Biggest Loser: Zambia

The Biggest Loser: Zambia, started today.  We have six contestants all vying for a cash prize of $120.  They are: Craig Andrews-Jones - 145 lbs, Me - 235 lbs, Stephen "Tex" Loewen - 196 lbs, Britain Ogle - 225 lbs, Drew Canger - 200 lbs, and our only woman contestant Megan.  The odds on favorite so far is Britain who, in the past 3 weeks, has already lost over 15 lbs.  But it isn't the person that loses it the fastest, it is the person who loses the largest percentage over the time span of the competition... two years.



From Left to Right: Craig, Megan, Drew, Tex, Britain, Myself

 Unlike television's Biggest Loser, this competition will not employ / showcase personal trainers.  In fact, any professional help is completely out of the question and against competition rules.  However, sicknesses are allowed, starvation, worms, and other more natural means are all fair game.  But these seem painful and gross, so I probably won't go that route.  Should the competitor leave the Peace Corps early for some reason - illness, they hate the Peace Corps, they crave fatty foods too much to bare - then they will forfeit the competition, of course.  In the end, the game is for fun, but the money would be great too!  $120 is a sizable amount, but when put into Zambian currency (the Kwacha) it becomes VERY SIZABLE - 600,000.  To give an example of what that is like take into consideration that a Pepsi in the States costs about $1.25.  Here in Zambia that same Pepsi will cost about $0.55.  Kwacha is amazing (if you're American).

There are stories about Peace Corps Volunteers losing up to 45 lbs in their first year of service.  New foods, no preservatives, an occasional bout of dysentery and the pounds just fly off.  So wish us all luck as we endeavor on shedding incredible amounts of weight over the next few months, and the next couple years.