Monday, November 8, 2010

The Biggest Loser: Inspiration or Not

I love to check Facebook when The Biggest Loser is airing. Inevitably there is a status update that reads: "Watching Biggest Loser and eating an entire tub of ice cream".

Over the many seasons of Biggest Loser I have been torn between being inspired by the contestants and exhausted at the thought of having to do so much work to lose so much weight.

As the show has progressed, the contestants have gotten much larger. I would be considered "tiny" at the BL ranch and unable to pull these unbelievable 36 pound weight losses (in 1 week, 36 pounds!). I wouldn't make good television, although I would certainly cry two or three times a day which would get me some screen time.

Like most reality television, this show does seem to focus on the drama more than the primary objective of losing weight. When it does focus on weight loss it is more about working out than eating well, often you have no idea what these contestants are eating. They do nutritional segments and food-related challenges and lessons, but day-to-day there is no indication of what they are eating to fuel these maniacal work outs.

The workout segments are all cut together for maximum drama, so even that is hard to piece together as any kind of real-life regiment. I did see something in an episode I was watching last night that I am going to try at the gym today. They were holding a medicine ball above their heads while on the treadmill. This is genius and clever multi-tasking.

I had thought about free weights on the treadmill, but there is no where to put them if you need your hands to alter the controls or the volume on the TV. A single medicine ball can easily be held in one hand, or tucked under an arm. I will be doing this today!

In the meantime I personally find the show inspirational (although I have been known to eat dessert while watching) and the theme song always makes me a little teary. What have you done today to make you feel proud?

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