When Erik Chopin shed more than 200 pounds to become the winner of 2006's Biggest Loser, he was eager to start his new life. Unfortunately, his new life included gaining nearly every pound back. (Watch clip above.)
"After about a year and half, I started to put the weight on," says Chopin, who originally weighed 407 pounds before dropping to 193 pounds on the show's finale.
Less than two years later, the deli owner from West Islip, New York, had gained back 175 pounds.
"I got back to 368 pounds," he says. "In my head, it sounds almost the same [as my starting weight]."
So when the husband and father of three — who cites procrastination and overeating as some of the reasons for his weight gain — was featured on a Biggest Loser "Where Are They Now?" special that aired in November, he decided to give himself a second chance.
His motivation? Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper's challenge to have Chopin weigh in "on that big scale" at the NBC show's May Season 9 finale.
"I had mixed feelings about that … He got me on camera, and I wasn't going to punk out!" he recalls. "In the back of my mind, I said, 'This can't hurt.' It'll motivate me that much more to get myself back together, so I accepted his challenge."
His first step to winning his weight loss battle was buying a scale.
"I hadn't seen my weight in a long time," he admits. "My scale was broken, and I wasn't that upset about it because I didn't want to find out what I weighed."
To showcase his weight loss journey, Chopin filmed a one-hour Discovery Health documentary called Confessions of a Reality Show Loser.
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The documentary, which premiered last week, is airing again on Discovery Health. To tune in, check your local listings.
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