She's worked as a plus-size model, but The Biggest Loser: Couples contestant Tara Costa admits that stepping in front of the camera eventually became a nightmare for her.

"I wouldn't want to take pictures because I knew that once I saw them, the truth would be in front of my face," the 5-foot-9 Tara, who first weighed in at 294 pounds on the show, tells Life & Style. "I was in complete denial. I only wanted to see myself as I once was."

In fact, as her clothing size went up, Tara, who says she gained about 110 pounds from May 2006 to the start of the show, even stopped weighing herself. "Before that, I was at a healthy weight," says Tara. "I was working, modeling, finishing up college."

While Tara, 23, can't pinpoint why she started packing on the pounds, she attributes much of it to her emotional state. "I think there were many factors — leaving college, starting a new job, being in a relationship that wasn't the best for me," says Tara. "I don't think I was a happy person. I'm realizing that more now as I lose weight."

For more on Tara's battle to lose weight, pick up the new issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC