A little about our journey

*Elise*

Elise, originally weighing in at 104.6 kilos, was always the less confident of the twins. Elise felt that she was living in Teneale’s shadow for most her life.

Often failing to see her own beauty, Elise struggled with being the ‘bigger twin’ and was constantly compared to Teneale. “All my life I have wanted to be like Teneale, the skinny twin. It wasn’t until I went on the Biggest Loser that I realised this envy was also subconsciously linked to my weight gain”.

“Now I know I need to be happier with the person I am and feel that the show has helped me become a much stronger person”.

Since being on the show, Elise has lost an incredible 38 kilos and now enjoys not only her new found confidence and fantastic body, but has also fully embraced the healthy lifestyle that the show revealed to her. “I love my new life and enjoy working out regularly, it has become a hobby”.

“Although I still have my weaknesses, and haven’t lost my sweet tooth, I also realise that these are treats and in order to indulge I also have to make a real effort with my training regime”.



*Teneale - aka Chi*



Although, Teneale was often seen as the ‘skinny twin’, she too struggled with her self confidence and ability to believe in herself.

Weighing in at 97.4 kilos when the show commenced was a bit of a ‘lightbulb’ moment for Teneale. “I knew that my weight was becoming an issue but it wasn’t until I got onto the show that I realised just how much I had let myself go”.

“I initially applied for the show to support Elise in her weight loss journey. However, I soon realised that I too had an issue and needed to be there as much as she did”.

Before going on the show, Teneale would often feel self conscious and would dread the task of buying clothes and having to get dressed to go out, whether it was for work or for a night out.

“Although I have always loved shopping, when my weight got out of control I struggled to find things that made me feel good. The pinnacle was when we were shopping one day and a lady came up to us and said ‘I don’t think anything in here is going to fit you’. This was one of my most humiliating moments”.

Throughout her Biggest Loser journey, Teneale lost amazingly , over 40 percent of her body weighing in at 58.8 kilos at finale. Although the show helped her lose kilos it has also helped her gain self respect. Not only has her confidence been boosted she now has the belief that she can do anything she puts her mind to. “If I can run a 42 kilometer marathon and lose as much weight as I did, I can do anything”.

“I love my new found self and although I have lost a lot of weight, I still love having my curves. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle is something I embrace every day now, not just to maintain my weight, but also increase my quality of life”.