Network 10
A former star of The Biggest Loser has revealed the truth about the transformation he went through on the hit TV show.
Sam Rouen was one of the show’s most staggering success stories – dropping a whopping 72 kilos during his stint in 2008.
He entered the show weighing, aged 19, weighing 154 kilograms, before stunning viewers with his remarkable weightloss journey.
Sam went on to become “addicted” to working out and even bared his impressive abs in the Australian Firefighters Calendar.
Now, as Netflix shines a light on what went on behind the scenes of The Biggest Loser in its docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, Sam has broken his silence to share the truth about his transformation.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Sam explained that contestants on the show had a nutritionist on hand to review their eating habits, and they had to “document and fill out” what they were eating each day.
“There were concerns for me at one point because I am a picky eater,” the former reality star admitted. “I didn’t have a lot I was comfortable eating, so early on I was eating on the lower side of things.
“It took me a while to find the foods that fit into the healthy eating plan and worked.”
Sam also shared that in “the early stages” some contestants would restrict how much water they were drinking, “but you need to be replenishing your body,” he explained.
Talking about the gruelling workouts he would do, he said he would do “an hour before and an hour after production” which meant working out for “three hours a day”.
Despite the epic challenge, Sam revealed he had no regrets about appearing on the show.
“I know some people felt generally traumatised from their experience, and I try to have empathy, but mine was all positive,” he explained.
“I hated the idea of standing in bike shorts and the weigh-ins each week, but it was great being able to have the opportunity to change my life and reset my direction.”
It’s not the first time the former reality star has opened up about his TV experience.
In a 2015 interview with the Courier Mail, Sam reflected on how far he’d come.
“It really just seems so long ago, I can’t imagine walking around and living in that body any more,” he said of his life before his weight loss.
“I’m addicted to working out now, I definitely love running and working out with my brother.”
“I play a bit of sport to stay in shape and also work out in the gym.”
Back in 2019 he shared a before and after photo to Instagram, accompanied by a caption reflecting on his journey.
“Eleven years ago today, I stood on a stage and realised that I committed to something,” he wrote.
“It was one of the first times in my life that I put my mind to something, gave it my all and achieved what I wanted.”
In that post, Sam revealed that in the lead up to the show finale he was running “up to 60km a day and eating to a timetabled schedule”.
“I was disciplined,” he wrote. “I proved to myself that I could do what I put my mind to. “I still face demons and challenges but this day empowered me realising my worth and self empowerment.
“I hope that everyone has that opportunity to reflect on themselves, and realise how amazing they are, what they can achieve and what they are worth,” he concluded.
