Former UCLA cheerleader who became obese after she was dumped by a cheating boyfriend beats her food addiction to lose 145LBS - and squeezes back into a uniform

• Rachel Paul, 35, from Santa Monica, California, started her journey on ABC show Extreme Weight Loss
• The former athlete was on the cheerleading squad and dance team throughout high school and college
• Rachel's weight spiraled out of control after she learned that her boyfriend was cheating on her
• She was raised Catholic, and struggled with the fact that she didn't save herself for marriage
• On Tuesday night's episode of the show, Rachel learned that her ex-boyfriend died last year in a skydiving accident 

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:56 EST, 29 July 2015 | Updated: 14:34 EST, 29 July 2015

A former UCLA cheerleader-turned-food addict, whose weight spiraled out of control after her first love broke her heart, has shed 145lbs and learned that her self-worth is more important than any man. 

Rachel Paul, a 35-year-old dance teacher and cheerleading coach from Santa Monica, California, started dancing when she was three-years-old and was active throughout her adolescence. However, Rachel, who was a competitive cheerleader in college, turned to food for emotional support after she found out her longtime boyfriend was cheating on her - shattering her confidence and self-esteem.

The teacher at Notre Dame High School shared her heart-wrenching story with Extreme Weight Loss trainers Chris and Heidi Powell and was chosen to begin her year-long journey on the ABC show as a 309lb woman who was desperate for change. 

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Amazing transformation: Rachel Paul, 35, from Santa Monica, California, weighed 309lbs (left) before getting down to 164lbs (right) after a year working with Extreme Weight Loss trainers Chris and Heidi Powell 

Former star: Rachel, who used to be a UCLA cheerleader (left), desperately wanted to get back into her old uniform (right)

At the start of the show, Rachel was disgusted by her appearance in the mirror, explaining to the cameras: 'Whenever there was an overweight girl in dance class when I was a kid I would always look down on them, and now I just look down on myself because I am the overweight dancer.'

She explained that she was extremely active when she was growing up and spent three years of college on the UCLA dance team. She added that her dream was to get back into her cheerleading uniform once and for all so she could visit her alma mater and hold her head high.

'Any cheerleader can come back, as long as they live, and wear their uniform, and cheer at homecoming,' Rachel noted. 

'So, if I can get this to fit again, then I would be able to dance, and cheer at the Rose Bowl.' 

Rachel grew up in a religious Catholic family and admitted that she shied away from male attention when she was in high school. However, when she was 22-years-old, she met a 'sexy Latin guy' at church who took her salsa dancing and wooed her with flowers. 

Rachel is pushed to her limit both emotionally and physically

No love: Rachel said she couldn't believe how 'gross' her body was, noting that she constantly felt like a loser 

Downward spiral: The cheerleading coach admitted that the best part of her day was ordering takeout and eating until she was 'numb'

She explained that she planned on saving her virginity for her husband, but things between and her boyfriend started to get serious. 

'We talked about marriage. We talked about a future,' she said tearfully. 'I fell in love with him, and for me it was my first time. For him, it wasn't. He cheated on me. He totally betrayed me.'

Rachel said her ex-boyfriend made her feel 'worthless' and 'disposable', so she turned to food for comfort, packing on more than 100lbs. 

She noted that the food she had delivered is 'like the boyfriend that won't leave you'.

Because of traveling and working late for her job as a coach, Rachel also added that, more often than not, she would arrive home ravenous. 

Talented child: Rachel started dancing when she was three-years-old and remained active throughout her adolescence 

Type A: Rachel, who can be seen on her graduation day, grew up in a religious Catholic family and admitted that she shied away from male attention when she was in high school 

She explained that she would often order tons of pizza along with breadsticks, and when the doorbell rang she would pretend that she was throwing a party, so the delivery guy wouldn't think the food was just for her. 

And Rachel sadly admitted that ordering take-out was her favorite part of the day. 

