Okay, so i watched Extreme Makeover, Weight loss Edition and may i say..it was nothing less than inspiring to see a big man like that lose his fat suit and transform into this young happy healthy man... Thats great!
HOWEVER.... as i am sitting there on the couch with my hunny and this guy who has lost all his weight says "if you want to do it bad enough, you can" and then my hunny looks at me and says "see, if you want it bad enough you can do it too".. Im getting irked..
The reason why im irked is because..in case you havent noticed..All of these people with all these glorious transformations have beenygiven everything they need in there house..They have been given a personal gym setup at home that they didnt have to pay for at all..They have been given access to a gym for free and a personal trainer for free and a custom plan for free...
Im sorry..but if i wanted to do that..lets look at the cost i would have to shell out to have that..
1) Treadmill-1500$ at the minimum because the 800$ ones are crap and dont have a weight capacity high enough for me to go on.
2)a set of weights.. well i would need a 5pound weight...for one its 5$ at walmart..and since we need 2 ..thats 10$..plus an 8 pound weight..thats 16$ for those two and a 10 pound weight..thats 20$ for two.. and 15 pound weight..thats 30$ for two..
3) Then there is an elliptical or bike.. and those are 1500$ for a good quality weight capacity thats high enough for me to use without breaking..
4)gym membership out here cost 50$
5) Personal trainer costs 80$ per session..and thats probably going to be 3 tims a week.. 240$
So based on what this man last night had... The cost for me to have all the tools in place is: $15,876.. give or take and thats based on having a gym membership for a year and a trainer 3 times a week for a year..
You may think im having a pity party here or something..but did you know that is roughly my salary for a year??? I make minimum wage..and thats roughly what i get paid for a year...
So i would have to spend all that money on gym equipent and personal help to obtain the tools that this man had last night..to be equal to him.. AND... lets not forget..that the amount of money i make would only pay for all that..That wouldnt leave me anything to cover my bills or expenses or groceries or child stuff for my daughter.. Im sorry..but its not possible for me to be supplied with everything he had..without it costing my enitre salary..
Do you see my point? How do-able is it for the average household to have everything that these people do..in order to achieve there weight loss goal?
Of course these people can..they have everything given to them that they need..Heck..if i had a treadmill and a set of weight.. i could lose all my weight to get to my goal..i dont need a trainer or a whole bunch of equipment..
My point is..its un-realistic..
I think that they should make a weight loss program for TV using only what a person would be able to find around there home..and i dont think they should have a trainer or fancy equipment or someone to tell them what not to eat..They should only be allowed to read a book, do there own grocery shopping and use whatever is in there house for gym equipment (aka cans for weights etc) Then lets see how well they do and how they meet there goal d how hard it is ... Cause honestly..thats what most of us have..We have a gym membership..a pair of running shoes for walking.. a book or internet and whatever is around our house..
The shows might be unrealistic in terms of timeframe, but I lost 100 pounds without doing more than joining a gym (membership for 2 was 60something/month). Once I did that, I could use their equipment without paying more. I didn't start working out with a trainer until much later. If you're joining a gym, you don't also have to buy the other equipment.
Plus, there's lots of ways to exercise that don't cost a lot -- like walking.
For me, losing weight successfully really is about overcoming all the barriers I make for myself. Right now I'm not in a place where I'm overcoming them, so I understand the frustration.
You don't need any of those things really, to lose weight and exercise. I have nothing but some five pound weights that cost me like 10$, a 35 kettlebell that cost like 50$, and my body. You don't even need the weights. You can do body weight exercises! Your significant other is correct, if you really want to do it you can do it, and you don't even need to spend an extra penny beyond what it takes to buy yourself food, if you can't do that. You could just as easily make a show about it, but it would need realistic goals as well, healthy goals. It's hard when anyone does it, and I honestly wouldn't have traded places with any of those people on that extreme weightloss show. They work out for four hours a day or more. They cry when they workout sometimes. If I am crying during a workout something is wrong. You don't have to be extreme to lose weight. I work hard, for sure. But you know, I started by walking less than a mile and a half ever day and progressed from there. The point is, we all know the show is Hollywood. But that doesn't mean that you can't have just as amazing results, if not better by going it alone and just simply doing the best you can every day.
