Weight Loss Surgery Forums

Formerly on the verge of financial ruin, after taking home a life-changing $250,000 payday and losing 181 pounds, Patrick is now dedicating his life to working with teens who struggle with their weight. Patrick helps them to tackle their weight issues to improve their health and wellness. He and his family have relocated to South Carolina where he has joined Mindstream Academy, working as a spokesperson and fitness coach after his successful weight loss. His struggles with weight loss prior to the show have made him a wonderful role model for the teens as he works side-by-side with the students to address their own particular issues.

ObesityHelp.com members and OH Magazine recently had an opportunity to chat with Patrick in one of our online chat rooms. What follows below is a transcript of our online hour with Patrick. Enjoy!

-Tammy J. Colter
Editor-In-Chief
OH Magazine

Tammy Colter (Moderator):
Hello, OH Members! Welcome to our chat with Season 10 Biggest Loser winner, Patrick House.

Patrick House:
Hi, all! Hey, MindStream Academy is here. Hey Nicole! That’s Nicole…she’s awesome.

Tammy Colter:
Welcome, Patrick! Congratulations on your weight loss success! We look forward to chatting with you.

Jamie2377:
Patrick, do you watch the current season of Biggest Loser?

Patrick House:
I have been watching as much as I can.

Father Don:
How are you maintaining your weight loss since the show’s season ending?

Patrick House:
I am working out all the time. I have to keep the weight off. I will be running the Boston marathon in a couple of weeks.

Jason Riddle:
Wow, really? That’s awesome!

Jamie2377:
Way to go, Patrick!

Father Don:
How much time do you devote?

Patrick House:
I work out with the kids at MindStream Academy in the morning and then have another workout by myself in the afternoon.

Tammy Colter:
What healthy habits did you learn on the ranch that you continue to do today?

Patrick House:
A big one is portion control. The other would be to keep a food journal so that you know what you’re taking in.

Patrick House:
Calories in have to equal calories out.

Patrick House:
I do splurge though. I love pizza!

Jamie2377:
I had gastric bypass 10 months ago and I just can’t find motivation to workout. What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?

Patrick House:
I have to stay motivated because of my job working with the kids at the Mindstream Academy. Other than that, you just have to take the first step to get healthy and fit and keep that promise to yourself.

Rustimart:
Besides the food journal, what other tools do you use to help you with your weight loss?

Patrick House:
Try a pedometer to keep track of your calories and steps. Pair that with your food journal to make sure you keep a balance.

Father Don:
How supportive is your wife? Does she join in the exercise? Contribute on meal planning?

Patrick House:
My wife lost 50 pounds on her own while I was on the ranch.

Patrick House:
As soon as I got back, she had everything ready to make sure I was successful. You don’t waste an opportunity like The Biggest Loser to make real change for your entire family. The change for my whole family has been amazing. Even my parents are losing weight.

Jason Riddle:
So I wanted to know…what are Jillian and Bob like in real life? Tough as nails? Cool peeps?

Patrick House:
They are not really as bad as they seem on the show. Bob is a sweet guy. Jillian is sweet, but tough. They were both doing what they had to keep us in line. Can’t blame them for that!

Kim Gyurina, Events:
Patrick, do you know anyone who has had weight loss surgery? And did you ever consider WLS?

Patrick House:
I know a few people who have had WLS. It really seems to work for a lot of people. I was unemployed at the time of The Biggest Loser so the surgery was out of the question. I think that if it was an option I would have considered it.

Vicki Browning:
Patrick has it been hard to maintain, the weight loss?

Patrick House:
It’s always hard to maintain but I have to because of the kids at MindStream. They are looking up to me to be that guy, and I have to.

NickW1:
What’s typical weight regain amongst Biggest Loser participants? Probably 100% regain, on average, after a year?

Patrick House:
A lot do regain. I don’t know the exact number. Not everyone has to maintain the public spotlight like me. Most have to deal with the issues from losing on the show. I was lucky!

Dolan:
Did you try any supplements for weight loss (e.g., Hydroxycut) and what was your results/lessons learned?

Patrick House:
I did use Whey, but that’s about all. Things were really watched over at the ranch. You have to be careful what you put in your body.

Rustimart:
First, with the massive weight loss did you have any issue with excess skin? And if so, have you ever considered some sort of surgery to remove the excess skin?

Patrick House:
I was lucky because I’m young and elastic still. But I still have some excess skin. Surgery is definitely an option, but I think it will go away after awhile. I’ll be patient!

Jamie2377:
That’s encouraging!

Rustimart:
Yes, it is.

Jamie2377:
I’m only 21 and I have issues with that too.

Patrick House:
I think it should go away…our bodies are amazing.

Yvonne McCarthy:
Patrick, you mentioned others having issues with losing on the show. Could you explain that a little?

Patrick House:
Most of the guys who were with me, Frado, Brendan and Ava, have kept the weight off, but a lot of others haven’t. I guess the show could be just another crash diet if you don’t maintain it.

Jamie2377:
Wow! Never thought about it like that.

Patrick House:
It’s like all diets-you have to stick with it.

Yvonne McCarthy:
We have the same issue with weight loss surgery too. We are all the same.

Tammy Colter:
Can you tell us a little more about the MindStream Academy?

Patrick House:
MindStream is a health and wellness boarding program for teens in South Carolina. It’s amazing. I work as the spokesperson and fitness coach. So far our kids are doing great and we are always looking for more. We use fitness, nutrition, and counseling to really figure out what is causing these kids’ weight problems. We are a full-time boarding program

Karen:
What are the age limits there?

