Are You Up For The Challenge? Sometimes losing can make you a winner. There is something awesomely inspiring about watching The Biggest Loser contestants transform from couch potatoes to fit, buff and invigorated individuals, bursting with pride, health and sense of achievement.

Now, we all have the opportunity to transform as The Biggest Loser trainer, Shannan Ponton puts his tried and tested formula for weight loss and fitness into a new 8 week online challenge to help achieve your 'best body ever'!

It was a sweet treat indeed to talk with Shannan, the man on our TV screens is as passionate and genuine about health and wellbeing in reality, as he is on reality TV.

Shannan, who is the 8 week online challenge most suited to?
The program is suited to absolutely anyone. Over the six years that I have been on The Biggest Loser it has been proven that my formula is the winning formula, with five out of the past six winners coming from my team. The diet my contestants go on from day one when they are in excess of 200kgs is exactly the same as the diet they follow to maintain their weight. We know that formula works, it's tried and tested and it has taken me 20 years to refine it. Finally, I can get that formula out en mass, but still keep some control and structure with the online challenge.

You have a very dynamic personality working with people, how is the motivational aspect of the 8 week online challenge translated online?
That's the personal training side of it; the science of training is pretty rudimentary, I can write down the sets and reps and the intensity that I want people to train at but that doesn't get people motivated, so we have two meetings each week online. Every Monday we have a lesson on varying topics covering diet, nutrition, motivation and getting your head in the right place, overcoming emotional eating and setting goals and that weekly lesson is 20 minutes long where I get to be 'dynamic Shannan' as I present the lesson and this is what I am extremely passionate about.

On Wednesdays we have a live online meeting on topics that are specific to that week. If there is a pattern emerging on the forum I address that directly in a 15 minute webinar. I am then available online for an hour to answer questions that relate to the meeting or specific problems to work around such as injuries and things that come up during this type of challenge.

We have just finished the first 8 week online challenge and it worked out so well, the girl that won lost over 20% of her body weight in 8 weeks! The results and transformations were amazing and it's just wonderful.

You have your personal life, your public life with numerous professional commitments, a book 'Harden Up' that has recently been released, while series 7 of the Biggest Loser is underway, as well as commencing the 8 week online challenge, what is your response to people who say 'I just don't have the time to commit to a fitness regime'?
You have got to make time, you have got to make health your lifestyle priority otherwise you are going to go through this life with regrets and one of our mantra's on the 8 week online challenge is 'no regrets'. This life is not
a dress rehearsal, this is your life and one of the philosophies of the challenge is to learn to be happy in the moment.

What happens after the 8 week online challenge, is there ongoing support and information available?
It's up to the individual, they can choose to continue on their own if they think
they have learnt enough, or they can join in the next challenge.
The challenge itself costs $150 for 2 months; in Sydney the going rate for personal training is about $100 a session, for the cost of 1 1/2 personal training sessions you get two months of daily exercise programs, 2 months
of menu plans, 2 months of recipes and 2 months of support. The other option is to join The Biggest Loser Online Club and monitor that way.
You need to embrace the lifestyle changes you learn on the challenge and live them for the rest of your life.

After The Biggest Loser Finale each year there are always comments that rapid weight loss cannot be maintained and that slow and steady is the only sustainable method for long term success, how do you respond
to those comments?
I believe that sentiment comes from a place of underachievers. We don't use any drugs, secret potions, powders or medicines or anything like that on The Biggest Loser, there are no tricks, just hard work and good diet.
It's all real, if people can commit to 2-3 hours of exercise everyday and they can monitor their diet and be disciplined, anyone can achieve the results of The Biggest Loser contestants.
We don't hand pick the contestants because we think they are going to get the best results, we pick the people who are literally the biggest losers, who have failed every diet and nutritional plan and have never been able to get results. We don't pick the people we think will be great, we pick the people who really need our help.

Where did your life in health and fitness begin, did you ever have weight issues as a child?
Absolutely not, that's probably the reason I am a trainer. This is how I have spent my entire life; I was brought up with a lifestyle that centred on health, fitness and good living. My parents still come to my classes at the local gym.
My parents also knew how to say no when I was a kid and taught me that a treat meal was a 'treat', and that being active and healthy is an important part of life. I am by no means genetically blessed, to this day I have to watch what I eat and I have to train hard to maintain my health, which is what I have been doing for as long as I can remember. Junk food tastes just as good to me as to anyone else, but I know what the consequences are and it's not worth it.

What would you say is the most common misconception or myth about losing weight and gaining fitness?
That there is an easy way to do it, there is no easy way. It takes consistency, commitment and determination. If you want to make changes in your life, something has to change. Harden up and start making the right choices!

Shannan's next 8 week online challenge starts on March 19th, 2012 visit
www.shannanchallenge.com to sign up.