The Biggest Loser crowned a winner, Danni, in the season 14 finale of the NBC show last week. We caught up with the recently-crowned Biggest Loser to hear her weight loss success story, in her own words.
Name: Dannielle "Danni" Allen
Age: 26
Height: 5'6"
Before Weight: 258 pounds
How I Gained It: This was a culmination of poor nutritional choices and lack of appropriate exercise. I think I tricked myself before, saying I was eating healthy foods like fruits and whole grains. The problem was I was eating portions that were huge! The biggest problem of all was my mental state. I wasn't a girl who believed in herself; I was a book of excuses and never thought I could really do it.
Breaking Point: My dad ended up in the hospital in February 2012. I got the dreaded call that said the whole family should come in. It was the worst moment of my life, thinking I was going to lose my father. By some miracle, something turned it all around and my dad made a full recovery. We celebrated his 50th birthday in the hospital -- that was when I knew I had to change. I wanted 50 to be the halfway point in my life, and if I didn't change my habits, I too would be spending my 50th birthday in the hospital. NO MORE!
How I Lost It: Jillian Michaels kicked my butt! Mentally and physically! The first thing she taught me was I needed to get my head strong, otherwise I would stand no chance at success with my weight. We really worked on getting me mentally tough! Once I had that down, the sky was the limit! I was able to track my daily intake and calorie burn with my BodyMedia. There was no need for me to do any counting, it did it for me. Now, I feel I can dream again. I am going "Forest Gump" on the nation, running across America. My biggest run will be the Chicago Marathon 2013! I want to do and try everything! The sky is the limit!
After Weight: 137 pounds
Check out Danni's before and after photos in the slideshow below:
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