We would like to introduce Danny Cahill: speaker, author, musician, and Winner of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" Season 8.
Candie and Michelle: Tell us what it was like being on “The Biggest Loser”?
Danny Cahill: The Biggest Loser was quite an experience. It's kind of like if you take your dreams, wrap them up in a big bow and to untie it, you have to go through a lot of pain and growth. It really allowed us to take away all of the distractions and focus on the real problems. Because of that, we were able to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. It really was the experience of a lifetime. It was an opportunity to get healthy and have a lot of fun at the same time.
Candie and Michelle: How has life changed since you became a healthier you?
Danny Cahill: Well, my career is the first thing that changed. Before Biggest Loser, I was a licensed land surveyor in the state of Oklahoma. Now, I am still a licensed land surveyor, but I don't practice much anymore. I am a motivational speaker and musician. I also train at Boot Camp here in the Tulsa area. I have traveled to seven countries and 44 states speaking about my experiences on the Biggest Loser. I have authored two major books and have written several songs. I also facilitate an experiential training called The Journey Training here in Tulsa, which I helped to create.
Candie and Michelle: That sounds wonderful. We hope that you are able to speak in Rome, GA sometime in the future. What has helped you be successful in keeping the weight off?
Danny Cahill: The first thing is getting into a recovery program for my food addiction. Biggest Loser gave me the knowledge and motivation to lose the weight, but my recovery has allowed me to keep most of it off. I'm not perfect, but I'm still 200 pounds down from my highest point after five years. To me, that spells success. Also, training at Boot Camp and having my own trainer here in Tulsa has made a big difference. It keeps me accountable. Michael Watkins at Fitness Together keeps me moving and that keeps me in pretty good shape.
Candie and Michelle: What advice would you give to someone trying to lose weight?
Danny Cahill: My advice would first be, don't be in a huge hurry. I know I lost 239 pounds on the biggest loser in 6 1/2 months, but that's not necessary and it sometimes makes it harder to keep off. I'd say find a program you can live with and to get a personal trainer or join a Boot Camp. Make several small changes as a lot of small changes add up to big successes. Shoot for 2 to 5 pounds per week max and don't try to get the biggest loser numbers as they are unrealistic in real life. And my number one piece of advice would be to stop drinking pop and start drinking water. Drink as much water as you can.
Candie and Michelle: Thank you so much for that advice. I know we all can benefit from it. What are some of your favorite physical activities to stay in shape?
Danny Cahill: After the Biggest Loser, I began running. I ran the Boston Marathon just six months after the show, and 11 months from being 430 pounds. I don't run that much anymore because it was depleting my muscles and leaving me out too much, causing my metabolism to stall. I now say get him strength training! I like to do Tabata work out and do core and strength training in intervals. I love things like kettle bells and ball slams, throwing ropes around and doing weightlifting. Those things are exciting to me.
Candie and Michelle: Candie and I both love to run also. I understand what you are saying though and have been trying to implement strength training into my daily routine. What is one of your favorite healthy recipes to prepare?
Danny Cahill: I like very simple things. My wife wrote a recipe for black bean quesadillas. I think those are really good. You take a brown rice tortilla and brown it, throw on some drained Black beans with some low-fat pepper jack cheese,melt the cheese in a pan and add a pico de gallo and salsa. It's a really healthy alternative to what is usually a fattening food! My go to food is grilled chicken, though. It's easy to make and I can always have it available.
Candie and Michelle: Sounds yummy. We will have to try it. Do you have any favorites you like to make in the fall?
Danny Cahill: In the fall I like to try to make healthy desserts. One of my favorites is taking frozen blueberries and mixing it with the Greek yogurt. The frozen blueberries semi freezes the yogurt and I add a sweetener and is a really good healthy dessert. Adding some Cool Whip light isn't so bad either and it adds some sweetness also.
Candie and Michelle: That also sounds good. Tell us about your books “Lose your Quit” and “Losing Big”.
Danny Cahill: Lose your quit is a motivational book. It's how to take the lessons I learned on the Biggest Loser and apply them to your own life to achieve your own dreams. It is a short read but I believe that it gives people a sense of motivation. Jillian Michaels wrote the forward for that.
Well, I feel that God played a large part of my life, and The Biggest Loser is part of that. Losing Big tells mine and my wife's life story and how our faith helped us through both the hard times and the good times - and The Biggest Loser. It reveals what made us who we are, flaws and all, and how our journey came in to a simple choice to live day today. Put it this way, if I run for president there wouldn't be much anyone could dig up about me. It's all in that book!
Candie and Michelle: I put both books on my to read list. What has been your most memorable moment at the events you speak at?
Danny Cahill: Going overseas is always fun, but one event was particularly incredible. I played basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters. Win big easy, who was on the amazing race, told me to take my first shot in the second quarter, I threw it up and prayed for it to hit the rim! It didn't hit the rim; it swished! I scored four points against the Globetrotters in about five minutes. That was my funnest event since winning the Biggest Loser.
Candie and Michelle: Wow! That had to feel amazing. What advice that you’ve been given has stuck with you?
Danny Cahill: Jillian Michaels taught me to lose my regrets. She told me that regrets about bad or poor decisions only hold you back. You should just learn from your mistakes and move forward. Otherwise you end up stuck, like I did at 460 pounds. So now I take good decisions and I run with them, and I take my bad decisions and learn with them and use them to fuel my next step. Failure is okay, because it eventually gets you to success if you don't give up.
Candie and Michelle: Excellent advice. Thank you so much for passing it on to us. :)
Danny Cahill it has been an absolute pleasure having you. Thank you so much for dropping by our site. You are welcome back anytime.
-Candie and Michelle
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