Get Lean contestant: 'I'm the healthiest I've ever been!'
Winners of Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge to be announced on Saturday (Nov 19)
His clothes used to be too tight for him, but now, Mr Alvin Low's shirts are so loose that his friends constantly point it out to him.
The 43-year-old financial consultant told The New Paper: "All of them laugh and say that I am swimming in my shirts."
But that's good news for Mr Low, a contestant in the Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge 2016.
"It means I've managed to lose all that weight. I'm the healthiest I've ever been," he said.
The challenge is jointly presented by The New Paper and fitness equipment specialist AIBI.
In April, Mr Low and nine other contestants were selected from a pool of over 80 applicants.
DETERMINED: Mr Alvin Low at a training session. TNP PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMARBut the programme, which was designed by trainer David Devito, proved to be too much for some contestants and five dropped out.
Mr Low is one of the remaining contestants.
The winners of the challenge will be announced on Saturday (Nov 19) at an AIBI roadshow from 3pm at the East Atrium in Suntec City.
The five contestants will also share their fitness journey with the audience.
Apart from talking about their exercise programmes, they will also describe the changes they made to their lifestyle.
One of them, research engineer Hozarifah Hosain, 29, said she is "not nervous" about sharing her experiences on stage.
She said: "I will just tell them what I did for the past few months, the different exercises and diets I had to take up and how they have really paid off."
When asked what the hardest part of the experience was, Miss Hozarifah laughed before replying immediately: "The food."
"The dieting was one of the tougher parts for me and I had to stay away from (the food I couldn't eat), other than on my cheat day," she said.
Mr Devito said he is proud of the contestants for giving their best in the challenge.
He said: "They have done a good job. The contestants can share their experiences and people can hear how great the challenge has been for them."
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
The 51-year-old fitness instructor, who owns The Fitness Protocol gym in Geylang, will be speaking about the contestants' journey and the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Mr Devito will also be answering questions about fitness.
"I want the contestants to be my voice. I want them to show Singaporeans that it is relatively easy to keep fit and healthy," he said.
The winner will receive an AIBI treadmill, exercise bike and stepper, worth a total of $6,100.
There are also prizes for the second- and third-placed contestants, as well as consolation prizes for the remaining two contestants.
But Mr Low, who has lost about 15cm from his waistline, said he already feels triumphant, no matter what the results are.
He said: "At the end of the day, I am not too concerned about winning the competition. After the tremendous amount of weight we've all lost, I think we're all winners."
About the competition
The Get Lean, Get Strong Challenge 2016 is a fitness competition that challenged 10 participants to lose as much weight as they could.
Under the supervision of trainer David Devito, contestants went through an intensive six-month training regime worth $5,000.
This consisted of one-hour classes at least twice a week at Mr Devito's gym, The Fitness Protocol.
Besides focusing on cardiovascular exercises such as running, Mr Devito's methods also placed a strong emphasis on technique. The exercises featured the use of kettlebells.
Participants had to watch what they ate and adhere to a strict diet that Mr Devito and his team planned and monitored.
The winner will get prizes worth $6,100.
There are also prizes for the second- and third-placed contestants, and consolation prizes for the remaining contestants.
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