Walking! I lost most of my weight just by walking (and of course eating well). I heard Dr. Oz say one time that everyone should walk at least 30 minutes per day. Well, at my heaviest, I didn't feel like exercising, but I thought "I can do that! I can walk". So I did. Slow at first, but then I tried to increase my speed over time. Eventually I went farther and longer, and worked up to walking 60 minutes some days.
Try walking, because it's free, it's an all-over body workout and it does work!
Don't assume that most have gym memberships, I don't even have a car right now. Living very cheaply to accomplish some goals. Very limited food budget also, and no medical insurance. So many I should say people on food plans, have doctors helping them along, people that have gym memberships and money to spend on equipment/videos etc are "unrealistic" from my standpoint.
It's always been true that there are some people with more of the trappings that people think are required to reach any goal. Yet that doesn't really matter to many. The main thing is what is going on inside you.
They are just tv shows. If you don't like them, don't watch. I think it's great they are helping those people and providing an inspiration for many.
the show buys all their groceries for the time period too (that's how the host knew he was downing fast food).
In the 3 episodes I've seen, all 3 people trying to lose weight struggled during the period after the host left them to their own devices (even with their groceries paid for and all that free exercise equipment at their fingertips). The first woman lost something like 6 lbs in 3 months. Seems to me like personal support makes a big difference -- when he was with them, training them and spurring them on.
I do think really wanting it is one component, sure. And if just having all the stuff given to you is all it took, then people like Oprah and Wynonna Judd wouldn't have weight issues.
No matter what, I figure I'm better off working on eating healthy and exercising and getting my eggs in a row to get back to losing this weight.
There are things that can be learned from those shows, like consistency is the key. Amen to that, and it's one of the hardest things for me to be eating-wise.
Everyone has a treadmill: It's called your feet and the ground.
But these shows can be frustrating. My boyfriend who just dumped me always used them against me, saying "If they can lose 10+ lbs a week, so can you!", etc.
Walking! I lost most of my weight just by walking (and of course eating well). I heard Dr. Oz say one time that everyone should walk at least 30 minutes per day. Well, at my heaviest, I didn't feel like exercising, but I thought "I can do that! I can walk". So I did. Slow at first, but then I tried to increase my speed over time. Eventually I went farther and longer, and worked up to walking 60 minutes some days.
Try walking, because it's free, it's an all-over body workout and it does work!
yes, at my heaviest and for quite a while afterward that was my main mode of exercise. I love walking.
I used to hate exercising, I would have never imagined myself going to a gym. Now I love the gym. So, it really can be a process that happens over time.
But these shows can be frustrating. My boyfriend who just dumped me always used them against me, saying "If they can lose 10+ lbs a week, so can you!", etc.
who wants to be with someone who constantly pressures you to be something else. I say count yourself lucky he's gone -- you probably would have gotten tired of that at some point and walked out the door yourself anyway.
True motivation and commitment can't be purchased. I have a gym membership and a weight watchers monthly pass (which together is about $100/month) and it is still a struggle to stay on track some days. I think you can do the best with what you have and not make any additional purchases beyond food. Calorie counting is free. This forum is free. You don't need a personal trainer, expensive equipment, etc. They are nice to have and they may make it a bit easier but they won't do the work for you.
You still have to do that.
I don't have or need any of those things. I workout at home. I started using soup and water bottles as weights. I walk.
For me, although I am not a constant viewer, those shows make me feel that it is possible. I feel like I can come down from 250+ pounds if they can come down from 300 or 400.
I think that they should make a weight loss program for TV using only what a person would be able to find around there home..and i dont think they should have a trainer or fancy equipment or someone to tell them what not to eat..They should only be allowed to read a book, do there own grocery shopping and use whatever is in there house for gym equipment (aka cans for weights etc) Then lets see how well they do and how they meet there goal d how hard it is ... Cause honestly..thats what most of us have..We have a gym membership..a pair of running shoes for walking.. a book or internet and whatever is around our house..
