The Biggest Loser trainer Erica Lugo is urging people to embrace self-love amid these difficult times. Ahead of Tuesday’s Biggest Loser finale, which comes at the end of a life-changing season for everyone involved, Lugo opened up to PopCulture.com about what she’s taken away from the competitors on her team and how she’s trying to stay positive after being forced to postpone her wedding amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s definitely been a challenging time, for everyone,” Lugo said of having to postpone her wedding. “My fiancรฉ and I were supposed to be getting married next Saturday, and now we’re not sure when we’ll be able to get everyone together. Even though it’s incredibly disappointing, I’m grateful that we’re all healthy and together. I’ve started working out outdoors with him and I’m trying to get him to do an indoor workout with me. We’ll all get through this, together but apart.”
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While she might have been a source of strength for her team throughout the season, Lugo said the people who shared their wellness journey with her this season are a “continued support group” for one another and for her at this point.
“I didn’t expect to bond with my team in such a meaningful way but each one touched my life and they’re all part of my family now,” she said. “I absolutely love to know what is going on in their lives and in their wellness journey. They were all invited to my wedding and are so important to me. Each and every one has shown such tremendous growth and I’m so proud to have even the tiniest part in those transformations.”
Coming to the end of the season, in which Jim DiBattista, Micah Collum and Kyle Yeo will face off for the grand $100,000 prize, Lugo hopes audiences will be able to see a change in how The Biggest Loser approaches weight loss as opposed to in the past.
“I hope people are able to see that physical health isn’t just how much you weigh or how you look,” she explained. “The number on the scale doesn’t matter at all if you are miserable inside. [Fellow trainer Steve Cook] and I both wholeheartedly believe that self-love is key to making a permanent change in your life. I hope our viewers can take that message home with them and remember to be kind to themselves when they look in the mirror.”
The Biggest Loser finale airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on USA.
Photo credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
