Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition

As I was watching the Biggest Loser Pinoy Doubles Edition last Saturday, April 5, 2014, my jaw dropped as I saw four contestants voluntarily exiting the Biggest Loser camp due to cheating.  

As one of the pioneer contestants in the 1st season of the Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition, I was disappointed with what transpired. This show is about positive transformations, from being fat to fit, from having an unhealthy lifestyle to practicing a healthy lifestyle. I owe my second chance in life to this show, especially to the coaches, nutritionist, production people and staff, as well as, to ABS-CBN.

Inside the camp, we were taught the basics of healthy eating. We learned how to prepare and cook food. We were also trained on the many ways to exercise to lose weight and be fit. The many things that we learned inside prepared me when I went back home to the real world after I left the camp.

I had set my goals even before my Biggest Loser journey started. I promised myself that I will pay it forward and help others to get fit. In order to sustain my personal fitness journey, I set personal challenges like joining triathlon competitions and running the marathon. In a span of two years and six months, I have completed two IRONMAN 70.3 races, three Xterra Off-road Triathlon races and countless half-marathon (21 km) races. I have conducted 8 fitness boot camps and helped obese and overweight people jumpstart their fitness journey.

I am on my 3rd year of living a fit and healthy lifestyle. I am a living proof that everything is possible. Last Tuesday, I was invited to appear in the Biggest Loser Pinoy Doubles Edition to help inspire the remaining contestants of the show. At this point in the competition, these contestants are already physically and mentally exhausted. As a former contestant, I can relate to what they are going through. I shared my experiences and did some workout with them. I told them that when their stay at the camp ends,  it will be the start of another journey. Maintaining or sustaining their current weight now is as hard as losing weight. I also told them that aside from my fitness journey and managing the boot camps, I still have to take care of my family and business. Time management is very important.

Yes, joining the Biggest Loser competition puts the contestants in the spotlight. They become famous plus they get the chance to win cash prizes if they make it to the top 4. Sadly, these resulted in many of the contestants losing sight of the most important and main purpose of joining the competition which is to make a lifestyle change to lose weight and stay fit. I had the chance to meet some of the Biggest Loser Season 2 contestants during the auditions and was surprised to hear that their main reason for joining the show was “to be famous”.

Being in the competition is tough. You leave your work to be able to stay inside the Biggest Loser camp. You are away from your family for a long period of time and have no communication with them. It can get lonely and exhausting after a while as one by one, the contestants get eliminated. Everybody goes into survival mode. Some contestants would resort to cheating & manipulation by giving false information on workout and diet tips. I only have one thing to say to the contestants - LISTEN TO YOUR COACHES! You already have the best coaches in the country.       

Both Coach Jim Saret and Coach Toni Saret have proven track records. They are the founders and training directors of APEX (Athletic Performance Enhancement) Sports Training Inc., as well as, the FIT Filipino Movement and METAFIT Philippines.

Coach Jim Saret is a former national athlete. He completed his Master's Degree in Sports Medicine / Athletic Training at Brigham Young University in the U.S. specializing in Athletic Performance Enhancement.

Coach Toni Saret is an accomplished athlete herself who has finished a number of marathon (42 km) races and is a certified coach for Crossfit, Zumba, BlastFX, Fight FX, Groove FX, TRX and is NESTA Certified.

Food Coach Nadine Tengco is a US Certified Fitness Nutritionist/Chef.

My advice to the contestants now is to stay focused on your food, nutrition and workout programs. There is no short cut in life. Set your goals and find your motivation and inspiration. It does not matter if you win or lose. What is important is after the show, you should be able to sustain and keep the weight off and live a healthy lifestyle. Don’t go back to your old habits. People look up to you. Be an inspiration to the Filipino people.

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For comments, you can reach me at [email protected]. You can also visit  www.alanchoachuy.com or www.facebook.com/metafitcebu.