For Kai Hibbard, there's no shame in being called a loser. The Anchorage, Alaska, resident took second on NBC's reality weight-loss show, The Biggest Loser, last season. Hibbard shed 118 pounds or 45 percent of her body weight, more than any other female contestant in the show's history.

Now 143 pounds, the spunky 28-year-old is considering putting a career in law on hold to serve as a health and fitness role model. She has plans for an exercise DVD ("featuring real people"), an athletic clothing line and two books, one chronicling her experience on the show and another detailing her diet and exercise program.

Hibbard also wants to serve as a spokeswoman for healthy, natural foods and was recently in Denver talking to local companies such as Larabar and Wild Oats about those possibilities.

We talked to the busy reality television star.

What made you decide to lose weight on national television rather than simply joining your local gym?

My weight has gone up and down my whole life. I lost 70 pounds and kept it off for four years. I'd had my aerobics certification for five years. I ate whatever I wanted but worked out like a maniac. I had to learn that you can't out-exercise a bad diet.

But really, the show was more about having something fun and entertaining to do. I can't stand being bored. I would've made the change with or without the show, but the show seemed like a really fun and crazy way to do it.

Was it difficult to keep the weight off after the show stopped taping?

The production would call and say, "You could really win this." I was driving myself crazy. I stepped into what my family calls "the dark side." I'm very competitive, but I'm quiet about it. That competitiveness mutated when I got home. I got to a point in October when I was eating 1,000 calories a day and running 10 miles and then teaching an aerobics class. Needless to say, that's not very good for your body.

How did you get back on track?

My family sat me down and said, "If you continue doing this, whether it's for a competition or not, you're going to die." The first real meal I had was an egg-white omelette and oatmeal with blueberries, and it took me an hour and a half to eat it, and I cried. My other half sat with me and said, "I'm not going to leave until you're finished." Truthfully, my family and friends monitored my eating. They baby-sat me until the finale.

On the show's Web site, you're described as a single girl who is sick of being "the friend." Has that changed since you lost the weight?

Honestly, that was the persona that NBC gave me. My friends kid me that I'm the only girl who could go to fat camp and come back with a boyfriend. I've never been in the friends zone. I could walk into a bar at 262 pounds and get hit on just as I would at 144 pounds. When I sent in my interview and talked about being "the friend," what I meant was I was the fat girl out of all my friends.

Would you ever consider appearing on another reality television show?

Survivor in particular, because it looks like so much fun. Erik (who won The Biggest Loser) and I would love to team up to do the Amazing Race together.

What advice would you give to others struggling to lose weight?

The emotional piece was a huge part for me. I had to feel my feelings and not feed my feelings. The other piece of advice I would give is to really love who you are no matter what you weigh, but get up every day knowing you're making strides.

How she keeps it off

• A six-mile run every other day

• One to two hours of cardio every day

• One hour of weightlifting three or four days a week

• Consumes 1,800 to 1,900 calories on days when she works out, 1,500 to 1,700 when she doesn't have time to hit the gym

• Writes down everything she eats in a food journal