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Fri, 03 Sep 2010
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 TIME OUT :: Entertainment |
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Gone but not out
Mohammad Hafiz Amat is not letting his elimination from The Biggest Loser Asia get him down
Anansa Jacob
GETTING eliminated from The Biggest Loser Asia was a setback for Blue Team member Mohammad Hafiz Amat but it will not stop him from achieving his weight loss goals. He was voted out during last week’s episode, after shaving off a remarkable 35kg from his 167kg-frame.
Like many of his fellow contestants, Hafiz joined the show for health reasons. As a paramedic, the 25-year-old Singaporean did not want to end up as a medical emergency himself. To him, being ‘too fat’ was making his job even harder.
“What pushed me to try and change my life was whenever I carried patients or equipment, I would get out of breath and become tired,” he said in a telephone interview from Singapore. “Also, being overweight caused me to have sleep apnea. I had difficulty breathing, and it was cutting off oxygen to my body. I had to do something.”
When he found out that auditions were being held for The Biggest Loser Asia, he decided to go as early as possible – 6am – to get a good spot. To his surprise, he was the first one there. His enthusiasm got him noticed, and he was accepted into the programme.
Hafiz had only seen snatches of the US version of The Biggest Loser before, but he had a rough idea of what to expect on the show. “The challenges were quite tough, so was the training,” he added. But he managed to learn a lot, especially when it came to nutrition and dieting.
“Previously I would start a diet, but give up when I didn’t lose any weight,” he said. “However, I learnt how to manage my portions correctly and what kind of foods I should be eating.
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Hafiz will continue on the struggle
to lose weight | “Now that I’m back in Singapore, I make sure I stick to my diet plan and count my calories based on what I’ve learnt.”
Hafiz has also influenced his family with his nutritional know-how. “I can share my knowlege of cooking methods and portions with my mother. Both my parents have chronic diseases like hypertension and heart problems. By sharing what I know, I can help improve the quality of life for all of us at home.”
Hafiz is also determined to stick to his exercise regime, planning on hiring a physical trainer to help him get ready for the final weigh-in next month.
Besides the lessons learnt during his stint on the show, Hafiz also forged some good friendships with his fellow contestants, with one individual in particular having captured his heart.
Since publicly revealing his feelings for Red Team member Christine White during his elimination, Hafiz still feels that way today.
“The truth is, I’m really in love with her,” he shyly explained. “We keep in touch via email. I’m really looking forward to seeing her again soon.”
But for him, the person who made the most impact was his trainer Dave Nuku.
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Hafiz together with his Blue Team members | “To us he was like a father,” Hafiz said. “He gave us advice and motivated us, and massaged us whenever we were in pain. He also went out of his way to get us wholemeal noodles for us when we had cravings. He will always be more than just a trainer to us.”
Hafiz also has something to share with others who are following an exercise regime to keep fit and lose weight.
“A lot of people go to the gym, but not many know that in order to burn fat, they’ve to get into the ‘zone’, that is, a heart rate of between 150 and 170 beats per minute (based on the Karvonen Formula), otherwise their exercise will not be effective.”
To check on the progress of the remaining contestants and to find out if Hafiz will be able to achieve his weight loss goals, tune in to The Biggest Loser Asia on Hallmark (Astro Channel 702) every Tuesday at 9pm.
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Updated: 10:29AM Tue, 09 Feb 2010
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