at work, and has started to lift weights. She uses tricks such as putting her fork down between bites and keeping her serving sizes so small that they never touch each other on her dinner plate.Terry Reisch eats a lot of fruits and vegetables along with lean meat such as tuna. He said that walking has been the key factor in making a difference. You can probably spot Terry walking around town — he has been known to walk 20 miles per week.Rick Peterson has cut back on breads, fat and salt, i.e. he does not use the salt shaker anymore. He is also eating three times a day as opposed to his old habit of eating one heavy meal at night and then snacking until bedtime. He rides his bike and walks when the weather allows it.Astrid Rittenhouse stays away from refined grains and foods that are high in fat and calories. If she craves these, she eats them in small amounts. She also exercises.There you have it: no tricks, no gimmicks and no fad diets, just a lot of persistence in good eating habits and exercise. Of course all of the contestants commented that the accountability of having their picture and weight loss in the paper each week as well as the encouraging words from people following their progress has been the biggest help in this feat. I would agree — it’s usually not lack of information that keeps us from getting healthy but rather lack of motivation. I’m proud of each of these participants and hope that you too have been inspired by their efforts.