Biggest Loser Castoff Nicole Now Feels "Sexy, Beautiful, and Victorious"

Nicole Brewer certainly had her highs and lows on The Biggest Loser campus: First, a twist Week 1 sent her packing. A few weeks later, when her fiancé and Couples partner, Damien, was eliminated, she missed out on her chance to return and compete. But working hard at home paid off and losing 87 pounds on her own helped her earn a spot back in the game, with immunity to boot. Unfortunately, the change of environment proved to be fatal when Nicole gained five pounds, lost her immunity privilege and was voted out once again. TVGuide.com checked in with the New Yorker (who's lost 107 pounds to date) to see why she gained weight and how it feels to prepare for her wedding as a fit bride-to-be.

TVGuide.com: What was it like re-joining the group, especially when they bombarded you about game-play?
Nicole Brewer: It was overwhelming. It was also very awkward. As excited as I was to join the campus and as much as it seemed like it was this big, happy family, it wasn't. Rejoining that team at that time was really stressful; it was no longer just a group of overweight people who wanted to change their lives. I was joining the cast when it was the survivors, it was now about who was going to win the prize at the end of the game. So it was definitely a very different ranch and it wasn't a lot of fun. You've got to be careful what you wished for, because I worked so hard and when I found out there was actually a chance that I could get back on that ranch, I was so excited. But when you actually go back, the reality is that's not exactly where I needed to be.

TVGuide.com: How long was it before you returned that you found out about the second chance?
Brewer: It was just a couple of days. I didn't have any time to prepare at all.

TVGuide.com: Why do you think you gained weight during your week on campus?
Brewer: It was a completely different environment. I lost all of my weight at home, under no stress, with the man that I love. I also feel that, let's face it, every month women's bodies go through a fluctuation of fluids and unfortunately that's just something you can't ever anticipate. Just like people trying to lose weight at home, some weeks you gain, some weeks you lose, some weeks you don't lose as much as you want to lose, but it's something that you can't ever really predict.

TVGuide.com: Did you know you'd lose immunity if you gained weight?
Brewer: I did. That was made clear to me from Alison Sweeney, so I was fully aware and I totally understand that rule.

TVGuide.com: During your "Where Are They Now" piece, you looked stunning in that wedding dress. How did it feel to put it on?
Brewer: It was amazing. When I first went shopping for my wedding gown, I had the man who wanted to marry me, I have a beautiful wedding, but I was really unhappy that I was at that size. So going to shop for the wedding gown was totally a different experience. This time around, I could look at the dresses that I would have never looked at, at a size 24. I felt sexy, I felt beautiful, I felt victorious.

TVGuide.com: As a fellow New Yorker, do you have tips for changing up your workout now that it'll be getting warm out?
Brewer: Absolutely. I'm just so excited to be in New York City because I've lived here for 14 years, [and] the only thing I ever did in Central Park, before The Biggest Loser, was go to a concert at Summer Stage. There are so many things you can do. Up and down the West Side Highway, you can roller skate, roller blade, ride your bike all along the Hudson River, which is such a beautiful view. It's a whole other workout and a whole other experience than being in the gym. I know that I love the gym and I know that I'll always have the gym in my life, but you can also exercise for free outside. So my biggest tip is just to get outside and get moving and go to places that you've never been before. And now that I have a new body, I'm going to start shopping. When I used to take cabs everywhere, now I might actually be walking.

TVGuide.com: Damien said that you guys were working out 90 minutes in the morning and 90 at night, 6 days a week. Are you still doing that?
Brewer: We might bump it up a little bit, but one day of rest is absolutely necessary. Doing it in the morning, really revving up your metabolism, and getting your calorie burns started early is really important so that we can enjoy the day and enjoy the outdoors. But getting a solid, intense workout in is going to be the key and that's what our strategy is for the home stretch, getting to the finale and for reaching our goals.