It was a comment made by a nutritionist that really hit home. Fortunately, Milton resident Coleen Thompson and her family had already decided to embark on a complete lifestyle change and were in phase one — assessing their current eating patterns, which, they quickly found out, weren’t good.

“We had no portion control,” Coleen said.

Snacks before bedtime consisted of chips and chocolate bars, and their hectic lifestyle meant they were eating a lot of fast food and other junk.

Worst of all, Coleen and her husband, Chris, were passing down their bad habits to their children, 11-year-old Austin and eight-month-old Ruari.

It’s hard to believe so many changes could take place in just three months. The Thompson family has now lost a total of about 60 pounds, and they continue to get lighter by the week.

Real team effort

They cook together and eat together. They’ve banished white bread, and nighttime snacks are veggies or creative alternatives to satisfy cravings, such as Jello.

All these changes were thanks to a little willpower and the Thompsons’ chance to be featured on the pilot of a new TV show, Maxed Out — The Body Revolution.

The show was produced for the W Network and is expected to air the first week of January.

Coleen said she was at the end of her rope — overweight and tired of dieting, having been diagnosed with diabetes — when she stumbled upon some information about the TV show on the Internet.

Show producers were looking for families to participate, and a light bulb went off in her mind. She applied, and before the Thompson family knew it, their lives were being turned upside down — in a good way.

Camera crews were at their house for 13 days, starting in August and finishing up last month.

Essentially, the show has two common-sense focuses: eating right and exercising, with the help of a fitness consultant and a nutritionist.

Cameras followed the Thompsons on the journey, with the outcome of their turnaround revealed at the end of the episode.

It wasn’t easy, but the family began to change their thinking about food, and soon put that into practice. They learned it wasn’t about cutting out everything, but eating it in the right amounts at the right time, Coleen said. For example, they didn’t eat any carbohydrates after 7 p. m.

Evening walks helping

Each night they went out walking together for an hour, in addition to working out three times each week.

“Instead of sitting after dinner and watching pointless TV, we’d take one hour and spend it as a family,” Coleen said.

One of the most shocking parts of the experience was just how unhealthy Chris was. Since her husband wasn’t all that overweight, Coleen said she assumed he was in pretty good shape. But when he was checked out by a doctor, he found out that wasn’t the case — he was actually less healthy than his wife, who had more weight to lose than he did.

Chris was diagnosed with meta-bolic syndrome, which put him at risk for heart disease, stroke and various other sicknesses.

But Chris was onboard with the challenge, and eventually wiped out all the warning signs. The changes in his blood work by the end of the six-week period had doctors amazed, Coleen said.

Although the show finished taping the Thompsons’ progress last month, Coleen said they’re continuing with the healthy ways they’ve learned and are feeling better than ever.

Chris has lost more than 23 pounds, while Coleen has managed to shed about 20 pounds and is continuing to lose weight at a healthy pace. Perhaps best of all, doctors have told Coleen she no longer shows symptoms of diabetes.

“I feel like a new person,” she said.

Even Austin is about 10 pounds lighter, and, more important, is healthier.

“This has put a positive spin on our lives,” Coleen said, adding she appreciates the sensible approach of the show. “It’s very realistic for regular families.”

Kit Redmond, executive producer and co-founder of RTR Media, said the Thompsons were an ideal family to be featured in the pilot episode.

“That family was so co-operative and determined… It was really fantastic to work with them developing the new show,” she said.

Redmond emphasized Maxed Out — The Body Revolution isn’t a “diet show” aimed at getting participants to lose as much weight as they can in as short a period of time. It’s about healthy amounts of weight loss coupled with a positive turn-around in medical results.

“It’s about kick-starting a body revolution designed to change the way you live.”

Coleen said she couldn’t be more grateful for the people who helped her and her family do just that.

“I’ll thank them until the day I die,” she said.

Stephanie Hounsell can be reached at sthiessen@miltoncanadianchampion.com .