A healthy lifestyle is still a work-in-progress for Biggest Loser’s season nine winner Michael Ventrella. He was the heaviest contestant in the show’s history, and went on to win by losing more weight than any contestant before him. At only 30-years old, he weighed 526 pounds, and won the season by losing 227 pounds for a finale weight of 299 pounds.
With this much focus on the scale numbers, it was striking to learn that Michael doesn’t weigh himself anymore. He says that with the encouragement of his trainer Bob Harper, he now solely relies on inches, and takes measurements of his waist, chest and biceps. He proudly shares that the waist keeps getting smaller, while the arms and chest are getting bigger. He’s not just focused on losing weight these days, but picking up more lean muscle mass.
Checking in with us from the Biggest Loser Resort, where he’s spent the past week, Michael looks happy and fit.
Watch now to learn more about what Michael’s life has been like since leaving Biggest Loser, and what his goals are to ensure he pays it forward.
Michael passionately speaks about his desire to pay forward the blessings in his life and the good fortune he had to be a part of Biggest Loser. He’s focusing on childhood obesity and reversing the epidemic. He tells us how unlike so many other diseases, the cure for this is right in front of us, and it requires education, active lifestyles and healthy diets.
He also raves about how well his mom, and former teammate, Maria Ventrella is doing at home and how at 50-years old she keeps losing more weight and becoming more fit all the time.
“I had no idea that it was this magnificent,” Michael told us about the Biggest Loser Resort. “You can’t help to feel so relaxed and so centered out here.” He even goes on to say that “it’s like being at the ranch times ten!” What does he mean by that? For Biggest Loser contestants, they prepare their own meals, clean their own rooms, do their own dishes, and so on. While at the Resort, all of these tasks are taken care of for you, allowing you to focus on your personal needs.