Weight Loss on TV -The Biggest Loser

Slimming down is great but does the show have to be so annoying about it?

Product placements galore! I don't mind being advertised to but please just be honest with us and let us know that you know that we know that Subway, Extra gum, Ziploc and Jell-O, amongst others, are all throwing money at you for a spot on your show. Transparency is key.

In today's episode, contestants won Subway sandwiches (if you're a fan of cheap, bland and tasteless than Subway is for you!), and trainer Bob Harper harped on how great EXTRA gum is for cutting your cravings.
I decided to review weight loss shows on TV for this blog and now I'm suffering, on a weekly basis, through 2 hours of this sob-fest filled with sorry backstories, forced dramatic cuts to commercial and exorbitant amounts of weight being shed at a rate that would discourage even the most casual viewer from starting on the journey. Humph!

Dropping 1 to 2lbs a week is great. Amazing even if you can keep it up. However, have you checked out their daily 3hr workout plan (who, with a full time job, has the time!) and the diet (oh they are definitely on a restrictive diet to which I say booo).

Luckily, the $250,000 end prize is enough to convince contestants to bare their souls (and their big bellies) for all to see on national TV. I'll keep watching for now. Maybe I'll develop an appreciation for the show over time. Doubtful though.

SLIMMING TIP: Find your groove. The biggest problem I have with the Biggest Loser is that they don't show the fun side to slimming down. Everyone on camera is always in pain, crying or whining or almost dying in some cases. Yes, people are happy with the end results and double digit losses but they should work out because it feels good and not just because of the end goal. Being active and pushing your body to the next level is a great feeling and the natural endorphins you get from working out are reward enough. Our personal task - find activities we love to do and do them because we love them.

**Tee hee. I snuck a peak @ the scale today and yay - 185.5! Well on my way to getting to 184 on Friday. I must stay on track and achieve a drop of 2lbs each week. Lots of water, increasing my protein intake and lots of fun exercise is the plan. I can DO this!
ROLL CALL
Breakfast (9:15am):
Breakfast smoothie (fast and easy and I always have bags of sliced fruits in my freezer)
1/2 cup plain full fat yogurt
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup sliced bananas
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup organic 1% milk
1 scoop of protein (25g of protein)
1 tsp of raw honey
Midday snack (11am):
2oz goat cheese/Boursin cheese
8 crackers

Lunch (1:15pm)
3/4 cup cheese filled whole wheat ravioli
1/2 cup grilled zucchini
1/2 cup Classico tomato sauce
1 cup of steamed broccoli
1/2 cup of steamed carrots
1 tsp butter
1 piece of salt water taffy

Midafternoon snack (3:15pm):
3/4 cup cheese stuffed whole wheat ravioli
1/2 cup grilled zucchini
1/2 cup Classico brand tomato sauce
1 bite size kit kat bar- mmmmm

Dinner (9pm)
Caesar salad
1/4 cup avocado
1/4 cups chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery (instead of bread crumbs and it gives your salad a nice, satisfying crunch!)
3 cups chopped romaine hearts
3 oz grilled chicken breast
Dressing:
3/4 tablespoon low fat Caesar dressing
3/4  tbsp Italian dressing
1 tsp flax seed oil
Dash each of sea salt, pepper, Worchester sauce, wasabi paste, tobasco sauce

Oh yes and 4 QTY chicken wings. Mmmm - actually they weren't that good, too chewy and not crispy at all so I nibbled at two of them disappointedly and tossed the rest out. Boo to bad wings!

EXERCISE: 
Spin class: 60 minutes, woo!
DRINKS:
11 glasses of water (I went to the washroom at least 8 times today. Even as I write this, I have to go again, lol!)
3 cups of green tea (1 tea bag, mug refilled 3 times)
Protein shake (after spin class)- 3/4 cup milk, 1 scoop of protein (25g of protein)

Happy eating!