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I have been watching an episode of the Biggest Loser on makeover night where all the contestants get new hairstyles, outfits and get to show off their new bodies in front of their friends and family on a catwalk.

The changes

Without fail every contestant looks dramatically different to their original style and shape. Many of them have lost bucketloads of weight in the vicinity of 40-45 kilos. It’s a very emotional time for the contestants as well as the trainers. Both are grateful to the other and have received something of value from the relationship bond between them.

However by far the biggest change in the contestants is not an external one – as dramatic as that is. It’s the internal change. Every single contestant describes their ‘before’ life in graphic terms - ashamed, no self-esteem, broken, lost soul, life squashed out of them, had lost the urge to live. Sounds pretty dark doesn’t it? And when looking at photos of their ‘before’ shots, they often say, “I don’t know that person anymore,” and “I’m never going back” as they wipe their tears and thank their trainers for ‘giving me my life back’.

My story

I know what it’s like to be obese, embarrassed and ashamed of my size. A few years back, at well over triple figures I stopped weighing myself because it was too depressing. I used to buy my clothes from ‘fat lady shops’ and often wore black because it’s supposed to be slimming. I can testify to feeling many of those words that the Biggest Loser contestants use to describe their ‘before’ life.

It took me longer than a few Biggest Loser episodes, but I also identify with their ‘after’ feelings of being much more confident, thankful to those who helped them, full of self-esteem, with the feeling of ‘having my life back’. Plus, I’m never going back! I don’t have many ‘fat photos’ of myself, because I used to avoid having my photo taken. But the ones I do have I treasure because they remind me how far I’ve come. I could not look at them in my ‘before’ state, but I can now because I am no longer that person and looking at them only causes me pride by comparison.

When I started this journey I had no concept of the powerful benefits I would gain – not just physically, but psychologically. I think what I’m trying to describe is the improvement in my relationship with myself. My attitude toward me. Nothing can take the place of that.

How about you? Have you experienced anything that has boosted your self-worth? Ever re-discovered your own identity and liked what you found? Ever felt such rewards? Click ‘here’ and share your story.