#devinalexander

[twotrey23]

Event tonight... #chef #DevinAlexander @devinalexander 's #book launch party for #YouCanHaveIt . #cook #author #cookbook #writer #writing #recipes #fitness #health #Diabetes #cooking #recipe #books #authors #writers #cookbooks #culinary #gastronomy #chefs #cooks #TheBiggestLoser #BiggestLoser (at Cambria Gallery)

[girlmeetsstrong]

Weight Loss Expert Devin Alexander on Being Healthy & Eating What You Love

Meet Devin Alexander, a media personality, multi-time New York Times bestselling author, restaurateur, healthy comfort food chef, and weight loss expert. As if that’s not enough, she is also the celebrity chef of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Above all else, Devin is a role model, using her own testimony to prove that you can still eat the things you love, while staying healthy.

Childhood

I grew up in the small town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. I started getting overweight at the mere age of 8, reaching 200 pounds by the time I was 15. Growing up, it wasn’t difficult to eat. I loved to cook and had two Italian grandmothers who taught me how to cook, and “how to get fat.” It was the one thing I was good at. My journey? Losing 70 pounds and keeping it off for 30 plus years.

Getting Bullied

I was brutally picked on. High school was super tough for me. I was a super nerdy, straight-A student, but was bullied terribly. In retrospect, I’m really glad it was not the time that Facebook was around. I can’t imagine what that would be like today. At least at 3pm, it stopped for me. To be a teenager now must be brutal, when people can start bashing you online after school.

Diet Fails

Basically, I had tried dieting literally everything from the milk and banana diet, where all you eat is 3 glasses of milk and 6 bananas all day, to the grapefruit diet, to… so many weird ones. I was always counting calories. Around the point where I was trying to get into colleges, I really wanted to be an actor. I was getting into schools for academics (Carnegie Mellon, Duke), but not for theater.

How Devin Lost The Weight

I really knew I needed to make a change, but didn’t know how to do it. I didn’t want to give up my favorites. (I love brownies.) And then I heard, “If you cut just 100 calories from your diet a day, you’ll lose on average 10 pounds in a year.”

I realized, “Wait a minute, that’s not that hard.” I took to the kitchen and started making things over. The first thing I ever remember making over [was] chicken parmesan. Doing things like that, I wound up losing 25-30 pounds in the first year.

Reasons For Weight Gain

I had been gaining 15 pounds a year. This is kind of a big topic. One of the reasons I was gaining so much weight was because I would be like, “Okay, I’m going to go on a diet.” I would start it Monday, or New Years, or whenever the next big day would be. But of course, between now and then, I’d have to eat everything that I might ever miss, just to make sure I didn’t crave it later.

Journey Through College

So, in the time I would be prepping for the diet by pigging out, I would gain more weight than I would ever lose on a diet, because I could never stick to a diet. Fast forward: I got into Smith College as a theater major, but not acting. I was screenwriting. I lost a lot of weight there. And then I was recruited by The Television Academy (for a script I’d written in college) out to Los Angeles. I didn’t have any friends here yet. I was volunteering at charity events, thinking I would meet new people. The only thing I knew how to do well was cook.

The Connection

Celebrities figured out I could cook healthy food that actually tasted good. They were practically stopping me to cook for them. Lisa Rinna, who has been on a ton of shows from Melrose Place to Back In The Day, was walking around this big charity event I was doing, going, “This girl made the most incredible meatballs I’ve ever had in my entire life, and she’s saying they’re low-fat!”

That sort of lead to my cooking career, in a crazy turn of events. I never planned to be chef. I went to culinary school because I thought it would be cool to live in somebody’s private guesthouse… until my career took off. I’m a small town girl, but I really fell into it.

Helping someone transform their lives by making a taco? It’s insanely rewarding.

Fitting The Body Stereotype

I wound up going into the catering business. The interesting thing was, during that time, it was really tough because Hollywood... you just have to be so perfect and so tiny. I was never going to be that tiny. I’m a size 4/6 which is great for a normal woman. But in Hollywood, I would have to be 20 pounds less. My body is not supposed to [be like] that, so I was really hard on myself.

The Drive To TV

After catering for years, I took a job at Muscle & Fitness Magazine, just to learn the media side of everything. That’s when it completely took off. I got a column almost immediately, and then was asked to be on the advisory board of Men’s Fitness. I turned that into my TV career by pulling a lot of interesting stunts, like making a fake demo reel pretending that I had a video series when I never did. [I did] anything it took to get me on TV.

Books/Projects

I’ve gotten to do so many exciting things. I wrote all the cookbooks for The Biggest Loser, which made me a 3-time New York Times best selling author. I wrote a book that shares my story of not only how I got overweight, but how I lost the weight and kept it off, and the indulgent recipes that kept me sane. When I say I’ll never give up brownies and lasagna, I mean it. Both of those recipes are in there.

