John Crutchfield is currently one of 22 contestants on the world's most popular show (now in 33 countries) "The Biggest Loser."  He started at 484 pounds and is 6'5".  He is the twin brother of James Crutchfield who is also a member of the cast.  Together, they are the biggest team ever to compete on the show and were given the nickname "The Half Ton Twins."  John and James are extremely competitive as most twins are, especially trying to stand out growing up with four older sisters!  Although they are competitive they are still very close and share many of the same experiences.

In 2005 John had lost 160 pounds and was in really good shape.  This was from a combination of weight training, elliptical workouts, and what he has come to realize as the "wrong diet."  John's mantra is now, "if it has the word diet it in, it's a joke."  His diet back then consisted of portion control which is great, but also cutting out carbohydrates almost completely.  This led to fast weight loss but also a number of medical problems.  Since then, John gained back over 200 pounds in a very short period of time.  This of course compounded those medical problems leading to a long list of serious issues.  Some of these issues include: classified as super morbidly obese, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, anxiety attacks, gastritis, diverticulitis, severe reflux, gall bladder problems, potassium deficiency, as well as broken bones, severe knee problems, hip misalignment, a locked elbow, and shoulder problems.  These issues plus his family history of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer meant that he literally had one foot in the grave by the time he was 30.

All of these factors as well as many family tragedies led John to finally admit he needed help and not be afraid to ask for it!  Changes had to be made in his life pertaining to his diet and exercise.  He also credits his recent success to really getting to the core for why he ate so much and exercised so little, especially having gotten in good shape 5 years ago.  The short answer is, fixing your body needs to be coupled with fixing your mind and soul.  Beginning to deal with the tragedies of the past has now led John to feel that he is blessed and not cursed.  He is a "family man" and doesn't want to put his wife and son, especially, through the same type of anguish that he went through.

John has been married to Stephenie for almost 3 years and they have a nearly 2-year-old son and another one on the way!  Playing football or catch with his son is another motivation that really keeps him going everyday towards his fitness goals.  He considers "The Biggest Loser" as the spark he needed to get his life back.  John was sent home at the end of episode 5 after losing six pounds in one week when he needed seven!  This was obviously very hard to take for a competitive person, but again he looks at as a blessing.  John was able to come home and find what he calls the best fitness trainers there are, especially if you have every thought about training in the mixed martial arts (MMA).  Jon Burke is the owner of The Six Levels (www.the6levels.com) and personally trains John along with his wife Jamie, and his two other trainers Ryan and Nick.  He was very happy to listen to their advice regarding personal fitness, nutrition, exercise, cardio, and overall wellness and quickly learned that they have the same knowledge and motivation that he received at the ranch.  John thanks his boss, Nur Rosa, for introducing him to his "dream team" of trainers that will absolutely help him reach his goals before "The Biggest Loser" finale at the end of May 2010.  John currently trains with his fantastic four great people that have become like family to him.  They each have a different style and different forms of motivation that John uses to apply towards, and help achieve, his weight loss goals through his physical fitness training.   John is very grateful to Jon, Jamie, Ryan, and Nick for their challenging and results driven mixed martial arts fitness, conditioning and overall wellness workouts!   Muscle confusion is the key if you really want to get in great shape effectively!

John is currently still on his weight loss journey but is over half to where he wants to be.  He looks forward to eventually weighing in the 260-280lb range and embarking on his mixed martial arts training for belt ranking in the mixed martial arts.  John will include grappling, striking, takedowns and self-defense on his journey and is excited to get a real handle on MMA for his personal fitness and overall lifestyle. His overall goal is to eventually "pay it forward" and is already beginning the process of getting involved in charities and numerous speaking engagements.  He is also very interested in getting involved in workplace fitness and has actually been named as the "Wellness Ambassador" for his company.  Childhood obesity is also an area where John wants to focus much of his time once he has reached his own weight loss goals.