Self Discipline and Exercise
I can remember my days in the U.S. Marine Corps and a host of memories flood the brain cells of all the times I had to exercise or perform some rigorous form of physical exercise. Back then I did all of those physical things because it was required of me. I climbed ropes, marched for miles, ran in the sand and did “mountain climbers” for what seemed an eternity. Back then I just did what I was told to do with no regard for the ability I had because of my youth. I went to Parris Island in 1979 when I was seventeen years old and when I ran I did not consider it a cardio workout. I did not contemplate the benefits of navigating an obstacle course.
That was then and this is now.
Today I have set aside a portion of my busy day to be able to fit in some form of physical activity. I must plan to cause my heart rate to speed up or I will slip into an extremely over weight blob of “muscle-less” flab. Looking back on it all and after quite a few years of physical neglect I have determined why I have had difficulty in maintaining a healthy weight. Looking back on my Marine days I have realized I have been lacking discipline in my life. The discipline that is a Marine Corps trait really mutates itself into self discipline. I have realized that I have been lacking the self discipline to take charge of myself and stop making excuses for having a spare tire around my waist. As a result I have tried to instill self discipline into my life. I have to go now but I will write more about self discipline later but until then what ideas does anyone have about inviting self discipline into your life?
Cardiovascular Exercise and Interval Training and Motivation
I have read so many debates as to what is the best type of exercise to lose weight. For me it is a simple answer because I have found what works for me. Maybe this will help you discover your “zone” in your quest for a workout.
I have discovered that when I do interval cardiovascular training it is easier for me to drop some weight on a weekly basis. (I say weekly instead of daily because that is a more accurate tracking system.) What I mean by interval cardiovascular training is that I do not just work my heart rate to a certain point and meander through the time alloted. What the desired objective is to first warm up and then ramp up the heart rate for a about two minutes and then allow recovery time. You do not stop, you just slow down and allow yourself to catch your breath. Then after a few minutes you do it again and repeat this process over and over until you have completed your alloted time of exercise.
I find that what works for me is to take my MP3 player and listen to music that fits the format of faster and slower. I love to listen to music and it also helps my mood. I sometimes show up with no desire to even move and then after awhile I am all sweaty and wondering why I even debated on not going to the health center. The music that I chose to record really helps to satisfy my mind while the sweating is in progress.
In closing I just want to advise that what I wrote works great for me. If you want to try it then great, good for you and I hope you the best. What I have learned is that I cannot just take someone else’s ideas and go to the gym and make it work for me. You can read about it and talk about it all you want. Unless you get up, get out and start moving it is all just theory. You know you need to get up and you know you need to get moving, you just need to get started. If you struggle to get out then you are not alone. I can promise you this though….if you do get out and get moving you will feel better about yourself, your life, your marriage, your work life, your self esteem and so much more.
Cardiovascular exercise is great as long as you just do it! Save the debate for which is better for later when you are in good shape.
The Biggest Loser Recap Review 15 September 2009 Season 8 Premier
The Biggest Loser Season 8 Premier splashed onto television with all of the excitement that the Biggest Loser fans love. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels returned to the Biggest Loser Ranch to give the 2nd chance all of the players were looking for in their attempt to lose weight. The 16 competitors jumped right into the game and the weight loss began. At the start of this season, Bob and Jillian were working with ALL the players as one team. Whether they end up this way will be determined in the next few episodes.
The show started with Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels asking America if they wanted to get moving, or stay fat. Jillian said these people (the players) are not like you, “they are you.”
The first player introduced was a fireman and then a woman was shown saying she needed a 2nd chance, one past contestant came back, which was the young man, Dan. The goal was the same, to lose the most weight that you can and don’t “make Bob or Jillian mad.” Scene after scene started to flash across and the speed increased as Bob and Jillian were screaming and yelling at the players while they exercised. Shay was then introduced as the heaviest player EVER on the Biggest Loser show. Soon the closeups came and the faces showed tears and sweat was pouring as the players started to make the efforts to become The next Biggest Loser. The announcer then asked America what player would inspire you, yes you, the reader.
The show then sort of started again with the players riding on the bus heading towards the ranch. The first player was a male named Sean, that said he just become a father. Next a college girl cried because she could no longer fit at her desk. A rock star named Dan, said he used to be a rocker and now he was too fat to do anything. The next one was Liz, who is a grandma who was afraid she would not live to see her grand babies. Next was Moe who was just sad with how his body was so out of shape and he was there to get his life back. The next player was Tracey who said she was a Mom and wanted to keep up with her kids.
The show shifted to the players getting out of the bus and being greeted by Allison Sweeney. They were at the beach and there was jumping and yelling as each player got off the bus. Allison said to the players that this was it. They were ready to get their second chance. Allison then had flashbacks to earlier seasons of earlier season players running marathons on the same stretch of road. Allison told the players that they had to compete in their first challenge. Shay then said she was freaked out and could not even think about running a mile. This was the first challenge and it was for immunity and the winner could choose their partner for the rest of the game.
