From flab to fab: A look at the incredible weight-loss journey of ‘The Biggest Loser’ contestants
'The Biggest Loser' documents the weight-loss journey of twelve brave people who have decided to make some changes in their life and adopt a healthy lifestyle. After a hiatus of nearly two years, the show returned but made some major changes to its controversial show format. While the previous seasons placed emphasis only on weight-loss with little to no-aftercare provided for the contestants following the show's end, the reboot version shifted its focus from weight-loss to overall wellbeing. This meant that the contestants had access to nutritionists, dietitians and support groups to help them on their journey to achieve a healthier life. The icing on the cake was the fact that these resources weren't restricted to just during their time on the show, but also after their elimination and are provided free of cost for a year.
We saw a live demonstration of how these little measures go a long way in ensuring that the contestants who came on the show remain healthy irrespective of whether they are on the show or not. The eliminated contestants were given an opportunity to compete for an at-home challenge of working out at their home and continuing to lose weight, and the winner of this challenge would be rewarded with a prize money of $25k. When we saw these previously eliminated contestants walk into the room and flaunt their post-weight-loss bodies, it was extremely hard to believe that these were the same people we saw in the pilot episode. Each of them exuded confidence and seemed genuinely happy with themselves. One common thing which all the contestants revealed was how the show encouraged them to take care of themselves and prioritize themselves first. While we can go on and on writing about how heartening it was to see these strong individuals own their bodies and be happy with it, we think their before-after pictures might do a lot more justice. Here are the pictures of the contestants from 'The Biggest Loser', from before they came on the show, and after they left the show.
Robert Richardson III
Robert was eliminated within the first week, but he didn't let that get to him. He continued training and working on himself, and returned back for the final weigh-in 48 pounds lighter!
PhiXavier Holmes
Phi had quite some emotional baggage weighing her down, which the show helped her identify. As soon as she got eliminated in the second week, Phi was ready to turn a new leaf in her life. She reached out for help and got herself a dietitian, personal trainer, and even a therapist to help her get her life in order. After seeing her in the final episode, we have to admit that she does look like a different person, and we couldn't be happier for her. She also managed to lose 17 pounds!
Domenico Brugellis
Dom's elimination from the show left his trainer Erica Lugo questioning her training skills. Turns out she had nothing to worry about, for Dom continued working to get healthy and kept exercising and eating clean despite not being on the show anymore. This New Yorker came on the show weighing 323 pounds, and lost a total of 50 pounds when we saw him last during the final weigh-in.
Delores Tomorrow
Delores who works with at-risk teenage girls of color, came on the show hoping to set an example for the girls, and boy did she. She was initially very upset after getting eliminated from the show, but she soon bounced back and made some small but significant changes in her life, which ensured that she didn't go off-track from achieving her goal of getting healthy and fit. Delores lost a total of 36 pounds since coming on the show.
Katarina Bouton
Katarina or Kat as she is lovingly called by her fellow contestants was one of the youngest members of the show. She got eliminated despite working really hard. To say that things weren't easy for this Florida native when she got back home would be an understatement. After enduring a breakup, Kat was more determined than ever to get fit and healthy and live her life to the fullest. With 64 pounds lighter, we sure think she is living her best life.
Megan Hoffman
Megan continued working hard and eating lean even after her elimination, and that reflected when during the final weigh-in it was revealed that she lost a whopping 83 pounds since appearing on the show. Needless to say, she bagged the at-home prize of $25K.
Kim Davis
Although she was the oldest among the lot, she never let that come in the way of her dream to achieve a healthy life. She took quite a lot from the show, after her stint on the show, Kim made some huge changes in her life, which all turned her into a more beautiful and confident woman. She filed for a divorce from her husband, got her own place, and is focused on taking care of herself. Losing 38 pounds is just the tip of the ice-berg for this strong woman.
Kristi McCart
Although Kristi just had her baby, she made the difficult decision of coming on the show to ensure that she is healthy enough to have another child. Kristi never wavered from her goal and trained diligently to achieve it. So it came as no surprise when it was revealed that she lost 73 pounds.
Teri Agular
For Teri her journey from being a beauty pageant winner to finding herself on 'The Biggest Loser' was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. Even on the show, Teri became an inspiration to may when she displayed her resilience by continuing to train despite her leg injury. Now that she is 70 pounds lighter, Teri reveals that she is slowly getting back to enjoying her little swimming sessions.
Kyle Yeo
Kyle not only learned how to get healthy but also to be himself and love himself on the show. Kyle's beautiful bond with his father left fans in tears, after watching the father-son work out together and be there for each other at every step of the way. He lost 86 pounds since being on the show.
Micah Collum
Micah may not have won the competition but he certainly won several fans on the show. His tough childhood made him turn to food for solace. Micah was ready to put his rough past behind him and start a new chapter, which brought him to the show. He lost 99 pounds since being on the show.
Jim DiBattista
Yes, that's the same person! Jim's transformation on the show is nothing short of magic. He came on the show hoping to get healthier so that he can be there for his wife and children. His determination clubbed with hard work helped him lose an impressive 144 pounds, making him the winner of the show. Alongside the title, he won a prize money of $100k and a vacation to Universal Studios.