So, week 2 is hard. Mentally and physically. The rush is over. Historically, the contestants see a significant drop in their loss from the previous week because their bodies have been shocked and hold on to the weight even though they worked just as hard or even harder. Lots of doubts start flooding in, and they have to start facing their demons in order to keep going and make their journey a success.
To give the contestants extra motivation to conquer week two, Allison told them that they could all be guaranteed an extra week on the ranch with nobody being sent home if they all lost at least 150 pounds total. I was frustrated by that because I thought they were being set up with an impossible goal, but once again, The Biggest Loser had some important lessons for me.
You need to set challenging goals. They did it. I sold them short, and maybe I sell myself short at times. Enough said.
Don’t starve as it won’t make you lose weight faster. At the beginning of the episode, Bob and Jillian were telling the contestants how they could possibly accomplish their weight loss goal. Starving would not work. They had to make sure they ate enough to feed their workouts. It seems like the ratio they shoot for on the show is 1200 calories in (eaten) and 6,000 to 8,000 calories out (exercise). Did I get that right?
Focus on nutrition. There are a lot of healthy food choices you can make that will help you lose weight and get in shape. They include watch your portion size (3-4 ounces of protein is a single portion), eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, include a portion of protein in your snacks, recognize that salads are not necessarily healthy, avoid soda, cook without oil (steam, bake or poach), and count your calories. Did I miss any?
Chill Out. Stressing about what you have to do, dwelling on how hard it is and obsessing over how you think you can’t do it will not help you lose weight. Bob mentioned that he has seen contestants not lose weight or even gain because they were so stressed.
Focus on Yourself. What somebody else is doing or NOT doing doesn’t ultimately matter. Shay spent a lot of energy obsessing over how hard Julio was working, and I think that was a needless distraction from what she had to focus on – and ultimately all that she could control. Her efforts. And yes, my heart broke for her during her conversation with Bob.
Sometimes we need a Coach Mo and sometimes we need a Bob or Jillian. I loved how positive and focused Coach Mo was at the beginning. He had a plan with three strategies everyone had to keep in mind in order to succeed, and he was there to help if they needed it. I also think we all need a kick in the butt at times to make us push to meet our full potential, and Bob and Jillian do that.
What did you guys think? Did you have any favorite moments? Any favorite lessons? Who are you rooting for? You can watch video from or read a recap of this episode on NBC.com.
5 comments:
Great recap, Michelle. You hit the good tips of the episode and made a good observation with your last point. It was also nice to see a more nurturing side of Bob and Jillian this week. Based on the previews, I think that ends next week. I also have a weird feeling that their "week 2" will actually come in "week 3". I think the contestants might get too complacent or comfortable with the weight loss of the first two weeks.
I'm glad you liked the summary and tips. I really needed to focus on the tips and inspirations last night as I gained too much weight on my writers' retreat. I needed my own booster shot/kick in the butt.
Bob and Jillian really, REALLY care about these contestants. In some ways, they just won't accept them giving up on themselves - hence the pushing so hard. And, they recognize all the excuses and negative thinking that the contestants use to shortchange themselves. They also get the emotional side - particularly Jillian whose mom is a big psychotherapist. Based on my own experience, I think there is a lot of denial going on to get and stay obese for a long time. Wallowing in it won't make you change your life. And, I do think they recognize when the damage is so big they need professional counseling - I still think of the one man several seasons ago who told jillian's mom (in her capacity as a psychotherapist) that he was abused so much as a child. I do hope he got the help he needed.
I do think week 3 will be bad - the trainers even said that when they were coming up with a strategy to make them lose this week - they said we'll just take the hit on week 3. And now, the contestants won't have a trainer then. They're going to fall apart.
Ratings Info from the Programming Insider:
"NBC opened the evening with week two of the new season of The Biggest Loser, which averaged a 4.3/7 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. and built in every half-hour as follows:
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
8:00 p.m.: 3.8/ 6 (#3)
8:30 p.m.: 4.1/ 6 (#3)
9:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#3)
9:30 p.m.: 5.0/ 8 (#3)
The Biggest Loser, of course, always scores among adults 18-49. But compared to the year-ago telecast (4.7/ 7 on Sept. 23, 2008), this was a loss of nine percent."
Also, the premiere episode was a top 20 show last week.
Loved the way the contestants conquered week two! I am rooting for most of them at this point. Shay complains a little too much. I think they should all worry about themselves. I like the kid who weighs in with Shay. What's his name?
Great post, Michelle!
Daniel. He's really grown and learned a lot from when he was a contestant a season ago.
Thanks, Theresa!
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