She noted that guys don't ask her out, and admitted that she often turned to random hook-ups to battle the loneliness she felt, however those always made her feel worse after.   

'I honestly can't believe this is what I look like,' she said. 'I don't like myself that's for sure. I feel like such a freaking loser.'

Her obesity was also affecting her performance as a coach because she was no longer able to perform dance moves and routines that were once second nature for her.  

First love: Rachel's weight spiraled out of control after her relationship with a 'sexy Latin guy' (left) went south. She explained she planned on saving her virginity until she got married, but she fell in love with him 

Terrible hurt: Rachel and her boyfriend discussed their future together, however, after she lost her virginity to him, she learned that he was cheating on her 

Every year she found herself talking more and dancing less. 

Rachel was working with the Notre Dame High School cheerleading squad on the football field when Chris appeared dressed as a knight, the school's mascot.

She was shocked when Chris flipped up his helmet and revealed himself, and her squad began cheering. 

However, Rachel's excitement was short lived, as Chris asked her to remove her shirt and have her first weigh-in in front of her cheerleading squad.  

So lost: Rachel's broken heart caused her to eat her feelings for more than a decade 

New start: Chris surprised Rachel at Notre Dame High School, where she worked and had her have her first weigh-in on the football field in front of her cheerleading squad 

'Transformation isn't about hiding,' he explained, noting that she was surrounded by people who would give her nothing but love and support. 

When Rachel got on the scale it was revealed that she weighed 309lbs. 

'I don't want to be there again that's for sure,' she noted and Chris gave her the goal of losing 75lbs in 90 days during her time at boot camp at the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado.

Chris admitted that it blew his mind to think that a UCLA cheerleader ate her way to 300lbs, and he knew that Rachel must have been dealing with some serious emotional issues if she let her weight spiral out of control like that.

Fight or Flight: Chris pushed Rachel to the brink during a grueling workout in which he also helped her sort through her emotional issues 

Getting closure: Rachel confessed that the night before she searched for her ex-boyfriend online and learned that he died the year before. Chris hugged her and told her that he would help her move on 

During one of their first meetings at the training center, Rachel said she dreamed of performing professionally for a crowd. 

'I don't know the career I could have had because I never auditioned,' she said, revealing that her broken heart and weight gain had derailed her life in more ways than one. 

'I know I have some emotional healing to do,' she added, and Chris reminded her that she will never completely transform if she doesn't have closure from her past pain. 

The night before Rachel had to participate in Chris' famous Fight or Flight workout, in which he pushes his clients to the brink of physical exhausted to determine how badly they want to take part in the program, she searched for her ex-boyfriend on the internet.

Flipped switch: Chris and Rachel participated in a Warrior Dash, a 5K obstacle race. Although she struggled and wanted to give up, her attitude change after the trainer helped her climb over a wall 

Feeling confident: After Rachel realized that she didn't have to impress Chris, he was only there for support, she was able to finish the race

Rachel explained that she had never been able to locate him before, but this time the searched revealed that he had died the year before in a skydiving accident, which meant that she would see or speak to him again. 

'I am mad. I'm sad. I feel sick to my stomach,' she said tearfully. 

The next day Chris reminded her that she was an athlete and it was time for her to get back to that, however, she was filled with emotions and Chris could tell that something was wrong. 

As she ran around a football field doing burpees and toe touches, Chris brought up her ex, and Rachel broke down in tears, saying she didn't want to talk about it. 

Getting strong: Chris, who had Rachel run up sand dunes, said she was one of the most athletic women he has trained on the show

Pumping iron: Rachel excelled at her workouts and felt herself getting strong day by day 

Chris pushed forward, and when Rachel revealed the shocking news, the trainer assured her that she would get closure.

'I struggled with the morality of having sex before marriage, Rachel admitted to the cameras.

And during her workout, Chris reminded her that it wasn't her ex putting her on the sidelines for the past decade, it was her, yet she was pointing the finger at him for over 10 years. 

