The Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper admits that he was as shocked as anyone when he saw Rachel Frederickson walk out during Tuesday's finale.
"I was stunned. That would be the word. I mean, we've never had a contestant come in at 105 lbs.," he says in an interview on the Rachael Ray Show.
Rachel Frederickson, 24, started the show at 260 lbs. Yes, 260.
When she left as a finalist three months ago to work on losing weight at home, she was 150 lbs. Between then and the finale, she lost 45 more.
It was the latter that shocked Jillian Michaels and her Biggest Loser trainer counterparts as much as it did longtime fans of the popular NBC competition.
"What people don't understand is, when the contestants leave to go home … they're in charge of themselves," says Harper, 48, of the show's process.
"So, I had not seen her until that night, and so when she walked out, I was just kind of like, whoa. And I’ve been on the show since the beginning, forever."
Frederickson, who has faced major scrutiny this week, worked on the show with trainer Dolvett Quince, who wrote in a Facebook message Wednesday:
"Please try not to look at one slice of Rachel's journey and come to broad conclusions. Rachel's health is and always has been my main concern."
"Her journey to good health has not yet ended!" Quince added.
Many critics of the show say she is too skinny at 5'4" and 105 lbs. She says she worked out four times a day, but is now in "maintenance mode."
For her part, Frederickson is happy with her new body, saying "I just love myself, and I am embracing it," while her "goals are to be healthy and strong."
Scroll through pics of her dramatic transformation below ...
1. Rachel Frederickson Before and After Photos
Rachel Frederickson before and after weight loss on The Biggest Loser. What a transformation.
2. Rachel Frederickson Before and After
Rachel Frederickson before and after the huge weight loss that won her The Biggest Loser championship!
3. Rachel Frederickson Before Weight Loss
Rachel Frederickson before her amazing weight loss on The Biggest Loser. She weighed 260.
4. Rachel Frederickson After Weight Loss
Rachel Frederickson after her weight loss on The Biggest Loser. She lost 155 of her 260 pounds, now weighing in at 105.
5. Rachel Frederickson on The Biggest Loser
Rachel Frederickson working hard to lose weight on NBC's The Biggest Loser. Mission accomplished and then some.
6. Rachel Frederickson, Biggest Loser
Rachel Frederickson won The Biggest Loser with this incredible weight loss transformation. She's only 105 pounds now!
7. Rachel Frederickson, The Biggest Loser
Rachel Frederickson, The Biggest Loser winner, lost a ton of weight! Those stats speak for themselves!
8. Rachel Frederickson, Biggest Loser Competitor
Rachel Frederickson, The Biggest Loser competitor and later winner. What a transformation she achieved.
9. Rachel Frederickson, David Brown and Bobby Saleem
David Brown, Rachel Frederickson and Bobby Saleem of The Biggest Loser fame. Which one of them won it all?
10. The Biggest Loser Season 15 Finalists
The Biggest Loser Season 15 finalists are ready for their final weigh-in. Rachel ended up winning it all.
11. Rachel Frederickson in Disbelief
Rachel Frederickson can't believe her weight loss on The Biggest Loser. Nor can viewers.
12. Jillian Michaels on The Biggest Loser Finale
Jillian can't believe it either.
Rachel Frederickson: Too skinny?