Navy paramedic Kreig Leitchze nearly had to resuscitate himself when he stepped on the scales one day and registered triple figures. At 102kg, it was obvious that the ex-Naval Sailor had let himself go.
“On the same day, I was looking at a picture of myself that my friend had taken and it hit home: I was huge,” Kreig told The Biggest Loser Club. But the 32-year-old channelled all his shock and horror into positive action, transforming himself within 10 weeks into a lean, mean running machine.
Pivotal moment
That first day was a turning point for Kreig, who shot down to his local gym and signed up. Realising he also needed to address his unhealthy eating, he also joined The Biggest Loser Club and switched well and truly into weight loss gear.
“For me, there was no such thing as a typical day of eating. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.”
Kreig started to use the diary regularly and soon curbed his high-carb habit and overblown portions.
“In simple terms, The Club explained the calorie equation to me. It made sense that when you exercise heavily, you should fuel yourself accordingly but when you don’t exercise, your eating habits have to reflect this,” said Kreig.
Walking into the gym for the first time was an intimidating experience for Kreig, whose experience until now had been of Navy gyms bursting with muscular Clearance Divers pumping iron, but he quickly caught the fitness bug.
Towards freedom
Within 10 weeks, Kreig was not only 25.6kg lighter but running marathons too and he credits part of his success to the support and advice he received from other Club members on the forums.
“I embraced this fully and began to spend a lot of time sharing and empathising with others on the forums.”
In fact, Kreig also founded the ultra-successful club-within-The Club known as The Perthites. In this way he’s inspired a small army of Western Australians to meet up face-to-face and get healthy.
“From that first meeting, The Perthites exploded! We hired a personal trainer to train our group in King's Park once a month and we met weekly for runs, walks and training sessions around the lake.
“I also invited the Perthites to HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, where I organised team-building exercises and our trainers put us through our paces in a gruelling beach training session.”
The Perthites went from strength to strength and the group continues to grow and meet for social gatherings, dance classes and enter a variety of fun-runs together.
Most of the new and original members got together this year to celebrate the group’s first anniversary, on 21st March.
Click to enlarge photos
Kreig before
Kreig before
Kreig after
Kreig after
Kreig after
From gym avoider to marathon man
Kreig soon discovered his own personal passion for running. “Exercise is essential and you have to make your exercise a part of your entertainment. It’s important to do something that you love, something that can become a way of life for you and something that is certainly not a chore. Do what you love daily and you'll see amazing, lasting results,” said Kreig.
Although he’s now a seasoned marathon runner, one particular run stands out. “The most rewarding run I ever did was the Cancer Council Relay for Life. A number of my family members have been affected by cancer and I wanted to honour them in the best way I could. Instead of running it relay, I decided to enter the race solo,” said Kreig.
This meant running for a full 24 hours and, although he was fully committed to the cause, Kreig was more than a little nervous. “It didn’t help that I had just been away at sea for six weeks and hadn’t had the opportunity to train in the immediate run up to the race.
“Also, I'd never run more than 42.2km, which was during the marathon I had completed a few months earlier. I wondered whether I had truly bitten off more than I could chew this time.”
The 24-hour run
Despite his reservations, Kreig enrolled as a solo entrant and began his run. Kreig said, “I nearly quit after 18 hours but a mate of mine rocked up at 6am and he encouraged me to run for a little longer. In the end, I crossed the line after having run, walked and staggered an incredible 147km. That was the proudest moment of my new, improved journey so far.”
Kreig started his total physical and emotional transformation at a weight of 102kg and lost 25.6kg in just 10 weeks to reach his goal weight of 74kg. His own health makeover has touched and improved the lives of so many others.
“From the very beginning,” said Kreig, “I loudly and proudly stated that I'd joined The Biggest Loser Club. I didn't get any of the ribbing that men sometimes get when they go on a diet or try a weight loss program. People have just been so positive and amazed at my transformation and I love the closeness that I feel by being part of The Perthites.
“The real end goal is enjoying a healthy, active, fulfilling life and that’s just what I am doing."