The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

DUE to popular demand, Platinum Weight Loss Solutions for the first time ever decided to host not one, but two Summer Biggest Loser & Fitness Challenges for 2017, and is now planning to add a third instalment by Fall.

As advocates against obesity and founders of a local weight loss company, the husband and wife duo of Reginald and Santoya Edgecombe saw it fitting to once again team up with the Bahamas Medical Centre (BMC) for the second challenge of year.

On Saturday, a special finale event was held to award the top three winners of the challenge. Placing first was Wesley Neely, who won the grand prize of $1,000, a FitBit fitness watch and a free month of fitness training. Wesley lost 22 pounds, six per cent of his body fat, 19 inches off his body and was the male gold medallist for being the most improved in his fitness amongst his counterparts.

Chiffon Lockhart, who place second, was the recipient of $500, a FitBit watch and a free month of fitness training. She lost 29 pounds and 12.4 per cent of her body fat. She was also the female gold medallist for both weight loss and fat loss and took home the overall trophy award for both categories as well.

Third place went to Monique Bastian, who won $250 and a free month of fitness training. She lost 20 pounds, three per cent of her body fat, 12 inches off her body and was the female gold medallist for fitness.

Monique also received the overall fitness category award and a bronze medal for weight loss amongst her female counterparts.

While the recent challenge marked the fifth annual contest hosted by the company, it was only the second time it was held in collaboration with Doctors Hospital’s Bahamas Medical Fitness Centre.

There were 50 persons who participated in the challenge which lasted for six weeks.

“The challenge’s focus was not just centered on weight loss, which was only 25 per cent of an overall score, but also included three other categories that they would be judged on. These other categories were fat loss for 30 per cent of the score); inches for 20 per cent, and finally, fitness for 25 per cent to round off the total of 100 per cent,” said Mrs Edgecombe.

“The participants were each given a before and after body assessment, which included being weighed, measured and photographed, as well as a before and after fitness assessment. The improved difference in their results were used to determine their final score. The top three winners were then selected based upon the three highest scores.”

The company usually only hosts one challenge per year, however, requests from those who previously participated were enough for the company to host a second one this year.

“The persons who participated in the previous one experienced such tremendous results that their friends and family asked them to insist we run another one just so that they could also join and experience the same,” said Mrs Edgecombe.

“While our main service is the sale of our all natural weight loss products – the Platinum, Platinum Maximum Strength and Diamond, both locally and abroad – from our experience over the last five years, we are trying to break the dependency on ‘just taking a pill’. We feel like we are doing just that by using these challenges as an avenue to get Bahamians both moving and focused on their overall health. In this way, their chances of experiencing more lasting and steady results are greatly increased.”

Mrs Edgecombe said based on the response from participants they are already planning to host a final challenge this year that will begin in October.

She said they are finding that more and more people are willing to participate in the challenges because they get the results they want.

“They like it even more when they can see those results happening to someone else first. What I mean is that most people don’t like to go blindly into something unless it’s been proven to work first. And beyond that, Bahamians in general are becoming more health conscious and tired of looking into the mirror and not being happy with the reflection staring back at them,” she said.

“The reality is that by combining our products with fitness training four days a week, our challenges have definitely giving its partakers the results they signed up for. That being said, we have another reality – these challenges are a very expensive venture and getting people to sponsor us has proven to be a challenge within itself, so we cannot continue to host them just to provide the results that people need. So, as a direct answer to this we have since implemented weight loss programmes for both kids ages 13-16 and adults. These monthly programmes can be joined at any time and are structured exactly the same way as our challenges to include weight loss and detox products for the adults, as well as fitness training for four days a week. Right now BMC is the only gym available for the programme, however Platinum Weight Loss Solutions is currently looking to add other gym facilities so that people can have an option of where they would like to go when they sign up.”