‘Biggest Loser’ winner says he’s “at risk” for gaining all the weight back

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‘The Biggest Loser’ Season 12 winner John Rhode says he wasn’t hurt to learn that trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince believe he’s at risk for gaining back all the 220 pounds he lost to win the show.

That’s because he agrees with them.

‘I am at risk, I’m frightened about that,’ he said during a media conference call today. He added that he was not insulted by their comments, and is actually grateful because it will help keep him grounded in reality. ‘I need to be aware of that... That’s a possiblity.’

Photos: Before and after: ‘Biggest Loser’ Season 12 contestants

But he said he plans to use everything he learned at the ranch to keep that from happening.

He started at 445 pounds, and now weighs 225 pounds. He lost 220 pounds, or 49.44% of his body weight. Right now, he’s training to run the Los Angeles Marathon in March. Then, he plans to set a new goal that will help him continue to keep his weight and calories in check.

And, if he needs it, he will reach out for help.

‘I want to take this day by day,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’ve got the answers to everything.’

He said his time at the ranch helped him to learn that he struggled with control issues because he did not trust himself. (‘Ultimately I found out the person I trusted the least was myself.’) He said he also realized that he is a stone-cold food addict. ‘’Yeah, I’ve got a food addiction and yeah, I could put the weight back on.’

He says he believes he can meet with success if he continues to ‘See food for what it is -- see food as fuel.’

‘Food is not a reward,’ he said. If he finds himself eating because he’s bored or stressed, then he knows something it wrong.

He said he hopes he can use his new title and his new insights to help other people stuggling with their weight. ‘I have prayed for this opportunity, and I have been given it and I want to make the most of this opportunity as I can.’

As for the prize money, he says he plans to buy his wife a new car -- well, actually, a used car or, as he put it, ‘a new to her car’ and pay off a few other expenses. But he mostly plans to put the money away for a rainy day.

So what do you think about John Rhode as your ‘Biggest Loser’ winner? Do you find his story inspirational? Some viewers (and competitors) felt like he had too-sharp elbows. Will that hurt him in his endeavors to become a motivational speaker? And finally, did he give proper credit to Dolvett Quince, who bared his own soul in order to help John save his? If you look at the comments on my earlier post, several readers took John to task for failing to properly thank the trainer.

And speaking of Dolvett: He’s due a sprinkling of confetti too, for delivering a winner in his first turn on the show. Congratulations!

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--Rene Lynch
Twitter / renelynch