Katarina Bouton might have been sent home in week five of The Biggest Loser, but the 23-year-old Jacksonville, Florida resident has been living her best life with a new sense of confidence and a healthier outlook. Ahead of Tuesday’s all-new episode of the USA reboot, Bouton opened up to PopCulture.com about how her mindset changed after the show and through a painful breakup.
Coming into the Biggest Loser campus, the cardiac nurse admits she struggled comparing herself with her fellow competitors when it came to both weight loss and completing the challenges.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“It gets to a point where you start to question your abilities as a whole, as well as your abilities on the scale,” she recalls. “A lot of the people on this show were previously thin or former athletes. I have never been that way — I’ve never been an athlete; I’ve never worked out.”
Connecting with coach Erica Lugo, who lost 160 lbs. on her own weight loss journey, helped Bouton move beyond that mindset into one that was competing with herself.
“It’s amazing to have a trainer who knows what I’m going through and knows how to push me without overwhelming me,” she explains. “I was repeatedly proving to myself and surprising myself with the things I can do. It made me the confident person I am today.”
Being sent home so early in the journey “sucked,” Bouton admits, as did coming home to a split from her longterm boyfriend. But staying with keeping active and eating more healthfully, the 23-year-old is having the time of her life as a single woman, even going to the bars with friends for the first time.
“I didn’t have clothes to wear. I felt like I didn’t feel like I belonged in the environment,” she explains, saying now, “I have been going out hoeing out, living the life I never got to live.”
It’s a massive contrast from her life before the experience on Biggest Loser, which consisted of her sticking at home and feeling she had to “overcompensate” with her personality. “I feel like I’m finally being myself for the first time,” she says.
The Biggest Loser airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on USA.
Photo credit: USA
More Reality
-
Photo by Ser Baffo/Disney via Getty Images) -
Photo by Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images -
Mel B at the "America's Got Talent" Season 21 Red Carpet held at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 24, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Variety via Getty Images) -
“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
“A Side Dish of Chaos” – One castaway comes clean to the tribe about a previously deceptive move. The crowd favorite SURVIVOR auction returns, with an extra special season 50 spin. Chaos ensues when social media icon MrBeast arrives on the scene, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, April 29 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 28: West Wilson, Amanda Batula and Jesse Solomon attend Bravo's "Summer House" Season 10 at 92NY on January 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