I’ve also written a book called Fast Food Fix, which shows people how to makeover their favorite fast food dishes. So you could actually trick your friends into thinking you bought a Big Mac, when it’s a much healthier Big Mac.

Making Healthy Hip

When I started my career, my first TV appearance was in 2002. My first major, national appearance was Good Morning America on New Year’s Eve in 2004. At that point, people were like, “Oh, healthy is boring.” I had a couple managers who was like, “You can’t do healthy, you’re young and hip, and healthy food isn’t.” I was like, “I want to make it young and hip.”

At that time, putting people in sports bras on national television was questionable. The good part about Biggest Loser, that I think has really changed this country, is people watch people season after season lose massive amounts of weight. You can no longer sit on your sofa and say it’s genetic.

I say that with respect, because when people get stuck with their weight loss, you just can’t see the bigger picture. I would swear I was dieting and doing everything I could, and at all times I had peanut butter under my bed. I came back from school crying, but I had this vice. I felt like I was doing what I could, but obviously I wasn’t. I just wasn’t in the right mental space for it.

The Progression

I’m so happy the progress we’ve made now. People are looking for healthy, and they’re demanding non-GMO. It’s just been so amazing to watch the transformation, not only in people, but food and food companies.

Probably the most proud moment in my career, in addition to my own weight loss, is I helped someone lose 230 pounds, 170 pounds, 140 pounds. When someone is ready, I can definitely transform them. The frustrating part, is when someone isn’t. It’s been very rare that I can’t flip somebody — just really show them very quickly that what they’re doing is changeable.

Healthy At 45

I’m very passionate about helping women. I always say, when I was 15, if you put all 15-year-olds on a scale (not physical), I would probably have been in the 1% least healthy 15-year-olds at that time in history. And now, as a 45-year-old, if you do the same scale, I’m probably in the 1% healthiest. And I feel good. I feel prettier, sexier, all of those things.

I wish I could give that to every woman. When I was sitting on my sofa as a 15-year-old, crying my eyes out wondering how I could get straight A’s in school and why I couldn’t stop eating, I never would have imagined the life I have now. 

Passion

Most people talk about, “Do you have the passion for what you’re doing?” And if you don’t, you shouldn’t do it. Because it’s up and down and a lot of work. At the end of the day: YES. It’s just amazing to be be able to transform people and make money doing what I most love.

Eat What You Love

If you’re a pizza person, you don’t have to give up pizza. You just have to make it in a better way so you can fit it in your diet. If you eat clean 85-90% of the time, you’re in such good shape. Nobody has to be perfect. One of my biggest regrets: At my heaviest I was super unhealthy, but at my lightest, I was also very unhealthy, at size 0 or 2.

Don’t Deprive Yourself

I was so obsessed I couldn’t even go on trips with friends. Because I might not be able to get this, or that. The truth is for me, being 5-10 pounds above that, gives me so much freedom in life to have those little indulgences. They’ve made me so happy and sane, and [so has] the ability to go to super cool events and not freak out if, God forbid, they don’t have plain chicken.

Present With Food

It’s about being completely present in food, by simply going, “Do I really want this?” People say, “Oh, she can eat whatever she wants.” I think a lot of times, people who can eat whatever they want are wired in a way that some of us aren’t, which means they are never drawn to food. For me personally, I’m not drawn to alcohol. I do drink some, but I have tons of wine in my house. I can have it sit there, and it doesn’t affect me.

Whereas if there’s chocolate, peanut butter, or cheesecake in front of my refrigerator... Something like that, I don’t keep at my house. But I do allow myself to eat that. I just do it when I’m going out to dinner with a couple people; we all share it. I really only just want a couple bites, because after you have those first few bites, it’s not that satisfying anyways. 

But knowing I can have that makes me happy. And I enjoy it while I’m eating it. I’ve changed the focus to what I can’t have in general, to what I can have. I just do it in a better way.

Written by Shirley Ju

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Image credits: Michelle Pederson

[yummysmellsca]

This Thai Lime Quinoa Salad from @devinalexander book You Can Have It! is bright and fresh, and by adding a block of baked marinated tofu you have a filling Summer meal to take on the go. #yummy #yum #vegetarian #vegetables #vegan #quinoa #cookbook #review #wholegrain #glutenfree #easy #mealprep #peppers #cilantro #carrots #greenonion (at Oshawa, Ontario)

[thefocusedtraveler]

Cooking demo with @devinalexander at @melissasproduce. So tasty and more importantly for me, EASY! Lol. #instagood #lafoodie #buzzfeedfood #feedfeed #thefeedfeed #huffposttaste #foodprnshare #droolclub #thekitchn #tastespotting #forkfeed #foodgawker #kitchenbowl #buzzfeast #goodeats #igfood #foodstagram #foodbloggers #nomnom #instayum #eatfamous #cleaneating #foodphotography #foodpics #homecooking #lafoodporn #foodcoma #foodgram #melissasproduce #youcanhaveit (at Melissa's Produce)

