“Biggest Loser” Coming to Kennewick

America met Ken Coleman during Season 3 of “The Biggest Loser” – a televised reality show known for producing rapid life-changing weight loss. At this point in his life Ken, who lived in Washington State, was dealing with the affects of being an obese adult. He suffered from many major medical challenges: sleep apnea, asthma, high blood pressure, depression, constant chronic back pain, arthritis and elevated cholesterol. “I’m going to die fat and happy,” Coleman said. “That was basically my mentality until my father died.”

Coleman recalls his childhood years growing up in Germany: “I did all the typical things kids do. I was very active, playing football, baseball and soccer. There were zero video games at home back then.” Participating in sporting activities led to many injuries for Coleman. He had 26 stitches in his knee, torn knee ligaments and two broken collar bones.

As a teenager Ken moved back to the States. “I was in for a real culture shock,” he admits. “It took awhile to get comfortable living in the US. Pizza in the States is big and greasy. I also learned real fast that I have a fascination with hamburgers and French fries.” Ken’s activity level remained high as a teenager so he didn’t gain much weight, even with his new found eating habits.

Coleman started gaining weight after a major back injury in 1983. He had surgery 10 years later and the weight just kept piling on. He was in a wheelchair for nearly six months. “The fact was I was a little older and a lot less active. Not thinking about changing the way I prepped my meals,” he admits, “was a big mistake.”

Coleman’s father died in 1997 from a massive heart attack. He was 58 years old. Coleman realized he was headed for a similar fate if he didn’t shape up. “I wasn’t living the lifestyle that I wanted for myself or my family” he says. After his father’s passing, Coleman became a hermit. He didn’t leave the house and avoided his friends and family. Aware of how close he was to the age when his father died—a mere fifteen years away—Coleman knew he needed to change his lifestyle. He tried different types of diets and weight loss programs. Nothing worked. With a daily consumption of 8,000 – 20,000 calories, Coleman knew his time was running out. “I was,” he reflects, “literally eating myself into a diabetic coma.”

During this time he started following the television show “The Biggest Loser”. In 2005 he heard that the program was offering tryouts in Seattle, he jumped at the opportunity: “I attended an open casting call. After a full physical and a battery of other tests, Kim Lyons (Biggest Loser trainer) chose me for the red team.” Ken went on to lose 161 pounds over 16-weeks on the show.

"Even now that the show's over, I still work out six to seven days a week, three hours a day," Coleman says. Of course, you don't have to become a gym rat to slim down. But, as Coleman explains, you do need to increase your activity in as many ways as possible.

These days you’ll find Ken Coleman working as a personal trainer at the Cascade Athletic Club, in Gresham, Oregon. He leads a fitness group that emulates the techniques he learned on the show. He also travels the Portland-metro area doing motivational speeches about his experience losing weight and eating right. And that’s what brings him to the Tri-City Court Club. Ken will be speaking at the opening ceremony of “I Lost it at the Club”, 2011. Don’t miss this great opportunity to be motivated by someone who has definitely been there, done that—and won. For more information about our weight loss contest contact Ryan Vogt (fitness director) 509.396.3712 Ext. 127