Chicago dietitian’s eating plan wins ABC’s ‘My Diet Is Better Than Yours’

PHOTO: Dawn Jackson Blatner and contestant Jasmin Queen at the beginning of “My Diet.”

Chicago has a new winner when it comes to weight loss: it’s registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, whose Superfood Swap Diet won the top honors on ABC’s “My Diet Is Better Than Yours.”

Blatner led her contestant, Jasmin Queen, to the win, with Jasmin dropping from 200 to 147 pounds over 14 weeks. That translates to a loss of 26.50 percent of her original body weight. (Her closest contender, Kurt, lost 24.72 percent of his body weight.) Also, her waist circumference went from 44 to 34 inches. (That was a nice plus on “My Diet,” giving different stats as well as the weight lost for the contestants.) During the finale, Queen also won the fitness challenge by being the first one to cross the finish line of the half-marathon (that’s 13.1 miles) they were required to complete to be part of the final weigh-in.

Using her latest book, “Superfood Swap” as a guide, Blatner taught Jasmin how to continue to eat the foods she liked, but by refashioning them and using better ingredients. There’s no refined sugar, but sweets and alcohol are allowed when in a group. Blatner also encouraged Queen to pick for exercise those things she found fun, not drudgery. (She got Jasmin to kick the candy parties she had been having way too often with her young daughter, too, and showed them they could enjoy time together without it centering around foods loaded with refined sugars and empty calories.)

Hosted by Shaun T, “My Diet” — which has been airing on Thursdays in January — began with five contestants. By the finale, one contestant had dropped out and three different trainers were sent packing. (On “My Diet,” it’s the experts who are eliminated, not the contestants.)

Jasmin takes home $50,000 as well as a number of other prizes, including a spread — featuring herself and Blatner — in People magazine.