3 Lessons from ‘The Biggest Loser’

All over the world, millions of people are riveted to their TV’s – but not to watch Sex in the City, or Jay Leno. Not to see the latest soap, or CSI. Not to see who outlasts, outplays, or outwits everyone else on Survivor or Idol.

No, they are spellbound by the efforts of a small group of obese people trying to overcome the effects of years of overeating.

Obesity is the new epidemic. Therefore, it’s not surprising that for so many viewers, this is compulsive to watch. Overweight children sulk around school yards while their fat mothers fill shopping carts with all of the wrong products and foods.

Then, they sit down at night and watch The Biggest Loser. They see new body shapes emerge along with dramatic weight loss. They want to feel these same results, and they begin to think it just might be possible.

Who can afford a personal trainer several times a week?
Who has four or five hours a day to dedicate to working out?
Who had the luxury of having their own personal advisor on smart food choices and calorie content?

Not very many people at all. You have to remember that this is television; therefore it is a false situation.

“This is a GAME. You have to make the most of your time here, because it is going to be MUCH harder out in the real world,” the players keep reminding themselves and the viewers of this. However You can join NBC’s Biggest Loser Diet Club Same diet & fitness program used on TV – personalized to your goals!

It most likely IS harder in the “real world”. However, you can take lessons from watching this reality show. The contestants can make it work for them, and you can make it work for you as well.

Put these three practical and useful lessons to use immediately:

1. You have to put weight loss first.

In the Biggest Loser household, weight loss comes FIRST. So, make it come first in YOUR household as well. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Well, IT IS. It’s so simple, in fact, that many people easily overlook it. They try to fit meal planning, and exercise around everything else in their lives, instead of making it a priority and making everything else fit in around it.

You need to think about what is more important-getting the weight off and becoming fit enough to add years onto your life, or watching another TV show? Allot at least one hour a day to sit down with a pen and paper and plan your meals, record what you eat, and do some sort of exercise. Guess what? That leaves about 23 hours left to do everything else!

2. E is for Exercise-and Enjoy!

What else have you noticed in the Biggest Loser household? The more they exercise, the more they seem to enjoy it and thrive on it! Of course they complain, they sweat, they grunt and they groan. But, as time goes on, they say things like, “I never thought I’d look forward to working out-but now I don’t feel right if a day goes by that I don’t exercise!”

Find what’s right for YOU, and you have found the secret to ENJOYING exercise. Look for other forms of exercise if you don’t enjoy going to the gym. You need to find a good combination of cardio and resistance training, but that doesn’t have to be done on machines.
You can dance, swim, walk, climb hills, push a wheelbarrow around your garden…and the choices are endless so choose something that can be FUN for you. Research what happens to your heart and various muscle groups when you exercise, and remember to pick activities that you will ENJOY.

3. Identify the Triggers.

When the contestants have to face their demons, emotions run high. Weight gain is hardly ever solely physical. You’ll soon see a pattern of emotional eating if you keep a good diary and faithfully record not only what you eat, but when (and why). What are YOUR triggers? Family arguments? Boredom? Exhaustion?

You can start working on strategies to defeat these triggers once you have successfully identified them. Something as simple as challenging yourself every time you want food can help you overcome these triggers.

Ask yourself “am I hungry-yes or no?
If I’m not hungry, WHY do I want to eat?
Am I really just thirsty?
Am I running to the fridge just because I am upset?
Is there something else I can do to feel better?
Is there a long-term solution that will fix this-forever?”

If you aren’t ready to deal with the root cause of your “emotional” eating, then be prepared with food that won’t add to your problems with the resulting rolls of fat by having “good” foods at hand. Just make sure that you LIKE the “good” foods you keep around so you will be more likely to choose them.

These are just three of the simple, but life changing lessons that anyone can take from watching The Biggest Loser. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all by yourself.