Chris explained to the cameras that Rachel had created this identity around being a 'good Catholic girl' and when she didn't feel like that anymore, she attached her self-esteem and confidence to what other people thought about her - especially men.  

'People get dumped all the time. Why has it made me such a mess?;' Rachel asked the cameras. 'I feel like I am just weak.'

Unbelievable progress: Rachel weighed 224lbs at her 90-day weigh-in (right), beating her goal by 10lbs 

Truly ecstatic: Both Rachel and Chris were thrilled with her progress and yelled with joy 

After her one and only serious relationship, Rachel said she dated guys that treated her horribly.

Chris noted that she doesn't love or value herself like she should.  

'I want to see how fat I can get,' Rachel confessed. 'It is almost easier when nobody hits on you, but then you get lonely.'

Rachel explained that she wanted to get away from the meaningless hook-ups that have become a part of her life over the past decade. 

During her physical exams, Rachel learned that her body was 50 per cent body fat, and the doctor was worried about her heart. 

Work ethic: Rachel started incorporating the training moves she learned at boot camp into the workouts she had with her cheerleading squad 

Big reveal: Rachel surprised her high school students by putting on a cheerleading uniform of her own 

Rachel admitted that she had no idea that her heart was an issue and it 'freaked' her out. She said it was a 'wake up call' about her health. She originally wanted to lose weight for aesthetic purposes, but she realized her life was also in danger. 

The former dancer was dedicated to her workouts and within days she saw subtle improvements in her performance. However, she started to fall back into bad habits when she met a guy at the gym and exchanged numbers with him.   

'So much of my worth depends of if he texts,' she confessed. 'I am mad at myself that I am falling into the same pattern.'

A few days later, Chris had Rachel run the Warrior Dash, a 5K obstacle course race, but she was embarrassed that she was struggling 10 minutes into the run.  

Fitness inspiration: Rachel was dedicated to her weight loss, working out for two hours a day, starting at 5:30 in the morning 

Using different muscles: Rachel also started dance training again to prepare for her six-month milestone, in which she was to dance with pop star Ne-Yo 

'There was a part of me that really wanted to impress Chris,' she said. 

When Chris went to help her climb over a wall, Rachel warned him that she weighed a lot, but the trainer insisted he could lift her.

Chris noted that when she got over that wall with his help, it was like a switch had flipped. Rachel realized she didn't need to impress him because he was only there to support her. 

Rachel also met with celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito at a grocery store and he taught her how to plan and make quick meals that were healthy and easy to put together. And Rachel explained that it was important to only shop the perimeter of the grocery store and stay away from the aisles filled with processed foods. 

She was making great progress, but Chris was worried when he learned that she was casually dating a guy she just met, so he confronted her.

Back in the groove: The former cheerleader was starting to be able to move her body in ways that weren't possible a few years before 

Binge eating: While Rachel was doing great with her workouts, she realized that she was a food addict, and found herself binging on junk food (pictured)

Fit and fabulous: Chris couldn't believe how great Rachel looked she rode up to him on a bicycle 

While Rachel tried to justify what she was doing, Chris quickly made her realize that dating a guy that she was going to leave in 90 days was the opposite of the deep and meaningful relationship she said she wanted.

Rachel agreed with what he said and decided to focus solely on boot camp. She really started to hit her stride, running sand dunes and pushing her body every day. 

Chris said that Rachel can physically do whatever she puts her mind to be she is 'one of the most athletic women' he has ever trained on the show. 

And when it came time for her 90-day weigh-in, Chris wasn't worried about what the scale would say, although he did note he has had dream clients who have missed their goals.

Still losing: Despite her slip-ups, Rachel weighed in at 179lbs at her six-month weigh-in (right), beating her goal by one pound 

Dancing queen: As a part of her six-month milestone, Rachel was able to learn a choreographed dance to Ne-Yo's hit song Coming With You 

However, Rachel wasn't one of them. When she hopped on the scale, she weighed 224lbs, beating her target by 10lbs.  

