Created: 8/11/2009 12:05:51 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- It was the high-tension moment on Season Four of "The Biggest Loser" TV show. The drama focused on two finalists: Jacksonville mom Julie Hadden and Bill Germanakos.
Bill stepped on the giant scale and the numbers decided he was the grand winner of a quarter million bucks.
But the money and the fame didn't come easily at all.
Bill explained his story during a stop in Jacksonville to encourage city employees and others to work out, eat better and lose weight.
Bill auditioned, with 500,000 other people, to be on the TV show with his twin brother, a NY city police officer.
They both made the show, but his brother was voted off. So he told Bill to keep on trying "for the twins."
Bill weighed in at the beginning at 334 pounds. He dropped 170 of those pounds, lowered his cholesterol more than 100 points and got off all his medications, including drugs for high blood pressure.
In an interview with Jeannie Blaylock at the Jacksonville Public Library, Bill explained that, even though he looks fit and trim, he will always consider himself a person "recovering" from being morbidly obese.
"They asked me my goals," he explains about the TV show process. His answer was that he wanted to walk his two daughters down the aisles at their weddings some day.
Click on the video story to meet Bill and hear his story about tackling key lime pie at a Jacksonville hotel.
Bill encourages everyone who signed up for First Coast News' "Biggest Loser" contest to give it their best shot.
One bit of advice he has is about hitting that dreaded plateau.
People truck along just fine, dropping pounds, and then they get stuck. The scale says the same thing every day.
He says, when that happens, "shock your body."
For example, if you're riding an elliptical every day, then go out and walk or get on the treadmill. Do something different to get your body back in the swing of losing weight.
On a side note, Bill says his wife weighs 115 pounds, was an NCAA Female Athlete of the Year for lacrosse, and never has had a weight problem. But she supports hims 100%.
We will meet the top 25 finalists of our First Coast News "Biggest Loser" contest on Tuesday, August 18th at 5:30 during the news.
From those folks, a panel of experts will choose a top 12 to compete in the local contest. The finalists will get free help from personal trainers at Bailey's gyms and nutrition experts at Memorial.
Folks who aren't in the top 12 can still follow along and get free tips and encouragement by clicking HERE.
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