Will Biggest Loser Season 14 "confront" or "exploit" childhood obesity?

Biggest Loser gym on set at the Gillette Ranch, Santa Monica Mountains

My friend Angela Ashley just told me that Season 14 of The Biggest Loser will premiere in January with Jillian, Dolvett, and Bob as trainers. She said:

The series will have some surprises along with the introduction of childhood obesity into the show. 

Each of the three trainers will have one teen (13-17 years old) on their group who will train and be followed by a special medical team with expertise in childhood/adolescent nutrition. These teens will not be eliminated as the other contestants. They will be followed throughout the show by the medical team and also after they return home for long term weight/healthy lifestyle management. I read that they would not be weighing on camera as the other contestants. 

Personally, I think that this is an excellent idea. In light of the fact that September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, this is one example of how more must be done to help children and teens become healthier and live happier and more productive lives.

I couldn't agree more, Angela! By the way, I was at the Gillette Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains just outside of Malibu recently and I stumbled upon the Biggest Loser set. They prop people were busy getting the gym ready, and I chatted with someone from production who said filming was going to start sometime next week! Casting is still being finalized.

There's a spot called Inspiration Point that I plan to hike to during the filming to see if I can glimpse a bit of what's going on. I'll post pics if I get some, for sure.

20 pounds and counting

Today marks the end of my second week on Nutrisystem. I didn't lose as much as my first week, but I'm happy to report that I've lost a full 20 pounds!

To be honest, I'm shocked at how easy it has been to stay on this diet. It's pretty simple to follow, just eat one of their pre-packaged items and then eat tons of vegetables and a few fruits throughout the day. I think what makes it easy for me is that they also provide three snack options a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

The morning snack is a dairy/protein, like yogurt, cottage cheese or an egg. And the afternoon and evening snacks are pre-packaged and are either sweet or salty. Sweet options include stuff like a fudge brownie, chocolate cake or a cookie, and salty options are things like pretzels, herb flavored snack mix or soy crisps. This makes me happy!

BUT, and yes, there's a but, I'm a bit annoyed that during week one I lost almost double what I lost week two. Friends and fellow dieters are telling me I should shock my system with a cheat day, but that seems counterproductive to me. The Nutrisystem people say I just need to stick to it, and that slower weight loss is healthier weight loss. Tell that to the contestants on the Biggest Loser!

Okay, that wasn't a fair shot, because honestly I'm not putting in the effort to exercise the way those people do. Maybe that's what I should focus on this week, not giving in to a cheat day but kicking it up a notch and focusing on fitness. This is the dilemma I'm weighing right now, at 4 p.m. on a Friday. The cheating is tempting...wonder what I'll do.

How did I get here?

Right now, millions of overweight Americans are asking themselves, "how did I get here?" And I am one of them. "Here" is that place and time beyond comprehension, that moment you realize your weight has reached some abstract number you never imagined it could reach.

When I recently tipped the scale at just over 400 pounds, I knew I had arrived at that dreaded place, and I couldn't believe it. The last time I was really checked in to my weight I was inching upwards of 290 pounds. I didn't really worry, though, because I truly felt I would never again top my previous high weight of 310 pounds, which I had reached ten years ago. After hitting 310, I was able to get back down to 220 by giving up meats and cheeses and walking, biking or rollerblading everywhere I went. And after reaching my goal, I swore I would never go back to that unhealthy max again. But somehow, here I am, not at 310, but getting damn close to reaching 410 if I don't make some drastic changes.

I never even imagined what enormous amount of food I'd have be eating to reach 400 pounds. And somehow I never really thought of myself as fat, even though my family and friends never failed to remind me. I don't think I eat like a total pig. Sure, I enjoy sweets and fatty foods like everybody else, but I eat those things in some sort of moderation...don't I?

Well no, I don't. I have to admit that I do binge on those comfort foods every once in a while. And if I'm going to make a positive change in my life and start to get my weight under control, I'm going to have to drop the denial game once and for all. In fact, I'm going to have start looking at myself and my lifestyle in a 360 degree mirror - you know, the kind Stacy and Clinton use on that show "What Not to Wear". I'm going to have to just suck it up and admit that I'm here because of the decisions I make each and every day. I'm here because of what I eat, and because of when I eat, and even because of where I eat. I'm here because I've slowly, almost methodically, adopted a sedentary lifestyle by trading in my rollerblades and mountain bike for a DVR and an all-in-one remote control. And I'm here because up until now, I just haven't really cared.

That brings me to the point of this new blog. I believe I am finally starting to care again. I'm tired being fat and feeling there is nothing I can ever do about it. I know, like I've always known, that I am the only one who has the power to make a difference in my life, and I'm committed now to making one.

This blog will chronicle my progress as I attempt to make healthy choices and recessutate my formerly healthy lifestyle. My goal is a big one. I want to lose 180 pounds - that's the weight of an average adult male - and get back down to about 220 pounds. Oh, and did I mention I want to do it naturally, though diet and exercise, and not the lazy way, through some sort of unatural stomach-altering surgery.

So far, I've bought a mountain bike, and am starting to ride it daily to prepare to begin commuting to and from the train station starting in the new year. I've bought a couple of cook books with healthy recipes, and I've started cooking for myself six days a week and eating out one, instead of the other way around. I've also ordered a scale that I can use to weigh myself at home, so I can track my progress, which I'll be sharing here online with you.

Please feel free to comment on my blog if you have any tips, or would like to encourage me on my journey. I expect it will take me about two years to get me down to my goal weight.

Thanks for reading!