What a difference! Rachel Frederickson looks happy and healthy 10 months after winning The Biggest Loser weighing 105lbs,She made headlines in February when she won The Biggest Loser weighing in at just 105lbs.
But 10 months later, Rachel Frederickson is looking happy and healthy.
The 24-year-old reflected on the past year in an essay she wrote for Today.com, and also shared a photo of herself looking slim – but not worryingly thin as she did at the time of her big win.
Rachel revealed back in April that she was at her ‘perfect weight’ after gaining 20lbs, and the reality star is definitely maintaining a healthy physique.
She addressed the criticism she received after losing 155lbs on the show – something that led to trainer Jillian Michaels’s exit.
‘When I stood on stage at the live finale, I had never felt stronger,’ Rachel recalled in the essay. ‘I had accomplished everything I wanted to do. I was extremely proud of myself.
‘That moment didn’t last long. Comments during the controversial storm following my weight loss were hurtful. My self-esteem once again was affected by other people's voices — this time, the kind that live forever in Facebook posts or written in the pages of magazines. People tried to bring me down and (privately) succeeded.’
Now that she has reached a healthy weight and the controversy has died down, Rachel has settled into life after the show and is doing great.
‘2014 has been a year full of learning, changing and growing for me,’ she wrote. ‘I’ve been taking college classes, working in voice-over, walking dogs at the local shelter, training for my first marathon, and through my new career at DreamJobbing [a website that aids job search], I’m helping others change their story.’
Rachel, who became overweight after a bad break-up with a boyfriend, added: ‘There will always be other voices in life. The trouble comes when you stop listening to your own.
‘I am committed to trusting my decisions and standing strong behind them. I found strength in this struggle and I am listening to my own voice again!’
Jillian announced in June that she was leaving the show for the third time – and said the following month that it was to do with Rachel’s radical weight loss.
'After Rachel, I had to take a hard look at my work,' the mother-of-two revealed to People. 'I realized that if I am the face of something, if I benefit from it, then I have to take responsibility for the good and the bad. '
And although Rachel worked with trainer Dolvett Quince during the show, Jillian was equally troubled that the network didn't announce plans to prevent future contestants from going to similar extremes.
'I hadn't worked with Rachel, but that's no excuse,' she said. 'I felt ashamed, and I came to the conclusion that moving forward I need to be able to have an impact on the outcome of that I do.'
An NBC spokesperson told People, 'We routinely reevaluate the procedures and support systems in place to makes sure contestants receive the best possible care while on the show, and season 16 is no exception.' The show’s 16th season kicked off in September and will finish on January 29.
