Amber Lost 90 Pounds

Today I'm sharing the story of my first Challenge winner, Amber from Oklahoma City. In college her weight dropped drastically as a result of a bacterial ulcer; then for the next ten years she gained weight — getting up to the mid-200s — while battling issues in her personal life and concentrating on her career. She grew frustrated with herself for being overweight. The final straw came when her sister asked her to be in her wedding: She declined to be a part of the big day because she didn't want to stand up in front of everyone as a 247-pound bridesmaid. She vowed to lose weight and take control of her life. And she did just that! Here she shares the happy results of winning the Challenge:

I am grateful for Jillian Michaels's passion in helping others lead healthy, fulfilled lives. I was amazed by what I learned during the time I spent with Jillian in Los Angeles after winning the 10-Ton Challenge essay. In my one-on-one workout she helped me realize something about myself that I hadn't known up until that day — that I'm strong and capable of much more than I ever thought possible. I'm still learning, growing, succeeding, and failing. And I'm okay with all of it. Before I couldn't and wouldn't tell people "no," but now I say it regularly without guilt. And I love that I feel confident enough to wear cute little tank tops, I love that exercise makes me feel strong, and I love not being scared of what lies ahead.

The extra weight I carried around for a little more than a decade not only weighed me down physically, it also weighed down my personality. Now that the weight has literally been lifted off, I feel like a completely different person. I'm the Amber I used to be — I've always laughed a lot and enjoyed making others laugh, but now my laugh has a whole new meaning. I'm not laughing to cover up insecurities in my life; I'm laughing because of the pure joy I feel deep inside myself.

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