Sun.Star, Philippines

Gentle readers, please forgive me. I've been a hypocrite - a big, fat hypocrite. And I'm truly sorry.

The truth is, I haven't been practising what I preach.

On this page every week for the past 10 months or so, I've featured some mighty fit people - bodybuilders, yoga instructors, firefighters, marathon runners, NHL stars, belly dancers and personal trainers, to name just a few.

I've written about their strenuous workout regimens, their balanced diets and their all-around healthy lifestyles.

Meanwhile, I've missed so many workouts in recent months that the money I spent on my gym membership can be considered a charitable donation.

As for my eating plan, I'm guilty of routinely committing one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony.

Among the many decadent treats I reach for far too often is a heaping helping of Nestle Turtle ice cream. And it shows. That, along with all the cheeseburgers and pasta.

More than a few colleagues - between glances at my protruding paunch - have asked what makes me qualified to be the Sun's Keeping Fit columnist. Others have remarked that I'm fortunate the mug shot that accompanies this column is from the neck up.

Treat your body like a temple? More like the temple of doom. I admit it.

But that's all about to change. This 33-year-old lifelong yo-yo dieter - who dropped 50 pounds in 2004, only to gain most of it back within the past two years - is jumping on the fitness bandwagon one more time.

I have entered the media portion of Club Fit's Biggest Winner Contest, a 12-week challenge to see who can most successfully lose body fat and gain muscle.

Yup, it's time to flatten my Buddha belly, tighten my dimpled gluteus maximus and firm up my sagging pectorals.

Helping me out in the Edmonton Sun-sponsored contest is Club Fit personal trainer Adam Dawe, who will be putting me through my paces three days a week at the south-side Club Fit starting today.

Late last week, I tipped the Toledo at a not-so-svelte 260 pounds with 30.7% body fat. Dawe wants me to melt at least 30 pounds off my five-foot-10 frame over the next three months.

As the Sun's representative in the contest, I'll be pitted against worthy adversaries from four other media outlets across the city.

They are, in no particular order, Rob Hislop from City-tv's Breakfast Television, Robbie (The Intern) Gibson from The Bounce, Fearless Fred Kennedy from The Bear and Jackie-Rae Greening from Big Earl.

Hislop, 46, will start the challenge at approximately six-foot-three and 260 pounds.

The TV host, who competed in the Northern Alberta Bodybuilding Championships in 2002, is looking to lose 25 to 30 pounds.

"The toughest challenge will be balancing my schedule," says Hislop, who seems determined to stay on track for all 12 weeks. "Missing out on treats at Christmas won't be an issue."

Gibson, 22, wants to pack some muscle onto his five-foot-10, 175-pound body. "Pretty much get built so I can drive all the ladies crazy," he says.

Kennedy, 27, hopes to get rid of his "muffin top," also known as love handles.

"I'm in horrible shape. I break a sweat reading a book," admits the radio personality who weighs about 180 pounds at five-foot-10. "My intentions are to win, destroy my competition and humiliate myself all at the same time."

Greening, 45, is aiming to get into better condition so she can keep up her competitive curling career.

"My biggest challenge will be finding the time to work out," says the busy five-foot-8, 150-pounder.

Until Nov. 15, you can enter the Biggest Winner Contest, too, and maybe even win one of several cruises up for grabs. Contact your nearest Club Fit to find out how.

The Sun will be awarding two readers with a one-year Club Fit membership and 24 personal training sessions to participate in the Biggest Winner Contest. Watch the Sun for details.

Don't forget to follow my progress online at www.edmontonsun.com. And feel free to e-mail some words of encouragement. I'm gonna need all the help I can get.