Patrick House:
Ages 13-19.

Jason Riddle:
So do you see that the early education really helps the kids with their weight management?

Patrick House:
Yes. A lot of it has to be learned at home, Jason. The schools are just not doing it these days.

Father Don:
From the future wife (we met because of OH). How much is the show about losing weight versus being a game?

Patrick House:
The show is definitely about losing weight, but it is a TV show. I have to be honest, it’s a game, but if you play it right, you get results.

Jamie2377:
I’ve noticed on Facebook that several contestants from all the seasons are friends with one another and seem to work with each other quite a bit. Do you keep in touch with any of them?

Patrick House:
Oh, yeah, I saw Frado last week and Ada in San Francisco a couple of weeks before that.

Ididabadbadthing:
How long have you been at goal and what did you do differently than others that gained their weight back? Being home is not being on the ranch!

Patrick House:
When you are a role model for a bunch of kids, you HAVE to maintain…The kids at MindStream are looking to me to be the answer to their problems. I have to do it! Plus, my wife is amazing in helping me. I run every morning and work out with the kids. I constantly watch what I eat and keep my food journal. I still wear a pedometer to know what I’ve burned.

Rustimart:
Once a teen goes through MindStream, what support do they have once they go back to their life at home?

Patrick House:
Rusti, they have a year of after-care and have regular contact with our counselors, dietitian, chef, and myself. We support them 100% in their healthy lifestyle.

Eisenware:
Do you find it hard not to overindulge in exercise and what do you do to stay balanced?

Patrick House:
Eisen…routine is the answer and occasionally bumping it up to keep the heart rate raised keeps you on track and not overindulging.

Yvonne:
Patrick — do you think the amount of physical exercise you did on campus at BL is really feasible to maintain once back home? Seems to me they work out four plus hours a day.

Patrick House:
It’s not just exercise. It is maintaining calories in and calories out. Once you get to where you want to be you just have to maintain the weight loss. The Biggest Loser workout is to get the weight off. If I kept that up I would disappear!

Father Don:
Do you find you need to increase/decrease caloric intake and increase/decrease exercise to fool the body to kick start weight loss?

Patrick House:
On the ranch it was simple…very few calories and a ton of exercise. At home you just need to keep a good balance.

Father Don:
The reason I asked about lower/increase is because your body “learns? and puts itself into “starvation mode?.

Patrick House:
True, Don and that can sure put the halt on progress.

Shravan Panyam:
Was there any point during the show that you flipped a sort of mental switch and started feeling like “Yes, I can do this?? Was the weight loss accompanied by a shift in mental image?

Patrick House:
Wow. Great question! For me it was just about results and shedding the pounds. The whole time I had to say, “I can do this.? I was told by doctors that I wouldn’t live to see my kids grow up if I didn’t. It was just what I had to do.

Tammy Colter:
Were you obese as a child? Has obesity been a lifelong problem for you?

Patrick House:
I was always a big kid. I played football in high school and college. I got hurt and had to stop playing, but I kept eating like I was playing. It just added up after a while.

Tammy Colter:
Where is Mindstream Academy located? And how many locations are there?

Patrick House:
One school in Bluffton, South Carolina. It’s a 43-acre equestrian estate. Tons of outdoor activities like horse riding, swimming, canoeing, gardening, fishing. There’s so much to do. It is really close to beautiful Hilton Head and historic Savannah!

Father Don:
What was your ultimate motivation? Your kids? Mine was a death sentence. The doctor said I had 3-5 years to live because of a liver issue caused by weight (no transplant possible).

Patrick House:
Mine was a combination of knowing my death sentence meant that I couldn’t see my kids grow up. That’s a wakeup call no one wants.

Cathy:
What did you think when Ada and Brandon purposefully lost the challenge so you could win the car?

Patrick House:
A beautiful moment that I will never forget. I was unemployed at the time and really needed something like that for my family.

BigSexy702:
Patrick, I have recently lost 55lbs and I know half the battle is mental, but those cravings kick my a**, how do you deal with those?

Patrick House:
I have to indulge every now and then. Pizza is my big craving, but I just have to maintain portion control and not eat a whole large
pizza. If I do ever go overboard, I have to make up for it with exercise. You have to maintain your calories in with calories out! It’s all about balance.

Jeff Cooper:
Hi, Patrick and congratulations! Did you ever want to quit the show at any time?

Patrick House:
Jeff…all the time..but I had to keep it up for my family and our future. My kids were depending on me.

Jeff Cooper:
That’s good motivation, thanks, Patrick!

Dionysus:
How, if at all, has losing weight affected your relationship with strangers and meeting people for the first time, whether it is a clerk at Starbucks or a new business associate?

Patrick House:
Dion, it’s hard to tell because a lot of people know me from the show. It’s hard to know. The stares are the same but now it’s not because I’m huge it’s, “Hey I know that guy!? LOL… I am a lot more confident.

BigSexy702:
Patrick, I want to open a nutrition and fitness camp for children suffering from childhood obesity… any resources?

Patrick House:
Call the school and talk to them… they are the pros! (843-757-2003)

Watson:
I was wondering from The Biggest Loser, what happens when you lose the weight on the show, do they pay for liposuction/plastic surgery? For the people that was on the show?

Patrick House:
No, they don’t pay for surgery. It is an option if you need it, but you have to pay for it on your own.

Tammy Colter:
Thank you for your time, Patrick! We look forward to following your success! For more information as to what Patrick’s up to now, visit: MindStreamAcademy.com!