Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 – 06:31 PM
By Kim Genardo
RALEIGH, N.C.–There is no magic way to lose weight. It takes hard
work, daily exercise and a good diet. NBC 17 News asked The Biggest
Loser champ Erik Chopin to motivate some local residents for a Triangle
Wish.
Chopin lost 214 pounds in eight months on the NBC reality weight loss show that helps contestants change their lives forever.
His transformation inspired plenty of viewers.
"I’d have to say at first it was overwhelming. Who’s the
inspiration? Who are you speaking to? I really couldn’t believe I did
something inspirational. I was the original couch potato," Chopin said.
At home in the triangle Shannon Flynn followed the show and worked hard to shed 100 pounds in one year.
In a pervious Triangle Wish, NBC 17 flew her out to Los Angeles for a private meeting with casting agents for The Biggest Loser.
She didn’t make the cut, so we decided to brighten her day with some motivation from the champ himself.
"Chopin was the one I wanted to win because he was a New Yorker, so I’m just so excited to meet him," exclaimed Flynn.
Chopin’s experience on the show also inspired local resident John Mullis.
"I was inspired by his story and saw that NBC 17 was running this
program for Local Losers, so I entered and figured I had nothing to
lose but pounds. I was chosen and ended up losing 56 pounds in eight
weeks,” said Mullis.
NBC 17’s Kim Genardo welcomed Chopin to the triangle and made the introductions!
Chopin took one look at Flynn and said, “You’ve lost a lot of weight!”
Flynn replied, "I lost 100 pounds in a year." Then to her delight, Chopin hugged her.
Chopin shared his hard times with the pair. "I had Type II
Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea,
everything went away with weight loss," Chopin said.
The health concerns resonated with Mullis, a father himself who
wanted to lose weight so he could keep up with his young children.
Mullis realized he was very different from Chopin.
Mullis said, "(Chopin) He’s a normal person. He still has the same
cravings as he did when he was 400 pounds which is something I needed
to hear and relate to because I needed it. It doesn’t end; you still
need to fight it everyday."
All three of them do by eating right and exercising.
"Thank you NBC 17, you made my wish come true. I’ve got a long way
to go, but thank you for jump starting it. Without you guys I’d
probably still be a couch potato and 400 pounds," adds Mullis.
If you know someone who deserves a Triangle Wish, click on the link provided above to submit a nomination.
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December 10, 2010 3:22 PM
Rebecca Mullis’s laboratory in the foods and nutrition department of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences is a bit different than that used by most nutrition researchers.
We were up north on vacation with my family — Grandma, Grandpa, six sets of aunts and uncles and three cousins.
