By Ashley Thompson

Rod is a 49 year old drama teacher, and parental caregiver, from Tallahassee who dreams about taking acting from the classroom to Broadway. The one thing he believes is keeping him from that dream is his weight. With the help of Chris Powell, Rod is shedding weight from his 448 pound body, and a little emotional weight, too.

He feels as if he's constantly putting on two faces. One of the fun-loving, jovial guy and the other who is lonely, replacing food for fellowship. A big step for Rod is finally divulging to his father that his is gay. "I love you as much today as before I knew,' was his father's response. With the emotional baggage under control it is time to tackle the weight... just in time to reinvent himself for his 50th birthday.

Phase I: Lose 125 pounds in 90 days. Doesn't seem too difficult when you're hanging with Chris and Heidi at bootcamp in Colorado. At his 45 day weigh in Rod is under 400 pounds for the first time in 10 years. At his 90 day weigh in he is down to 322 pounds.

Phase II: Lose an additional 55 pounds. But as he returned home, he returned to the messy home he left and a remembrance of the loneliness he has been dealing with for so long. Chris visits Rod to keep him accountable for his exercise and nutrition as well as introduce him to an anonymous group with people who have the same food issues as Rod. At his six month weigh in he was down another 37 pounds, shy of his 55 pound goal.

Chris announces that he is sending Rod to NYC to audition for Chicago on Broadway as well as participate in the annual Empire State Building Stair Climb. He seems more concerned with this news than the audition.

After dominating the Stair Climb and his audition, Chris has Rod meet with Carla from The Chew to learn how to have his southern soul food in a healthier way.

Phase III: Chris has sent Rod home equipment in hopes that he will make up for Phase II and meet his new goals in order to qualify for skin removal surgery. And he does! Weighing in at 267, two pounds less than his 269 goal. However, the doctor would like to see Rod lose an additional 35 pounds before he will do the surgery. Breaking Rod's heart.

At the final weigh in we see Rod happier and thinner than ever. Admitting that he may have started celebrating early, he does not meet his final goal and is not eligible for the surgery... weighing in at 260 when he needed to be down to 232 or less. But he nor Chris are giving up just yet.

Photo courtesy of ABC