Fans of The Biggest Loser might soon hear a familiar voice on the radio. Dan Evans, who with his mother, Jackie, appeared on the fifth season of the hit NBC weight-loss show, will release his debut album, a country and rock project called Goin' All Out, on Sept. 30. The album is uplifting and motivating. Knowing Dan's history makes the songs that much more powerful. It's definitely worth adding to your workout playlist!  The title track sounds like it could be a theme song for The Biggest Loser, ("I agree," Dan said, laughing.) "I'm goin' all out, I'm gonna live this dream, doin' it now, not gonna miss a thing. Gonna fire up all this passion, throw my whole heart in." Another song, "Letter to My Addiction," is a powerful reminder that we are in control of our destiny: "I thought you were my friend, thought you were my comfort. I tried to lean on you. But you almost took me under. It's taken all my will. It's taken all my prayers to get me here… I'm getting free at last. You're nothing but my past. And I'm not going back to how it used to be when you had your hold on me." Just a year ago, Dan was working a "normal 9-to-5 job" at the summer camp his mom runs in his native Frankfort, Ill. Then he and his mom went on The Biggest Loser couples show. On Day One, Dan weighed in at 310 pounds. Months later at the finale, he weighed 174 pounds. More than losing weight, the show allowed him to shed the low self-esteem that had kept him from pursuing his real dream: music. After the show wrapped, Dan moved to California and signing a record deal. He's been on the road for about two months, touring, recording and prepping for the record's release. "It's been a wild, wild ride," he said. Home for about a day earlier this month to visit his mom and friends, Dan interrupted his brunch (an omelet with turkey bacon) to talk with the dailySpark. It's one thing to be locked in The Biggest Loser house, he said, where your entire life revolves around eating right and getting in shape. Out on the road and in the real world, staying in shape "takes creativity, I guess you could say." During a weeklong stay in Sturgis, S.D., there was nothing for miles (except of course, motorcycles!). With "no nice gyms, no nice workout equipment and no trainers," Dan focused on the simple things. He ran and lifted small weights that he carries with him when he travels. "Fortunately enough, we travel around in a bus. We try and keep the bus stocked with foods that are safe. If we're ever out at an event, I know I've always got something … on the bus that is OK (to eat)." His nutrition philosophy is simple: "It's about eating normal but living in the moment." He also focuses on portion control. If he's out to dinner someplace special, he'll indulge occasionally. "It's OK. I just don't gorge on it, and (I know) tomorrow I'm going to pay for it." His meal staples are salads loaded with chicken and vegetables, plus turkey sandwiches on whole-grain bread. "Try and keep it basic. Once you get complicated, that's when you start racking up calories." As for weight-loss secrets, Dan says there aren't any. "I thought when I was going on The Biggest Loser that I'd learn the magical combo that I didn't learn before." He soon found out: "There is no secret. I could have been doing (that) at home. Cutting out the junk food--it's no mystery. Every time you take a bite, you know what you're doing." It was about saying "I am ready, I am ready to change my life," he said. Though Dan became "famous" on a weight-loss show, he's quick to point out that weight loss was a hurdle he had to overcome to pursue his real passion--music. "I conquered that (weight loss), and now it's time for me to pursue my dream and start living the life I always wanted to have. I always dreamed of being a performer. My talent's not in weight loss; I don't have a weight loss passion. It's something I had to do." His health no longer gets in the way of life. "Now it's full speed ahead. For the first time in my life, I'm where I'm taking all my resources and investing it into myself and for once doing what I love." Ahead of the album's Sept. 30 debut, listen to clips from the CD at Dan's MySpace page. The Biggest Loser debuts Tuesday, Sept. 16, on NBC. Check local listing for times and channels. In the mean time, read about Biggest Loser lessons to keep and to ditch, plus chat with other fans of the show. Photos: Courtesy of Dan Evans and his record company |
More From SparkPeople |
.png)
