It would make for a dramatic headline to say, "Mr. X and Ms. X DOMINATE First Burn the Fat Challenge." However, we can't say that because no one dominated this contest.

Some of the top 10 finalists were so close in our scoring rounds that we labored over each decision literally for days and it took us hours on the last day of judging just to choose one winner out of the top three. It was that close.

How were these incredibly difficult decisions made?

In a bodybuilding or figure competition, the man or woman with the absolute best physique on stage the day of the contest wins. In our challenge, we did not judge on the basis of comparing the after pictures of our contestants to each other.

Our winner was chosen based on personal improvement in photos and body composition numbers between day 1 and day 50. In this regard, everyone had an equal chance to win.

The Burn The Fat Challenge was not a weight loss contest. The person with the most weight loss could be the winner, but achieving the largest weight loss is no guarantee of winning. The personal improvement we were looking for was the change in body composition and it had to show in the numbers and in the photos.

That means, fat burned and muscularity gained or revealed. That's what we are all about - burning the fat and feeding the muscle. YOU CAN'T DO THAT JUST BY DIETING! Our challengers ATE RIGHT and TRAINED HARD.

In addition to the visual improvement and change in body composition numbers, essays counted for a full one-third of the score. The body composition changes visually and numerically were so close, the essays were instrumental in helping us make decisions.

We were looking for inspiring essays, filled with lessons learned, and which reflected the spirit of the Holiday challenge and the spirit of Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle.

Everyone who finished this contest is a winner and we wish we could send you ALL to Jamaica. But we had to pick someone and based on our criteria, we believe we have chosen worthy champions that embody everything this challenge stands for.

And the women's overall champion is....

We could say a lot about Hannah's 50-day transformation, and we will in the upcoming week or so, but her photos say it all, as does the look on her face, don't you agree?

In just 50 days, Hannah cut 6% body fat and shed 12.2 lbs, almost all of it pure fat. By the way, did you know that on average, it takes most people 12 weeks to lose that much in body fat percentage?

We were especially impressed with the difference in her physique from both the front and the back views - leaner and more muscular from every angle! (look at the difference in those deltoids and upper back muscles!

Although Hannah's body comp numbers show pure fat loss and not muscle gain, she sure looks more muscular doesn't she? She has stripped away literally all of the fat to reveal beautiful muscles underneath, great overall body symmetry and an all-around TIGHT body!

Now, the next time someone tells you muscles can't be feminine, you show them Hannah, and then show them the free weights!

Oh, did we mention... Hannah is the mother of three children under the age of five, including a one-year old? Any moms feeling motivated now?

And the men's overall champion is....

Josh Ketter, Working in Finance 12-14 hours a Day Over the Holidays, WINS First Annual Burn The Fat Holiday Challenge!

Our newly-crowned mens champion from Seattle achieved what some bodybuilding gurus call a "body recomposition" - he actually burned fat and gained muscle over the course of the 50 day challenge. As most of us in the Inner Circle know all too well, this is the most difficult of all goals to achieve.

Josh's body weight hardly changed, but LOOK at those photos! His body composition sure did! He lost only two-thirds of a pound, but simultaneously dropped 4.5% body fat! That translates into a drop of 7.9lbs of fat and a gain of 7.3 lbs of muscle! Amazing!

If this isn't rock solid proof that there's more to it than scale weight, we don't know what is. What a fabulous example of the value of body composition versus body weight!

By the way, Josh achieved this while working 12-14 hours a day for Amazon.com during the holiday season - the busiest time of the year for the online retailer. Scratch "too busy to work out" off the excuse list. Josh has laid that one to rest.

Many "burners" in this challenge lost very large amounts of weight and body fat, including four finalists who lost over 20 pounds in 50 days. These were great accomplishments.

It's a tough decision to choose between a man who has completely flattened his belly and lost 20-25 pounds in only 50 days and a man who has completely recomposed his body at the same weight. It's an apples and oranges comparison that made the judge's job difficult. What's more, there were other contenders who also made dramatic "body re-compositions."

What we're saying is, it was very hard to pick a men's winner and Josh won out over an extremely tough field. For that, Josh, you should be very proud. And, every man who finished the challenge should be proud and feel like a winner too.

CONGRATULATIONS Hannah and Josh!

We think there must be something in the air up there in the Pacific Northwest that strips off fat and builds muscle! Maybe we should all move there!

Stay tuned burners, this was only a flash report. We will be back with more details, including, hopefully, champion's interviews, in the week or two ahead...

plus some news about the next challenges (and we will want your feedback on that).

You will find our category winners in a separate post - please stand by for that - plus some special surprises that were previously unannounced!

Last but not least, we feel that every person who finished this challenge is a winner and deserves huge congratulations.

Right now, why not go visit Josh and Hannah's journal threads, wish them a warm congratulations and tell them what you think!

To read Hannah's 50-day Holiday challenge journal CLICK HERE

To Read Josh's 50-day challenge Journal CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE for the member's area home page portal

Not a full member yet? CLICK HERE to learn more about the Inner Circle

CLICK HERE for BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLE - The official program of the Burn The Fat Challenge