The Biggest Loser

Last night was the season premier of "The Biggest Loser," and I watched bits and pieces of it (I've DVR'd the program and will watch it in its entirety in the next day or so). Once again a group of morbidly obese individuals have embarked on an adventure that will hopefully bring all of them to their goal, and one lucky person will leave with some extra money in the bank.

I used to watch "The Biggest Loser" when I weighed 260 pounds, and the program always filled me with a mixture of hope and despair. As I watched individuals who were as heavy as me shrink week by week, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for me to drop weight like that, and it left me hopeful that it was possible. Unfortunately, watching the program also brought a lot of despair because I figured the only way to ever lose the better part of 130 pounds, short of surgery, was to put my life on hold and head to the Biggest Loser ranch. I have a bad knee so I knew that I could never do the level of exercise required by the TBL contestants. I also figured that the possibility that I'd ever be a contestant was less than "zero." Also, I couldn't imagine being on national TV wearing clothing that emphasized every bulge and roll, let alone step on an oversize scale for all the world to see. Honestly, a lot of times I'd end up eating cookies or chips while I watch "The Biggest Loser" - how sad is that?

While I'm now happy to see anybody lose weight, just about regardless of how they do it, I am so happy that WE have a MUCH better program right here than what we see on "The Biggest Loser." Take Shape for Life/Medifast is a medically safe, clinically proven program with almost 30 years of experience behind it, and it has been recommended by over 20,000 physicians. "The Biggest Loser" can't even come close to that! We are also losing weight while living our real lives, so we're learning how to do this in the same environment we'll live in after we reach our goal. Many of TBL contestants really struggle with their weight once they leave the ranch and return to their real lives, because they've lost weight in a completely artificial environment. Again, I'm always happy to see them lose and I'm cheering them on every step of the way. The difference is that I know that Take Shape for Life/Medifast is the real deal and will work for everyone, regardless of how much or how little they can exercise (and remember, we aren't even supposed to exercise more than 45 minutes a day while on 5&1).

Sixteen months after reaching my goal, I'm still watching "The Biggest Loser" and thankful that I AM a biggest loser - all 126 pounds of it! I didn't win $250,000 in the process, but I got much more than that. I got my life and my health back, and I have the tools to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. That sure feels like a winner to me!

Who else plans to be a biggest loser? You'll do it one on-plan day at a time :-).