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By Micha Green
AFRO D.C. Editor
[email protected]
The Biggest Loser is back on television with a revamp that features old and new faces and facets. This time the show is on USA as opposed to the NBC network channel, features former show trainer Bob Harper now hosting and brand new trainers, Erica Lugo and Steve Cook.
As viewers tune in to The Biggest Loser and its new facelift, since it’s start in 2004, the D.M.V. has a special reason to root for one of its own. From the red squad, one of the show’s contestants is a school counselor who lives in Washington, D.C.
Beginning the show at 357 pounds, the Baton Rouge born PhiXavier “Phi” Holmes primarily relies on her support system in D.C. to keep her going, and in an exclusive with the AFRO, she shared that much of her weight loss journey is bolstered by the encouragement of her students and school family.
While Holmes said she could not give much away, she did admit that she gained a great deal of insight from participating in The Biggest Loser and hopes that her journey will be an inspiration to others.
AFRO: How has your life changed since doing the show?
Holmes: My life has changed tremendously. Prior to going on The Biggest Loser I was happy-go-lucky, bubbly, the whole works, because that’s just who I am.
But there was this point of my life that I didn’t seem to conquer. I would always do well in school and professionally and all these other things. It was one of those areas where I’m like, ‘I just can’t seem to win here.’
So going on Biggest Loser- ‘I was like this is my opportunity where- one- this is the first time ever in my life where I can steal away and focus on me. That was never something I was able to do for this area. I was able to do it for school and that nature, but when it came down to my weight it was always, ‘I’ll get to it. I’ll get to it. I’ll get to it.’ Being able to be on The Biggest Loser campus, it was my opportunity to focus on me.
And so being there I was able to get to the root of some things. Discover the truth about myself. As you can see on episode one, I had this complete breakdown because all of this weight I was carrying internally- I never said anything. So that was my first time I really put words to it and began to discover really what I’m capable of doing when I submit to the process. And when I allowed myself to be present…
I learned the truth about food how works and fuels your body. You know ‘Hey, it’s good to eat these certain foods,’ but working with the nutritionist through the show and on campus it was, ‘Hey here’s how these fuel your body when you eat them at this time, or when you eat them in combination with each other in this way.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I learned some practical things.’”
AFRO: How can you take the lessons from the show and pass them on to your students?
Holmes: Interestingly enough, a lot of the lessons, I learned and, honestly speaking, a lot of the motivation of me being there, was driven by my students.
There was one student in particular who I would always talk to frequently. I absolutely love her. I met her because she was going through some difficulty, it was typical middle school age stuff, dealing with weight issues, and kids teasing and typical things of that nature. And we talked and she felt comfortable disclosing. And she said, ‘Ms. Holmes, I really want to be with you,’ she said, ‘You’re so confident, you’re so beautiful, I really want to be like you….” And she was just like, ‘I don’t know how to do that.’
It hurt me to my core because it was the first time in my professional career as a school counselor, and even as a teacher, I used to be a teacher back in the day- it was the first time that I was ever faced with a situation where I had no response.
I was like, ‘You are this 13-year-old little girl, who’s hurting because of her weight, and how she looks and the insecurities that come along with it. And I am this 36-year-old dealing with the same thing. And so I’m like, ‘I am you and you are me,’ and to not have a response, and I’m supposed to have a response, I didn’t know what to do. So The Biggest Loser came at the right time.
So I told her, ‘We’re going to figure this out together.’ So she became my biggest motivation, to when I had to leave and wasn’t starting the school year.
AFRO: Anything special you want people to know about this season?
Holmes: Definitely, definitely watch for this season. You’re going to laugh a lot, you’re going to cry a lot, you’re going to cheer a lot. The whole works. It’s a brand new season and I love this revamp.
As a viewer I always wanted to be on The Biggest Loser, but I’m glad it happened at this time, with this season. This was it- and a beautiful thing.
Editor’s Note/ Spoiler: PhiXavier was voted off The Biggest Loser on episode 2, which aired on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
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