Happy, healthy and confident, that’s the Jessica Delfs who left the Biggest Loser last night. Nine brief weeks changed this 26-year-old woman inside out. She started at 282 pounds, and left 55 pounds lighter, working hard for every pound lost. Since going home, she’s down to about 200 pounds, and still giving it her all each day.
Her elimination came just one week shy of making it to the coveted “makeover week,” so her first stop before heading home was to the salon. Jessica treated herself to a mini makeover. She trimmed her long, gorgeous locks, which produced two 12-inch pieces of hair that she donated to Locks of Love, as part of this season’s theme to pay it forward. When asked if she weighed it to see if would have made a difference on the scale, she laughed and replied “no.”
We spoke with Jessica about what her diet looks like at home, which she says is very low calorie and low sodium. She also talks to us about her favorite moment this season, the one she says made her feel “the most accomplished and proud.” Listen now:
Jessica says much of her weight issues came following a sexual assault. Within the year of that event she gained 85 pounds, what she calls a subconscious effort to gain weight so that she would deter men.
“In my heart of hearts, no man would want an overweight woman,” she says as part of this subconscious attempt to become less sexually desirable. Her time at the ranch helped Jessica deal with the hurt and pain of that experience and she proudly says “I don’t have that burden” any longer.
For Jessica, she’s excited about her “new body, new confidence and new life.”
It doesn’t appear that that new life has a steady romance in it, although Jessica sounds open to the possibility. For those who were waiting to hear about a Jesse/Jessica love story, you’ll have to keep waiting. Many fans this season called this pair “the new Bernie and Brittany,” and just like those two left our love hopes dashed, it appears J&J are doing it, too.
“Jesse and I are great friends. We were best friends from the beginning and really did help each other and encourage each other,” she says about him. “There’s no romance, but we’re still best friends.”