[internshipwithdevinalexande-blog]

#13 reflection of my internship

It was really bitter sweet ending my internship.. because although the hours were insanely long and the commute was super far 3 hour drive each day... and the days at work sometimes went by so slow... it felt like the summer went by so fast. Making and filming the last few videos was so sad because i had so much fun with the work i did. And i really enjoyed the people i worked with. I left by telling Devin how grateful i was with the internship and how much i enjoyed and grew from it. She thanked me for all my hard work and everything i done and told me if i ever needed a letter of recommendation or for her to make a phone call for me she would be more then happy to do it for me. I never felt so bitter sweet about leaving a job. I wanted to stay longer but at the same time i knew i was done growing there and done all i could and i was ready for something bigger. 

This internship really reminded me about the open office trap. How it challenges the norms of a normal office setting, because my internship is the complete opposite of a normal office setting. The first thing that stood out to me was that my office was the home of my boss. The office is Chef Devin Alexander’s own personal home. At first i was a bit uncomfortable with the idea because it felt like it wasn't a real office and i felt like i was intruding in a way and had to be respectable like in someones home. But then as time went by the office/home setting became really comfortable and everything felt safe and comfortable and everyone felt close to one another. It still some how felt like an office but at the same time it was her home and there were only 2 rooms in the home we weren't allowed in. I remember in the beginning i was confused that the kitchen was the test kitchen and her real kitchen and where we have lunch which is connected right to her living room with a huge couch. I remember how i wasn’t sure if i was allowed to sit and relax on the couch or not too. If it was professional or not. I remember i took a nap on the couch one day thinking it was okay during my lunch break. But then later read a binder that said sleeping on the couch wasn't okay. It is a very confusing dynamic of someones home and an office and what was okay during office hours and break hours. I later just started to eat lunch outside or in my car and took a nap in my car. Although it felt extremely weird at first the home/office setting was actually quite nice and comfortable in the end. It still felt extremely like we were in the office but also it felt like the safety and comfort of a home at times. Although because it was a home setting everything felt way more casual then it would have been in an office. 

Devin’s Websites:

http://www.devinalexander.com/

http://www.facebook.com/devinalexander/

http://instagram.com/devinalexander/

[fordummys]

Tres Magnifique @itsdevinalexander #offduty #day2 #nyfwm #devinalexander (at 330 Hudson St, New York)

[carloscamposnewyork]

Feeling velvet blue 🏃🏼 #devinalexander @itsdevinalexander #carloscampos #fall2016 (at New York, New York)

[humbertorosero]

And we #finished this #busy #busy #week with #8 #sensational #videos with #DevinAlexander #featuring #ninja #blender #kitchen #system #humbertorosero #ninjablenders for @muscle_and_fitness I want to thanks my great #crew (at DRIFT STUDIOS)

[askdrnandi]

NBC Biggest Loser Chef Devin Alexander on Ask Dr Nandi! This episode and more coming soon to askdrnandi.com #askdrnandi #devinalexander #biggestloser #healthy #recipe

[sallylyndley]

New portraits! Wahoo! #commedesgarcons #biker #jacket me by #devinalexander thanks D!

[twotrey23]

#SharonLawrence @sharonelawrence joining #DevinAlexander @devinalexander for the #chef 's #book launch party for #YouCanHaveIt . #cook #author #cookbook #writer #actress #actresses #actor #actors #acting #writing #fitness #health #Diabetes #cooking #recipe #books #authors #writers #culinary #gastronomy #chefs #cooks #TheBiggestLoser #BiggestLoser (at Cambria Gallery)

[thefocusedtraveler]

@devinalexander book signing at @melissasproduce. A wonderful experience. #instagood #lafoodie #buzzfeedfood #feedfeed #thefeedfeed #huffposttaste #foodprnshare #droolclub #thekitchn #tastespotting #forkfeed #foodgawker #kitchenbowl #buzzfeast #goodeats #igfood #foodstagram #foodbloggers #nomnom #instayum #eatfamous #cleaneating #foodphotography #foodpics #homecooking #lafoodporn #foodcoma #foodgram #melissasproduce #youcanhaveit

[fordummys]

Cheese @septumpapi @itsdevinalexander #gypsysport #streetstyle #nyfwm #day2 #offduty #devinalexander #adonisbosso

[humbertorosero]

It's Thursday and we shoot 10 #new #videos with #DevinAlexander for @shape_magazine #humbertorosero (at Hand Made TV)

[askdrnandi]

NBC Biggest Loser Chef Devin Alexander on Ask Dr Nandi! This episode and more coming soon to askdrnandi.com #askdrnandi #DevinAlexander #biggestloser #Recipe #Healthy (at Ask Dr Nandi Studio)

[askdrnandi]

Serving the kids Berry Melon Cookies by celebrity chef #DevinAlexander @devinalexander on @askdrnandi