MONDO EXTRAS

She became famous for adding "Pop off!" to the reality TV lexicon during the second season of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club, but this winter, Tanisha Thomas faces an even bigger challenge than tattooed troublemakers tampering with her fruit juice: surviving eight weeks of weight-loss boot camp on the seventh season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club (beginning Monday, Feb. 8, at 9 PM ET), where her castmates include R&B star Bobby Brown, Project Runway's Jay McCarroll, actress Nicole Eggert, singer Sebastian Bach and Britney Spears' ex, Kevin Federline, and his ex, Shar Jackson. But although she shed some pounds during the experience, she thankfully didn't lose an ounce of attitude, as we found out in this candid conversation:

TWoP: You've always presented yourself as someone who's very self-confident and comfortable with who you are. What made you decide that you needed to go on a weight-loss show?

Tanisha: I'm a fashionable person. I love wearing the latest trends and it's kinda hard going into stores at times, finding things that fit exactly right, and, you know, having the people look at you like, "Hey, were you looking for a restaurant? How'd you end up here?" I kinda got sick of it. So [doing Fit Club] was a health decision and pretty much I got fed up with not finding what I needed to look fine when I needed it.

TWoP: Did you have a doctor that recommended you change your habits

Tanisha: Yeah, my doctor has been telling me for years I need to lose weight. But I was just like, "Nah, screw you! I'll do what I want!" But for years she was telling me about diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease all the kind of stuff that's really the leading cause of [death for] people that are obese. I kind of ignored it. But the reality was, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air like the 5-0's been chasing me for blocks.

TWoP: You have to be able to outrun the 5-0!

Tanisha: [laughs] Right, exactly. Especially in New York.

TWoP: But it's not like your diet has been completely unhealthy. We know from Bad Girls that you love the fruit juice, right?

Tanisha: [laughs] Yes, I love juice. I love the soul food. I love a lot of chocolate. I have a really big sweet tooth and I'm a snacker. Some people like meat and stuff, but I'm a snacker and I love dessert. That's my thing.

TWoP: I think a lot of your fans are going to be surprised to see a different side of you on Fit Club, a vulnerable side. Were you nervous about letting your guard down on camera like that?

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