Raj of Singapore is The Biggest Loser Asia 2 winner

Singapore — After shedding 67 kilograms (kgs.) from his starting weight of 144 kgs., Singapore’s ethnic Indian Deveraj “Raj” Vivegananoam was recently named The Biggest Loser Asia 2 grand winner walking away with $100,000 prize money.

Change is possible. This, the 24-year-old Raj emphasized during the finale night of Diva Universal’s weight loss reality search held inside one of the studios of MediaCorp. “If you persevere, you are bound to solve any problem,” Raj said after host Marion Caunter introduced him before the admiring audience.

“Don’t hate the player,” he continued while everyone in the audience seem amazed at how Raj has changed from very heavy to slim. “Results speak for themselves. All the hate served as one motivation for me to do all the best that I could.”

The chubby cheeks are gone, Marion observed as Raj stood beside her on stage.

Losing weight is Raj’s foremost reason in joining the reality search which lasted six months before the final weighing day last Dec. 14. Negative reactions from the viewers who saw his scheming moves in the game fueled his desire to beat 15 other contestants.

His weight loss percentage of 46.53 was recorded the highest over the six-month period of the competition.

With host Marion Caunter

“Being on the show has taught me that anything is possible and I want to inspire others who want to lose weight,” Raj said. He also expressed his desire to put up a charity organization to help address the rising obesity rate in Singapore.

“I want to help Singapore as child obesity rate (here) is increasing. Maybe I can talk to private companies so whatever money they could give can be used to help in the weight loss program.”

Thailand’s Atikom Laksapanai, also known as Nai, came too close to winning after results showed that he lost 63 kgs. or 45.99 percent from his 137 kgs. weight at the start of the competition.

Pinoy Internet café owner Genghis Khan Enrique, on the other hand, became lighter by 35.19 percent. His starting weight of 162 kgs. is now down to 105 kgs. showing a difference of 57 kgs.

Asked to share his top three tips to those who want to achieve the kind of body he has now, Raj answered, “First thing is you need help like don’t think you can do it alone. Second, go and find somebody who can help you and commit yourself to that person helping you like a trainer from Fitness First or a friend who has experienced weight loss and knows how to help you with it, and three, don’t ever give up because there are days where you might feel weak. The body changes each day and you will see all the efforts if you will not give up.”

The show’s second season started holding auditions last June with 2,000 participants eventually trimmed down to 16 contestants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand. They were divided into two teams — the Blue Team and the Red Team. Kristy Curtis was assigned to train the Red Team where Genghis and Nai belonged while Dave Nuku was the trainor for the Blue Team whose team captain during the competition is Raj.

Grueling challenges were held in a mansion in Putrajaya, Malaysia. After Hong Kong’s Lori Davis Granito was eliminated, Raj, Nai and Genghis were sent back home and continued training for 12 weeks before returning to the camp before the finals night.