Biggest Loser, Weigh in on a New York Times Article

personally i love the Biggest Loser and how it motivates so many others to lose weight, me included, 50 pounds i've lost having been motivated by one of the contestants.

Reviewing the article, you will find that the "dangerous" practices contestants took part in were of their own doing and not recommended by the show. Ali, a former contestant, chimed in that contestants would drink as little water as possible within 24 hours before a weigh in. The contestants have been informed this is not healthy and yet still do it of their own free will.

Looking at the quotes from the release forms, it seems to me (having been a legal secretary for 10 years) like they are boiler-plate, general forms that any reality show would have contestants fill out.

The New York Times also brought up the fact that interviews of prior contestants were supervised by an NBC staffer. I would hope so, since it's kind of sounding like things the contestants did to further themselves in the show that didn't follow protocol of what they had been taught, have been tauted as general practices of the show, so.. yes, if i were NBC, i think i'd cover my ass too.

And, by the way... direct quote from the article:
Ali Vincent, a fifth-season contestant who became the first female winner of “The Biggest Loser,” said she believed that her involvement in the show was “definitely worth it.”
“I went from a life of nothing to being active every day, six days a week,” said Ms. Vincent, who started the program weighing 234 pounds and finished at 122. She now weighs about 125 pounds, she said, and is a spokeswoman for products and ventures related to “The Biggest Loser.”
via: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25loser.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimeshealth

So, if the contestants choose to take it upon themselves to do unhealthy things to further themselves in the game, let them not bring Biggest Loser down. I don't condone the unhealthy behavior or the thought of risking your health to win a game show. What i do condone is the fact that the Biggest Loser is still on the air and inspiring millions to lose weight. As a personal trainer, I do not have that reach. At times I do not agree with things the trainers say or do on the show, but I do agree that they've made a huge difference.

So, I ask you to Weigh In... what is your opinion of the Biggest Loser and things being said about the show?

sloLCfitness.com

Cheers to online and onlocation personal training!

Sometimes I wonder about being a personal trainer and feel like i'm setting my schedule to my clients' schedules and wish i could make my own. Then, i read a tweet from Bob Harper and another from Jillian Michaels about them sitting around waiting to film Biggest Loser 9... I'll wait for my on locations clients all day before i would be up at 11pm waiting to be filmed for a television show, yikes! So glamorous, not! To my past, present, and future online and on location clients... much love! I feel so lucky to serve you in your time rather than in "television" time! To fitness when "we" want it... Cheers!

sloLCfitness.com

Traffic + Bob Harper + Yoga = zero stress

Wednesday, September 23^rd, 2009 I was graciously invited to a yoga session with Bob Harper, trainer on the Biggest Loser, by Go With the Grain. The nearly 5 hour drive was grueling and I arrived late.

Okay, so I know you know who Bob Harper is, and let me say that it was amazing to meet him and have him teach us a yoga class, but do you know about Go With The Grain? Speaking from a woman who loves her carbs, me... let me give you a little insight: Grain Foods Foundation is a nonprofit organization. They have dedicated themselves to advancing the public's understanding of the important role grain-based foods play in a healthful diet. Check out their website: http://www.gowiththegrain.org/ filled with nutritional information, tips, and recipes and... oh, how could i forget... a chance to win a personal training session with Bob Harper in Los Angeles!!

Back to Bob and yoga… First, I suck at yoga, so I was extremely nervous to take a lesson from Bob. He schooled me! No joke! I was shaking like a leaf holding the poses and hanging on for dear life with my toes and core. Bob walked around the room and made sure our body alignment was proper and reminded us not to be perfectionists but to learn form through listening to our bodies rather than looking at mirrors (there were no mirrors, by the way).Once we were finished with the tough work, we got to relax. Between the music that Bob chose to play, the sound of his voice, the way he cares about the people he’s teaching, it made the drive back home in the 100 degree heat seem fabulous.