Award-Winning Weight-Loss Retreat Near Sunny Pacific Coast

The long-running hit reality show The Biggest Loser has portrayed its contestants' intense physical and emotional challenges as they strive to shed pounds and reorganize their lifestyle choices. Season winners invariably emerge from the competition sporting a completely reshaped physique, often 100–150 pounds lighter than when they started. Cultivating a commitment to strict exercise and nutritional regimens is at the core of The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge, Malibu, winner of Spa magazine's 2011 Reader's Choice Award for Best Weight-Loss Spa, as well as the No. 1 ranking in Spas of America's Top 100 Spas of 2011.

The resort's weight-loss program blends exercise, healthy meals, and lifestyle seminars into a daily schedule that begins at 6 a.m. and lasts until 7 p.m. Certified personal trainers jump-start mornings with hikes through the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with varied terrain that allows for routes tailored to every fitness level. Nutritious, low-calorie meals—designed by registered dieticians and prepared under the direction of Culinary Institute of America graduate Rodolfo Reyes—fuel additional exercise throughout the day, ranging from water aerobics to kickboxing to mental challenges. In between endorphin blasts, groups attend lectures on weight training and nutrition education, including food-label reading and how to turn old pizza boxes into an obstacle course.

At the end of the week, trainers record each guest's weight and measurements and note their progress. Guests constantly support one another, encouraging others to push farther than they thought they could go. This intense shared experience helps participants stick with a healthier lifestyle after the program's conclusion. To reward a day of hard work, the resort's spa administers massages, acupunctures and facials (for an additional fee).