Rachel started jumping up and down with excitement before noting: 'It has been really a long time since I felt this good.'

When it was time for her to go home, she was thrilled that she was able to wear skinny jeans that she purchased at a regular store in the mall.

For her next weigh-in, Chris gave her the goal of getting down to 180lbs, a weigh she hasn't seen in more than a decade. He also promised her that for he six-month milestone she would be able to dance with singer and dancer Ne-Yo.  

Pushing harder: Rachel can be seen participating in a circuit training fundraiser nearly 200 days into her journey

Great hobby: She also ran another mud race and proudly made it across the finish line 

'If I am going to dance next to him I have to bring it,' she said.

Rachel then returned to Los Angeles where she was greeted with a pep rally.  

'I felt proud. I felt pretty. I felt confident. It was good,' she said, admitting that the reveal was one of the best days of her life. 

When it was time to get back to work, Rachel was ready to join her squad. She incorporated more strength training into their workouts and was surprised to see that some of the teen girls were struggling. 

During practice, she had them change into their uniforms, but when the came back out they were surprised to see Rachel wearing a matching cheerleading uniform - something she would have never fit into before. 

Fun times: Rachel really enjoyed herself at Ne-Yo's Valentine's Day concert, where she met him backstage (pictured), but she also found herself eating and drinking more than usual 

Falling behind: After the concert, Rachel continued with her binge-eating until Heidi called her and helped her realize that she is a food addict and needs help 

Rachel was thrilled that she was finally an inspiration for her girls. She felt great at home, but she told the cameras that she knew she had to be realistic about the difficulty of incorporating her training into her real live. 

She was getting up at 5:30 in the morning to workout for two hours a day. She also resumed her dance training because she noted that being in dancing shape is completely different then just being in shape. 

During one of her dance programs, Rachel won a trophy for being the hardest working student. And Rachel was even more excited that she was able to return to UCLA in her old cheerleading uniform and cheer in front of a sold out stadium during the Rose Bowl. 

Missed opportunity: Rachel only lost seven pounds during her nine-month weigh-in because of her secret binge eating 

Rachel was in great spirits. She bought new jeans that were a size 10, and she learned that she lost a total of 112lbs when she weighed herself on her own. 

However, things started to fall apart for Rachel after she over did it during Thanksgiving dinner.  

'I'm a food addict,' she told the camera tearfully. 'Food is highly addictive and I am going to fight this every day for the rest of my life.' 

She explained that when she thinks she isn't good enough of things overwhelm her, she eats until she is numb. 

Rachel confessed that she binged no junk food for three days.

'I don't want this for myself,' she cried. 

Rachel later met Chris at Venice Beach for her 180-day weigh-in, and the trainer noted that she saw a beautiful woman riding a bike toward him, and he couldn't believe it was his client. 

'She looks amazing!' he said. 

Rachel admitted to Chris that phase two was a struggle for her because she has a problem with binge eating. 

Life-changing operation: Chris took Rachel to see a plastic surgeon to see if she was candidate for skin removal surgery

Weighing her down: Rachel had excess skin hanging off of her stomach and back, which the doctor noted was made up of mostly skin and hardly any fat

'I don't want to be the bad kid, and I don't want to disappoint you,' she told Chris tearfully.

He immediately hugged her and reassured her that he would never be disappointed in her. Chris explained to the cameras that diet and exercise is the easy part, it is self-reflection that makes this process so difficult. 

'I am proud of you for being honest,' he told her. 

However, Rachel's binges didn't affect her weight loss, and she clocked in at 179lbs, one pound less than her target. 

Chris continued to motivate her by reminding her that she needed to lose 50 per cent of body weight to be considered for skin removal surgery. 

The next day, Rachel was set to meet pop star Ne-Yo, who gave her a big hug when she walked in.

'Once a dancer, always a dancer,' Ne-Yo told her. 

