The three finalists, John Dokos, Asanda Siloti and Sharon Haarhoff, stepped on the scale for the last time to see which of them had lost the most weight, and would be crowned South Africa's Biggest Loser.
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The winner would go home with a prize of R250 000, something that would make most cash-strapped South Africans happy!
The transformation
Well, when those three burst on to the stage through paper screens bearing images of their starting-weight selves, the house came down. It was mind-boggling to see how much weight they had lost, and how their appearances had changed.
John, who started out at 117.6 kg, has turned into a pretty sexy hunk; Asanda who weighed in at 127,8 kg at the beginning, is now the smartest, most elegant young man; and Sharon, the last woman standing, left her original 135,1 kg behind to emerge as a really lovely, svelte young woman.
How did they do it?
All three participants had the benefit of the full 12 weeks in the Biggest Loser house under the eagle eye of their trainers and a behind-the-scenes dietician. Their every movement and bite of food was monitored.
However, when they returned to their homes, their families, their jobs and reality, they were on their own for four months. So, those of us who say, "Sure it was easy for them to lose weight with all the assistance they got, but what about me with my job, my family and my hectic schedule?" have their answer. These three showed amazing self-discipline and dedication to lose as much weight as they did on their own.
John said his family and friends gave him unstinting support. In addition, he had a strenuous schedule at gym and did extra workouts on his own. His resolve was unshakeable, not giving in to have a drink with the boys, but sipping soda water in bars and restaurants.
Sharon's home routine also demonstrates that without total dedication weight loss is not possible. She gets up at 4am to get ready for the day, arrives at gym at 5am to work out for an hour and a half, and then goes to work. At lunchtime she spends another 90 minutes training at a biokinetic facility; and after work she cycles or runs for another hour, thus doing 4 hours of intensive training a day. That dedication sure paid off!
Asanda, who is one of my favourites because of his great sense of humour and care for his family, also gets up at 5am to work out at the gym, goes jogging every day, and cycles 10 km at least twice a week. He has also started to participate in road races and is the proud owner of a number of medals.
Lessons from the Final Losers a) The Cons
All three Final Losers reiterated that:
Losing weight is probably one of the most difficult things anyone can do. It takes hard work, total commitment and extreme self-motivation;
It is necessary to change your way of life completely if you want to be successful;
There are many temptations you have to face and resist, so you need to be mentally strong; and
It is necessary to lose the weight for yourself, so that you as an individual can be set free.
b) The Pros
It was marvellous to hear what positive changes weight loss had brought about:
An enormous gain in confidence (all three said so);
Feeling on top of the world (John);
Feeling fit and loving their exercise (all three);
The joy of being able to buy clothes they like, rather than just those that fit (Sharon);
No longer fearing food, but being able to respect it (Asanda);
Being able to set a good example to loved ones (Asanda); and
No longer being regarded as 'abnormal, stupid or lazy' (Sharon).
The final weigh-in
And then it was time for the three to climb onto the dreaded scale one more time to see how much weight they had ultimately lost:
John went from 117.6 kg down to 73 kg, a loss of 44.7 kg.
Asanda dropped from 127,8 kg to 73,1 kg, losing 54.7 kg.
Sharon reinvented herself, dropping from 135.1 kg to 73,3 kg, shedding 61.8 kg – stupendous!
What makes Sharon's win so much more impressive, is that women generally have greater problems losing weight than men do. In addition Sharon was up against two of the most dedicated competitors in the game, but she made it and managed to lose another whole person (61.8 kg would be the normal weight of many women).
Sharon is an inspiration and a worthy winner. Well done!
Inspiration
Despite its many flaws (endless repetition, lack of dietary information, suspect sponsors and ads), The Biggest Loser SA has been a great inspiration to all South Africans who want or need to lose weight.
All 14 contestants showed us that load-shedding is possible and feasible. What they did, you can do too. It may take longer, but the goal is in everyone's reach if you stick to a balanced, energy-reduced diet and do plenty of exercise.
South Africans take this great example to heart and follow in the footsteps of The Biggest Losers.
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