Kae Whang is The Biggest Loser!

Upbeat and positive Kae Whang is a former Private in the U.S. Army. Sadly, she was honorably discharged due to her weight. Although she didn’t make it to The Biggest Loser Finale set to air live finale on Tuesday, December 18 (9-11 p.m. ET), she lost an amazing amount of weight. This season’s “Biggest Loser” will finally be revealed and awarded a $250,000 grand prize on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”

We thought Kae’s story is inspirational, especially for Asian girls who don’t fit the stereotypical Asian woman mold and constantly battle the societal pressures of being thin. Read on to find out more about Kae Whang!

ASIANCE: What is your background? Were you born here?

Kae: I was born in Korea but came here when I was 1 or 2 years old. I grew up in the States. I grew up in Michigan. Then I moved to New Jersey about 4 years ago.

ASIANCE: Do you still have really close ties with your family in Korea?

Kae: Yes. My parents are still in Michigan. I have 2 younger brothers who are in Michigan as well and then I have an Aunt in Wisconsin. Everyone else is in Korea. The last time I was in Korea was when I was seven. So that is like 21 years ago.

ASIANCE: Have you always had a problem with weight? Was there anything significant in your life that made you turn to food as comfort?

Kae: I was a really big baby. I was never thin. I was always a bigger kid. Then when I was in elementary school and hit puberty I started gaining weight more and more. At that point, I was more thick than obese. I had to lose weight for the military. I got into the military. I got buff but I don’t think I was super healthy because I wasn’t conscious of the nutrition part of it.

After I left the military, I didn’t concern myself with exercise and I obviously didn’t have the nutrition part of it, so then I kept gaining more and more weight. Then I think, I went into denial for awhile insisting I was ok and that I’ll start tomorrow and tomorrow never came. Eventually I became that person who gained 225 pounds. It’s amazing how you don’t realize how big you get before it’s too late.

ASIANCE: Did you try to lose weight before you were a contestant?

Kae: I’ve tried the up and down things and I’ve tried this and that. I was never consistent with anything and it just didn’t seem to work for me. I think I just gave up because I don’t think I was mentally ready for it. Something was missing.

Kae Whang

ASIANCE: What made you want to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser?

Kae: I watched the show before. They had this preview saying they were casting again. So I checked out the website and the nearest one was actually in Virginia. About a 7 hour drive.. I asked my husband, “What do you think? Should we try it?”

I almost didn’t go. But my friend said I would regret it if I didn’t do it. I’m so glad I spoke with her because it was so worth it. It’s so funny because my husband just isn’t spontaneous but he was willing to do this for me. We drove 7 hours down there and waited in line for 8 hours.

ASIANCE: Does your husband love you the way you are? Sometimes they get jealous when their wife starts looking good.

Kae: He is such a genuine guy. He met me when I weighed 180. He never asked my weight and we never talked about it. I gained more and more weight. We got married when I weighed over 200 pounds. He’s always love me for who I am. So when he saw me for the first time at the Prevention shoot, I think that was episode 11, that was the first time he’s ever seen me at this weight.

ASIANCE: What did he say?

Kae: He is so proud of me. He was so amazed. It’s such a good thing because now we both work out. He’s actually lost 30 pounds. He’s never really been a fit person and now we’ve both become more fit. I try to tell people that it shouldn’t be a diet, it should never be a diet. It should be a lifestyle change. I never understood that. I thought it was going to be too overwhelming. On the show, when I left, I lost about 69 pounds. Then we did a live weigh-in on November 20th and I’ve lost 88 pounds.

ASIANCE: How much did you lose in total on the show? Did you lose more? Are you planning to lose more?

Kae: I’ll find out for the finale December 18th. (Laughs) I want to try and surprise people.

No. Honestly since this is a game. I think we’re trying to get as far as we can. But realistically I just want to be healthy, toned and very fit.

To be honest, I’m not even going to be worried about the scale as long as I feel fit and feel healthy. My clothes fit me well and I know that I’m working towards a healthier and fitter lifestyle instead of letting it all go and gaining it all back. I have cheat meals once a week and you can tell when your body doesn’t like something, you’re not happy and then when you have to exercise it’s a lot heavier. It’s amazing how you start understanding and listening to your body. I’m very much aware of what I put into my body.

