Last night, The Biggest Loser brought back contestant Nicole, who after being eliminated near the beginning of the season lost an amazing 87 pounds at home and earned a spot back on the ranch.

But (spoiler alert if you DVR’d it!) her second chance was short-lived–a 5-pound weight gain put her on the chopping block, and she was voted off. I really felt it was unfair to make her one-week immunity contingent on her losing weight right off – she had a home routine that worked for her, and of course her body reacted to her return to the show.

That’s not why I’m writing about the episode, though (but please forgive me a brief shout-out: I thought she displayed tremendous integrity and strength through the whole experience).  Yesterday, I shared a story about a woman in my water aerobics class who, after conquering her fear of deep water, shouted, “I’m so proud of myself!” at the top of her lungs.  I found that moment so moving, and last night’s Biggest Loser episode really clicked together why.

The purity of my aquacise friend’s cry brought tears to my eyes because it is so rare for most of us to say “Yay, me!” when we do something extraordinary.  Are the negative voices really that loud in all of our heads that declaring to the world, “I did something great!” is so hard to do? 

Nicole on The Biggest Loser said, as she left the ranch, that she hadn’t realized until she looked at herself in a mirror on the ranch that she had actually accomplished anything exciting with her extraordinary weight loss.  She hadn’t absorbed the fact that she had changed her body, her weight, and her life.  In short, she hadn’t said, “Yay, me!”

It was inspiring to see her declare her love for the woman that she had become–whether because she feels she looks great, because she’s shown her inner strength, or both and more. 

Do you say “Yay, me!” enough?  What would you “yay” about today?