Matthew lost 12kg

“The Commando’s weight analysis convinced me to join The Club”

Thirty-two-year-old Matthew Bing Tau-Aroha Paki, a student services manager from Western Australia, lost 12kg during his 12 weeks with The Biggest Loser Club.  His journey was one of sheer determination and hard work as he faced an uphill battle against his food-orientated culture and inactive lifestyle.

Matthew explains, “My Māori background means that food is an important cultural aspect of my life. Food is considered noa (a blessing); it takes on the importance of celebration on joyous occasions and sacredness at sombre events. Get-togethers therefore tend to involve lots of overeating.

“When I married my wife Lania in 2006 I weighed 95kg, which was probably quite light for my height of 185cm (6'2"). I had always enjoyed getting involved in lots of sports and often spent afternoons on my bike or training for soccer or athletics.

“After I moved to Perth my life became much less active. I began to grab whatever I could during work days – usually takeaways and convenience foods – and had lots of social events. The weight piled on and soon enough the scales registered that I was in triple figures!”

Commando face off

After returning to Perth from a family wedding in Sydney earlier this year, it really hit home to Matthew that he had to do something about his increasing size. “I didn’t feel well, my legs ached and I couldn’t control my hunger...I wanted to feel better, change my physique and take control of my life. I’d had enough of feeling lethargic and knew it was time to change.

“I came across The Biggest Loser Club after watching the TV show. I went onto The Club website and did the Commando’s online weight analysis. During the analysis I felt like he was actually talking to me. I received a good telling-off and he told me the harsh facts about the dangers of being overweight and not exercising. It was just what I needed and he soon convinced me to join.”

Discovering The Club

It wasn’t long before Matthew understood just how much The Club could help him with his health and fitness overhaul. “I have tried other weight-loss companies before joining The Club but when I was online I realised that this was the only one I’d seen that included a fitness program. I soon came to understand that no amount of healthy eating will work if you don’t include exercise into your plan.”

In particular, Matthew loved how the daily diary helped him take control and chart his progress, “In my work, accountability and positive outcomes are consistently measured and I used the same criteria with my Club plan. From day one, everything that passed my lips was recorded. I also logged my exercise after every workout. I finally felt in control; only I was accountable for changing my own lifestyle. 

“It wasn’t long before I started to feel healthier and by using the graphs and charts it was a great motivator to see how well I was doing. I also enjoyed sharing the good times on the forums with others who were on the same journey.”

Creating a healthy lifestyle

During Matthew’s journey, he made sacrifices, ditched his old habits and created a new healthy regime that he still maintains today.

Revealing his weight-loss tactics, Matthew says, “I sacrificed some of the indulgences that lead to my weight gain, such as too much alcohol, second helpings, comfort eating and sleeping in. I replaced these old habits with new routines. I awoke early to fit in 30 minutes of exercise each day and I joined the 24-hour gym, where I did cardio and weight training. These activities are a normal part of my daily routine now and I use my gym workout as a way to de-stress from the office. I also reward myself with a good full body massage every fortnight.

“At weekends Lania and I go for a long walk and then have a leisurely healthy breakfast together, such as wholemeal crumpets with grilled banana and honey. Lania was a huge support for me, urging me on every step of the way.“

Dedication and discipline

In total Matthew lost 12kg over 12 weeks with The Club, going from 110kg to a healthy 98kg; he also shaved 20 centimetres off his original waist size. So what’s his secret to weight-loss success? Matthew believes that, “Being really dedicated and understanding that I had to be strict with myself are two things that I feel helped me to be successful. When I had a slip up, I didn’t dwell on it. I got ‘back on the wagon’ and didn’t give up.”

Offering words of wisdom and encouragement, Matthew’s top three weight-loss tips are:

• “Set a realistic personal goal and stay dedicated to it. Own it. Write it down and put your goal on the wall if you have to. Mine was ‘Lifestyle Change for the Better’.
• Follow The Club exercise plan or that of a trained fitness professional. Start small, but make sure you start – and don’t stop!
• Don’t give up if you have a setback. Just get back into your plan and keep striving to reach your personal goal.”
   

After his dedication Matthew is now reaping the rewards of his new healthy lifestyle. He says, “I feel so much better, I have more energy and I have more choice of clothes. It has improved my work as well as I find I can think clearer now. I’ve always been a positive person but now I feel even better! The real bonus is that my wife thinks I’m sexier!”

Get your own online weight analysis with The Biggest Loser’s no-nonsense Commando and you could turn your life around just like Matthew.