NBC's hit show, "The Biggest Loser", crowned their champion last week. The winner was 26-year old Dannielle "Danni" Allen, who lost over 100 pounds while on the reality television weight loss show.
Weighing 258 pounds before the show, Allen said she struggled from "poor nutritional choices".
"This was a culmination of poor nutritional choices and lack of appropriate exercise," she told the Huffington Post. "I think I tricked myself before, saying I was eating healthy foods like fruits and whole grains. The problem was I was eating portions that were huge! The biggest problem of all was my mental state. I wasn't a girl who believed in herself; I was a book of excuses and never thought I could really do it."
Allen said her father was the inspiration to change her life.
"My dad ended up in the hospital in February 2012. I got the dreaded call that said the whole family should come in," she said. "It was the worst moment of my life, thinking I was going to lose my father. By some miracle, something turned it all around and my dad made a full recovery. We celebrated his 50th birthday in the hospital -- that was when I knew I had to change. I wanted 50 to be the halfway point in my life, and if I didn't change my habits, I too would be spending my 50th birthday in the hospital. NO MORE!"
However, her final weigh in at 137 pounds did not come easy.
"Jillian Michaels kicked my butt! Mentally and physically!" Allen said. "The first thing she taught me was I needed to get my head strong, otherwise I would stand no chance at success with my weight. We really worked on getting me mentally tough! Once I had that down, the sky was the limit! I was able to track my daily intake and calorie burn with my BodyMedia.
"There was no need for me to do any counting, it did it for me," she said. "Now, I feel I can dream again. I am going 'Forest Gump' on the nation, running across America. My biggest run will be the Chicago Marathon 2013! I want to do and try everything! The sky is the limit!"
