Don't Be The "Biggest Loser"!

I'm going to be very honest and blunt in this post, because I personally believe many of us need a good wake up slap on the face call. There is an URGENT need for us to reshape the way we see ourselves and definitely reshape the way we think about "weight loss."

The Biggest Loser finale last night revealed an individual who lost 60% of her body weight, dropping from 260 pounds down to a whooping 105 pounds!!!!!! Did I say she lost 60% of her previous body weight? Yes, she did. Well, the show awarded this individual $250,000 for being able to do so. $250,000 to reward her for eventually reaching an UNHEALTHY edge. 

What is it with us today that makes us celebrate a very, very, very wrong message on health? I honestly am irritated of this focus on "weight loss" that our society imposes on everybody's mind today.   Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for motivation and positive attitude in reaching health goals, but if the strategies we follow are as unhealthy as the one in the Biggest Loser show, and the motivation as superficial as $250,000, then we definitely have a problem.

Ever wonder why with shows like the Biggest Loser, we are still a nation whose obesity rate is rising as fast as the morals of this country is dropping? It's because we have swallowed a totally wrong pill for the problem. We are so engrossed with the lie that a quick weight loss and a HUGE weight loss is the winning way. Sadly, though, the reality is that IT ISN'T.

We focus too much on "WEIGHT LOSS" this and weight loss that, so we TOTALLY miss the point about HEALTHY LIVING. I understand we want to lose excess fat from the body, but what we fail to understand is that WRONG reasons, motivations and strategies will just make you run around in circles. You'll easily drop back to square one with the wrong everything because that path is simply NOT SUSTAINABLE.

Let me make my point clear. The message of the Biggest Loser show is not what would reshape your life for the better. In fact, I believe it doesn't have a message for healthy living at all! What you see is just another lottery mindset being glorified! It's a message of running after that BIG WIN that everybody believes will change their life. This mentality, however, doesn't get you anywhere! It's a hype and a one-time burst of hoorah! When all that hoopla fades, you're back to reality and that reality gives you a big slap on the face!

Now, before you become too aggravated on what I'm writing down here, let me share to you the reason behind my stand in all this. Do you know where the former contestants of the Biggest Loser are today? Well, here's something you might be interested to know...

Today.com actually caught up with the previous contestants and big winners of the show and this is how and where they found some of them at a couple years back...

Season 1

Ryan Benson

Starting weight: 330
Finale weight: 208
Current weight: 300

Since winning season one, Ryan has had three children, and also gotten more roles as an actor. He recently appeared in a film about weight and body issues called "Disfigured."

While at the ranch, Ryan said that he'd learned that with hard work he can do anything he puts his mind to, but said that the outward effects of the show only lasted for the next month.

"Unfortunately, keeping the weight off has been tough for me," Ryan said. "So the biggest way it's changed my life is I feel really guilty for gaining the weight back. I know the show inspires a lot of people, so I don't like being the guy to disappoint."

Season 2

Matt and Suzy Hoover

His starting weight: 339
Finale weight: 182 
Current weight: 237

Her starting weight: 227
Finale weight: 132 
Current: 175

After meeting on season two of "The Biggest Loser," Matt proposed to Suzy live on the TODAY show. The couple now have two kids.

Both have gained some of their old weight back. "If you've struggled at all with weight loss at any time in your life, you know you have to work at it, and we're no different," Matt said. "Our goal now as a family is to change our legacy."

To stay in shape, Matt challenges himself by setting fitness goals. His most recent was the daunting Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. It includes a 2.4-mile swim in the ocean, a 112-mile bike ride followed by a full 26.2-mile marathon.

"Sometimes you need to see a chubby guy taking off to do something he's not supposed to do," Matt said.

Season 3

Erik Chopin

His starting weight: 407
Finale weight: 193 
Current weight: 368

Erik Chopin's transformation was one of the most dramatic in the history of "The Biggest Loser," going from 407 pounds to 193. But when trainer Bob Harper heard that Erik, whom he had grown especially close to, had gained all the weight back, he dropped in for a surprise visit.

"I put some weight on obviously. A few months ago I was at 368, which was very close to where I was at the start of 'The Biggest Loser,' " Erik said. "I felt uncomfortable telling him (Bob) where I was at. I felt like I was going to disappoint him. I can't let him know because he's going to be pissed off at me."

Bob told him that he wasn't mad — and understood how hard it was to keep the weight off. "You know how to take it off and you know how to put it on, what you don't know is how to live your everyday life," Bob said.

Season 4

Bill Germanakos

Starting weight: 334
Finale weight: 170 
Current weight: 207

Season four champ Bill took on a new role at his company, Quest Diagnostics, since being on the show. He's now their Wellness Ambassador and Director of Employee Wellness Initiatives, giving him a chance to share what he's learned with others.

He's also become a Spinning instructor, and is leading classes locally, as well as around the country.

One lesson: Temptations are at home right where you left them.

"Every day is a struggle," he said. "I need to continue to make good choices at every turn."

Bill said he's become more active with his family, and still has the long-term goal of walking his daughters down the aisle.

Check out the rest of the list here... 

'Biggest Loser':  Where are they now?

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Now these are just some of those who went through the Biggest Loser experience, but struggled to keep their "healthy weight" on. There are, of course, those who were able to bring with them their experiences and take off with it on a new lifestyle. That is what's more important, you see... a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

The very fact that you hear these previous contestants say that they "STRUGGLE" at keeping the weight off simply shows that the experience they have in the show never really taught them what matters most. 

Our OVERALL HOLISTIC HEALTH is what matters most in the end. If we ever come to the point in our lives when we want to "lose weight," let us RESHAPE OUR THINKING and rename that into losing "EXCESS FAT" instead, because in reality that's what we want to lose from our bodies. 

Weight is NOT the issue here. It's the excess body fat that we have that is making us miserable from all the health issues it brings with it, and our reason for wanting to get rid of that should be because of a desire for a life of HEALTH! Nothing else should motivate you to change and follow a healthier path but the fact that your health will allow you to reach your greatest potential in life, as well as live the calling that God has placed in you. 

I would love for you to read more about this from the eBook I made available for you FREE here in my blog. Just fill in the box to the right of this post to get a copy of it. In the ebook is a series of tips that are the MOST important ones to consider when you are serious about losing excess fat in the body.

Your health will have a MAJOR impact in bringing about a quality outcome in your role in the family, in your community, and in the world. I truly hope and pray that you will REFOCUS on that which is more important... like time being spent with your family; or the ability to play with your children without passing out; or the strength to do the things that could touch other people's lives. Whatever it is that you're wanting to achieve in your health goals, may it be for reasons OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF!

So, don't be the biggest loser. Get rid of that lottery mentality that will lead you nowhere. Focus instead on your overall HEALTH and begin a journey to a sustainable LIFESTYLE of wellness.