reality tv and weight loss

hey there! =D

last week i watched the (tivo’d) finale of the biggest loser.  this was my first season watching; im not much of a tv gal, really.  i just have a few reality shows i watch, scattered throughout the year as they come on (survivor, the amazing race, american idol, so ya think you can dance, hell’s kitchen, and america’s next top model).

anyhoo!  sorry bout the mini-tangent. haha.

let’s put aside the fact this show was edited for tv and all that jazz.  there’s something that attracts me to TBL in particular—people’s lives are actually changed FOR THE BETTER by participating in the crazy realm of reality tv!

it was totally amazing to see how nearly all of the contestants—especially the top 4—changed so drastically!  a few of them even lost 50% of their original body weight!!  can you imagine?!  HALF of yourself—gone!

i think what inspired me and impressed on my heart the most was their determination and perseverance.  yes—they wanted to win; but more than anything, they wanted to improve their lives and prove to themselves they could do this, and that they WERE WORTH IT.

emotionally and physically, i understand what many of these people went through.   there wasnt an episode i didnt cry once or more because i felt so sorry for someone, or identified so closely. maybe im a cheesey chump for getting so sentimental about a dumb tv show that a network uses just to make money.  so, call me a sappybutt!  i dont care! LOL.

i think i also cried because sometimes i felt sorry for myself/guilty for not working harder toward my goals.  i saw them succeed under pretty extreme circumstances and i was so proud!  i KNOW how hard it is to fight past the mental and physical burdens of why you’re fat—anyone who’s ever been overweight knows what i mean.

now if you’re sitting there reading this and STILL thinking im a total idiot for being suckered into this show emotionally, then maybe you’re missing my point!  

for those of us who struggle with our weight and all the baggage that comes with it, its a light in the darkness to see others come so far. 

we celebrate with them and cheer them on!  it boosts our own morale.  it renews our hope when we are mentally exhausted.

we identify with the human condition and begin to realize we have the same strength and motivation as these people, who come from the same walks of life.  it’s easy to forget we have reserves we haven’t yet tapped into.

no, i dont worship reality tv ;)  but watching this season of TBL gave me a boost of optimism for my own situation.  it’s been tough (understatement!) losing weight this year with my endometriosis and the pain and hormonal fluctuations its brought with it.  but i’m getting better, slowly. 

i just cant give up! 

i want to prove to myself i can do this. 

this whole “health” goal of mine is so much more than losing weight.  it’s shedding layers and layers of emotional cruddy build-up.  feeding my self-esteem.  giving worth to my character, my core—pushing myself to persevere and emerge as stronger and more confident.  i want to use these positive things to help other people. 

but first, i have to tend to my own wounds and issues.  2007 started that and now im onna roll :D    

i am VERYVERY excitedly looking forward to 2008 as being the year i blossom into a more balanced, kind and healthy person.  and not just in how i react and give back to the world around me, but how i treat and care for my own mind, body and spirit.

(more on all this soon! weeeeeeeee!) 

~jos~