Ask him the best thing about being part of The Biggest Loser Series 3 and you might expect Sean Holbrook to say losing nearly 80kg or winning the $30,000 prize for the most weight lost by an eliminated contestant. Yet, the greatest triumph for this Sydney-based single-dad-of-three is no longer needing to take three types of diabetes medication and being completely symptom free – it’s made him the 2008 face of National Diabetes Week!
The dawn of a brand new Sean
The realisation about how dramatically his life, health and future had changed for the good dawned quite slowly for Sean. He explains, “It wasn’t until Finale night that I finally realised I was a new person and that the old me was not coming back (hooray!). I had been through months of changes with the TV series and, with hair, make-up and wardrobe all set for the big night, walking past a full-length mirror and catching sight of my reflection stopped me in my tracks. I asked myself ‘are you kidding?’ I really couldn’t believe just how different I looked and I had tears in my eyes. It was then, at that moment, that I realised just how much my life had changed and also that I actually had a future and, perhaps most importantly, that I really wanted to have one.”
Click to enlarge photos
Sean before
During his journey
Final weigh in
What an inspiration!
Overcoming denial
Sean explains, “After years of letting myself get out of shape, my health was really suffering. I couldn’t sleep more than an hour at a time (my mouth was so dry that I kept having to get up to have a drink). But, I refused to go to the doctor – for anything! I hadn’t paid any real attention to my health (physical or emotional) and I didn’t really care that much either. Everything felt like a struggle. My children were so upset with me; they said that I was ‘willing myself to die’. But, I felt that at my age (Sean is only in his mid-40s), that I had done my job as a father, my kids were terrific and ‘that was it’.” Needless to say, Sean’s children had a lot more to say about the subject and begged him to get his health checked.
Becoming a Biggest Loser contestant
Being accepted onto The Biggest Loser show was when things really started to change for Sean, who says, “I finally went along to my GP for an unrelated health check. He took one look at me and sent me along to the hospital diabetes centre. Results showed that my blood glucose levels were really off the meter (the readings were in the mid 30s and a normal range is between four and eight) and I was started on two different diabetes medications plus insulin injections.”
This was a shock to the system and starting at the ‘White House’, with its strict diet and exercise regime and close attention to health checks, was another. Sean began to reflect on his emotional health, too. He explains, “I think it is easy for a person to get to a really low point. For me, unresolved issues from the past were dragging me down. They won’t go away if you ignore them; they really affect every part of you. In some ways, I think that looking after your emotional health is more important than overhauling diet and fitness because how can you change your life if you have un-confronted issues that are making you lose your dignity and make you love yourself less and less? I finally began to address my own issues and, little by little, I began to make changes. Without really realising it, I started to like myself a little bit – that’s something I hadn’t done for a very long time, either.
“Although the changes happened gradually, they have been dramatic. Now, I don’t waste my time worrying about things I can’t change or handle, nor do I worry about every decision I make. It’s quite a freeing experience. I also know, now, that hunger can be an emotional need but eating doesn’t always/completely satisfy it – you have to find out what is making you ‘hungry’ and deal with that.”
Making the difference
Like all of the contestants on The Biggest Loser, Sean was shown how to get the most from The Biggest Loser Club. The diary soon became a favourite feature. Sean says, “The diary made it easy as far as my food and exercise was concerned – it was pretty plain to see how I was progressing and what I needed to do to stay on track. I looked at the quantity and improved the quality of foods that I was eating and made sure the blue ‘energy out’ diary line showed that I was burning more than I was taking in.”
Losing weight and improving his eating habits has had a dramatic impact on Sean’s health. “Before the Finale, the doctor checked my blood glucose and did a test to check how my blood control had been in the last few months (a test called the HBA1c) – this showed I had stayed within normal blood glucose levels for weeks. The show doctor couldn’t believe it. He shook my hand and said that I was a real inspiration. I remember him saying to me at the start of the TV series that I could turn things around... and look at me now! I am completely off all diabetes medications and five months since it all started, my blood glucose levels are completely normal. Though, I must admit that I check my blood glucose levels occasionally; they stay between the healthy range of 4.5-5.5.”
Sean is not as strict with his diet as he was in the White House but he still enjoys eating healthily and his focus remains strong. He says, “I want to build muscle now, get a six-pack and really go the whole hog!”
Family and friends
So what does Sean’s children have to say about their new dad? Sean laughs, “The kids are absolutely stoked. In fact when I came back from the White House, neither of my sons recognised me at first! My daughter is really happy, too – she’s so proud!”
Sean’s love of the active life is one which he describes as being a bit like driving a sports car; “You just want to go on and on!” Sean can be regularly spotted out on the town with friends including his Biggest Loser housemate, Michelle, and Season 3 winner, Sam. Sean explains, “It’s been so long since I started dancing. And, now, I can’t stop!”
Having recently filmed a couple of advertisements to mark National Diabetes Week 2008, Sean wants to improve diabetes awareness and really is a shining example that you can control this potentially devastating condition and even beat it. And, although one of his main aims is to help Australians prevent the condition, being an inspiration to other people with type 2 diabetes is a pretty fantastic feeling. It seems that the official face of Diabetes Week certainly has a lot to smile about!
For more information about diabetes, visit Diabetes Australia's official website:
http://diabetesinfamilies.com.au/