June 25, 2017
I've never been a big fan of The Biggest Loser for two reasons.
First, the camera never shows anyone being carried off of that show in an ambulance (which is proof it really isn't a reality show.) You simply cannot take a group of seriously obese and out of shape people, work them as hard as contestants on that show are typically worked, and not have at least a few of them develop something called Rhabdomyolysis which is basically complete organ failure as a direct result of working out WAY too hard (click here for more info.)
Second, I DO NOT appreciate the way the show's Trainer's occasionally treat the contestants. I'll never forget watching the show one evening (and I'm not kidding when I say it was only the second BUT THE LAST episode I've ever seen)...one of the contestants was working so hard he literally fell to the ground and almost passed out and without even a moment's hesitation Jillian Michaels dropped to her knees and started yelling in his face. "Next time you fall down like this, it's going to be because you're a dead dad...GET UP!" she screamed. Right then and there I swore that I'd never seen such a hideous example of personal training...not only was it incredibly unkind it was completely unmotivational! Maybe I'm not as hardcore as Jillian (or many other Personal Trainers) but I've always felt in the long run it was more effective to speak quietly, empathize, and support rather than scream, frighten, and belittle.
But just the other day my mentor and friend Joe Cannon sent me some info that gave me yet a third reason to detest the show: apparently a study was performed that tracked former contestants for up to six years after the show...not only do most of them regain sometimes ALL of their weight but, more importantly, the Resting Metabolic Rate of these contestants (the amount of calories the body needs simply to perform completely automatic functions) went down when they lost the weight but didn't increase again when they gained the weight back.
Now that make sound a bit too "thinky" for many of you but take my word for it, this is a really big deal! In plain language, what this means in the end is these poor folks not only unwittingly yo-yo dieted (with is sometimes worse for your health than being obese) but 6 years later they still can't eat any more calories than before appearing on the show without gaining weight (click here if you'd like to read the actual study.)
WOW...if I've said it once I've said it a million times: there simply is no such thing as a quick fix for poor health. It takes most people YEARS to get to the place where most of the folks on that show find themselves so it often takes years of slow and steady steps in a different direction to achieve optimum health.
And I'm not just speaking theoretically here...I happen to know this firsthand (click here to learn more about my personal journey.)
So don't let The Biggest Loser fool you into losing sight of the big picture...get in touch with me today to learn more about moving well, eating well, and off-loading your stress (the 3 legs of the Optimal Health stool.)
Yours in health...Jessica :o)
