This biggest loser contestant didn’t win, but lost big
Jessica Delfs
Jessica Delfs
Name: Jessica Delfs
Age: 27
Resides: Tucson
“Who knew life could change so drastically in six months. I’m so excited for the next chapter in life now. Who’s coming with me?”
Background: For most of her life Jessica Delfs battled with her weight, but food provided comfort for her and the emotional battles she was fighting, which included a rocky relationship with her mother and a sexual assault that she kept secret. She had lap-band surgery hoping it would help her lose weight and allow her to do the things she longed to do, like travel and date.
The Challenge: At only 23 years of age, Delfs tipped the scale at 385 pounds. The surgery helped her lose 100 pounds, but for three years the scale didn’t budge. Everything she had done to lose that weight had stopped working.
The Turning Point: In 2009, Delfs saw an ad on NBC’s website for an open call for Biggest Loser in Phoenix, and she decided to attend. She made it through the casting process, and was placed on the Red Team in season 10. Her starting weight on the show was 282 pounds, and she spent nine weeks on the Biggest Loser Ranch. After being voted off, she continued her weight-loss journey in hopes of winning the “At-Home Prize” of $100,000. Though she lost 92 pounds during her time on the show, she fell short of the prize. Still, she considers herself a winner, having lost more than 200 pounds since the start of her journey.
Staying Motivated: “I have found a new love of spinning, hiking and running,” Delfs says on her Facebook page. She’s learned a new way of living, has faced her past and is mending her emotional scars—she and her mom have healed their relationship. She wants to continue with this happy and healthy lifestyle.
Goals: Delfs and other Season 10 contestants have formed BL360, a group designed to give deserving families the opportunity to live the “Biggest Loser” lifestyle at no cost to them. One or two events per month will be offered at big universities around the country and they will include 12 consecutive one-hour spin classes with a live DJ and club lights. “It’s going to be off the chain,” Delfs says. “It’s going to be insane.” One person from each event will be awarded a trip to the Biggest Loser Ranch in June and other tools to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle. “I can say ‘I know where some of you have been,’” says Delfs. “I’m excited about life now. The fight is so worth it. I want to be there to help whomever I can.”
