Lessons from The Biggest Loser

Last season, I didn't watch The Biggest Loser. I just needed a break. But earlier this week, I watched a "where are they now" special and found myself drawn to the show again. So I sat down to watch the opening episode of the new season, "The Biggest Loser, Season 11."

I'm not sure if TBL posts will become a regular occurrence here again or how I'll write about them. I'm leaning more toward exploring one topic from the show than providing a re-cap of what happened on the latest episode.

There are 11 pairs on this season -- too many to keep track of right now. But two of the people come to the show having already lost a significant amount of weight, with a significant amount left to lose. Courtney, part of the mother-daughter on the aqua team has already lost more than 100 pounds at home, inspired by previous seasons of The Biggest Loser. Arthur once weighed 646 pounds and has lost 150 pounds at home. I calculated his then and now BMI, which come in at a staggering 98.2 and 77.1! (Anything over 30 is considered obese.)

There are twin brothers on the show, again. And another man from Tonga named Moses, following in the footsteps of Philippe, Sione, Sam and Koli. Maybe they should just start a Tongan BL series. I mean, honestly, the Tongans are fat people. I get it. Aren't there any fat Germans or Englishmen who need an intervention?

There was the falling down and throwing up of the first workout. There was Jillian screaming and Bob taking someone outside the gym to talk -- the equivalent of a psychiatrist's couch.

One of the funniest things I heard was Jillian saying "I don't want to yell. Do it because I asked you to, not because I yelled," and Bob responding, "Asking Jillian not to scream is like asking the grass not to grow, the fish not to swim, the lions not to roar. Jillian's always gonna yell at people."

Not that Bob's incapable of being in-your-face. At one point he said to Arthur, "Of course you want to lay down. You weigh over 500 pounds!" Funny, but harsh.

There's a new twist, as well. Two new, mystery trainers. I'm calling them "Ninja Guy" and "Boxing Gal." The teams had the opportunity to sign on with the new trainers and have four weeks of immunity or to work out with the successful, known quantities of Bob and Jillian.

I said I wasn't going to re-cap the episode, didn't I? That I was going to explore one topic from the show. So here goes.

Seven of the 11 pairs on this season are parent-child duos. At least one mom spoke of feeling guilty for her child's weight issues. That struck home for me.

I've been overweight for the better part of 30 years. I don't for one minute hold my parents responsible for my weight issues. They raised 5 kids and I'm the only one who struggles with weight. What weighs heavy on my mind, no pun intended, is how my habits and choices regarding food have impacted my own family. Even when I think I'm being sneaky with my own bad habits, they are more aware than I know. Whether it's a propensity to drink Diet Coke instead of water or the couch that's imprinted with the shape of my hind end, I don't always give my kids the best example.

Annie takes after me and has already found that food is both her friend and her enemy. The boys are pretty lean right now, but I worry what will happen when they grow up and they find themselves with less built-in activity and more sedentary time on their hands.

Some people watch The Biggest Loser out of sheer voyeurism, wanting to gawk at people whose skin is  painfully stretch across their stomachs and whose weights reach unbelievable numbers. Others watch hoping to see Jillian rant and rave. Some tune in for inspiration in their own weight loss and to cheer on those working to regain their lives.

Watching the show the other night and seeing all those parents and children was like holding a mirror up to my own future. I recently wrote at Fit City about moving two steps forward and one step back. This first episode of The Biggest Loser Season 11 was an inspiration to me to keep my eyes fixed ahead and move forward, for myself and my family.