Together with her fiancé Craig Debono, Jodie took part in The Biggest Loser Club Second Chance Challenge and lost a fantastic 14.9kg!
Sing star
An accomplished opera singer, Jodie wanted to take part in more productions with the Melbourne Opera, but felt that her weight had hindered her success in the past. “My roles tended to be of the character-type ones. Last year at a major national event, I was the ‘fat lady’ who sang at the end of the program. You know, ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings’?"
With the motivation of her upcoming wedding, future children and a desire to perform solo on stage, it’s little wonder that Jodie grasped the opportunity of the Second Chance Challenge with both hands.
Click to enlarge photos
Jodie before
Craig and Jodie
Gym session
Jodie after
Jodie at Finale
Getting with the program
Taking part in the Second Chance Challenge meant that Jodie not only had the support of her partner, Craig, and The Biggest Loser Club, but also the Meal Replacement Program.
As a busy tax officer, Jodie was thankful for The Biggest Loser Club Meal Replacements. She says, “The Shakes are great in the morning – my favourites are Double Choc and Banana. I love the Meal Replacement Bars and the Snack Bars, too. I have a heap of them stashed away at work so I've always got a healthy option. Using the Meal Replacements really works, because they’re calorie controlled and easy to pick up when you’re running out of time.
“Throughout the Challenge I really got to know foods with The Club’s online diary. By using the diary regularly and entering my foods carefully, I learned so much about calories and also got to grips with what I needed to do to burn them off. It was great to see the nutrition summaries as well, so I could see how I was doing with vitamins and minerals. I just learnt so much from this fantastic website.
“I also liked the weekly articles and the exercise programs; it was good to have a clear idea of what and how much I should be exercising. Those disgusting fat blobs spurred me on to shed as many as possible from my body so I used to think of these when I was exercising."
However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Jodie. She admits to the odd slip-up at the start of the Challenge, but soon realised it wasn’t worth it in the long run. “At the beginning I used to splurge after my weigh-in, but then I looked up what I was eating in the Calorie Counter and that put me off undoing all the good work from the week!"
By following the Meal Replacement Program, Jodie was able to gain control of her eating and, because it advises you to eat six times a day, she could see where she was going wrong. “I now know that I starved myself during the day and then had a huge calorie explosion in the evening because I was too hungry to be able to control myself.
“The biggest factor in my life is control. I know I needed it and this whole process has taught me that I can control what goes into my body. I love the power that this gives me.”
Future beyond Finale
Jodie says that reaching the end of the 12-week challenge has not really changed her promise of living a healthier new life. “Now that Finale has come and gone, I am still committed to getting to my goal weight and slipping into a gorgeous size 12 dress on my wedding day in October.
“I bought a beautiful crimson dress in size 16 for a fundraising concert recently. Not only was I wearing a size 16, but I was singing the lead role. It was fantastic!"
Despite the end of the challenge, Jodie reveals, “Both Craig and I are exercising like never before. I never really thought that both of us would workout this much.” Jodie has also signed up to more dance classes, including tap, to ensure she keeps fit and the kilos keep falling off.
As a couple, Jodie and Craig have lost a fantastic 47.2kg and it is clear that the journey has only made them closer. As Jodie puts it, “I know Craig is so much happier now that he is slimmer and I am so happy for him. I feel that his appearance on the outside didn’t reflect him on the inside. I am so proud of him. He is so much more energetic. He is stunning. He is magnificent!”