Posts Tagged ‘Biggest Loser’

In about an hour from now a story that I filmed with Today Tonight will appear on national TV, and I suppose a lot of people who are reading this now have found me because of the story, so welcome.

My story is just like everyone else, not putting myself first, not planning, etc etc I am not unique or super strict, in fact I continue to battle into the second half of the Saving Alan program. I have another 35 kilos to go (I’ve added a few kilos since Nov) an the plan is to get of them between now and the end of December 2010. So the sponsorship is now open again, just fill out the form and commit to X amount of dollars, but only payable if and when I hit my goal weight of 90 kilos. Just click on the sponsor me tab above.

To help you understand my story here is a list of blog posts that will give you a good background. Please drop me a note, leave a message and even sponsor me .. it all helps and keeps me headed in the right direction.

If you’re interested in Bikram Yoga (and you should be) head over to Bikram Yoga Glen Waverley and South Melbourne to discover more.

• So here we go … almost
• My Son will not be condemned
• The starting point
• Over 50 and I’m super
• The first serious break
• Week 9 Update
• 80 years old
• The Physical
• ABC Richard Stubbs Interview
• Little Victories Week 19
• Man’s Week The Path Back
• Who’s right? PTs or me?
• Still Indestructible
• Week 32 Update
• A Perfect Gift for a Man
• Sunday Age – Page 2
• As seen on TV
• Wobbleguts and the Ironman
• And so 2009 comes to a close
• A late Christmas Gift

Connect with m on Facebook and Twitter as well, I need the support and keep coming back each week.

Cheers

Alan

Welcome to all the readers who have found Saving Alan through the Sunday Age article today (Jan 17, 2010). The article on Page 2 is titled “Super sized desperate to get things into proportion‘ and covers a bit of how I have gone about losing 43 kilos so far.

Amongst the many things that didn’t get mentioned there are two things that I have found to be very importnt to my success so far and they are;

1. Counseling - understanding what is going on, how I feel and think about myself and starting to get some strategies for change. I am of the very firm belief that in a large proportion of obesity cases the mental health aspect is the underlying disease, not simply the issue of being overweight.
2. Bikram Yoga – a low impact yet intense exercise that has been integral on a number of fronts. Firstly to get me moving without putting too much joint strain, providing the opportunity for the mind to be still (meditation) and gaining a great support network without being judged (unlike the feeling I get in a gym).

One more thing, the cartoon The Age decided to put within the article is a prime example of the ridicule that obese people get all the time. I am not overly offended by it, but it does highlight the stupidity of our media at times just being damn inconsiderate to the plight of the obese and holding them up for ridicule. The outcome of stupidity and deliberate ridicule feel the same. What a shame for a serious article to be diminished by a lack of thought from an editor or sub-editor.

If you’d like to follow my story as it unfolds, connect via Facebook as well as subscribing to the RSS feed on this page.

I’ve just read  couple of really interesting articles about The Biggest Loser. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a great show from the perspective of allowing us to see the hard work that goes into shifting large amounts of weight, it is inspiring to hear peoples story and the challenges they have to overcome.

But ..

The missing elements I think are the most important i) Cooking ii) Psychological

Imagine if Biggest Loser incorporated cooking challenges as well, had some top chefs in teaching kitchen skills and really focusing on upskilling the contestants ability to prepare and plan healthy meals. It would be huge, just look at the Masterchef success.

I have found that I can do little exercise in a week and move weight if I eat really well, but if I eat poorly and do loads of exercise then the weight doesn’t drop anywhere near the same degree. So food (planning and ability) is by far the most important element in shedding weight. I remember a girl I used to work with, who had a personal trainer who would work her so hard, but she would continue to eat poorly and drink too much, and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t seeing the outcomes she expected.

It’s one thing, but the combination of all things, let one thing slip and it has an impact.

Psychology, in most cases (I’d venture to say all cases, but have not stats to prove either way) there are underlying psychological reasons for overeating / obesity. It would be so cool to see how Biggest Loser support their contestants with counseling support through their journey – here I am making the assumption that they do provide daily support to help on that front. if they don’t then I am really disappointed and shocked.

The articles I mentioned ask the question “who is going to be the first to sue ‘The Biggest Loser?’”

The concern about heart attacks, unhealthy habits like severe fasting and the use of diuretics (Warney). The first winner of the US season Ryan Benson lost 122 pounds of his 330 pount starting weight (I’ve lost 88.6 pounds in 10 months, starting at 347), is now back to over 300 pounds. Others have admitted to adding 20% of their final weight since the show, one even saying that she added 31 pounds in just two weeks mainly drinking water.

The other thing the articles raise is the document  the contestents sign to say they believe themselves to be “in excellent physical, emotional, psychological and mental health”, come off it, if any them answered that honestly there would be no TV series.

