Confetti, lights, prize money, makeover, paparazzi ... Finale is a dizzying experience for the contestants who have spent months paring their lifestyle, diet and exercise down to the bare minimum. Add to that exhilaration, nervousness and joy and you can understand why the Biggest Losers are a bundle of emotions when they step onto the scales for the final time.
“When you stand in front of that camera, you are genuinely seeing your weight for the first time,” said newly-crowned winnerEmma Duncan. “I stood there thinking ‘did I win, did I not’?! I was afraid to cheer just in case!”
Fun, bubbly and glowing, Emma lost a total of 62.1kg to walk home with The Biggest Loser title. The 25-year-old hairdresser from Newcastle, NSW, weighed in at 133.9kg at the beginning of the show. She lost an incredible 46.4% of her bodyweight to come in at 71.8kg and cut a slender shape on her striking six-foot frame.
Missing her twin
Unlike her siblings, Emma had not always been big. It wasn’t until around five years ago, when twin sister Meg moved to Sydney, that the kilos crept upwards.
“I had separation anxiety and depression. I turned to food for comfort and it got out of control. Eating became an addiction. When I went into the house I was the heaviest I have ever been.”
Menu makeover
Emma was married and comfortable, and had let herself go. She gorged on fried and sweet foods and claims to have never eaten salad in her life.
“Before going into the house I was a very fussy eater. I had hardly any variety in my diet and I loved the taste of deep fried food and sugar.”
“Going from thousands of calories of sugar and fat to healthy food was the hardest thing,” says Emma.
Selecting her favourites foods, including chicken schnitzel and chocolate, and adding them to her diary was a rude awakening. Emma’s energy intake had been off the Richter scale. “Food became an addiction. It’s a bit like a drug, you get that good feeling and want to chase it. I was on a constant high.”
The blonde bombshell literally gagged on salad when she first started The Biggest Loser diet. “I could not keep it down. But we phased healthy foods in slowly and now I love it. I eat everything.”
Moving to maintenance
The diary is a blessing now that Emma’s adjusting to maintenance too. She’s adding new foods – “real” foods, she stresses – to her diet, as her calorie target increases to around 2000.
“The diary is so useful, especially now that I’m branching out with my diet. I put everything in it – it’s fantastic!”
Click to enlarge photos
Before
1st weigh-in
At 62.1kg
Glamazon
Ambassador
Training with Tiff
Of course, diet is only one side of The Biggest Loser equation. Training with Tiffany, Emma discovered her inner Ninja. The girls hit the dojang for one-on-one workouts after Emma re-entered the house as the only remaining Duncan. But, even whenTiffany put "extreme" pressure on Emma, the Newcastle girl didn’t falter.
“I had really pushed myself on the outside and gotten extremely fit. I was really excited to be able to train with Tiff again, my fitness was through the roof and it was time to show off a little.”
Emma proved herself, discovered her fighting spirit and thrashed her body in the gym. And, wow, the results certainly show. She cuts a lean silhouette, and shows off toned and tanned legs that would make a model jealous.
But was there ever any tension between the trainer and the student?
“I really struggled with my diet and sometimes I felt like Tiff couldn’t possibly understand – she likes healthy food!”
Tips from the top
Emma confessed a pivotal moment for her attitude came when Australia's first Biggest Loser Adro walked into the house. “It’s a lot easier to take advice from someone who has been there before. I was on a very strict diet and Adro told me I could do it and to suck it up. It really opened my eyes – if he can do it, so can I.”
Previous winners have inspired Emma, Leigh and the other Biggest Loser contestants, just as they inspire us at home. So what words of advice would Emma offer our Biggest Loser Club members who are embarking upon their own important weight loss journey?
“To those at home, I say be realistic and be consistent. Set yourself small goals and reward yourself with a massage or manicure, even if it’s just a couple of kilos. And if you fall off the wagon it doesn’t matter. Get straight back on. Each day is a new day – so don’t give up!”
Do it for yourself
Let Emma be your inspiration! She may have been eliminated but she didn't give up. She pushed herself at home and won herself a place back in the house, only to go on to take the title and prize money. Emma is proof that anything is possible, and that losing weight at home with The Club’s help is within your reach.
New body, new hair, new outlook. Emma is transformed from a pretty but heavy girl to a towering glamazon with killer looks and heels to match. We think she looks stunning. But has she changed on the inside too?
“I’m still the same. But I’m happier, bubblier and more outgoing. I’m less moody – those sugar highs were always followed by sugar lows. These days I’m naturally high on life. I’m truly happy now, whereas before I was only putting on a fat happy face.”
It sounds pretty different to us ... Congratulations gorgeous Emma! If she’s inspired you, jump onto our Facebook page to share your thoughts, goals and weight loss tips.