Week 12 of The Biggest Loser SA has come and gone, and now we know that the final three are Sharon, Asander and John.
Each of these contestants (as well as Shakeel, who was voted out) managed to lose 30kg or more, and all of them are now below the 100kg mark.
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This is amazing if one considers that these participants had to lose an average of nearly 3kg per week in order to shed 30kg in 12 weeks – an achievement which takes some doing, especially if you keep in mind that they only lost around 1kg during some of the weeks.
A clever illustration
I must say that Monday's show impressed me.
In the individual competition, each participant had to strain to keep weights amounting to their individual losses in the air. This was a clever way of illustrating just how much weight the contestants once had to carry around with them, and just how much they've shed. Each one expressed their wonder that once, not long ago, they had to struggle to move around because they were encumbered with an additional 30kg.
I've often encouraged readers who report weight losses on the DietDoc Forum to visit the supermarket and take a good, hard look at the 10 or 20kg they've lost by piling up 10 or 20 x 1kg margarine tubs.
Weight loss is all about freeing your body from the shackles of fat, and it's a most liberating and uplifting experience.
Time to reflect
Another part of Monday's show that I appreciated was the time of reflection each one of the final three was afforded.
One by one they joined their trainers and were presented with pictures and a video of how they started out 12 weeks ago. It was unbelievable: Sharon, Asander and John were massive, and now they're looking positively svelte and as fit as Olympic athletes.
It must have been a mind-boggling experience to see where they had come from with bulging tummies and moon faces.
Do you need a trainer?
The final three all reiterated that they would never have achieved their gargantuan losses or lasted the course if it hadn't been for their trainers. Lisa, for the Blue Team, and Bruce, for the Red Team, made a great deal of difference to all the contestants, but most of all to the final three.
So I can imagine that those of you at home who want to lose weight are wondering, "Can I do this on my own? Can I achieve such weight losses without a personal dietician and/or trainer?"
This is indeed a difficult question to answer. Scientific research, as well as The Biggest Loser SA show, clearly demonstrates that it helps immeasurably to have personal encouragement when you want to lose weight. But most of us don't have the time or money to engage a personal trainer, or to seclude ourselves for 12 or more weeks to lose weight. Modern life doesn't generally permit this type of luxury.
You'll have to plan your weight-loss programme carefully. You must decide if you can really do it on your own or if you need the support of a trainer, a dietician or a slimming organisation. If you're strong-willed, dedicated and disciplined, you'll probably manage to stick to your slimming diet and exercise regimen with the minimum of intervention and achieve success on your own.
However, if you're not one of these dedicated individuals, if you need support and encouragement, or if you tend to start diets and exercise programmes and then stop, then for your own sake, consult a dietician or join a slimming organisation, and a good gym.
You can find a dietician in your area who will guide you through your weight loss. Just visit the Association for Dietetics in SA website and click on "Find a Dietitian".
Weigh-Less and Weight Watchers are examples of slimming organisations which have helped thousands of South Africans and people all over the world to lose weight sensibly and keep it off. The same goes for well-organised gyms where you are entitled to ask the trainers to work out your exercise programme and to keep you motivated. This is, after all, what these trainers are paid to do.
One of the most important things you can do when you start feeling discouraged, when you hit a plateau, or when you just feel you're going nowhere, is to talk to your dietician, trainer or counsellor. These people will help you, encourage you and make adjustments to your food intake or exercise regimen to help you get going again. But if you don't say anything or just fade out of the programme, they can't help you.
Erratic weight loss
One other factor that was particularly well emphasised in Monday's show is that weight loss is an erratic business. Last week, Sharon, who is now one of the final three, nearly got voted out because she only lost 0.9kg. This week, Sharon beat all the others by losing 4.8kg.
If you've learnt only one thing from watching The Biggest Loser SA, then it must be that the contestants didn't lose weight steadily. Their losses varied from a fraction of a kilogram to as much as 6.7kg a week.
Next time you're trying to lose weight and you experience a week in which you lose very little, keep this in mind. The human body works in mysterious ways, especially when you're losing weight.
Don't take your lack of success to heart and don't throw in the towel. Persist and carry on with what you were doing before. If necessary, up your exercise a bit or have a treatment to reduce stress (stress is one of the most potent factors that can hamper weight loss). Go for a massage or an aromatherapy session, or treat yourself to a facial (yes, men included) or a new hairdo. These were all tactics used in the programme to lessen stress and they all gave the participants a new lease on life.
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