It may not be a TV show, but it's called 3 Fat Chicks and we are all right here, getting it done! And figuring out the ways around the various issues and obstacles all of us.
But I also know why the shows can be inspiring, that's not my life, and my results won't be the same. But I also know from seeing all the people on 3FC that I CAN do it - and it will be slower than some people and quicker than others, and it's all good, as long as we all get there in the end.
True motivation and commitment can't be purchased.
So true.
I roll my eyes at those weight loss shows. To be clear, it's great to see someone make a change... but just like any TV show, they do not air the whole truth. The truth as it is for the majority of the people in the world who are trying to lose weight healthfully.
"If you want it, you can do it." Yes.... but, weight loss is more complicated than just that.
For example, when I say "To lose weight eat less, move more" it's both that simple AND at the same time extremely complex! Because while the general overview of weight loss is to eat less and move more, there are the details of how that's done... getting a plan, sticking to the plan, finding support, dealing with plateaus and other frustrations. We are HUMAN!
You don't need to have every thing that the people have on TV when they lose weight. They have a treadmill? You have feet. They have a personal trainer? You have books, and your body weight. They have a team of people watching them 24/7? You have forums available for typing out all kinds of frustrations and reading a dozen responses to know that you ARE NOT ALONE.
What I don't like about the shows: When they make a mistake... it's made to seem like they're these weak people. People who just can't help but mess up, so they have to get yelled like animals until they get it through their skulls. No. We're human. Mistakes happen. The strongest thing we can do during these times is to acknowledge a mistake and learn from it, and MOVE PAST IT. They focus on the weight... not the change. They set these ridiculous weight goals for the people on TV, and if they do make it ... sure it's nice, but I've seen the disappointment when they don't make it. It's like the end of the world! WTF? That person just lost 50 pounds and they didn't lose 55 so that makes them a failure this week? NO! NO NO NO NO NO! I refuse to fall into that trap of loathing.
I'm not losing anything. I'm gaining a lot. I have learned more about myself while losing weight than any other time in my life. I have learned, specifically, that it's not actually about the weight for me. Yes. I have a lot of weight to take off, but that's not the goal...that's just icing. The goal is to be more active than I have ever been before in my life. The goal is to eat more filling foods, to eat more healthfully, to eat in moderation and listen to true hunger.
I'm not perfect, but looking at my personal goals... I'm already a success. No one can take that away.
And that's why I don't like those shows... >_>
Ahem. TL;DR - You can do this. You can do this your OWN way. No timelines. No expecting "extreme" shows to be everyone's story. Just one day at a time. Healthy, sustainable changes.
No one gave me anything but I wanted badly to lose weight and made it the number one priority in my life and lost more than 200 pounds. If you have a defeatist attitude you will fail. Learn to get health and exercise and the weight will come off. You may have to come to grips with reasons why you eat and come up with alternatives, but that is part of the process.
Although the man was given an at home gym and had 3 months with his coach, he was on his own the last 9 months and he still did it. He could have let the gym equipment sit idle and eaten whatever he wanted. He chose to follow though and do what was necessary.
you don't need to buy your own personal equipment. ****, you don't even need a gym membership. go outside and walk! move around some. get an exercise dvd! they're out there for $7-$10. don't make excuses. he had better access to things, but his case is a rare one and people who don't have that kind of plan are still capable of getting fit.
you don't need a personal fitness trainer. in fact, i'd advise against it until you're at a normal weight because fitness trainers want to focus on building muscle which is highly difficult to do in a calorie deficit while losing weight. a gym membership is not that bad. at a major gym, if they offer you $50 a month for a full year, i guarantee that you'll be able to talk them down to something more manageable. i recently got a gym membership and talked my guy down to $30 a month, because above all else, they want people to join their gym. negotiate. it will work.
you're over thinking this and are making it sound a lot harder than it has to be. you can feasibly lose weight by just reducing your caloric intake. you don't need a gym, although it does make the journey a little easier. and if you're worried about money, eating less is a sure way to save some.
My "issue" with weight loss shows.
