Joined The Biggest Loser

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Joined The Biggest Loser

The Biggest LoserWell, I joined The Biggest Loser. No, not that Biggest Loser. It's being run by Body Health & Fitness Club, my local gym. After fellow blogger Om Malik's heart scare, and my weight ballooning from 170lbs to 198lbs over the last 3 years, it was time to do something about it. The Biggest Loser contest started on Monday this week and I weighed in at 198lbs - just two pounds shy of 200. Considering I'm only 5'6" that is pretty heavy. I don't have my measurements written down at work, but I know I was around 35% body fat. That puts me in the "obese" category. At my trimmest (2001) when I was going to the gym regularly, I was 165 lbs and 19% body fat.

It's amazing to me how popular this TV show has become. Although the trainers drive the contestants pretty hard in the beginning, they definitely form bonds with their team. It remindsBob Harper Jillian Michaels me of the military's boot camp where they drive you to your breaking point to build not only physical strength, but mental strength and camaraderie with your recruits. As hard as the trainers are, I like how Bob and especially Jillian try and get at the heart of why they became obese in the first place so they don't just put the weight back on when they leave. Of course, some of that could just be psycho-mumbo-jumbo that makes for great TV with the contestants getting emotional and crying.

It's a 3 month contest and it requires you to keep a daily food diary/journal and a weekly weigh in. Most of the training and exercising is done on your own, however, once per week you sit down with your trainer, go over your food journal and then the trainer puts you through the ringer doing various brutal exercises, including the treadmill, elliptical, free weights, machines, the whole gambit. My wife joined as well and is on my team. There are prizes for your team winning as well as the individual who loses the largest percentage. My wife came back from her first session so sore she didn't want to get out of bed the next day. Can't wait till my first training!

I'm heading to ITEXPO in Miami next week, which while I expect it to be a great show, I hope I can keep up with my exercise program and eat well considering lots of companies want to take me out to lunch & dinner in fancy restaurants.

In any event, to help keep me honest, I'm going to post reports here on a regular basis on my progress.

Wish we luck!


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