Tracey Yukich and the Power of Keystone Habits

I was watching The Biggest Loser documentary on Netflix recently, and one contestant, Tracey Yukich, really stood out to me. In Season 8, during the very first challenge—a mile-long run—she was medically evacuated due to rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition where muscle breakdown releases toxins into the bloodstream, causing her organs to begin shutting down. According to her interview, Tracey felt like she died that day in the hospital... and then came back to life.

You’d think that kind of experience would be enough to send anyone packing. But not Tracey. Instead of going home, she was determined to stay and finish what she started.

Tracey weighed 250 pounds at the start of the show. By the end of just eight episodes, she had lost 118 pounds—down to 132 pounds. Incredible. But what fascinated me most wasn't just the physical transformation—it was her “why.”

She explained that her motivation went far deeper than wanting to look better. She was not happy in her marriage. Her husband had been cheating on her, and she believed he didn’t respect her. At her heaviest, she admitted she felt unworthy of love. Her weight loss journey wasn’t just about health—it was about reclaiming her self-worth.

Tracey didn’t stop after the show. She went on to lose another 80 pounds, waking up at 4 a.m. daily to work out and eat right. She divorced her unfaithful husband, went back to college to earn her degree, became a motivational speaker and exercise physiologist, and eventually remarried. All of this—while raising four kids.

Her story reminded me of a book I read: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. In it, Duhigg talks about keystone habits—habits that, once changed, trigger a ripple effect across other areas of your life. For Tracey, weight loss was her keystone habit. As she gained physical strength and discipline, her confidence grew. She began standing up for herself, making better decisions, and rebuilding her life. That one change—losing weight—unlocked all the others.

I’ve seen this pattern before. Someone trains for a marathon, and suddenly they’re eating healthier, quitting smoking, and sleeping earlier. Why? Because you can't run 20 miles if you’re not taking care of yourself. One positive habit leads to the next.

When you’re trying to turn your life around, you can't change everything all at once. It has to happen in stages. Just like Tracey, you start with one goal. Then that momentum carries you forward. We all want instant results, but real, lasting change takes time.

What struck me most was something Tracey said at the end of the interview: “The show didn’t change me—I did.” She owned her transformation. The show may have been a catalyst, but she did the work.

And here's the thing: keystone habits don’t have to be dramatic like waking up at 4 a.m every day. A few years ago, I was a pretty messy person. I felt constantly stressed living in clutter. So I started small—by making my bed every morning. That one act led to putting laundry away right after it dried, wiping down counters, doing a quick 10-minute tidy before bed. Now, my house stays clean, and we even do a full family clean every Sunday to start the week off right. All of that started with one small habit.

So maybe it’s worth asking yourself:

What could your keystone habit be? What small change could you make that might unlock a better version of you?