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Kevin Grey, a 34 year-old Trustee from Ferndale, Port Elizabeth is over the moon at having been crowned the “2005 Weigh-Less Man of the Year” at a glittering function held aboard the Rhapsody cruise liner on Sunday, 20th March 2005.
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Grey, who originally weighed in at 124 kg, wisely shunned the normal fad diets in favour of Weigh-Less, which instead encourages a healthy, balanced eating plan. He successfully followed the plan and, in just nine months, managed to shed 23,8 kg in order to reach his ideal weight.
“I have committed myself to a new and improved way of life through Weigh-Less and there is no way I am going to take a step backwards,” enthused the delighted and now debonair Grey, who beat six other finalists from across the country for the coveted title.
All that Weigh-Less epitomises
The Man of the Year competition is not only judged on total weight loss, but is awarded to the one outstanding male who reflects all that Weigh-Less epitomises – a healthy mind, body and soul.
Opting to take charge of his life and his general appearance by losing weight in a sensible and organised way through Weigh-Less has certainly hit home for Grey. “I found the first couple of weeks a bit difficult, but once I had been able to break my poor eating habits following the Weigh-Less plan, it became a lot easier.
“Changing my eating habits, coupled with my wife’s encouragement, removing temptation and more exercise led to dramatic weight loss. Having reached and been able to maintain my goal weight, my newfound zest for life has encouraged me to set new targets for myself. The Ironman 2006 and the Comrades Marathon 2006 are next on my list,” he enthused.
Denial and disbelief
Grey impressed the judges with his style, charisma and positive outlook on life – and of course with his fit, slim and trim new look. His weight had steadily increased over ten years and it was only denial that prevented him from facing the fact that he was overweight.
Photo: Kevin before and after.
His health was not something he considered seriously and it was a moment of great disbelief when a photograph revealed the truth. Another factor that convinced Kevin that he needed to adjust his lifestyle and state of health was an Iron Man contest where he watched contestants older than him finish this endurance test.
After dramatic but steady weight loss, he found that he felt healthier and performed better, both physically and mentally. He began exercising when he had almost reached his Weigh-Less goal weight and from a starting point of 3 km each evening, he now runs over 60 km and swims more than 12 km every week.
The Weigh-Less Man of the Year is a national competition, held annually to select, reward and honour male Weigh-Less members for their outstanding achievements.
This year’s finale took place from 18-21 March aboard the Rhapsody on a luxurious cruise to the beautiful Portuguese Islands. The honorary judges were Mary Holroyd (Founder and Chairman of Weigh-Less); Khalik Sherrif (Sales and Marketing Director E-TV); Deon Barras (Man of the Year 2004 runner up) and Marzanne Wilken (PR and Functions Co-ordinator of Maksiman).
Men more aware of appearance
For over 30 years Weigh-Less has offered South Africans of all ages, sexes, creeds and cultures the opportunity of solve their weight problems through following a healthy lifestyle. Like men around the world, statistics show that South African men are becoming increasingly more aware of their health and general appearance. Not only are they losing excess weight but they are also opting for a healthier lifestyle.
Mary Holroyd, Founder Chairman of Weigh-Less, says that more and more men, such as Kevin Grey, are joining clubs like Weigh-Less in an effort to lead healthier lifestyles. “Because we have so many more male members than in the past, the natural progression was to open up a competition exclusively for our successful male slimmers,” she said.
“We had an overwhelming response to the 2005 competition, with hundreds of entries, and we are especially proud of our seven finalists who have lost a collective amount of just over 261 kilograms,” added Mary Holroyd.
Other contenders
Contenders for the “2005 Weigh-Less Man of the Year” title came from all age groups and diverse professions with their one common link being their enviable achievement of losing excess weight and in doing so, realising many of their hidden hopes and dreams.
The runner-up in the Man of the Year competition was Johan Liebenberg (39) a Military Practitioner from Pretoria who lost an amazing 52 kg in 45 weeks. The turning point for him came when, after a seaside holiday, he found that his army uniform no longer fitted him and there was no stock in the army stores big enough to accommodate his bulk.
Another finalist, Jacques Joubert (33) of Leeudoringstad, is yet another major Weigh-Less success story. Two years ago Jacques weighed an astonishing 198 kg and personal embarrassment and serious health issues spurred him on to join Weigh-Less in order to follow a healthier lifestyle. Today, Jacques is a shadow of his former self having lost a whopping 99 kg – a feat which he accomplished in just 18 months.
Other finalists, Joe Jansen van Rensburg (49) of Sasolburg shed 18 kg in seven months; Pieter Maritz (35) of Rustenburg lost 17 kg in four months, Nicolaas Coetzee (43) also of Rustenburg lost 25 kg in 11 weeks and Koos du Plessis (46) of Worcester lost 26 kg in 20 weeks.
Kevin Grey bagged the grand prize of a Starlight Cruise and a host of other prizes. Plus, he and the other finalists took home not only new-found friendships and a whole bunch of happy memories from their Weigh-Less “Man of the Year” experience, but also a number of sponsored gifts and hampers too.
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