Thursday, December 10, 2009

Slimming contest - is it all a big bull?

I've never been in one before. A slimming contest.



I joined a slimming centre to lose weight because I was sick of being a chunky monkey. Gym doesnt really help me to slim down, maybe lose 5 kgs and I was getting firmer, chunkier with every gym visit but not lithe. My legs, oh my legs, as firm as they are, they made me look like a football player. I have a huge chip on my shoulder about my legs.



Anyway joined this slimming place 5 months ago. I wasnt interested in joining no contest bcos I was low in self confidence to visualise parading my body in front of the press and the public. And I hv inner fear of speaking in public much lest parading! I paid the Ambassador package price bcos it was the most reasonably priced package. (Aint cheap my fellow friends) I think they want their Ambassador contestants to be able to afford a bigger package to get a more perfect figure.

I did everything they ask me to do. Eat according to their diet, did not miss any sessions on treatments (except period time!) and final month before the contest, I came EVERYDAY for sessions to rush for that "perfect" look. I was asked to top up again for the package, buy slim pills and I did, thinking since this is a slimming contest, they must look for the best body to win the contest. Was I so stupid to think so.



After spending a sinful amount of money and sacrificing my precious working time, I was super slim, looking good and feeling on top of the world! Yes, I got what I wanted. I am slim...... yippee!!!



The feeling of euphoria on the contest was surmounting. I was excited bcos I got the stats and I am super confident. I attended every catwalk training dutifully, rain or shine, 7am or whatever, ate carefully (it was tough, man.) never argued with the trainer, listened attentively during teaching, always smiling. Very cordial and quite sampat actually.



Needless to say, had it really been a slimming contest, I would have written a different blog here. It turned out to be a political or a favouritsm contest. Their tagline should be - It's ok to be fat and lumpy, u will still be in the Top 12 as long as someone in the judging panel likes u.

The results are so inconsistent.



If one were to argue they put the big weight losers in Top 12, I can name so many big weight losers that has better body figure than the Top 12 that didnt make it.

If one were to argue they put the big spenders in Top 12, I can show facts many of those who spent over Rm20,000 (even!!) didnt even get it and some of them in Top 12 only spend Rm3000 or lost a few kg only got in.



So where is the consistency and reasoning? I demanded for one simply because I AM A CUSTOMER, not a pageant contestant. I paid to join in!



Again I ask, is this a slimming contest or what contest is this? Is this a big bull?



No one promised me to be in the Top 12 but my eyes cannot lie. They have big legs, big waist, big arse, big hip contestants that beat me. If they are all 12 beavy beauties, ok I concur. I lost to a bunch of beautiful ladies. Losing would be fair.



To lose to 6-7 contestants that has yet to finish tranforming (a 51kg lose to a 70kg - same height contestant) is it fair?



Imagine a women in 70-80kg. She's gonna be big, u know. Yeah, she too beat me.

So I am pissed off. Very.



I worked hard, got the statistics but got the punt. What did I do wrong? I was dumbfounded on the stage, I am still dumbfounded now.



They let 2 judges work with us for a week. One trained us for the catwalk, one was a rude wannabe fashion designer who thinks his shit dont stink.



Best of all, we had to provide our own accessories and own shoes. At the last minute. Imagine 24 hours before the competition Part I (we had 2 parts to the competition), it was a working day, it was raining cats and dogs and we were wondering what accessories we're going to wear and shoes bcos we have no idea what clothes we're asked to wear. The staff of this slimming company, lets call her the nanny, informed half of us at 7-8pm to go buy the shoes for tomorrow's competition and half of us got notified the next working day after the catwalk training. (when we know what colour/ clothes we're wearing, only can we buy right? With our own money u know, no reimbursement nor allowance)

She obviously think we work for this slimming company and that we do not have a day job and we "can" do things last minute. The nanny is mega slack. Many of us were seen scampering the night before (it was raining very heavily thus the jam everywhere) and some on the day of the competition looking for accessories & shoes. What logic is this? We are the sampat contestants. I have never seen a contest like this.



