All About “The Biggest Loser”

 

So…did you see last night’s episode?

There was a challenge and the winning team had the choice of going home for a week, or giving the week at home to the losing team.

Blue team won and decided they didn’t want to lose a week at the ranch so the black team went home. 

What struck me right away was that when Shay got home, it seemed no one was expecting her. Her husband and stepsons were sitting at the table and seemed surprised when she walked in. One boy even asked, “Where have you been Shay?”. No one ran to her to hug her or jumped up and down when she walked in. 

By comparison, the other contestants had people overjoyed to see them, overjoyed to hug them and tell them how great they looked.

I wondered if this was clever editing designed to make the viewer feel even more pity towards Shay and her weight loss journey.  Based on what we saw, she seems to have the least amount of support at home. 

All of the contestants (except Daniel) lost weight at home, probably just as much as they would have lost at the ranch.  Danny lost a whopping 15 lbs but from the footage we saw, he seemed very dedicated and conscientious and his wife and kids were hugely supportive.  I think this was a good exercise for the team, they know what their challenges will be when they go home and they still have time to work on them while at the ranch so they will be better prepared when they do go home for good.  As well, I think it was confidence boosting – especially for Amanda.

What did I take away from this week’s show?  My number one thought is that it really is all about making choices every day, every hour, every minute, every second.  Except for Danny, they all chose to eat out with friends/family, they all chose healthy from the menu, they all chose to continue exercising and they all chose to tell their friends/family about their new lifestyles.

I was sorry Dina went home. Of the black team, I think either Danny or Dina were the only two equipped to make it on their own and I am thrilled she is doing so well. I can’t wait to see her at the finale!

I can control the choices I make and I can control the people I allow to have influence over me. Those who are not supportive don’t get to tell me how to live my life or have input. That doesn’t mean I’m going cut people out of my life – that’s not realistic and would cause way more problems in the long run. It means that I will choose to spend more time, more ideas, more thoughts, more of me – with those who are supportive of me. Not just now while I’m losing weight, but for the rest of my life.

A few weeks ago I ordered The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start and it arrived today! Yay!!! I like the format. For each day it has a menu plan and a workout and a success/motivating story as well as training/diet tips. (Diet in the sense of “food you eat” not “a diet”).  I am not good with menu plans as I don’t like alot of the stuff they tend to put in them, but I like the idea of a workout laid out that I can mix and match and pick and choose new routines.

It’s meant to be followed for 30 days straight.  Like I said last night, I’m not jumping on any more bandwagons, I’m just doing what I know how to do and what was working up until a few months ago.  Eat healthy food in moderate portions and exercise 4-5 days a week.  The book will help to motivate me, keep me focused and give me new ideas. None of that is a bad thing!

As for day – it was a great day. I felt lighter. I felt like I was walking on air. I felt like I could take on the world, you know?  I didn’t feel sluggish and crappy by 3 p.m. like I have been, I didn’t feel tired, I didn’t feel short tempered (amazing how level blood sugar makes a huge difference!), I didn’t feel overwhelmed.

I have chicken breasts marinating for supper. We’re having grilled chicken breasts, basmati rice with carrots and peas and I will have grilled zucchini as well to complement the smaller portion of rice I will have.

Lunch was spinach salad I picked up from Loblaws salad bar. Breakfast was an Instant Carnation Shake – I need to get back in the breakfast habit again.

No exercise yet, but the night is young ;) I may hit the treadmill for an episode of Lost or House later on.

Stay tuned for some “Biggest Loser” news in the next day or so!