With the recent release of Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser on Netflix, I’ve had a lot of people reach out and a lot of personal memories resurface.
For those who don’t know, I was a contestant on Season 5: Couples in 2008, alongside Amanda, my now ex-wife. While watching the documentary with my wife, Jess, and youngest child, I caught a few brief glimpses of myself, including my “claim to fame”:
I wasn’t interviewed for the documentary, but I wanted to share a few personal reflections:
- Who was really looking out for us? For years, I thought the trainers had our best interests in mind. But watching this doc reminded me it was actually Dr. H and Dr. Jen who were our health advocates. I distinctly remember being told by a trainer to ignore Dr. H’s advice, that stuck with me.
- Performance-enhancing substances were no secret. It was an open secret among contestants that certain individuals vying for the win were given things to aid their weight loss.
- The finale wasn’t what it seemed. Our final weigh-in happened two weeks before the show aired. That gap gave people time to recover from extreme weight loss and appear more “normal” on TV. So no, Rachel wasn’t the first to show up looking dangerously thin; she was just the first the audience saw that way.
- The public reaction was brutal. Imagine being constantly judged by strangers based on an edited version of yourself, while under extreme physical and mental stress. Eight hours of daily workouts, minimal food, total isolation from technology, and 24/7 cameras. The portrayal you saw wasn’t the full picture.
- “You signed up for it” isn’t the comeback you think it is. Amanda and I went on the show to lose weight. We had no idea what we were stepping into, and we definitely weren’t prepared for the lasting judgment from fans. For years, I heard things like “You look like you gained it all back” or “How could you waste that opportunity?” Imagine hearing that from strangers while standing in line at the grocery store.
- Would I do it again? No. I wouldn’t.
Since the show aired, my health journey has been anything but linear. I reached a personal low of 219lbs after the show, but life, including a second child and a rough divorce, took its toll. By 2019, I was back to my starting weight of 317lbs. That’s when I discovered I had low testosterone and began a new chapter, not focused on weight loss, but on transformation.
I found strength -literally- in the sport of Strongman. I’ve gone from 45% body fat to 29%, and competed at Strongman Nationals in 2024. And while I currently weigh 317lbs, the same as my first weigh-in on the show, my body composition and mindset are entirely different.
Today, I love what my body can do. It’s strong, it’s capable, and it’s mine. And my wife, Jessica, loves it too.
If you’re still chasing a “before and after” moment, I hope this serves as a reminder: The after isn’t about a number on the scale, it’s about reclaiming your power and rewriting your story on your own terms.
