Thursday, December 3, 2009

Biggest Loser Review and Division One Training Center

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a great week. I've been super busy, but made time to write this post, and have been trying really hard to read as many blogs as possible. Please bear with me, I promise I'll catch up sooner or later :) Sometimes life just takes over!

Biggest Loser Review

Dislikes
Bob didn't mention the unpleasant side effects that come from chewing sugar free Extra gum all day. Yeah, diarrhea, flatulence. Good times ;)

Amanda sounded like she had disordered thinking going on. What do you think? She said she struggles just waking up, and thinking about counting calories and watching her weight. She basically said it causes her stress. That makes me sad, and I hope she can talk to someone after the show.

Subway, AGAIN?!

I'm not against the fact that they ran a marathon, but come on, 60 days to prepare? That may be doable for someone who has done a marathon before, but for the contestants on the BL I thought it was a little ridiculous.

Danny lost 59 pounds in 60 days. That's 1 pound per day. He looks AWESOME, but what the heck is going on in his body biologically, and metabolically? Who knows?! The safe amount of weight loss is 1-2 pounds PER WEEK. This is not good for the public to see, in my opinion.


Likes

They went back home for 60 days, to see if they could do this at home. That's fantastic. I love that they do this. Losing weight on a catered and scheduled ranch, is much different than losing, and maintaining weight in the real world.

Loved how realistic the contestants were. They knew about the "honeymoon stage" and they talked about it, and made peace with it. They talked through their plan, and their goals. I think their goals sounded so real and achievable. I was so proud of them!

The Take Home Chef. That's all I have to say :) I love Curtis Stone. I wish I had "Smell0vision"!

This one deserves a "LOVE", and it's Danny! I love him. I hope his wife realizes how much he loves her too. She will.

5 Random Things I Have Learned This Year

I am incredibly lucky, no matter how many times I have a moment of sadness

I LOVE cheese! Especially Swiss

I love my job, but actually having a job and living in the "real world" can really be as difficult as they say.

85% dark chocolate tastes gross when eaten after a piece of milk chocolate, but when eaten alone it's amazing! Especially Lindt's.

Many of the foods I eat contain a lot more sodium than I ever imagined. This was a good lesson learned, as I'm making some serious changes now!

Life Update
I've been working almost 12 hours the past two days, which I'm not used to at all, but it's been a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of the Division One Training Center with whom we have partnered:

They train "every day people" who are just looking to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight. They do this in the form of a boot camp. Wednesday was their testing day, where they were weighed, measured, and their sprint times were recorded. They use this data as a base fitness assessment, or to compare with past assessments to see if there have been any positive changes.

They also train young athletes in middle school and high school, and of course some college aged athletes. GO BUCKS!

We will be in charge of providing the nutrition consulting, in order for the participants to learn how to balance athletics with a healthy diet. They are both important, obviously, so I think we'll make a positive difference and people will hopefully notice a change in their strength, energy, and motivation.


Giveaway
Kelly is giving away a 20% off coupon and free bride t-shirt from Cake by Inkbox Design

Stay tuned for my next post, which will include some product reviews, and some of my own tips on how to get kids to eat healthier. I may even throw in a restaurant review, we'll see. Thanks for reading! Have a great day :)

40 comments :

  1. THat training center looks amazing!! I agree about the dark chocolate - I do not like it if I've recently eaten milk chocolate, but do enjoy some alone.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As soon as i watched TBL I thought about your review and knew I wanted to comment. I was wondering if you would mention the marathon. I do not like how they have the contestants run a marathon at all. I think that they disregard the seriousness of properly preparing for such an event, and although the contestants always finish, I really wonder what is happening with their bodies in the aftermath. I mean, Danny kept complaining of pain in his hip and that was only at the half way point wasn't it? It is so bad for them to be putting so much stress on their bodies when they are experiencing pain.

