Michael Ventrella started off the heaviest contestant in the show's nine season history, weighing in at 526 pounds. The 30-year-old DJ from Chicago, Ill., who lost more than 50 percent of his body weight, shattered a number of weight-loss records. "I had to save my life," he says. "Now I know that the sky is the limit."
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comHeaviest contestant ever wins 'Loser'
Seeded on Wed May 26, 2010 12:48 AM EDT (msnbc.com)
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Good job to all the cast...it was the heaviest ever.
They should change the formula and weigh people in water so that people who lose muscle can't have an advantage. It's not just weight loss, although that is impressive. It's fitness and ratio of fat, and the distribution of the fat that is there.
I'm also concerned about how it will go with bigger people on. I have trained friends (who suggested I should do it professionally) and I'm a whole lot more careful of people than they seem to be on the show. I'd hate to see a disaster happen. I'm more in favor of a balance between hiking, cycling and weight work, with cycling being my favorite for long sessions. It's also a good way to exercise when it's warmer because you have the wind just from moving.
I carry chemical cold packs and a jug of ethyl alcohol for emergency heat stroke when it's warm. Fat people have a harder time dumping heat than thin people. Heat stroke in a big person is worse than in a thin one, and it's no joke in a thin person. If it hits, you have literally minutes to get their head cool by icing their neck and head, get their shoes and shirt off and get them in the shade while you cool them with alcohol. That's why pro football teams have tubs out by the field with icewater in them to cool off their big men. By the time an ambulance arrives, it's over, the brain got cooked.
Well, how cool is that?! But let's be honest, these people worked out for about 8 hours a day (with doctors within steps of them at all times), but how many people have that time? I understand that the show has a limited number of episodes before a season-ender so for A SHOW, it's justifiable, but for everyone else, we have to think about the long-term. Exercising regularly and changing the diet, via doctor's recommendations, is the only way and it has to go on, like, forever. Not just two shakes a day and a sensible meal. If you don't like what you're eating, you're not going to stick to it. One doctor told me to eat what I wanted, but much smaller portions and lots of water. About halfway through my weightloss I started CHOOSING healthier things and found I could eat more of them. Now, the bakery is a faint memory and I don't miss it! Sorry Sara Lee! :-)
The impressive ones are those that have to continue on their own at home and still manage to take off the huge amounts of weight. Those are the ones that should be motivation. Sure, they have some help but nothing like the ones on campus have.
I love the show, but definitely don't think it's the best way to lose and keep off excess weight. You have to make a lifestyle change. Whatever you do, you have to do it for LIFE, or you'll be right back where you started. That means eating more vegetables and fruits, fewer fats and smaller portions, as well as exercising for the rest of your life. Until you can make that commitment, all the weight-loss programs in the world won't work for long.
And Koli lost 188 lbs. to win the consolation prize, but that was 46.65 percent of his body weight, not 53+ percent. He started at 403 lbs. Still impressive, but not more than half.
Congrats to the many people who have been on the show and become "losers"! Stay healthy and Bravo!
They all did a great job. When it came down to the final 3 I really wanted Ashley or Darius to win. There is something about Michael that is not quite right (I can't put my finger on it for sure but something about him is not normal)
After he lost all of his weight I suddenly got that feeling too. He is way too close to his mom and I heard no mention of any women in his life...ever. He may be gay and just doesn't want to discuss his personal life which is fine and he shouldn't have to. His outfit sort of gave it away for me, the whole italian, studly, chain around the neck gave me the creeps. Anyway, I hope he can keep the weight off now and continue his success.
When you are over 500lbs it's likely that your mom is the only woman in your life.
It's the skull bucke ;-) Definately not quite right! I really wanted ONeal to win, oh well.
Ashley Johnston................CONGRATS................AWESOME
I'm still pissed that Tara didn't win last season!
me too!
There's hope for fat Americans yet!
Why is your headline for the Dancing With the Stars finale "SPOILER - And the winner is....." and your headline for Biggest Loser is Heaviest Man Wins? You are giving away the winner! I had to stop watching last night to put my kids to bed. Thanks for ruining it for me. Maybe I should change my news page ?
Thank you MSNBC for spoiling the finale of a show AGAIN!!! I'll be changing my homepage to another news site.
scarlettohara, I agree, most people don't have the luxury of having hours a day to work out. My concern is, if their bodies get used to being worked out so drastically and for such long periods of time, won't they start putting on weight and losing muscle tone if they cut down their workout time to say, 1 hour every other day? I really have to wonder how many people stick to these workouts and diets after the show as well, as many seem to be miserable on TV, so maybe their only motivation was to win the prize and they plan to slack off once the cameras are no longer on them.
I'm just glad his horrible hair looks better. His hair was disgusting. Daris's hair is just a lost cause.
Thanks for the spoiler, MSNBC, IN THE FREAKING HEADLINE. In an age where DVRs are the norm, it is just a jerk move to not even give people the option to try to avoid the information for a day... you ruined the whole experience for me by putting the news in the headline and emailing to me, where I could not avoid seeing it. Why couldn't you have just had a headline that let us know the story was about the biggest loser winner without saying who that winner was?
As an online media company, you should already know this stuff.
Koli was ROBBED! I mean, come on - he beat Michael by 3%!!! That is a HUGE amount (no pun intended)! Both are to be commended of course. All of the top contenders made amazing transformations. But Koli should have won the $250K, not the $100K. He was cheated out of $150K.
I agree. It is "the biggest loser"... Not a popularity contest. The biggest loser was Koli. All this calling in and voting is stupid. If they want it to be "You Choose Biggest Loser", then they should call it that. Koli was cheated out of the top money.
The only think I don't like about this whole show, is it is MAJOR dieting - which just never works long-term. Saw previous seasons winner or runner up on a talk show recently. Has gained almost all the weight back, and will likely end up heavier than when was on the show.