After leaving The Biggest Loser ranch, American Idol veteran Ruben Studdard didn’t leave his hard work behind. He still has his eye on an at-home weight loss win, as well as a far more important prize: his health.
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When Studdard started the show, he weighed 462. He dropped 39 pounds on the ranch, and in an recent interview, he revealed that he’s now lost a total of 104 pounds. Studdard admitted that his four weeks on the ranch was the hardest part.
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“It was 10 times harder than I expected,” Ruben shared. “You know, it wasn’t the working out that was the hard part. It was all the other stuff that goes along with being on the ranch — not being able to talk to your family and that stuff. It’s very mentally challenging. Hopefully I can continue to keep that downward trend going.”
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Studdard: Why His Weight Loss Journey Is Different This Time
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This isn’t the first time the American Idol champ has shed a significant amount of weight. A decade ago, he adopted a vegan diet and lost 100 pounds, but wasn’t able to keep it off. This time, he feels things are different – because he’s different. Studdard’s weight-loss and lifestyle changes have been crucial in managing his health – which is more important than ever before, given his recent diabetes diagnosis.
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“The only cure for that is diet and exercise,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing. The last time I lost weight, I was still young — I was 25,” Studdard explained. “And it really wasn’t as much for me as it was to prove people wrong. This is a lot different. I have a completely different set of circumstances now that affect the way I approach it for my life. So I have to take it a little bit more seriously — not a little bit, a lot more serious.”
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The Most Important Weight Loss Tool: A Positive Attitude
Another positive is that he has a lot of support now. In addition to his friends from The Biggest Loser ranch, Studdard’s family has joined him in his weight-loss efforts.
As Studdard continues along his at-home competition journey, he already considers himself a winner where it counts.
“I’m working hard, but if I don’t win, I’m not going to be disappointed, because I went into the house with one goal — to change the way I thought about healthy living, and I did that.”
