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I've been watching
Celebrity Fit Club recently and it's funny, but at the same time
it's kind of motivating me. What do you think of these shows?
...............................................................................
 Eugene Thong:
I did finally give into the whole reality TV show thing. Hey, you
create a show remotely related to fitness...
So the premise of the show is a panel of experts helps a group of
overweight celebs lose weight. 2 teams face off against one another
trying to lose the most amount of weight. Winner gets a load of
money donated to their charity and a new body, to boot. It sounds
like a snoozer, and most of the episodes are. However, there are
some awesome aspects of the series that I found really intriguing.
1) The panel of experts - They
assembled a doctor and a trainer (for obvious reasons), but the
kicker is that they also have a psychologist. This is really cool in
that it underscores the importance of the
"mental" aspect of losing weight - which for many
individuals faced with daunting weight loss find the most difficult
to surmount (resistance to changing lifestyle, adherence issues,
inconsistency, etc.). Score one for VH1.
2) The weekly goals - I thought
at first the weight loss goals were carefully calculated based on
the celeb's current bodyweight, how much they had to lose, etc. But
in careful reflection upon having viewed several episodes, I've
deduced that it's completely random. Or arbitrary.
Pissed off at one of the celebs? Give
them a weight loss goal of 7 lbs in a week. What happened to the
whole standard of 0.5 - 2 pounds/week for safe, reasonably permanent
weight loss?
3) The DI/trainer - I really am
getting tired of the stereotype of trainers being drill instructors.
Leave it to VH1 to actually hire a DI as the show's resident
trainer. Wuh.
4) The reinforcement of "realistic"
goals to the viewer - I watched the final episode of season 1
(it was one of the first ones I saw) and was quite struck that the
celebs still looked over fat, even though most of them had lost
significant amounts of weight.
I thought to myself that this show is,
in fact, an asset, as it reinforces the idea that one must be
"realistic" in setting aesthetic goals for weight loss/body
sculpting.
The main conception most people have is,
"If I exercise and eat right, I'm going to
get ripped." Hey, I'm not saying it's not possible for most
people to get ripped, but I certainly think it is beyond the grasp
of most people's willingness to sacrifice and change. In other
words, physiologically, certainly anyone can get lean and ripped.
Psychologically, however, the work
required may prove to be impossible. I mean, one of the celebs lost
almost 30 pounds, and he looked
exactly the same. Certainly this isn't the norm, but it
illustrates a point - to transform one's body takes loads of work
and loads of time.
I have a colleague who is in his 40s,
and possesses 10% body fat. However, he lacks
defined abdominals (six-pack outline)! The question is
begged, "How low must you go?" For some individuals, it seems the
answer is, "Until you hit bottom."
Wow, that sounded really negative.
Okay, let me restate then: Anyone can
change their body with proper guidance and consistency. But the
degree of change must be within realistic limits, and a reasonable
timeframe must be allotted for their attainment.
5) The resistance of the contestants
- To some extent, it is encouraging to know that with all the
resources available to them, the celebs on the show can't bypass
their physiologies nor their genetics. They've got to take it off
with
hard work, consistency, and time just like everyone else.
And being such hard work, they are understandably belligerent.
All in all, neat to watch. It sure takes the mind off of snowboarding
for 15 minutes.
P.S.
If you haven't yet, sign up for our newsletter below... or
read more about it here.
About the Author:
Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny,
bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts,
scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.
His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense
methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal
trainers.
 When
not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found
arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or
sailing through the air on his snowboard. Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings
on exercise, fitness, and fat loss
at his blog
Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets. You can purchase
it by clicking
here.
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