★FitStars: Biggest Loser Season 11 Contestant Courtney Crozier

Look at Courtney Crozier now! © NBC Universal, Inc. Trae Patton/NBC 2011

Every season of The Biggest Loser, we seem to have a favorite contestant. And while there were a lot of awesome people (talking to you, purple team) on last season, we have to give it to Courtney Crozier who won us over with her sweetness, infectious energy and tenacity week after week. (In case you need more of a refresher, Courtney is the one who lost 120 pounds before even getting on The Biggest Loser, and then lost a whopping 110 more pounds while at the ranch.)

Nowadays, Courtney is still getting her healthy on, writing and holding a weekly challenge for Diets in Review. We recently caught up with her to see how life is after The Biggest Loser, and get the inside scoop on what her time on the ranch was like. We also get her to open up her dating life and plans for the future—read on, FBGs, read on!

An Interview With Biggest Loser Contestant Courtney Crozier

• FBG: How has your life changed since being on The Biggest Loser?
• CC: Life could not be better! I’ve always said, even at 435 pounds, I’ve lived a HAPPY life. But I knew it could always be better. I always envisioned life at a “normal” size, but never, ever thought I could get there. The moment I started believing I could get there, which was long before being on the show, I didn’t look back. Today, less than two years later and 230 pounds shed, I’ve gained my entire life back. I feel so good, and life is even more beautiful than it was before! I don’t have to worry about everyday things that “normal” people take for granted. Imagine having to live your life worrying about what table you will sit at when you go to a restaurant or whether or not you are going to break your bed. Constant worries are no longer. I was the girl that thought none of that would ever go away, but it has. ANYONE can do it if you want it bad enough!
• FBG: How is your weight-loss going? Any new goals?
• 

  This was Courtney before! © NBC Universal, Inc. Trae Patton/NBC 2011

  CC: Well, I just had skin removal surgery about a month ago, and they took about 30 pounds of skin off of me! I haven’t weighed myself since then for a couple of reasons. One, I’m still a little swollen from surgery and still have some extra fluids in me, and two, my weight at this point is JUST a number and that’s not what matters in the long run. My goals for my journey are to continue to better myself DAILY for the rest of my life. As long as I know I’m doing all I can do for my health each day plus some, I am content. I’m not telling people to not weigh yourself because you definitely should, but for me personally, it’s way more about how I feel from the inside out and not letting a number on the scale define me.

• FBG: Amen to that! What does a typical week look like for you in terms of working out and eating right?
• CC: Since having surgery, I am still not cleared to work out yet, but my eating is on point. I have tried really hard to keep my eating right because I know if I splurge too much and can’t work it off, then I’m not doing all that I can do to better myself daily, as I stated before. Before my surgery, I was working out about an hour or two a day. I LOVE running and Spinning, especially Spin classes, and would do that four or five times a week! I always try to find fun ways to implement my workouts into my day! I also do a lot of walking. It’s key to any weight-loss attempt…keep moving! Also, I still write down what I eat (food journal) because it keeps me accountable! It’s so important to do if you are trying to lose weight or just live a healthy lifestyle!
• FBG: What was the biggest lesson you learned on The Biggest Loser? Off the show?
• CC: The biggest thing I learned both on AND off the ranch was that I never, ever needed the ranch to lose my weight. Luckily, I learned that before I went on the show, which is why I was never afraid to go home and why I was at peace when I did go home. I knew that I could do it. Bottom line is that even if you are on the most popular weight-loss show on TV and you have the best trainers in the world, if it’s not coming from WITHIN you—from in your own mind that you want to change—then none of that will matter. That is why so many people from reality weight-loss shows gain their weight back and then some because they weren’t really ready to change, but knew they had to answer to millions. Start believing in yourself now…TODAY. Never wait for anyone else to tell you can do it. Want it, believe it and do it. I did and you can, too!
• FBG: You recently started working with Diets in Review for summer challenges. How has this experience been?
• CC: I absolutely LOVE working with Diets in Review! It has been so much fun to challenge people each week to make small changes in their lives to be healthier. The challenges are so simple, but can help in so many ways physically, mentally and emotionally! I love what Diets In Review stands for and love being a part of their awesome cause to better people’s lives! I hope to be a part of their mission and their site for years to come!
  

