The Biggest Loser Journey

I entered the Biggest Loser naive to the challenges that lie ahead. The road was turbulent to say the least.  After 5 weeks in the house and having lost almost 20kg I was eliminated. My first attempt at Camp Biggest Loser was focused on eating clean and training hard. While the journey was tumultuous; I felt that an emotional exploration was lacking.  

The moment I walked out of Camp Biggest Loser I was filled with a sense of strength and courage. I gained a new insight into what focus truly is and what it takes to be 100% dedicated. I returned home and moved in with my mother who provided me with unwavering support.  I was welcomed into a new family and found a new home at Genesis Jindalee my local gym. They offered me free membership and subsidised training rates in additional to emotional support and friendship. I trained 5 hours per day, 7 days per week and spent a total of 7 hours at the gym each day.

My training regime entailed 2 hours cardio, 1 hour break, 1 hour weights, 1 hour break, 2 hours cardio. My diet consisted of 6 small meals, one meal every 3 hours; 100g protein (Chicken breast/tuna/turkey) and 100g green vegetables (broccoli/zucchini). Day in, day out, this was my routine.

My mentor somehow fell from the heavens in the form of a Personal Trainer called Luke Petzke. Luke not only designed my eating and training regime, he also provided me with sanity – in moments of weakness and frustration he assured me that I was normal and kept me on track! I will forever be indebted to him for his help! My second trainer Bella worked on my inner strength through Yoga and TRX, Bella has the heart of an angel.

After 5 weeks at home I finally breached the magical “double digits”, I made a vow that the scaled would never again show a 3 digit result. Days later I received an invitation to return to Camp Biggest Loser.

Upon returning to Camp Biggest Loser I became part of a team for the first time. There was total synergy between team members and trainer; the perfect combination consisted of inspirational trainer Shannon Ponton and fellow team mate and contestant Brenda Hunt. I was 100% true to myself; I trained hard, ate clean and enjoyed every moment. Training with Shannon and Brenda was a joy. Off screen Brenda, Margie and I shared a close friendship and spent numerous hours sharing stories, training and laughing!

Shannon was the key that unlocked my emotions. His philosophy is “hard but fair” and he showed me that “no one is fat without a reason” everyone has a story. Shannon helped me rediscover the pain that I had hidden for years surrounding a strained relationship with my father.

I made it to the top 5 and was eliminated for the second time. This time I walked away from Camp Biggest Loser feeling defeated. For the first time since the beginning of my journey I broke the perfect cycle and had a weekend of binge eating followed by an overwhelming sense of depression. I return home with my tail between my legs, the emotional process left me deflated.

With the support of Shannon via phone and Luke and Bella my trainers at home and extended support team of friends and family I returned to my training regime. This time I upped the ante and started training 6 hours per day in the lead up to the “Finale”.

The finale took place in May 2012; the day was a culmination of all my hard work. I felt on top of the world! I stood on the scaled proud as it reflected my 47kg loss and celebrated with my close friend Margie as she took out first prize!

I had a support team including my mum, brothers, sister, best friends, trainer and dad in the crowd cheering me along! My journey was filled with ups and downs, but I could not have done it without the support of my loved ones!

The Biggest Loser was the platform that allowed me to change my life. I have the utmost respect for the cast and crew that work on the Biggest Loser – in particular the trainers who showed me that with hard work, determination, sweat and tears dreams can become reality!