Rachel's challenge for the day is to learn all of the choreography to Ne-Yo's performance of his hit song Coming With You. 

Dream com true: The doctor said that Rachel, who had lost 43 per cent of original body weight, was a great candidate for the surgery 

Big day: Going into her surgery, Rachel vowed that she would be in the best shape of her life on the day of her big reveal 

Chris noted that in her head Rachel still thought she was 300lbs, so it was important for her to get back into the groove of moving her body as a performer. 

Rachel explained that the only embarrassing thing that happened during her training was seeing what a horrible dancer Chris is. 

'I don't remember the last time I felt that sexy or confident dancing,' she said of the experience. 

And at the end of the session Ne-Yo invited her to his upcoming Valentine's Day concert. 

Rachel kept that positive energy going at the start of phase three, during which she participated in a circuit training event, did a mud run and had a blast at Ne-Yo's concert. Chris also helped Rachel increase her confidence by having her get a set of veneers, so she could have a smile that she was proud of.

However, during the Ne-Yo concert, Rachel over indulged with food, which once again triggered her binge eating habits. 

Chris knew she was struggling, but felt that she was hiding to depth of her issues. He and Heidi hired a private investigator and learned that she was once again ordering pizza delivery.

Beautiful and strong: Rachel oozed confidence in a red lace dress on the day of her final weigh-in 

Huge break through: She told her friends and family that this journey had taught her how to love herself once and for all 

Chris asked Heidi to talk to her because he felt that Rachel would be more likely to open up to her. 

'I've struggled with an eating disorder for 10 years of my life, and it is something that needs to be taken seriously,' Heidi told the cameras. 

When Heidi called her, she reminded Rachel that she is a food addict and that isn't just going away.

'Why am I messing it all up,' Rachel asked Heidi tearfully. 

Heidi explained that until she realizes and accepts that she is a food addict, she will never be on top of her addiction. 

Moment of truth: Rachel stepped on the scale in front of her family and friends, knowing that her experience had already changed her for the better regardless of the number on the scale 

Overcoming her demons: Rachel started the show as a food addict, who had no self-esteem because she at her feeling until she weighed more than 300lbs

After her conversation with Heidi, Rachel started talking to a therapist and got back on track with her nutrition. However, Rachel admitted that she was worried her next weigh-in would be a 'huge disappointment'.

When she came in for her nine-month weigh in, it was revealed that she only lost seven pounds, weighing 172lbs instead of her goal of 155lbs. 

Despite, her slip-ups, Rachel was thrilled to learn that she was still a candidate for skin removal surgery after losing 43 per cent of her original body fat. 

Rachel went into her surgery feeling hopeful, admitting that she used to think she was going to die alone. She vowed that for her final weigh-in she would be in the best shape of her life.  

'It's been an battle self-esteem,' Rachel said of her journey on the night of her final weigh-in.

New woman: Over the course of a year, Rachel lost 145lbs and gained a new-found confidence that she never had 

Forever grateful: Rachel thanked Chris and Heidi for being amazing role models and teaching her how to love herself 

The dance instructor looked fantastic and confident in a red lace dress when she stopped on the scale in front of her friends and family.

A year after she started her journey, Rachel went from 309lbs to 164lbs, losing a total of 145lbs. 

And while she looked amazing, Rachel explained that the most important part of the process was getting to know herself and realizing that she likes the person she is.

'You've got to love your flaws,' she said. 

Rachel's cheerleading squad was amazed that their coach was able to lose an entire person in a year, and her father noted that his daughter hasn't been that size since she graduated from high school. 

'I thought I was a lost cause,' Rachel said of finding love, getting married and having children. 

'I can love somebody now,' she said of her physical and emotional journey. 

Chis told her Rachel that she was a 'catch', and awarded her a scholarship to boot camp, which she gave to her father. 

'I am excited, but it is going to be weird not seeing you guys as much,' Rachel told Chris and Heidi. 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart.'

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