  Courtney is so stinkin' cute! © NBC Universal, Inc. Trae Patton/NBC 2011

• FBG: Tell us more about why you wanted to have skin-removal surgery. What was that experience like and how has it changed how you feel about yourself?
• CC: Truly, it has been one of the best things I’ve ever done besides lose the weight. It is like the icing on the sugar-free cake! When I first got out of surgery and looked down and saw my flat tummy, there was no better feeling I’ve ever had. I worked so hard to get where I was before surgery but still felt “fat” because of the skin. I still have remaining skin that will be taken care of during my second and final surgery, but I feel so much better on the outside about myself, too. I would recommend the surgery to anyone who it is NECESSARY for. If you’ve lost a massive amount of weight, it will change you even more than you can imagine.
• FBG: A little birdie told us that you’re dating someone…how’s that going? And did your shared TV experience help you two connect?
• CC: Yes! I am dating Alex Respess from Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (EMWLE). Everything is going great! We actually met during finalists week of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition back in January 2010. I was a finalist for that show before making it on The Biggest Loser. He made EMWLE, I made BL, but we remained the best of friends throughout the whole process. We Skyped or talked on the phone daily and told each other everything. Once the craziness of the shows was over, we decided to take it to the next level. We really enjoy each other’s company, and he makes my happiness and my life even bigger and brighter than it would be if I was single. I am truly blessed to have this amazing man in my life. He’s a keeper for sure! We took different paths to get to where we are now, came together and will continue to keep each other accountable throughout the rest of our lives. There is never a finish line, and it’s nice to have someone to share this ride with…especially someone who understands first hand!
• FBG: What’s next for you?
• CC: I am in the process of starting a not-for-profit for young kids and young adults. It’s in the works right now but stay tuned! I want to be able to pay forward all that I have learned, overcome and accomplished throughout the past two years to those who need and want the help!
• FBG: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
  

  Courtney at The Biggest Loser finale! © NBC Universal, Inc. Trae Patton/NBC 2011

• CC: Be yourself because everyone else is taken! Jillian would always say that to us girls during our workouts. It’s so true, too. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else out there. Love you for you, believe in you, and you can do anything. Period.
• FBG: What advice can you give our Fit Bottomed Girls readers who are looking to lose weight?
• CC: I tell everyone this, but always remember that it might take you a while to change your body on the outside, but it only takes ONE SPLIT SECOND to change your MIND! And when you do that, your entire life will change for the better. I haven’t looked back a day since I changed my mind. Yes, there are always ups and downs, and you will have rough days, weeks and maybe even months. But don’t ever let those times get the best of you again. Get back up and keep fighting! You can get through anything if you want it bad enough. That is a 100-percent proven fact. Also, never, ever let a number define you! You will have weeks you work soooo hard and won’t lose a dang pound. Ask yourself if you’ve done all you could that week and how you FEEL on the inside. As long as you know you did your best, that’s what matters! Keep pushing, and the numbers are sure to go down again. Love yourself from the inside out!
• FBG: If you could train with Bob or Jillian for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
• CC: Wow, what a hard question! I love Bob and Jillian equally (and I love Brett, too!). Bob’s workouts are actually harder than Jillian’s and always last FOREVER. Jillian knows how to push you to limits you would never think you could get to. If I was going to Spin every day, I would choose Bob because there is NOTHING like his Spin class! But I think I would choose Jill for an everyday workout so I can be pushed to my absolute limits and beyond!
• FBG: Anything else?
• CC: Just to remember that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are, what your life looks like, what struggles you may be going through, how much you weigh, what your struggle in life is…just remember that it all starts and ends with your MIND! Have a strong mind, and you can do absolutely anything. No excuses! I wish everyone reading this the very best of luck in life, love and being the best version of yourself!

See what we mean? We love her! Want to chat with Courtney yourself? Of course you do! On Tuesday, Sept. 6, she’ll be holding a special live Yackit event to answer your questions and discuss all things health and wellness! Attend! —Jenn