It’s difficult to believe that one of my favorite shows, The Biggest Loser is approaching its 10-year anniversary. The show debuted October 19, 2004, and as I pen this post, this is the second week of season 16. Ten years, but sixteen seasons, as a result of there being some years when there was more than one show in production per year.

I am an admitted un-reality (my term for it) show watcher. I say un-reality show because my problems pale in comparison to most, if not all of those on the screen. Yes, I watch many of them and considering that they literally inundate the night time television line up, many receiving rave reviews, clearly I am not alone. Some of them I am too ashamed to admit to watching. Don’t ask! Never said I was perfect, and a woman needs an occasional innocent break from life’s harsh realities. Watching some of today’s shows, simply puts things in perspective for me. I am well-versed in hard news events as well, so I feel I am entitled to a little sprinkling of the crazy on occasion.

The Biggest Loser is one of the more innocuous choices on my list and I’ve come to the conclusion that I like it for three particular reasons:

1. When I am not thrilled with my own weight, I find some solace in knowing that I’m not alone in my own struggle. Yep, shamefully misery sometimes does love company. I wouldn’t say that I love the company, but it reminds me that I haven’t cornered the market on imperfect weight management skills. Yes, those pounds have found me – again!
2. While I may have a few extra pounds that will always require me to keep my SPANX® on hand, these contestants are generally obese and are fighting for their lives. Their problems are REAL.
3. Many of these folks were once “normal” in size. In the blink of an eye, they were in the danger zone, a place that I’d prefer not to venture.

As much as witnessing the 12- week transformations brings hope to those with significant pounds to shed, The Biggest Loser has had its share of critics over the years.

Dr. Charles Burant, director of the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center, is reported to have said the following, “I’m waiting for the first person to have a heart attack. I have had some patients who want to [follow the show’s regimen], and I counsel them against it. I think the show is so exploitative. They are taking poor people who have severe weight problems whose real focus is trying to win the quarter-million dollars.”[1]

“Risks aside, weight-loss experts say that the biggest problem with the Biggest Loser is that extreme methods of dropping pounds are less likely to work in the long run. Several former Biggest Loser contestants have regained some or all of the weight.” – Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience.com[ 2]

Despite the comments from critics and naysayers, thousands of individuals continue to apply to be contestants on the show. Some might say that they are also volunteering for public humiliation, as each week they are required to step on that scale and let it all hang out, literally.
I missed week one’s episode when it first aired (thank God for the DVR!), but stopped to catch it a few days later, salad in hand. Much to my surprise, I discovered that every contestant this season is a former athlete, and it’s being dubbed, The Biggest Loser: Glory Days. The roster includes 14 contestants, including Vanessa Hayden, standout college and WNBA basketball player, Damien Witty, two-time Super Bowl (New England Patriots) champion, and the person who left me stunned when I laid eyes on her, tennis Phenom, Zina Garrison.

For those who aren’t familiar, during her career, Zina was a women’s singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1990, a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion and a women’s doubles gold medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games. She is currently the coach of Australian Open girls champion Taylor Townsend and, in addition to running her own foundation, works with the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation. Garrison allegedly began gaining weight in her 40s, due to no exercise and consuming too many carbs. She realized a change was needed when her sister died last year after having a stroke and losing her speech. So why was I stunned? Let’s see, well I grew up idolizing Zina. I was an awful tennis player when I was younger, but when I hit the court, who did I attempt to emulate? None other than Ms. Garrison. You see, Zina was the first African American woman to play on Wimbledon’s center court since 1958, when Althea Gibson won her second of two Wimbledon crowns. So where I come from, Zina was “da bomb”. Athletic, successful and just an overall role model in my eyes.

However, as I watched her on The Biggest Loser: Glory Days, top the scale at 263lbs, I longed to see the old Zina. It was difficult to see her struggle in one of the first competitions of the show, barely able to crawl. I knew in my heart that this was a woman who probably looks in the mirror every day, wondering what happened. I am my sister’s keeper, so it pained me to see her like this. I cheered for her, wanting to see her get up and fight to remain on the show for at least another week. Unfortunately, even after getting a second chance, with trainer Bob Harper, she lost in a weight loss competition to Vanessa Hayden and was sent home. At the end of each show, they feature the booted player and inform you of how much weight he/she had lost. Upon leaving the show, Zina had lost 8lbs, and I am confident that she will continue to work hard to lose even more. Come finale week, I would love to have my memories of Zina restored. Not looking for her to be Zina, circa 1990, as that would be unfair. Just a vision that is different from what I saw when she walked away from The Biggest Loser. I would love to know that she was conquering the beast aka those pounds that stalk you generally past age 40. I would love for her to do it not just for fans like me, but more importantly for herself. True champions never lose their will to fight and a champion, she will always be. #1zinafan

In the meantime, I am preparing to make my way back to the gym, following a month-long hiatus- yes, I am guilty!

I am reminded of a few things that I must keep in mind for my own health and fitness journey. It seems like no matter how hard I try to lose those unwelcome LBs, they always seem to find their way back to me.

MY HEALTH & FITNESS COMMANDMENTS

1.  My body is my temple, and therefore I MUST make unconditional sacrifices.
2.  I must do this for ME.
3. Will it be easy? Nope. Will it be worth it? Absolutely!
4. A body in motion is always going in the right direction.
5. Be realistic. I will never wear my high school prom dress, nor do I desire to.
6. Silence the naysayers. That says it all.
7. I am tired of starting over; therefore, I must stop reverting back to bad habits.
8. I won’t start another diet that has an expiration date, but adopt a lifestyle that will last forever.
9. If not now, then when? #nomoreexcuses
10. Life is for the living. Live to be healthy, happy and HOT!

I encourage you to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Learn to become uncomfortable with comfortable. Strive to achieve and maintain the results you only DREAM are possible!

I will be periodically documenting my health & fitness journey.

However, I welcome submissions from Fans DuJour, who want to share their stories, their before and after pictures, healthy recipes, etc.

Email me @ jacquelinedujour@gmail.com

Thank you in advance. However, please note that because of the volume of emails received; only those individuals whose submissions are being considered for publication will be contacted.

[1] Edward Wyatt (November 25, 2009). “On ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Health Can Take Back Seat”. The New York Times. via The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved November 26, 2009
[2] “The Biggest Loser’ Has Big Problems, Health Experts Say”. LiveScience. February 21, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2011

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