Darren, 28, realised that he was going to have to get serious about his weight loss if he wanted to get back to doing his favourite sports. One night, when Darren was talking to his mate about re-joining their sports team, his friend told him straight that he thought he would injure himself if he played. At that point, Darren knew that if he didn't drop the kilos he would never get back on the field again. Here is his story:
“I’ve always been a big person – I've been told by every doctor I've ever seen to lose weight – but I've always kept fit by playing sport. When I suffered a knee injury, I couldn't play sport for two years and my weight ballooned pretty badly because I wasn’t doing the physical activity.
"So that was one of my major goals – to lose the weight and try to get back into sport. I needed to make a change because I was still having trouble with my knees and neck and I wasn’t exactly happy with my life at that weight. I have tried other types of diets but I’m the kind of person who gets bored pretty easily... so I realised I needed a lifestyle change, not a diet as such.
"Being on The Biggest Loser Club has been tough on and off but I've learned that you have to burn off what you put in your mouth. I still eat bad food sometimes, like pizza or fish and chips, but generally I eat a lot more healthy foods, much more fruit and vegetables.
"The menu plans are the main thing I use on the site. I'm not a big cook and my big downfall is things like takeaway. But if I print out the menu plan and the shopping list, I can go to the supermarket and buy what I need. Then I'm on the right path with what I should be eating. Chicken salads and a little steak with lots of vegies are my favourites.
"One of the things I learned by using the menus was that I could have treats but they had to be in moderation. It meant I could change my lifestyle at a reasonable pace – I didn't have to be on a cabbage soup diet! I've also learned a lot from the food search – I use that tool a lot for my own learning. For example, the supposed low-calorie beer might only save me 8 calories!
"If I had advice for other members it would be: use the resources on the site, especially the menus, even if you don't follow them strictly. Also eat regularly – that was something I wasn't good at to start with. I've also learned if I have a bad day, I can just pick it up the next day.
"I would like to get down to 100kg so I'm going to do a bit more exercise, follow the menu plans more closely and cut back on snacks . I'm also looking forward to seeing my friends from overseas. One of them in particular is in the health and fitness industry and works in a gym. When they come back and see how I've changed, I can't wait to see the look on their face!”