Sam Rouen was just a teenager when he made the decision to change his life and apply to be on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser 10 years ago.
The 19-year-old was over 300 pounds on his first weigh-in. But after weeks of grueling workouts and an overhaul in his eating, Sam came out on top and won the show that year.
Unlike other competitors like Ali Vincent, the first female winner of the US version, Sam kept the weight off throughout the years.
It helped that his dream of becoming a firefighter came true and he was forced to stay in shape because of the demands of the job.
Many years after being on the show, Sam uploaded a "before" and "after" photo of himself showing how drastically different he looks. "10 years hey. What a time," he wrote. "So much has happened, good, bad, everything between."
Keep scrolling to see his "before" and "after" photos.
Sam Rouen was 19 years old when he competed on the third season of Australia's The Biggest Loser in 2008.
He won the show by losing the most weight, coming out first at 182 pounds.
He weighed 339 pounds when he started his time on the popular reality television show.
Sam, like many contestants on the show, made it his mission to keep the weight off by changing his lifestyle.
Sam is now 29, and he posted a shocking "before" and "after" photo.
He wrote:
Wasn’t sure if I was going to do this post….. however. 10 years hey. What a time. So much has happened, good, bad, everything between. Highest highs and lowest lows. All I know is I’ve got some amazing people in my corner and I’m unconditionally appreciative of that.
Sam has been successful in keeping the weight off for an amazing 10 years. Now, he's posing in steamy firefighter calendars and showing off his chiseled body.
Sam stays in shape by running and going to the gym.
“I’m addicted to working out now, I definitely love running and working out with my brother," he told Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph. "I play a bit of sport to stay in shape and also work out in the gym."
Since Sam is a firefighter, he needs to stay on top of his workouts and eat healthy.
However, Sam admits that after years of being overweight, he still gets self-conscious.
“I still don’t like taking my shirt off — even at the beach,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
Sam also said he didn't get bullied too badly when he was in school and attributes it to his friends.
“I was pretty lucky in high school and had a good group of friends who were really supportive, so it was never too bad then,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“You can be at your lowest point and, with a bit of hard work and persistence, you can turn it around and fulfill your dreams," he said.
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