One of The Biggest Loser’s most popular contestants and Club favourite, Alison Braun, has issued a challenge to those wanting to lose weight: step out of your comfort zone, try something new and do something you are a bit scared of.
That was one of Alison’s key messages at the Sydney Women’s Expo last weekend where she was guest speaker, sharing her inspiring story of how she managed to lose 55kg and keep it off.
Self-discovery
As a contestant on The Biggest Loser show in 2008, Alison was constantly forced out of her comfort zone. She felt completely overwhelmed by the crazy journey she had embarked on and found it extremely confronting to have to focus on herself. She realised she had no passions and that her identity was wrapped up in her family, as a wife and mother.
Lessons learned
But by being thrown out of her comfort zone Alison learned an enormous amount about herself. She often reached a crossroads during her weight-loss journey, but learned to deal with the ups and downs and emerged stronger than ever.
Alison says her Biggest Loser experience was both physically and mentally challenging. "It’s amazing what the mind and body are able to do...In the house, on a daily basis, you’re pushed beyond your comfort zone. We don’t do this often in our lives, but when we do, we learn amazing things about ourselves. I discovered I had some amazing strengths inside of me."
Alison says The Biggest Loser taught her that you can do anything you want to if you set your mind to it. When she entered the Loser house she was morbidly obese but within a few months she was training like an elite athlete. She never imagined that this would be possible.
Exercise really highlighted for Alison how much of her life had been affected by her weight. "When you gain weight, you lose little bits of you. You don’t do the things you want to do. I never realised how much of my life had been controlled by my weight. I was extremely shocked I had allowed my body to get to that point."
Challenge yourself
After her inspiring success on The Biggest Loser, Alison has found a new outlook on life. Even after the tragic death of her husband last year, the lessons she’d learned helped Alison remain strong. "It completely rocked me. I was really unsure about how I was going to cope, but Loser gave me strength I didn’t realise I had. I had to keep going."
Alison's message to others is that learning about yourself will help you make positive changes in your life. "What I cherish above all is what I learnt about myself...it helps me maintain what I’ve done. Loser isn’t all about weight loss, but about how you view your life. Ask yourself: Are you living the life you want to be living? Step up and create the life you want to live."
Alison Braun is ambassador for The Biggest Loser Club Meal Replacement Program. Alison continues to use the Meal Replacement products to help maintain her healthy weight.