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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?

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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.

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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.