The Biggest Loser Makeovers: Then and Wow!

Here's a change you can believe in. On The Biggest Loser's makeover episode, the remaining contestants finally shed their stinky workout gear and unveil polished new looks, walking the runway at a Ford Warriors in Pink breast-cancer-awareness event. "They've been sweating away for months," says host Alison Sweeney. "It's the first opportunity for them to think about how far they've come — and to enjoy it."

For tech consultant Ada Wong, 27, getting a shot at the head-to-toe revamp was nearly as big a goal as making it to the December 14 finale. "I'm a girl — I like makeovers! I knew that at a minimum I had to get to this week," she says. She got her wish when she and the other ranch-dwellers were whisked off to Ken Paves' salon, where the celeb stylist gave her long locks slenderizing layers. "Having a lot of hair makes everybody look wider," says Paves. "This cut elongates her neck and lifts her face up and away from her shoulders."

Next up: wardrobe. "I felt like a kid in a candy store," says Ada, who at first was worried that the size 14-16 clothes chosen by wardrobe stylist Liza Whitcraft wouldn't fit. "But for the first time, everything I grabbed looked great," says Ada. (Her final pick, an LBD, scored points for its "supportive fabric, well-cut bodice and straight skirt," says Whitcraft.) "I felt really slim!" says Ada.

It's a welcome change for the shy people-pleaser from San Francisco, whose initial motivation to go on the show was to gain her family's approval. "I felt like if I finally lost all the weight, my parents would be proud of me," says Ada. "Now that focus has completely shifted, and I realize that I'm doing this for me. I only need to worry about making myself proud."

Armed with her new nickname, the Terminator — for her core of steel in the gym and beyond — Ada is pushing ahead toward her goal weight of 130 pounds. "I think she can win," says Sweeney. "She has the determination. She has the right attitude." And now, she has the foxy look to go with them.

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