The Biggest Loser - FAIL

Sep 23, 2009

So, I don't keep up with any reality TV shows.  I hate them, despise them with a passion.  I think they are a sick, voyeuristic excuse for television.  A fellow classmate with me in the Counseling program and now PhD in Counseling mentioned the Biggest Loser last night on facebook.  So, I chimed in when she said,

"wonders how else NBC and every other network can exploit overweight people under the guise of doing something "good."..."

She's absolutely right.  They disguise this program as being a good thing, but truly, the amount of weight these people are losing on a weekly basis is completely unpractical.  They all freak out if they don't lose at least 10 pounds a week.  THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I CHOSE THE LAPBAND OVER ANY OTHER WLS option.  The weight loss with Lapband is reasonable, it does not take away my ability to eat what I want, but it does limit the amount of food I can eat.  It's practical.  I don't have to worry about embarrassing dumping.  I don't have to worry about never being able to eat what I want food-wise again.  I can choose wisely and still lose weight.  

This show does nothing for helping those of us at home who are struggling.  WHO in the WORLD has 8-12 hours a day to work out like they do on this show?  WHY would anyone trying to run a therapeutic program keep a PANTRY FULL OF JUNK FOOD to tempt their CLIENTS??? This is appalling to me.  None of the people - trainers on this show have a degree in Counseling.  They probably have a Kineasology degree and ACE Trainer certification, they do not have counseling skills.  If they did, they would see that this show in and of itself is not promoting POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT by sending a "LOSER" home every week. 

I tried for 5 years to lose the weight on my own.  I woke up at 5:45AM every morning and worked out, religiously.  I portion controlled, calorie controlled, and counted every little thing... I'd lose, and then I'd gain back for no reason.  It was miserable. I chose the Lapband because I knew it would only be a tool in my journey of changing my eating habits.  I live in New Orleans, for God's Sakes, good food is a way of life here. I have adjusted much of what I eat, but I can't always predict what the band is going to allow through.  I can do everything right sometimes and not lose weight or I can do everything right and have the food come back up for no reason I can account for.  BUT, I can lose weight and stay on my program 90% of the time and I'm seeing the big changes, sometimes daily.

My boyfriend last night grabbed me and said, "Who is this skinny girl in the kitchen?  Sometimes, I just suddenly notice how different you look from when we started dating."  For those of you who don't know, my boyfriend and I met about three weeks after my surgery. I was actually in a long distance relationship at that time which was going South quickly, and I met my current boyfriend on the pretense of friendship.... It has blossomed into love and though it's not perfect, nothing is.... It's more perfect that what I had before and I'm better than I've ever been in the past in relationships.  He says all the time, "I'm nearly perfect... because no one is absolutely perfect."  He attributes my wonderful qualities to my good nature and that I never felt compelled to be a bitch to men like so many thin women do.  They know they can and they manipulate to get what they want.  I just am.  I just do what I do.  I don't try to be anything other than myself.  

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