Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Skye Borgman, Netflix’s ‘Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser’ is a documentary series exploring what the individuals involved in the show state transpired behind the scenes of the original NBC show. In other words, it underscores the good, the bad, and the ugly of the now-canceled program to depict how every contestant only ever wanted to be treated well, no matter how their journey panned out. Amongst those to really drive this point home is Tracey Yukich, who first came across our screens at the age of 37 in 2009 as a participant of ‘The Biggest Loser: Second Chances.’
Tracey Yukich Turned Things Around After Almost Losing Her Life
As a native of coastal North Carolina, Tracey Yukich grew up spending the majority of her time with loved ones in the beautiful outdoors, resulting in her having a rather active lifestyle. This continued even as she attended college and kick-started her career in both food and retail industries, only for everything to turn upside down when she decided to start a family with her husband. While she hadn’t really struggled with weight before, she went from 113 pounds to more than 250 pounds by the time she had her fourth child and evolved into a stay-at-home mother.
During this period, Tracey tried endless diets and exercise regimens, but none ever stuck in the long run because of her fast-paced lifestyle and her having to focus on her young children. Unfortunately, this went to such an extent that there were points she was binge-eating too – hiding from her family in the bathroom, eating cookies or any other junk at home, all the while also feeling terrible. The fact that her marriage was allegedly far from ideal didn’t help either. She alleged that her then-husband was unfaithful and verbally abusive, but claimed she still naively thought things would get better if she went back to the weight she once was.
That’s why Tracey ultimately auditioned for ‘The Biggest Loser,’ unaware she had long developed rhabdomyolysis, a condition where skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly and goes into the bloodstream. This came to light on day 1 of filming when she collapsed during a 1-mile run, yet she still completed the task before passing out and immediately being rushed to the hospital. The 37-year-old spent two weeks in the hospital after her heart had nearly stopped owing to plaque on it, yet she still returned to the show after confiding in the medical advisor about why this journey was so important to her. The doctor placed restrictions on her exercises, but allowed her to continue because even he saw she needed to learn how to prioritize herself. In the end, she lost a total of 118 pounds.
Tracey Yukich Credits Dr. Robert Huizenga For Helping Her See The Right Path
While the initial consensus seemed to be that Tracey should return home to relax and recover, things changed when she told Dr. Robert Huizenga, Dr. H, about her home life. She hadn’t planned on sharing the details with anyone, but she broke down in the hospital after almost losing her life – she claims she even heard her grandfather’s voice and saw a dark light. Thus, Dr. H allowed her to continue on but made it clear that while she can follow the strict diet all contestants are provided, she is initially to stay far away from any form of exercise. Moreover, he set up meetings with her every few days to check her progress, which she believes saved her in more ways than one.
Tracey admits the entire process helped her not only lose weight but also gain confidence in who she is, what she deserves, and how she wants her real life to actually be like. She claims she also garnered some significant perspective, so although she returned to her family upon being eliminated after 8 weeks before returning for the finale weigh-in, she already knew at that point that her marriage was over. In fact, the footage of her, her husband, and their children together during these episodes is likely the last time they were ever together as a family because she soon filed for divorce. It was difficult, but she knew she had to prioritize herself, especially since it would brighten her up while also enabling her to show up for her children for longer as well as in a much more significant way.
Tracey Yukich Leads a Happy and Healthy Life Today
While Tracey’s weight has fluctuated a bit over the past 16 years, she has managed to keep a lot of the initial weight off thanks to her dedication to leading a healthy lifestyle for no one but herself and her children. The fact that she and Dr. H have also maintained an amicable relationship all this time is also a significant aspect of it – they even ran the Boston marathon together back in 2010. As for this mother of 4’s personal regimen, her priority is a healthy diet, which she follows with exercises in the form of running, cycling, CrossFit, or simple cardio at least a few times a week.
Tracey has since evolved into an Exercise Physiologist at First Health Medical Group, where she helps those with injuries lead a relatively normal life by activating their bodies. She has also grown to be a Motivational Speaker, with her talks primarily focusing on abuse, trauma, weight, fitness, and the significance of self. Her message is that sometimes self-worth is the key to everything.
Coming to Tracey’s personal standing, she is now a happily married family woman based out of Collin County, Texas, where loved ones surround her at every step of the way. She did find love again in a father of two, with whom she tied the knot sometime in the 2010s, meaning she went from being a single mother of 4 to having a blended family of 6 kids – full of affection, care, and laughter. Many of these kids are now adults, but they are a true family in every sense of the term. We should mention that while Tracey has done her best to move forward in life, she still has bad days from time to time, owing to her past. Nevertheless, she still actively chooses to just focus on the positives, her growth, and her husband, kids, as well as grandkids, because she knows that’s all that matters in the long run.
Read More: Danny Cahill: Where is the Biggest Loser Season 8 Winner Today?
