Zandela comes third!

Zandela’s teenage years were one big battle with body image and her weight really spiralled out of control when she left school. She tried every diet under the sun without success. But now that she’s graduated from The Biggest Loser school of diet and exercise and given her lifestyle a healthy makeover, she’s certain she’ll keep the weight off for good.

Zandela was suffering serious health problems as a consequence of her weight, including high blood pressure, polycystic ovaries and chronic back pain. With a young son to take care of, she knew she had to do something before things got worse.

After 21 weeks of healthy living, Zandela has shed a staggering 5st on The Biggest Loser – that’s over 25% of her starting body weight. Her blood pressure has now returned to normal and she no longer suffers from back pain.

Enter the Loser house

Zandela and her twin sister, Ayanda, have tried every diet together, so it was only natural they undertook this weight loss journey together too. Although she had her sister at her side, Zandela was leaving behind her five-year-old-son, Reeon. While it was an extremely tough sacrifice, she knew it was the right choice for them both. She says, “I’ve got a strong support network, so it was easy to organise his care. I made a large schedule for every day and stuck it on a pin board and emailed it to friends and family.”

In week three, Zandela longed to go home to see her son. She explains, “I wasn’t the biggest person in the house, but I felt like the least fit. I just couldn’t cope with the training so I thought I could just do it at home and save humiliating myself.”

Zandela felt that her trainer, Angie, didn’t understand her emotions and wasn’t supporting her in the right way. “Angie wasn’t very nice to me about how I was feeling. I don’t work well with tough love or aggression.”

But all it took was a phone call from home and an honest conversation with Angie and she was back on the right path to becoming a Biggest Loser finalist. “As soon as I heard Reeon’s voice on the phone I knew he was OK and I had no reason to go home. I changed my thought process and Ange changed her attitude towards me and I was back.”

Speaking about the apples and nuts debacle, Zandela says, “It was like a bombshell when we were told that what we had done was cheating. We just thought it was tactics and Angie’s way of doing things. The black team really came tumbling down after that.”

There is no blame placed on The Biggest Loser trainer though, and Zandela knows Angie only did it because she wanted her team to stay together. Taking responsibility for her own actions, Zandela says, “We understand why she did it, but we also understand why we did it – we all wanted to stay as much as she wanted us to. We are all adults at the end of the day.”

Freedom at last

Zandela used to spend a fortune on diets and she admits to even using diet tables. “I’d splash out £60 on diet tablets from a Chinese medicine man,” she says, “boy, he saw me coming!”

But in Cyprus Zandela broke this habit and burned the diet pills to prove it. She no longer needs them now that she knows how to eat a portion-controlled, balanced meal  — plus, it only costs her the food on her plate.

Her newfound healthy knowledge and cooking techniques are also benefitting Deeon. “His favourite is Shepherd’s pie, but now I use turkey mince instead of beef — he doesn’t even notice and still loves it!” Watching his mummy on TV has also taught Deeon about healthy eating and made him aware of junk food. A proud Zandela says, “He tells me I can’t have a biscuit, and he will only have one as he knows they’re not good for him.”

It hasn’t been all easy for Zandela though and she admits that when she first returned home she didn’t lose one pound for almost three weeks. “I wasn’t planning my meals but, as soon as I got organised and made sure all my meals were balanced, I was back to my losing ways.”

The Biggest Loser Club also helped Zandela keep an eye on her energy balance, checking her calories in versus the energy used through exercise. “I love the weight loss chart and setting mini goals. I also love the diary, which tells you how much exercise you have to do to burn off the calories of a certain food or treat. It’s also great you can update it on your mobile – ideal for a mum on the go!”

Loser after party

The nation gasped as The Biggest Loser finalist broke through the life-size photo of her old self. Now 5st lighter, Zandela looked radiant as she weighed in at a healthier 14st 4lb, putting her in third place.

She says, “I was actually really dreading it. My heart was beating so fast when I was stood behind the screen, but once I got through I saw my mum and just focused on her.”

Zandela would like to lose a couple more stone to reach her goal weight of 12st, so she is setting herself mini goals to get there.“I’m doing a 23-mile charity bike ride with Davina and Angie and also the Race for Life in Hyde Park.”

The happy mother also regularly takes Deeon to the park, but for this active mum it’s not just about slides and swings. “I take some cones and we do interval sprints together – he’s really good. I just try to add more activity into my day, such as taking the stairs or walking, on top of my regular gym sessions.”

So, does Zandela think the right person won? “Absolutely! If I didn’t win, Wil had to. He has been everybody’s rock since we’ve been out the house. At first I thought it was tactical, but he genuinely cares. Wil has the biggest heart, is so determined and definitely deserved to win!”