By DEAN EWINGTON*
WITH the final of Biggest Loser now over with for 2012 I want reflect on some of the comments and debate that has been going on in regards to this show. However I think the first thing we all need to do is to congratulate Tasmania’s own Lydia Hanytke on losing an amazing 63.1 KG.
This is an fantastic result by any measure and shows what is possible at the extreme end of the scale. Is this level of weight loss realistic for the average person , no, but it does show what is possible when everything is in your favour. The fact is that the body can put on weight very quickly but if you do the work, its shows that it will come off.
The people who you hear say ‘I’ve tried everything and it juts won’t come off”, are juts not doing the right things, and probably using all the excuses rather than being honest with themselves. If you exercise hard and often enough and make the necessary changes to your diet , you will lose weight, you just need to manipulate the variables enough in the right direction.
The contestants in the Biggest Loser have the advantage of a personal trainer for every session they do and the ability to train for as long as they want without worrying about the pressures of life. They also have the support of other contestants and the knowledge that their every move is being watched which makes them much more likely to comply with what they need to do to get results. A prize of $250 000 also helps!
But if we break it down all of these influences are available to us all on certain degree, we just need to put a plan in place to allow it to happen. And a plan will beat willpower every time.
That is where most people fail, a lack of a plan.
The most crucial component of success is having a personal trainer, not necessarily in a one-on-one situation, but small group training is now offered by most trainers. While the current public health messages do not encourage anyone to look at this option, they just keep regurgitating the myth that all you need to do is walk for 30 minutes and take the stirs rather than the lift, the fact is that having a personal trainer works. The fact is that it is probably the single most important aspect. Everyone has different levels of motivation, injuries, knowledge, drive and passion and a good personal trainer can help you in all these areas.
There is that much misinformation out there when it comes to fitness and exercise for weight loss that knowing what the science actually says so you can choose the right exercise and dietary plan is essential. When you want exercise advice you should seek someone with training in that area, and a doctor certainly does not have that expertise. If they were any good at encouraging and guiding you in how to lose weight and be healthy, well there wouldn’t be the level of obesity and lifestyle disease that we now see!
The next area you need to work on is having support from those around you. . You need to make sure that you let everyone around you know what they can do to help, and what they might be doing to harm. That includes your family, workmates and friends.
Having a measureable and achievable goal is the next step and realising that motivation is what gets you started but habit is what keeps you going. So sit down write out your plan, be honest with yourself and realise that if you create a plan and stick to it, you will get results. The key is to get advice from someone who knows what they are doing. Visit the Fitness Australia Website for www.fitness.org.au for a list of your local clubs and trainers and make that first step.
*Dean Ewington is the president of the Tasmanian regional council of Fitness Australia and managing director of Oceana Health and Fitness.
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