Life lessons...courtesy of the Biggest Loser

Did you see the season premier of the Biggest Loser last night? Man, did they shake things up, or what?

The Biggest Loser is a fascination of mine. I love the drama and emotion involved in it. It also inspires me to see the level these people will sacrifice their lives to lose the weight they know is killing them. It makes me want to lose weight myself and get in better shape. If you're not a fan of the show, you'll probably get bored, but here's what I thought about it.

First of all, the team system is out the window. Instead of having 2 or 3 teams, they have 10 teams of 2. They are weighed together, and eliminated together, so they totally depend on each other. All of the teams are people who know each other. One team is a couple of young girls (22) who are best friends, one is a mother and son, and another is a divorced couple. And a few others, but you get the idea. The first challenge they had was to determine who their trainers would be. Of course Jillian is a total Nazi, and Bob is tough but emotional, so everyone had their idea of who they wanted. When I heard the first challenge, all I could think was one of those people was gonna have a heart attack! They had to climb this big hill, touch a flag, and come back down and line up behind the trainer they wanted. One of the couples wanted Jillian so bad, but they were the last down and were stuck with Bob, and they were pissed! I was thinking that they were so slow and out of breath after that challenge, they better be glad they didn't get Jillian; she would have killed them for sure. That woman was like 57 years old, and about 270 lbs. She came down the mountain on her butt because she couldn't walk any more.

During the show Jillian said she hated the new team system. She hated that they brought their enablers with them. At first I thought she was just being crabby, but I think she has a point. If you sit around and eat with your best friend, why would you want that person there with you? One the one hand, at least you both will benefit from the training and education, but on the other hand, you have your partner in crime right there with you. Can that be good?

The first team eliminated was a father and daughter team. It was clear from the first minute that the father did not want to be there. He didn't want to be told what to eat and when to exercise. He actually reminded me of my step father (whom I LOVE, by the way), he was about the same age (65 or so), and about the same temperment. I felt terrible for his daughter though, because she really wanted to be there and she was really worried about her Dad's life, this guy was over 400 lbs. I wanted her to be able to stay, but with the couples, they both had to go. Not a very fair system, but that's the game I guess.

I am really anxious to see how this plays out. There are so many different dynamics this season. So many different personalities.

OK, so maybe its silly to have a whole post about a TV show, but for some reason this show speaks to me. It makes me put my life into perspective. I am nowhere near as overweight as the contestants, but I could stand to lose a few, like 10-20 lbs. But when I see how much they are able to accomplish, and the strength they find each week, it really makes me feel I can do anything. If a 65 year old 400lb guy can climb a huge hill like that, or work out for 4 hours a day, surely I can. It's just a matter of determination and will. Of course I don't have Bob shouting at me or Jillian cursing me for getting tired, but I do have access to a kick ass gym for free, and the health and ability to do it. A lot of people don't, and I am sad for them. My goal this year to not waste the opportunities afforded me in this area. And I promise to try to do my best. Easier said than done, I know. But I have to at least try.

So as you can see, I am getting into my cyclical health kick again. Time to dust off the treadmill and get my ass back to the gym. I have been going about once a week, but I need to kick it up a notch (as Emeril would say). So my girlfriend and fellow TSgt has made the decision to go with me to the gym every Wednesday and Friday morning, and I'll have to make up the rest of the time myself. I may be changing positions at work soon, so we'll see how my schedule looks.

What shows do it for you? Are there any shows that just give you the kick in the ass you need? Or am I just weird that way? Have a good night!