Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/48724
Five years ago, & marty wolff amy "The Biggest Loser." the couple have found a way to put life in balance were looking to lose weight on Today, By Sara Forster Amy Hildreth Wolff isn't shy about admitting it: The bubbly cor- porate saleswoman has battled the scale her entire life. "I just kept getting bigger and bigger," she says honestly. It was when she hit 260 pounds that she knew it was time to make big changes—but in order to change, she needed big help. When "The Biggest Loser," the primetime television competi- tion in which contestants work with personal trainers to drop mega pounds, announced an open casting call in her area, Amy leapt at the opportunity. Driving four hours from her home in Baltimore, Md., she joined 1,200 others hoping to nab a coveted spot on the show. After a grueling series of interviews she was selected as one of 50 people to represent their states of residence on the 2006 season. Amy packed her bags and prepared to kiss her old life—and ex- tra weight—goodbye. Today she looks back on how much has changed—and not just physically. While the experience helped her reach a healthy weight, it also led her in unexpected directions, in- troducing her to Marty Wolff, the fellow contestant who later be- came her husband, while showing them both what it takes to find the truth balance that leads to a healthy life. To earn their coveted spots on "The Biggest Loser" contestants had to leave home unsure if they would be away for two weeks or six months. For some, the stay didn't last long; even before the com- petition began filming, the 50 contestants were whittled down to just 14. As filming began and the final contestants were put into two teams, bonds formed quickly. "My team was tight from the get go," says Amy. "We relied on each other to get through." Marty, an amiable teacher from Missouri, was one of the seven members of Amy's team. The pair quickly became friends, cheering each other on through the grueling workout regimen (including six- hour exercise sessions in the gym) that became their new reality. "Imagine you are 400 pounds and they drop you in the middle of a military boot camp; it is that intense," Marty explains. "All day long they hover over you, [you're] crying and puking and sweating, and when you are about to fail, they bring a camera in your face and you miraculously do 100 more." "It was brutal," says Amy. "At the end of that first day I thought, 'what did I get myself into?'" November 2011 bravamagazine.com 55