The Biggest Loser, Nov. 3 – Changing Lives
Changing Lives. It's what it all comes down to. The Biggest Loser this week did the absolute right thing in heading to Washington, D.C. It's how to change the most lives.
The Losers were tasked with gathering as many people as they could from the streets around the Capitol and gathering them for a huge group workout with Bob and Jillian. Whoever brought the most people got an advantage at the next challenge and got to take their whole group to Subway. Yet, the good part of this was, even if a third of these people gathered were inspired to make a lifestyle change and start working out and eating right, that's a lot of lives they changed. Even if they only changed one life, it's worth it.
Next, they moved on to speaking to members of Congress, trying to make some changes in health and fitness with how it's taught in schools. Daniel, who last season of the show was well over 400, and has lost almost 200 pounds between the two seasons of the show, told his story, and mentioned how he only needed one year of gym and one semester of health. And all it did was allow him to get heavier and have self esteem issues. Rebecca spoke, too, and said she was always the chubby girl. She was determined to lose it, and did at one point, but did it all the wrong way by starving herself. She didn't know better.
I'll back that up. I was skinny, but not healthy. I couldn't even touch my toes. We were required to take gym all years of high school. I was picked last on teams, and I wasn't into competitive sports, so I sat in right field, way back as far as they could stick me. I got no exercise by sitting back there. You can make people take gym, but they have to move. I sat out of swimming, because I didn't want to get my hair wet. I had thick hair down to my butt, and ten minutes was not enough time to condition it, comb it out, dry it, and put my makeup on. I failed gym that semester and had to make it up in night class. We played volleyball and softball, and bowled. Again, I was allowed to sit back in the backfield and not participate. It was hard for me to breathe when I ran because of my allergies, so I got a medical out of running. I sat with the other kids that had medicals.
I could never understand why gym had to be for a grade. Why not be just pass or fail? If you participate, you pass. Why do I need to get graded on if I can serve a birdie over the badminton net? Why not just have me walk when I had a medical out of running? Moving in any way is better than sitting on the sidelines. Why not understand that for high school girls, appearance is everything. Give them appropriate time to fix their hair and makeup when they're done.
And now, gym is even stranger than it was when I went to school. The kids don't just participate in gym class. They study and take tests for grades. Why does that matter? They're not getting exercise in all that time they're taking tests. In addition they let kids out of gm way too easily. My son got out of gym for a whole semester because he was in marching band for a month and a half. He now had his counselor get him out of gym so that he could take more academic classes. He's in football and track, but from November to March, he's not in any gym or sport. He can go in after school and work out, but it's strictly volunteer.
Why is that okay? That's why we have more heavy people these days. We make it too easy to be heavy and not be fit. If kids aren't being given the proper tools to be fit, these are habits they'll take with them throughout their lives. They should be building good habits. Make kids take daily exercise. If they want to play field hockey and basketball in gym, let them. But if they just want to work out, and not play a competitive sport, let them. And stop forcing them to take written tests. That'll never get them anywhere healthwise and encourages them to think book learning is more important than getting exercise.
Leaping off my soapbox, our trend of people going home after a major breaktrough continued this week. Tracey made some great strides. Jillian got her to a point to stop playing the game and start working towards becoming fit. She made a breakthrough. She had determination to do something and stopped the giggling and excuses. In the immunity challenge, Tracey crossed the finish line in a one mile run. Last time she passed out and was airlifted to a hospital. This time she crossed the line, on her own power. Yet, she only lost three pounds.
Either way, Tracey made strides and turned a corner. She found her purpose and reason for being on The Biggest Loser. She had watched the show for years, and this helped her to forget why she was there. She got caught up in the win and staying, and forgot she needed to change her life.
Once Tracey was voted out, Alison pointed out that perhaps it was the earlier social game that killed Tracey, and that's exactly what it was. She had played the game too hard, changing teams and taking all the advantages at the expense of others. When she had the power and was asked to save people, she didn't do it. Tracey told Alison she had to do those things to stay, but she's wrong. She started out as the underdog after going to the hospital and not being allowed to work out for awhile. If ayone understands underdogs, it's the Losers. They would have supported her and protected her, instead of turning against her.
But remember, this show is about changing lives, and Tracey made the right adjustments to her own life just before she left. I cried for her when I watched her reunite with her husband and kids, but I sat with my mouth hanging open when I saw how much she has changed her life. Still gone is the excuses. She's training for a marathon and has lost 80+ pounds. She looks amazing. The best part to this story is that she changed her own life.
Here's how everyone is doing.
Laura 45, Freelance Writer, Chicago 'burbs (At Home Team)
Starting Goal Muffin Top Removal This Week Hello. It's Halloween. I'm the same.
Personal Struggle My weight has never stayed consistent for long. And even at my thinnest, I never liked what I saw. A friend of mine in high school and myself had a contest to see who could lose more. Sadly, we both started out at 108. We did lose a little, but I don't think I've seen 108 since that year. I have always had an unhealthy obsession with it and have never been happy with it.
Weight Struggle I have horrible eating habits. I'm a very picky eater and say often that I eat like a kid. I'm not fond of most veggies, and have weird rules about what I won't eat.
Successes I gained a lot of weight with my first son, and struggled to lose it, but eventually did. I'm a second degree black belt and that helps a lot with my fitness.
Tracey 37, Homemaker, Allen, Texas
Starting Weight 238 Previous Weigh-Ins 228, 217, 213, 206, 202, 197 Tonight's Weight 194
Personal Struggle With her husband deployed for long periods of time with the Marines, it has led to a battle with depression, which leads to eating.
Weight Struggle She didn't gain weight until pregnancy, going from 113 to 250 by the time she had her fourth child. She doesn't eat in front of others unless it's a salad.
Successes She wants to be able to run with her husband and not get out of breath, and would like to take on some of the burden of providing for the family with the prize money. She won't be taking the burden off providing for the family, but she's successful in so many other ways. She's lost 80+ pounds, and she's changing her life and others.
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