Kelly, Pennsylvania
With Jillian's help, Kelly lost 92 pounds* and gained a new life!
I’ve struggled with my weight all of my life. I went from being a chubby kid, to a slightly overweight teenager, to an obese adult. I wasn't just packing 40 or 50 extra pounds — I was anywhere between 70 and 110 pounds overweight, which is clinically obese and clearly a health risk. As a teacher, I was sending my students a poor message. I wanted these children to respect me and learn from me, yet the example I was setting was unacceptable.
At 28, I decided to take control of my life in a big way. I signed on to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Yet despite being on a reality television show — one that would document and broadcast my weight-loss journey to millions — I was still skeptical. I’d tried every diet under the sun and had failed at every one.
Then Jillian became my trainer. I took one look at her and thought, "What can she know about being overweight?" But she quickly saw right through me — she could tell that I didn’t believe I could do it. Her first order of business was to teach me that weight loss is a physical and mental game. I needed to believe that it was possible, because otherwise, well, it just wasn’t. She never accepted less than 100 percent, and she pushed me to do things I would never have done on my own. Jillian saw the potential in me and wanted me to see it as well.
We focused on setting goals and using a journal to keep myself accountable. Size, more than a target weight, was the most important thing to me. When I went down a size, I would buy myself an item of clothing I had my eye on — clothes were my goals! I had to really work to get an article of clothing, but it was worth it. Within a few weeks, I’d replaced my usual food rewards with something even better — a new and improved me.
By the end of my run on the The Biggest Loser, I had lost 79 pounds. After the show, I took everything I learned from Jillian and went on to lose a total of 92 pounds. She taught me to love myself and put myself first. It’s not always easy, but I’ve realized that I’m worth all of the hard work. I still chant my mantra "let it go and believe" when things get tough or I hit a plateau. But I’m continuing to push myself to new heights so that I never stop growing and developing. There is very little I am too afraid to try. Jillian is truly my life teacher.
*Weight loss varies by individual. You may not achieve similar results.