The Biggest Loser Winners: Where Are They Now? Shocking 2024 Updates On Weight Gain, Failure, And Long-Term Success

The Biggest Loser captured millions of viewers worldwide with its dramatic transformations, intense challenges, and inspiring stories of contestants battling obesity for a life-changing prize. It was a cultural phenomenon that ran for 17 seasons on NBC and was later rebooted in 2020. However, the true measure of success isn't the final weigh-in, but the long-term maintenance of that weight loss—a journey that has proven to be far more complex and often heartbreaking for many of its champions. As of December 2025, the stories of these winners continue to evolve, revealing the harsh realities of extreme dieting and the metabolic challenges that follow.

This deep dive explores the lives of the most memorable and recent Biggest Loser winners, from the very first champion to the latest reboot success story, detailing their current status, careers, and the brutal truth about their weight maintenance journey years after the confetti fell. The reality of keeping the weight off has led many to speak out, with some claiming the show set them up for failure.

The Complete List of Biggest Loser Winners and Their Current Status (2025)

The show has crowned 18 winners across its original run and the 2020 reboot. Their stories are a tapestry of incredible determination, public scrutiny, and the ongoing fight against metabolic adaptation. Below is a detailed look at some of the most prominent champions, including their starting point, final weight, and current life updates.

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• Season 1 (2004): Ryan Benson
  • Starting Weight: 330 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 208 lbs. (Lost 122 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Ryan has been vocal about his struggles with weight regain and the show's methods. In August 2024, he told PEOPLE, "They were setting us up to fail," a stark admission about the extreme weight loss pace. He has since focused on a more sustainable, balanced lifestyle.
• Season 3 (2006): Erik Chopin
  • Starting Weight: 407 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 193 lbs. (Lost 214 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Erik's story is one of the most honest depictions of the struggle. He regained a significant amount of weight, which was documented in a follow-up special. He now works as a motivational speaker, using his journey to discuss the psychological and physiological complexities of weight loss maintenance.
• Season 5 (2008): Ali Vincent
  • Starting Weight: 234 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 122 lbs. (Lost 112 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Ali made history as the first female winner of the show. She has been open about regaining weight, stating in 2016 that she had put back on 37 pounds. She is now a spinning instructor and continues to advocate for a healthy, active lifestyle, focusing on fitness over a number on the scale.
• Season 11 (2011): Olivia Ward
  • Starting Weight: 261 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 129 lbs. (Lost 132 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Olivia's post-show life has been a major success story. She became a certified trainer and a motivational speaker. She has successfully maintained her weight loss, attributing her success to a focus on fitness and a healthy marriage.
• Season 15 (2014): Rachel Frederickson
  • Starting Weight: 260 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 105 lbs. (Lost 155 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Rachel's win was one of the show's most controversial moments due to her extremely low final weight, sparking a major public debate about the show's methods. She has since found a more balanced approach to health and is a voice-over artist and marathon runner. Her journey was recently highlighted again with the release of the Netflix documentary, Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser.
• Reboot Winner (2020): Jim DiBattista
  • Starting Weight: 385 lbs.
  • Winning Weight: 245 lbs. (Lost 140 lbs.)
  • Current Status: Known as "The Football Coach," Jim is the most recent winner. He continues to be a vocal advocate for healthy living and uses his platform to inspire others, representing the new era of the show focused on overall wellness.

The Shocking Reality of Weight Regain and Metabolic Slowdown

The initial euphoria of winning The Biggest Loser often gives way to a harsh, scientific reality: metabolic adaptation. This phenomenon, which has been extensively studied, explains why many winners struggle with weight maintenance.

After rapid, extreme weight loss, the body's metabolism slows down significantly in an effort to conserve energy, making it incredibly difficult to keep the weight off. Contestants' bodies essentially become more efficient at storing calories.

A landmark 2016 study published in the journal Obesity tracked 14 former contestants, including Season 3 winner Erik Chopin, for six years. The research found that their resting metabolic rates remained significantly lower than expected, meaning they had to eat hundreds of fewer calories per day just to maintain their new weight compared to a person who had never been obese.

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This scientific finding provides a crucial context for the weight regain stories, shifting the narrative from a lack of willpower to a genuine physiological battle. The extreme weight loss tactics, including intense, hours-long exercise sessions and severely restricted calories, were not sustainable long-term strategies.

The Long-Term Success Stories and Key Takeaways

Despite the scientific challenges and the controversies, a number of Biggest Loser champions have managed to maintain their healthier lifestyles, offering valuable insights into sustainable weight management. Their success hinges on shifting their focus from the scale to overall wellness, fitness, and mental health.

Olivia Ward (Season 11) is frequently cited as a major success story. Her approach involved a career change, becoming a fitness professional, which embedded healthy habits into her daily life. Her sister, Hannah Curlee, who was also a finalist, shares a similar story of long-term maintenance.

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Patrick House (Season 10) is another winner who has focused on building muscle and now works with overweight teens, demonstrating a commitment to a life of service and health advocacy. He has only gained back a small fraction of his lost weight, a testament to his dedication.

Key entities and LSI keywords for long-term success include:

• Metabolic Adaptation: Acknowledging the need for fewer calories than average.
• Lifestyle Change: Integrating fitness into a career or daily routine, moving beyond temporary dieting.
• Community Support: Utilizing a strong support system of family, friends, and fellow contestants (like Matt Hoover and Suzy Preston, who married after the show).
• Mental Health: Addressing the psychological roots of emotional eating, which is often neglected in the show's format.
• Sustainable Fitness: Focusing on activities like running (Rachel Frederickson) or spinning (Ali Vincent) that they genuinely enjoy.

The journey of The Biggest Loser winners serves as a powerful, real-world case study. It highlights the incredible potential for human transformation while simultaneously exposing the biological and psychological complexities of obesity. The current updates from 2025 demonstrate that winning the show is just the first, and perhaps easiest, step in a lifelong commitment to health. Their stories are a vital reminder that sustainable health is a marathon, not a sprint, and requires a holistic approach that respects the body's powerful biology.