Lose Big, Win Big

As the winner of The Biggest Loser Asia At Home competition, 21-year-old Zenny Salihuddin lost lots of weight and won her fitness and enthusiasm for life as well! She shares her story with Nur Akmar Yusoff.

“Music has always been my passion but there was a time when my weight threatened to hinder my singing career. Although I belted out songs with all my heart at school, no one took notice of my talent – they were too fixated on my portly physique, a result of overeating and an inactive lifestyle. Because I ate whatever I wanted, I started gaining weight at 10 years old until I ballooned to 110 kilograms by age 16. That prompted my peers to call me “Princess Fiona”, the ogre princess from Shrek or shout “Earthquake is coming!” whenever I was around.

I further got a reality check when I entered a singing competition in 2007. As I got onstage in front of hundreds of people, it was apparent how instantly they judged me. Their faces clearly showed that they underestimated me even before I touched the microphone and they looked surprised once I started singing. It felt good to prove them wrong but the judges were not so impressed – I only made it to the semi-finals of the competition. Not willing to give up, I went on to audition for several singing contests and handed in countless demo tapes, only for the judges to turn me down. It was plain to see that talent alone was not enough to make it in the music industry – no one was going to take me seriously as long as I was stuck in a large body.

While I tried to put on a brave front, I was really hurt. Fast food, cupcakes and chocolates were my ‘medicine’ during that bleak period. I refused to budge from the comfort of my sofa and often asked others to bring me stuff. I tried to shake off the extra weight by consuming diet pills and protein shakes but they only served to double my size. Seeing how I struggled with weight issues, my friends encouraged me to audition for The Biggest Loser Asia in 2009, a reality television series about a weight loss competition. At the time, I weighed 104 kilograms, which was hefty for my 163-centimetre height.

Although I was chosen as one of the 30 finalists, I didn’t make it to the show’s top 16. I was devastated, thinking I blew the chance to turn my life around. However, my distress was short-lived as I was selected as one of the 14 contestants to compete in the show’s ‘At Home’ competition. We had three months to lose weight outside the show, with the help of our own personal trainer plus full access to The Biggest Loser Club Asia.

The first two weeks of my weight loss programme were torture. From being a sluggish girl, I suddenly had to do six-hour workouts and abandon all my favourite meals. Besides doing cardio, my trainer, Fidie, had me doing lots of ridiculous activities like running in a shopping mall (where everyone looked at me like I was crazy!) and pushing a still motorbike with Fidie on the seat from the gym across to the mall and back again. He weighs over 100 kilograms! But there was wisdom beyond Fidie’s crazy exercises – he trained me to ignore others and just be myself, which was a valuable lesson. Although he was tough, Fidie was very encouraging and enthusiastic – he never forced me to do anything I disliked and made sure I enjoyed my workout sessions.

I also found myself swapping fast food for dishes that consisted of wholemeal bread, white meat, pan-fried meals and salads. I had to count the calories I consumed, something I’ve never done before, and made sure my intake was not more than 1200 calories a day. The transition was hard and there were moments when I felt like giving up. But seeing how dedicated my parents were in ensuring I reached my goals only galvanised my perseverance. Everyday, they would wake up early in the morning to send me to the gym with words of support and encouragement. There was no way I was going to let them down.

As three months flew by, it was time for the Biggest Losers’ participants to be reunited on stage. At the time, my only goal was to lose some weight so imagine my surprise when my name was called as the winner of the ‘At Home’ competition! During the weigh in, I discovered that my weight had dropped from 104 kilograms to 72 kilograms. Not only did I successfully lose weight, I was rewarded with some cash prizes for my efforts!

That was the happiest moment in my life. Life hasn’t been the same since then. I’ve revamped my habits and I’ve learned to adapt to them. If I can’t workout everyday, I will exercise at least three times a week. Gone are the days when I used to yearn for cheeseburgers and sweet delights – I’ve stopped thinking about them and have grown accustomed to healthier dishes, including fruit and vegetables (which I used to hate with a passion!). Besides controlling my portion sizes, I now count the calories in my food while taking into account what kind of exercise I need to do to burn the calories.

Presently, I weigh 69 kilograms and have had to revamp my entire wardrobe because my old clothes became too loose! People are a lot nicer to me now and those who teased me have apologised and taken back their nasty words. Earlier this year, I also managed to launch a single called Kau Kau, a song about my personal journey before losing weight, and I’m also the ambassador of a beauty product called MaxiPeel.

I’m currently juggling my singing career with college life and have given motivational talks to students at school. The advice that I always give them? Learn to love and take care of yourself, and ignore hurtful remarks. People will always find things to attack you with no matter how successful you are, so it is important to stay strong. That’s what I’ve learned throughout my rollercoaster journey and I’m grateful that it has brought me to where I am today.”

Credits:
PHOTOGRAPHY: Shawn Lor @ Blink Studio
MAKE-UP: Priscilla Ooi & Candy Low for Kiss Minerals
HAIR: John Lim & Derry Tham for 8 Days Hair Studio
TEXT & CO-ORDINATION: Nur Akmar Yusoff