Anyway check out the stories, they are an interesting read about how we can take something so serious and at times trivialise it in the name of entertainment, when the opportunity exists to be just as entertaining and have some lasting benefit for viewers and contestants alike.

The Hollywood Reporter – Who will be the first to sue ‘The Biggest Loser‘?

New York Times – On Reality Show to Lose Weight, Health Can Be Lost in Frenzy

21 hours until final weigh in of the challenge – but am not fasting or dehydrating myself, the honest story is far more compelling.

If anyone knows any of the Australian contestents from previous seasons I’d love to meet and interview them, drop me a line.

It’s interesting speaking with different fitness and health related people and getting their view of what is the absolute best method of exercising to get the maximum results in wieght loss.

Some of the Personal Trainers I have spoken to are so hardcore in their view that there is just no way I would consider following their program or working out with them. I am not fit, I need to understand my body and its limitations until I can handle more intense workouts. Them being so rigid in their view misses the whole point of the ‘personal’ in their job description. I think most people would think of personal trainers as taking a purely cookie cuter approach to fitness and health, that you follow this to get a certain outcome. having said that I am sure there are some absolute rippers out there who can combine all the different elements needed to help someone reach their goals.

I am stubborn, pig-headed and at times a damn know it all.

What do I want from exerise?

I want to be amused, challenged, entertained, I want solitude, I want to meet other people with similar challenges and I want to see results. If I can package this all up, I’ll be so motivated and committed to the plan that I will end up with all and more of my goals met. But I am doing this on my own, and pulling in the help when I need it. Why?

Not all of us can afford months away from work and family to go on Biggest Loser, spend weeks at health retreats, afford gym memberships and the like and we need to find ways within our budget and commitments to reach our goals. Sometimes this means adjusting budgets and commitments to place different priorities on different aspects of our lives.

So now I have a priority on my health -  combination of physical health (exercise and food) and mental health.

I think I have worked out what is a good exercise balance for me – Bikram Yoga 3 times a week and a one hour walk 3-4 times a weeks, seems to be getting the best outcomes for me. I’d like to get back and do the occasional aqua aerobics session as well, and look forward to when my feet and ankles will stand up to playing tennis once a week.

I understand as I get lighter I need to become more intense in my workouts / exercise. I tripped across a spreadsheet the other day that showed the level of  variance in effectiveness of walking and running and the weight factor www.brianmac.co.uk/excel/energyexp.xls. So for me being very heavy, I get good outcomes from walking at the moment, but the day will com when it is not intense enough and I’ll need to up the ante, I’m looking forward to that. One thing that interests me is kayaking on the bay, I think that would be a great way to get some sun and exercise at the same time.

I bought a pair of Nike’s just so I could use the Nike+ sensor in the shoe with my iPod Nano, but now I have the iPhone 3GS and it’s all integrated it’s even better. So from today’s workout here is the screenshot;

So I have set a few challenges. i) to walk 285 kilometres by the end of November, this is 15 kilometres a week for the next 19 weeks.  ii) 48 walks minimum over the next 16 weeks. I should be able blow these out of the water, and if I do then I’ll see some great results.

Today’s walk was great, new socks meant no blisters, but I did suffer really sore ankles and feet, so I obviously need to build back up again after the two week layoff. I am so lucky to live close to the bay and be able to walk along the coast, fresh air blowing and no traffic roaring by.

The city of Melbourne in the background

I know laying around somewhere I have some exercises that I can do at home with dumbbells to strengthen my shoulders and arms as well, so I am going to try and get a routine with that going 3-4 times a week, as well as setting a push up / sit up challenge in the weeks ahead.

All this combined with the strengthening and toning that Bikram Yoga provides, not to mention the calorie burn which I have been able to find estimates between 350 calories and 1845 calories per session. Let assume it’s down between the middle and lower third of the range for me as I cant get into all positions as yet – 500-800 calories.

Anyway, I’ve been for my walk, done loads of washing and cleaning and now it’s time to get some work done.

I don’t know about that, I started out about 10 kilos lighter than him and aim to end up a little heavier than him, my ultimate aim is somewhere between 80 – 85 kilos.

Bob, the winner lost a staggering 87.6 kilos, 52.5% (or thereabouts) of his starting weight. Incredible.

He has done that in the same time I have lost 24 kilos … it must be an amazing gift to be on a show like that where they focus on your health and training non-stop, I wonder what I could have achieved?

But my challenge is like so many others, I have a job, a child and other commitments day to day and need to find a way to make it happen over an extended period of time within my normal life and without the support infrastructure that the contestants have, plus no-one is going to give me a chance at $400,000 at the end of it.

I hope you’ll support me, with comments, encouragement and even help me help research into Heart and Diabetes research through Baker IDI.