Some Fittest Loser contestants find five-meal-a-day diet hard to adapt

When did you last hear a dieter complain about having to eat too often?

It's one of the struggles for this year's Fittest Loser contestants, five men and women competing for 12 weeks to see who can lose the most weight, as a percentage of their starting weights.

Four weeks into the exercise and diet regimen provided by Push Fitness of Schaumburg, contestants are peeling off the pounds - with the help of a nutritional program that stresses five meals a day. The diet calls for protein, carbohydrates and fat with every meal, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lots of water, and no starches after early afternoon. The diet stresses appropriate portion sizes and organic or minimally processed foods without added sugar, trans fats or artificial sweeteners. Refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice are no-nos, as is eating after 7:30 p.m.

Here's what the contestants have to say about it.

Deb MirabelliCurrent weight: 224Weight lost: 12 pounds, 5.5 percent"While it is difficult to sometimes fit in the five meals a day, I have learned to pack them all the night before into my cooler to make it easier to grab each meal when it is time. I have probably missed the nighttime bowl of cereal with my kids the most."Mike AndersonCurrent weight: 366Weight lost: 12 pounds, 3.2 percent"The most difficult part of eating five meals a day is the frequency of the meals. Since the meals are supposed to be evenly spaced it gets difficult with working to find time to eat them at somewhat equal intervals."Frank Valenti Current weight: 279Weight lost: 16 pounds, 5.4 percent"The most difficult part of my diet is missing my pasta, pizza and bread, but I'm following the diet because I'm already starting to see results. This diet that requires eating five times a day was a challenge at first, but I got used to it and I love it!"Wendy KreiserCurrent weight: 337Weight loss: 10 pounds, 2.9 percent"The biggest challenges are the portion control of those foods and late-night eating. You can overeat healthy foods and gain weight easily and when you have nothing to do at night it's hard not to want to snack."Jan VitulloCurrent weight: 218Weight lost: 14 pounds, 6 percent "The word 'diet' translates to saying 'no' to food; therefore, wrapping my brain around eating every two to three hours and never being hungry took a bit of getting used to. Meals do have to be planned out and portioned out, as well as packed up when away from home ... since the drive-through dollar meal is no longer a dining option!"False15462000Frank Valenti, of Bartlett. False