It is not easy to walk in a 5 inch heel shoes and practise catwalk for 2-3 hours at 7am. And what did this nanny feed us? Yogurt and plain water, in pretense we need to maintain our weight. And what did she feed us for lunch? (We have to get our hair & make up done so there was really no time for us to hunt for food. Besides, they promise us food) We received cheap hotdog sausages fm the bakery at about 2pm. Yes, we will maintain our weight eating cheap fatty sausages on bread. At night, we were given plain empty salads and every 2 contestants had to share 1 bowl of salad with each other and eat with their hands in a tent at the back of the stage with no chairs to sit in. (not enough cutlery and not enough salads at Jaya Jusco for u guys.. sob sob) Here we are, dressed in the fashion garb, squatting and sitting on the floor eating. At least get some chicken salad. We dont ask for much, we just want some decent food. We're your customer, not just yr pageant contestants. Anyone that has to pay to enter a pageant is your customer. Period.

7 comments:

  1. OMG.. I feel so sorry for you.
    Next time I'll ask details before I take part in any similar program!

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  2. Would u prefer to call ur blog by "I Love VS" or "slimming contest"..... hahaha.. depends on if you are going to write another blog.

    This is what I think of the whole thing based on what you wrote

    1) Bad organisation- ordering things and buying accessories at the last minute???

    It is a total waste of time-- and disregard for people's time. I hate people who waste my time- and cant informe me in advance that they can't be sure what they want to do..

    2) Yes-- I think the managemetn of the the whole entire pageant -- well-- either was too lazy to plan, or just plain didn't want to play fair--

    Why would they choose someone who is much fatter? Maybe those girls would be more obedient? Or they aren't as assertive --

    WHich makes it easy for Management to "control"?

    2) Cheap Food= save money..

    There is such a thing as fairly "feedable" food and still inexpensive as well.

    Anyways, I thought I was missing out a lot on the experience by not joining... I change my mind now..

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  3. Jean, yes we were all sampat contestants, sampat customers. I felt like we were so "desperate" to be on the runway or fashion show or be on stage, until we allow ppl to treat our time and us like we're their shitkickers. which means they ask us to jump, we say how high. i read in the net once, forgot who wrote it, they say if u're asked to pay to join a contest, be very wary. aiyah this company promise us a lot lah. macam so organised at first, all a big bull. say 1 thing, come out another thing. totally opposite. even the questions for the top 3 was given to all to practise, then when it was actually asked, also different. they cant even get their crap right on that.

    CY, right on again.
    it seemed nanny was very close to a bf of one of the contestants. this bf (unknown to us at that time) was there every single sessions fm morn till dawn, busy clicking away with his camera. so we thought this company employed a photographer to take out pictures (like reality show) yes reality my arse. it seemed he is self volunteered and seemed he was so nice to them, I think they awarded the ms beautiful skin to his gf for his "service". I feel that as long anyone is good to the nanny, get good feedback back to management. i know tons of young girls who has much better skin than ms beautiful skin and the selection is very obvious. When i view back the tapes, Ms Beautiful Skin not only made a lot of cheoragraphy mistakes, her walk was not good enough compared to the ones that has beautiful skin. (am not talking about myself)So favouritsm is 200%. The whole competition is a circus, a joke on the contestants and yes badly organised. Nanny was part of the problem also. Did not let us know what clothes to wear until the eleventh hour. She has TOTAL DISREGARD of ppl's time. She ask u to jump, u better ask how high if u want to have a good report back! Food, yes she is lazy again. Management cheapskate? get plain cheap fatty sausage buns for all to eat at 2pm!!!! at leastlah, get some plain chicken salad fm tony roma. the portion is big, we dun mind sharing 2 contestants 1 portion. U see how pathetic they made us????
    I was very nice during the whole charade. I didnt want to be looking too assertive in case my "bad" behaviour is recorded down as "uncontrollable" Only once i told the nanny off. She promised to be at the fashion boutique at 2pm, the next day she insisted she said at 11am. When I told her to be civilised on her time, she turn a black face on me. She said she's sick lah, also got appt at 2pm. So basically she's a lier lah. Pretending app at 11am so as a sampat contestant, I will gladly say "yes". I told her off. That was the only time. And I will do it again. She's such a bitch.

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  5. I strongly belive they are not well organised as a marketing department staff they should know what is " ORGANISE AND PLANNING ROLE". And all the contestants are represent the slimming ctr, they must / should know all the perfomance or photo will release in any magazine. Since they did not well plan, the public can know what is their standard. After top 12 choosed, I though my self blind / my self didnt hear clearly?? ... LOL

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  6. hI!! I was actually there and since you looked best i voted for you and also i saw it. so bad

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