David Gurnani lost a staggering 83kg, equivalent to 53% of his starting body weight, to be crowned the first ever Biggest Loser Asia and take home the $US100,000 prize money. His transformation was nothing short of amazing – he was the biggest loser in four out of 12 weekly weigh-ins on the show – and here the sports-loving salesman shares his incredible story.
David Gurnani will always be grateful that his family persuaded him to audition for a part on The Biggest Loser Asia. At the time, the 26-year-old from Jakarta weighed in at a hefty 157kg and his body was starting to feel the effects of carrying too much weight. David explains, “I was getting headaches and backache every day and knee pain too. I found that I could only sleep if my leg was up.”
Click to enlarge photos
David before
In the house
King David
The reveal
David's prize
Excessive eating, zero exercise
David put his heavy weight down to the dangerous combination of eating everything he could get his hands on combined with zero exercise. He estimates that he was consuming around eight to ten thousand calories every day in the form of five or six large meals or fast food burgers and thick curries laden with coconut cream.
David’s loving family could see the harm his weight was doing to his health and convinced him to try out for the show. When he discovered he'd been chosen as a contestant on The Biggest Loser Asia, David had mixed feelings. On one level he was excited at the prospect of changing his life and on another, a little worried about what it would be like to live life so far out of his comfort zone.
In the House
In the beginning, eating so few calories was extremely difficult and a major shock to David’s system. David says, “Suddenly, I could eat very little food and combined with lots of exercise, that was tough. After two or three weeks, though, it started to become enjoyable.
“There is no doubt that I felt frustrated a couple of times – I didn’t think anyone could work out as much and eat as little as we were eating. But I am so glad that we had such a wonderful trainer. One thing he said to me that I will always remember is ‘There is no way under, around it or over – just push through it’ and that’s what I did.”
David didn’t know what to expect but was very pleasantly surprised when he lost 13kg in the first week. He knew then that he could go a long way in the competition. David used the diary to keep a close eye on his eating and stick to his calorie allowance, plus he included all his workouts to ensure his energy balance was right.
“Although losing weight was the main goal, one of the major highlights for me was meeting a whole new family in Asia – my team mates. Underneath all those big bodies there were people with such wonderful personalities.”
Sacrifice is not a dirty word
David stresses that to lose weight successfully, you need willpower and determination: "It is impossible to lose weight without it. People may not want to hear it, but success requires sacrifice, too. You have to give up certain things and get moving more. Bring lunch and/or dinner from home and be organised because you never really know how much fat or oil dishes contain when you buy them ready-made. Enlist the help of a friend who has similar goals to share the frustration, help you out and encourage you, and vice versa. In the House, I really enjoyed getting to know Tony and Martha, and Dave was the most brilliant and motivating trainer – he is such an inspirational figure and I have really learned a lot from him.”
Since his spectacular victory, David has relaxed his diet and exercise regime just a little and now weighs 83kg. People recognise him when he is out and congratulate him on his massive achievements.
The future
David's experience has been life-changing and he has a lot to look forward to. He plans to marry his fiancée Levin later in the year and wants to use his show winnings to buy a home together. He's also been inspired to help others struggling with their weight: “I really want to encourage obese people to start living a healthier life. I used to think that it was OK to be heavy and I suppose it is if you are truly confident about it. But how many people are truly happy about being so heavy?
“In Jakarta there are 15 million people and a staggering 11% are obese. I want people to understand the health risks of obesity. It is like a time bomb that can explode at any time. I want to be an example and I would love to help people gain control of their lives. Just as with the grace of God, I have been given the opportunity to do.”