    I think sometimes they really push the entertainment value over the safety value and that is NOT good. I love the show, but I feel like they sometimes they put the contestants in danger by making them do very extreme things when their bodies might not actually be ready for it. It is damn hard to run 26.2 miles (not that I have but I can imagine) being very physically fit and at a healthy weight. RUnning the same distance with lots of extra pounds is not good for the knees, body etc.

    Whoa that was long. I just want them to promote safety and health over conquering difficult feats! I love how you point out the good but also the parts of the show that are not super healthy to keep it in perspective. Can't wait for the finale~!!

    KT

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Danny, too, and think he looks amazing. But... my first thought upon seeing him was: "Holy Crud! Did he have gastric bypass surgery or something!" While I do LOVE the show. You make very valid points about the realistic, healthy nature of the contestants extreme weight loss.
    In other news.... that gym looks awesome! It is rare someone really loves their job. Congratulations, again!

    ReplyDelete
  4. that training center looks so cool and it's such a great job to teach to these people to have a balanced diet to couple with the training! I'd love to hear more about what you're teaching them. :)
    12 hours a day or two days?

    oh.. yes, the dark chocolate is really good by its own, love lindts!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That facility looks amazing!! Im glad you enjoy your job.. so important!!

    Im not a regular biggest loser wathcer but I love your re-caps. Jillian scares me. I read an interview with her in Self or Shape? and she totally made it seem as if everyone was just plain stupid. I dont know, perhaps im wrong, but she seems harsh. Her body also scares me.. tad too ripped in my opinion. I cannot fathom spending as much time as she does in a gym!

    ReplyDelete
  6. i love the pics of your job! it looks so cool over there! keep up the good work!
    i dont watch biggest loser- i never did, probably never will.
    i think its cool sometimes because it forces people to get out there and make big life changes, but its definitely unrealistic. sure if i were that heavy and was working out 24/7 and eating a strict diet all the time i would also lose that much weight all at the same time- but thats not the real world. theres no weight loss ranch here! so its inspiring that they are out there changing themselves, but maybe will get people to try and lose that much weight at home, who will give up and quit when it doesnt work for them.. sad!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. haha I know I am a blogger when after the biggest loser, I think to myself, What is gina going to say this week?!?! loved your review...seriously SUBWAY AGAIN?!?!

    and I thought that it was super unrealistic to train for that marathon in just 60 ddays!?! whhhat I dont even know if I could do that! insaneeee

    I thought it was wild to see where they all live, I mean Liz lives in the middle of nowhere and her mailbox is a MILE from her house? so great to see them continuing to live a healthy lifestyle at home though!

    that gym is georgous!, thanks for snapping shots to show us :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. i totesss agree with your tbl review! 59 lbs is RIDIC. i was reading an article yesterday (i'm gonna try and find it for you) about how many contestants go home and start with unhealthy habits like dehydration and stuff just to win.

    ah! found it haha
    http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/12/01/biggest-loser-weight-loss-methods-safe-or-unsafe/

    anywayssss crap i forgot what else i was gonna say..

    OH!
    i'm so jellie you get to work with athletes and nutrish thats like the ideal job of my life which will never happen bc im not an rd haha but i'll live vicariously through you. find me a hubby while you're at work...

    tall...athletic...obvi good looking hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  9. Totally agree with you on this one. I think it is great that the show helps the contestants make lifestyle changes by sending them home to make sure they can do it on their own. But nobody should be losing 60 pounds in a month; that should take 6 months to a year!

    While the show may help the contestants, I worry about what it does for the viewers of the show. They are being told by their doctors and medical research that they should only lose 1-2 pounds a week. But then they watch this show and think it is okay and healthy to lose far more than that in a given week. So who do they end up "listening" to, their doctors or the people they watch on TV who lost faster and look just fine?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow that training center looks so great!

    I can't believe Danny lost so much weight at home. I literally yelled OMG when they said how much he lost; that is insane

    I am rooting for Amanda to win!