Kae Whang

ASIANCE: What is your exercise routine?

Kae: I do a lot of cardio. I do boxing. I’m doing a lot of activities. Wall climbing. I did a triathlon a few months ago. I try to stay active.

ASIANCE: What advice would you give to Asian girls who want to lose weight?

Kae: Don’t feed into the stereotype but be concerned about what makes them happy. It should never be the number on that scale but how they feel about themselves. Take one thing at a time. Be concerned about what you do today not next week.

I think if we start over thinking, we get overwhelmed and don’t want to start. Make smaller goals, do it in the now. Enjoy it. Diets are temporary and make you miserable. You want to live a fulfilling happy life. It’s ok to eat that piece of cake as long as you exercise it off the next day. That is the motto that I learned from Bob my trainer on the show. That has helped me in so many situations, not just food.

Being an Asian female, there is that stereotype that you have to be very thin and gorgeous and some of us aren’t fortunate enough to be like that genetically. For me, I know I wouldn’t look good at 100 pounds. That just doesn’t fit my body type and body look.

People need to be happy with themselves and not chase the stereotype and say I have to look like this, I have to be this way. Everyone is different and should be happy with themselves, not just Asians but all women.

ASIANCE: Is there anyone that you admire who lost a lot of weight? Do you have a role model?

Kae: Definitely my mom. She’s never been obese but she did gain some weight throughout the years. My dad was diagnosed with diabetes 2 so my mom changed her lifestyle for her and him. She lost quite a bit of weight. She is so much healthier.

Kae Whang

She had problems before and was sick a lot due to stress. Now she is more confident and strong. Just seeing that is so great because they came to this country with nothing. Seeing how they did all this for us kids and now they are doing it for themselves. It’s so amazing how much strength, determination and discipline they have. It’s so amazing and I admire her. It really inspires me.

ASIANCE: Do you miss your old body at all?

Kae: I don’t.. haha! The old body was sick all the time. I had allergies. I could hardly breathe. I could barely tie my shoe. Going upstairs was very miserable. If anything, I love my new self and new lifestyle change because it makes me so much happier and passionate. You know you worked towards something. You get so much more confidence.

When I was heavier, I use to care what people thought. I use to not want to eat in public for fear someone would say look at the fat girl eating. Even walking around, I just felt so self-conscious. But now I know what I do and I gain more confidence that way.

ASIANCE: Did you have your high school reunion?

Kae: It wasn’t official. I didn’t go to the first one. But we’re actually going to have the official one soon.

ASIANCE: What other interests do you have besides losing weight? Any hobbies?

Kae: I love doing everything. There are so many things to do out there. I love traveling. I do like eating. We like going out to restaurants and trying different cuisines. I like art, theatre and watching movies. I love reading. Whatever is out there I will try.

I’m part of Childhelp which helps with children who have been abused in one way or another. It’s sad that a child can lose their confidence and sometimes it can cause obesity because food becomes a comfort. I think it’s important to tell children it’s ok to be who you are. It’s ok to forgive and to let go. Be ok with who you are.

Once you teach a child how to live a fulfilling and confident life, they can do so much in this world.

ASIANCE: Are you planning to have children soon?

Kae: Haha. A couple of pets. Not at this time. Evenutally. There is so much to do and so much to see.

ASIANCE: What do you want to say to all the Asian American girls out there!

Kae: You are not alone. For the longest time I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Since I started this journey, there are so many others who have felt this way and struggled. And feel the exact same way. It’s ok to be who you are and don’t worry about being so thin, but being healthy and fit. That is a big difference. There is a way of being healthy and fit, through exercise and nutrition.

Be happy with yourself. There are others who feel the same way and can help you out.

I’m very happy that there are more Asians out there. And there are people we can relate to nowadays. It use to be so rare. You had Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu. Now there are so many more, especially due to the reality shows. I use to watch Chloe from Project Runway and Lee Anne from Top Chef, James from the Apprentice and Yul Kwon from Survivor. It’s amazing they are all starting to come out now. You have Heroes, Lost and some comediennes. It is slowly evolving to something so much bigger. Now people can relate so much more than before.