Being A Loser, The Good Kind

Losing weight has always been a struggle for me. I blame it both on genes and lifestyle. Genes, because whenever I eat carbohydrates, I swear, it’s like they have a direct line to my thighs and, much more recently, my arms. Lifestyle, because I ought to be doing more exercise being fully aware that my day job, teaching English via distance learning, and my real job, which is writing, are both totally sedentary.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in Coron, Palawan, climbing 726 steps up to the giant cross on Mt. Tapyas. I was totally breathless after what seemed like a mere 20 steps. And that was just Day 1 of my four-day trip to the Calamian Islands. In the next four days, I would have to climb more steps—a total of 300 each to Kayangan Lake and the viewing deck on Culion Island—plus a 45-minute trek to a camp site also on Culion. Add to that all the swimming and snorkeling we did and that would equal one beat-up body. If you were me, that is.

I had no idea I was that out of shape. It was a good thing that all of the spots we visited took my breath away!

I’ve since renewed my vow to utilize my long-ignored gym membership. It’s still tough to get to a good speed on the treadmill and my shins still complain when I even attempt to run, but if my physical condition affects how much I can enjoy a hard-earned vacation, that should be a big wake-up call, right?

I’m the sort that can be easily inspired by something I see online or on TV, so I’ve been doubling up on my dosage of Oprah episodes, especially the makeover-related ones, old seasons of The Biggest Loser on the Hallmark Channel. The Biggest Loser is, perhaps, one of the more interesting makeover reality shows I’ve watched so far. There is enough drama, there’s complete transformation, and no surgery! Best of all, for many of the contestants, it’s not just about the money.

Obese people sign up for a fat camp (or, better yet, a fat ranch) called The Biggest Loser Campus. The contestants are initially divided into two teams that compete against each other in challenges and group weigh-ins. Winning challenges get the team some rewards, like immunity, gifts from family, or even family visits. The real competition, however, is during the group weigh-ins. The group that loses the lower weight percentage has to vote off a member. Ultimately, the contestant who loses the highest percentage of body weight compared to their initial weigh-in is declared The Biggest Loser and gets a price of $250,000.

Season 6 is currently being shown locally on the Hallmark Channel. Season 8 will premiere on September 15 in the United States. And The Biggest Loser Asia is currently casting for its very own Season 1. Last Saturday, live auditions were held at Fitness First Megamall in Metro Manila. Hundreds turned up in the hopes of becoming Asia’s first biggest loser and bagging the $100,000 prize. Auditions are still ongoing, though. Up until August 31, 2009, you can apply online at www.biggestloserasia.com.

What’s even more interesting about The Biggest Loser Asia is that it will put together contestants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It will surely put different faces to the growing epidemic that is obesity in Asia.

I’m waiting with bated breath for this one!

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