In this 2008 image released by the Milk Processor Education Program, Ali Vincent is shown in the latest "got milk" print advertisement. (AP)
Ali Vincent lost 112 pounds to become the first female winner of The Biggest Loser in 2008, and even continued her "fitness journey" in another reality show that aired between 2011 and 2014, E! reports.
But today Vincent, who weighed 234 pounds when she started The Biggest Loser, has gained back most of the weight, she in a video from Oprah Winfrey's OWN series "Where Are They Now?" She says she had been "hiding" for a while, "ashamed and embarrassed," especially because people sometimes made comments about her weight—but on April 15, the anniversary of her reality show win, she decided to write a brutally honest Facebook post about her experience that has gotten a lot of attention.
In the post, Vincent revealed that she joined Weight Watchers this month (Winfrey has a stake in Weight Watchers) and was devastated at her weigh-in: "I swore I would never be there again, be here again. I couldn’t imagine a day again that I would weigh over 200 pounds." But, she continued, "I’ve decided to feel proud of myself again! To hell with shame! I’ve been so afraid and worried of public shame and ridicule that I’ve created more pain for myself than anyone else can but not anymore." She invited followers to come on the weight-loss journey with her, and she says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"We are all human and here, eight years later, I am going to cheer you on again," reads one typical comment to her Facebook post.
(A Biggest Loser contestant was once sued for gaining weight.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: Biggest Loser Winner Regained the Weight: 'To Hell With Shame!'
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