This year’s The Biggest Loser finale ended up being the most shocking ever because the winner – Erik Chopin, 36, a 6′2″ deli owner from West Islip, N.Y. – lost more than half his weight, 214 pounds, in eight months – the most of any contestant in the show’s three-year history!

Here, Erik gives Star the skinny on what he learned.

“When I first went on the show, I just wanted to lose weight and look like a normal person. But when 1 got there, I found out I had high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. I was shocked!

Then it became less about my vanity and more about thinking, ‘Wow, I want to survive for my family.’”

“It’s an honor being recognized at my deli. People say I’m an inspiration to them. They want to introduce me to their family members and their co-workers. By meeting me, they realize it can’t be that bad for them, because nobody could look as bad as I did!”

“My wife is thrilled. The joke is that she’s having an affair with her own husband! Plus, when I started on the show, she was overweight, too.

She didn’t want to look fat on TV [when she came on the show] and decided to join a gym right there and then. I always felt like it was my fault that she was heavy, that I brought her down with me.

Now she’s down from a size 18 to a size 8. She lost 60 pounds! And that’s while she was running the deli!”

“For exercise, I do about an hour a day of cardio. Four times a week, I’ll do strength training, working with elliptical equipment.

The toughest part is getting started. If you give it the two- to three-week period and push yourself, then the rest will fall into place. You will feel the momentum and feel the rest of the journey. You’ll see the pounds coming off, and nothing will stop you after that.” [source: Star]