    I love crispy Swiss Cheese on a Sandwich lol

    ReplyDelete
  11. whew with those hours I really hope you are having some fun!

    my concern was when he said during the marathon he had never done more than 13 miles, that's such a recipe for getting hurt...plus imagine the days they will need to recover which means 0 exercise and yes that will freak amanda out

    ReplyDelete
  12. WOW that training center looks awesome!!

    ive never seen the biggest loser-ive heard great things tho.. i have too many shows to keep up with these days!

    i LOVE CHEESE TOOO! gah, i love sharp chedder (crackel barrel kind!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The training center is so cool! I am jealous of your job! You can't find too many people who love their job these days.

    I agree about the gum in BL! Extra KILLS my tummy!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. i haven't been watching the biggest loser, but i can't believe they had to run a marathon?!!!! i'm not sure running that far is even good for you. i mean, i might try to do one eventually just for bragging rights, but a marathon has got to put a lot of stress on your body and it could be dangerous if you are not really trained and ready for it! not to mention if you were completely sedentary and morbidly obese a couple months before... ok end rant...i just had to get that out. i enjoy your reviews of the show even though i don't watch it :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great review! That's so sad about how obsessive Amanda is getting :( And I agree with you about the 59 lbs in 60 days being INSANE!!!!!
    Hopefully you won't have to work 12 hours today. It's almost the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  16. IMPRESSIVE training facility! I could not agree with you more about "real life" and "real world" work. I told my husband before I started working 12-hour days that I would ALWAYS find time to run in the evenings. Uh, that was the easiest thing to cut out. No more! I'm switching to morning workouts (you suggested this about 6 weeks ago, I'm gunna do it!). It's hard to keep up with writing blogs, much less reading them, too! Though, I'm always sure to check in on ya since you were one of my first blogs to follow regularly : )

    ReplyDelete
  17. I don't consistently watch the Biggest Loser, but I definitely like the concept. Your thoughts this week are right on key though with this article I just read that said much of the weight is lost through dehydration. This weight-loss method is hidden from camera, so viewers don't see the actual unhealthiness of it. The article said most of them gain at least 20% of their weight back after the show too, which is disappointing. Nonetheless, I think the show has good intentions for helping people.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I completely agree with your BL assessments. And I love cheese, as well, except for swiss oddly enough!

    ReplyDelete
  19. what an AWESOME place to work...wow, how fun! I love your biggest Loser pros and cons too. Ive always wondered about how healthy this show is...it seems to go from one extreme to the other, (i.e. from no exercise and over eating, to massive exercising and under eating...) Just doesn't seem healthy overall. I think maybe you should let your body slowly get used to working out and eating right and just gradually push yourself towards a healthier lifestyle. Not all at once maybe. The weight didn't fly on overnight so I think its kind of unrealistic to think its going to come off overnight too. Although the show has good intentions though!

    ReplyDelete
  20. That training center looks awesome!

    As to the 85% dark chocolate, it also tastes pretty much like dirt if you eat something sweet like fruit before you have a piece. I so had that happen to me the other day and was so sad cause I normally love my 85% chocolate but not that time. Just thought I would warn you

    ReplyDelete
  21. I thought Amanda has distorted eating too. She seems so afraid to go back to being overweight that it could become an issue. She is young, only 19. I know that the eating/diet/exercise thoughts that I had at 19 are drastically different than what I know now at 23.

    I have learned to love dark chocolate since I try to stay away from milk. Dark chocolates are all very different so don't be afraid to try a bunch of brands.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Don't chew gum after drinking a cup of coffee. I've done that too many times to count. Not pleasant.

    The training center looks amazing and I like the whole idea of teaching people how to balance athletics and eating. A much healthier mindset than working out to lose weight. Congrats on landing the sweet gig!

