by Gina Scarpa

 

Jeff Nichols had quite a journey this season on The Biggest Loser.  He came to the ranch guarded and closed off to his emotions, and ended up not only opening up but finding love as well.  After up and down weeks on the scale, he dropped 11 pounds in a week to get into the finale.  Up against Danni Allen, he lost an astonishing 181 pounds but lost the $250,000 grand prize by a single pound to Danni.  We caught up with Jeff to talk to him about life after The Biggest Loser, the lessons he's learned, and what he's taken away from it all.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You seemed very guarded when you first came to The Biggest Loser ranch. How did being there, and working with Bob in particular, help you to open up?

A. Jeff: I think I, like alot of people who are overweight , just shut down. It was easier to hold in my emotions and feelings than it was to have others see me as sad AND overweight. Being on the show and working with Bob opened my eyes to the fact of, if I wanted to get better, I had to realize there was a problem, and then fix it.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You have dropped both big and small numbers on the scale throughout your time in the competition. Did you ever figure out what the inconsistency was attributed to?

A. Jeff: There were alot of up and downs for almost all of us on the scale. Danni and Joe are probably the only two who never really saw low numbers and that is largely due to the fact that Danni was a college athlete just a few years ago, and Joe was also a former professional athlete which helped their ability to be more functional on the ranch. When youre dropping 29 lbs in a week, your body gets confused and doesnt know whats going on, so up and down weeks for weight loss is relatively normal.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did that week off the ranch with Jackson help to start prepare you for what life was going to be like at home? What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced.

A. Jeff: The combination of Jackson and I's "mancation" along with makeover week immediately following most definitely prepared me to take the challenge on at home. During my time at home. some of the biggest challenges I faced was just the fact of having the option to go out with friends, or hang out and watch tv versus going to the gym, but I obviously chose going to the gym.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Your relationship with Francelina was such a pleasant surprise this season! When did the romance begin and how is your relationship now?

A. Jeff: I guess you could say the romance began the first week, when we had a talk out by the the pool and just got to learn more about each other. It really took off when she was eliminated and we realized it was going to be very difficult to be apart from one another. The relationship is going great now. I was scared for a little while she was gonna leave me when I didn't win the 250K, but she stuck around. Haha!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You looked amazing at the finale and it's crazy to think that Danni only beat you by a pound. Was that a disappointing loss or did you feel satisfied with everything that's happened to you because of the show?

A. Jeff: The fact that it was LESS than a pound was gut wrenching. I spent a lot of time the first day or so thinking about what else I could have done, or if I left anything on the table, and I can honestly say that I did all I could, and have nothing to be ashamed of. I covered more than 5% that she was ahead of me in just 7 weeks, I lost 181 lbs, I gained a wonderful woman, and I have a whole new life to look forward to. At the end of the day, I may not have walked away with a large check, but there is no one out there who can tell me I didn't win.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Many former Biggest Loser contestants go on to become speakers or trainers. Do you have any aspirations in those fields?

A. Jeff: I definitely hope I can go on to become a motivational speaker. I feel like I have a lot to say and a great story to tell. I just hope other people feel the same and would like to hear it. I would also love to get into fitness, I feel that its going to be important to help maintain my loss and keep the weight off.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What's the best piece of advice that you can pass on from the ranch to people sitting at home?

A. Jeff: The only advice is to start today. Diet and exercise is how we lost the weight and it's exactly how the people at home will do it too. There is no fad drink, no crash diet, no "lose 50 lbs in 50 days" program that will work, purely hard work and dedication. Start small, and then push it farther and faster and always remember that diet is just as, if not more, important than exercise.

 

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

 

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