Jim DiBattista (a.k.a. Coach Jim) is the father of three boys and beloved youth football coach in his hometown of Philadelphia. Jim’s story is one of motivation and the path to redemption. As a child, Jim was never considered to be overweight; but growing up as an athlete his focus was always to get bigger and stronger. In reflecting on those years, Jim simply feels that he lacked the education and resources needed to be healthy.

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Fast forward 20 years and weighing 385 pounds, Jim was battling a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Jim found that he lost focus on himself due to the overwhelming demands of everyday life and the desire to be a fully engaged father and husband. After Jim‘s sister suffered a life-threatening heart attack, he knew it was imperative that he do something in order to change his ways. An opportunity to be a contestant on “The Biggest Loser”enabled Jim to embark on an amazing journey to fight for a healthier future for himself, his family and to every single kid that ever played on his team. “The Biggest Loser” would end up being the biggest game of Jim’s life. However, in this particular game, Jim wasn’t going to be the coach. He learned very quickly that if he was truly going to be successful in accomplishing his goals, he was going to have to trust his trainer, allow himself to be coached and completely surrender to the process. 

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Jim came away from “The Biggest Loser” with so much more than the winning title and monetary grand prize. The competition enabled Jim to go on a journey of total self-discovery. It called for him to examine his attitudes about nutrition, wellness and exercise. The education and experience gained has been life-changing for not only Jim, but to everyone in his life. 

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Jim attributes his weight loss to that of being a football coach of a winning team. In football, every inch and detail matters. All of the small details add up to winning the game. He has found that this approach is a valuable lesson not only in weight loss, but in one’s personal life as well as in business.