    ReplyDelete
  23. The training center looks great. Sounds like a great job! :)

    I have only seen a few parts of of some episodes of TBL this season, but I always enjoy your recaps!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love your TBL thoughts. Totally agreed with the gum thing, and the 60 pounds thing! 60 pounds is absolutely insane- don't know how he did it.

    As for Amanda with her disordered thoughts- I think she's constantly thinking about it, because on the ranch that's all they did! 6 hours exercise, plus rest, plus eating, when you come home, to prepare for the finale, that's all your going to be thinking about! But, I do agree- post finale, some balance is going to have to be found. For all of them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love cheese too! I could not be a vegan because it exists.

    What a cool training center!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Looks like a great facility. I am glad you are enjoying it. I am still not able to watch the biggest loser but we are getting the military tv soon and I know they show it there so maybe I will be able to watch soon. Oh, and when you commented about my wins the other day you gave me good luck as I won again later that night. Thanks, now we have PB. It is nice for us though since we can;t get that stuff here.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The marathon thing drives me CRAZYYYYYYYYYY, it CAN'T BE GOOD FOR THEM. Honestly, I can't even run a marathon and I have been healthy for years longer than them! The whole thing is very weird. Couldn't they do like a half marathon or something shorter? The marathon should be something they work up to after a year or more of being healthy....in my opinion.

    It looks like the place you are working is great. The nutritional piece will be really big for people looking to lose or maintain weight.

    ReplyDelete
  28. So happy to hear you're loving your job, but hope you make time to relax and veg! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. If you ever figure out how to install smellovision let me know because I want it too!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  30. The training facility is gorgeous! I'm SO excited for you! I hope you get to relax and rest lots this weekend - 12 hour days are rough! Sending big "long work days" sympathy hugs... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. "I am incredibly lucky, no matter how many times I have a moment of sadness"- Amen girl! :D

    Oh ..and (in case you dont already know) you won some GLO bars! Woo hoo!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hmm...That's why I don't really like that show...it just...doesn't really seem healthy to me how these people loses weight so rapidly, and do these intense training and crazy diets...

    Practical people like you who know better understand that this is just a publicity thing, but I can't worrying for the rest of America who may think this is even realistic or worse, virtuous.

    ReplyDelete
  33. i have way too much salt. i find i crave it because my electrolytes are out of balance and it makes me feel better. i've heard its a natural anti-depressant too! both my dad and my brother are big on salt. my dad says sea salt is good for leg cramps. but i think we've just built up a tolerance to it. one im hoping to lower because i know its not good!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I don't watch BL. But I completely agree about the unrealistic aspect of it. And it does scare me a little bit if they are making it seem like it is smart or safe to lose that much weight that fast, or run a marathon without proper training. That's scary!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Sadly, I rarely watch the Biggest Loser because all of the crying makes me nuts. But there are a lot of good things about the show like the hard work and self motivation. I could do without all of the product mentions, too, it's a little distracting but everyone needs to pay their bills so I get that!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I love reading your BL reviews. I am actually concerned for Danny. 59 lbs in 60 days is not healthy at all. It bothers me because I like him so much and want him to win but DUDE! That is too much.

    The training facility is awesome. Wish I could join!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I learned I love cheese this year too--mostly goat cheese! Mmmmmm

    ReplyDelete
  38. Gina,
    Don't stress too much about not posting as often. As you said, sometimes Life just takes over. How long are you expecting to be working 12 hour days?

    I totally agree about the marathon. I agree that it is extreme to train in 60 days. I think the inspirational premise is good though...while it may not be Ideally Healthy, it is about mentally committing to do something. I know when I run, it is more mental than physical. Great observations as always though!

    Love the training facility...looks like fun!

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  39. So glad I found your blog. I'm an Ohio girl myself-Go Buckeyes! I just did a post on The Biggest Loser this past week. That show is a real hot topic.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I think your work and life is much more important then posting!Take it easy!

    Love the center!

    ReplyDelete