Sean said he wanted to win and the Allison asked them if they were ready and then stopped the race right before the one mile race was about to begin. A black limo then pulled up and the players started to whoop and yell and then there was a commercial. After the commercial break Dan from season 7 got out of the limo although most players expected it to be Bob and Jillian. They then went over the statistics of Dan and the last season. Allison then went on to start the one mile race on the beach.
The players all took off running and Dan said he was working out 4 hours a day, 6 days a week and Tracey was still beating him in the race. The players were all shown panting and sweating and then there were flashbacks of the players crying about how disappointed they were with their lives, because they were so overweight. Dina was upset because she was too heavy to have children. Daniel won the race and player after player started to struggle across the finish line. Moe was happy he passed the finish line and when he did he was shown on oxygen and then was told he had to go to the hospital. Tracey was then shown 100 yards away from the finish line and she was not able to stand up. Her legs were like jello and then a group of players started to pull her down the sand and when they got to the finish line…she collapsed. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness. She could not open her eyes and then all the medics were shown and a helicopter was dispatched to the beach. It was obvious that this was no longer the television show, it was a life and death situation. The cameras were now filming from behind the medics. The helicopter then landed and lifted Tracey to the hospital.
When the commercial was over the show started up again with a bus pulling up with Allison and at the Biggest loser ranch. Allison told the players that both players were at the hospital and were still in the game and they would return after they were done at the hospital. Allison then told the players that this season they were going to choose the player that would be their team mate. Allen was then talking about how he was a fireman that was no able to help Tracy on the beach because the run had wiped him out. Rebbecca said she was fat her entire life and the conversations were in an open group with all of the players revealing to the other players how and why they became so over weight. Shay spoke of her Mom that was a heroin addict and then Abbey spoke about how her entire family was killed in a car accident and how in the blink of an eye she realized she was here on the show to be able to have a second chance at life. She said she did not know what she was going to do….but today she cried because she was able to run the mile. The tears were flowing from all of the players when they heard the story of Abbey and how she lost her husband and her children in the accident. The show then went to another commercial break.
After the break Allison walked out and asked Daniel who would be his team mate. Player after player were chosen and the teams began to form.
Then the players were told the were going to have to weigh in for the first time. Next the players were in the Biggest loser gym. Allison then said the biggest and best resources that the gym had to offer were right behind them and then Bob and Jillian were introduced for the first time of the season. The weigh in began.
Rebbecca weighed 279 and Amanda weighed 250 pounds.
Abbey weighed 247 and Allen weighed 325 to form the Green Team
Then the players started to flash full throttle on the screen and then it slowed down with Shay being the largest person ever weighed in at the Biggest Loser Ranch. It was almost like they just rushed through all the other players to show America how obese Shay was and then there was another commercial break with Shay crying and her head in her hands…crying. After the break, the attention returned to Shay and she was revealed to weigh 476 pounds. Bob Harper said “476 pounds…OH MY GOD!! This girl is big!” Shay was then revealed to be the heaviest person ever on the ranch and Bob Harper told Shay that Daniel was the best team member she could have. Allison then told them that next week they would all weigh in as a team.
Bob Harper then spoke about the BodyBugg, by 24 hour Fitness. He explained to the players how it worked and told them how important the BodyBugg would be to them. Bob and Jillian then told them that the trainers would be working together as a team. Bob and Jillian would be helping them as a team this season. Bob then told the players that they competed across America and then that they won a spot in his gym and now they had to prove they had the right to be there. Jillian screamed and players began to puke. Jillian was being bleeped out and was yelling and screaming and then Shay fell down and could not get up anymore. Jillian then told America that she had to get up, or go out the door. Bob then jumped in and cursed and told her to get up and not doing it was not an option. Jillian said to get on the ladder and stop running the fat person story that she was replaying in her head. Shay then decided to quit, picked up her water and walked out of the gym. Her partner, Daniel asked her not to quit, and then there was another commercial break.
The first hour of the show was over and then the announcer reviewed what was shown on the first hour and then said that one player’s journey was over tonight. Jillian said to Bob that she was not going to give her any attention and Bob said to not wait a day and they agreed to give her zero attention for 30 minutes. Shay then told America that she was going to turn around and walk back in the door. Jillian then told her that if she walked out again, she wanted her to go home. Jillian said she would not play the victim game with her ever again. Jillian then worked one and one with Shay and proved to her that she could do the work.
Moe was then shown coming back to the game. He said he has low blood pressure and low blood sugar. Moe said he would work out till she returned, since his partner, Tracey was still in the hospital. Dr. H was then on the show for the first time and then was present to show all of the players how bad their health was at this moment in their life at this moment. He said that he was going to take the testing deeper and was starting a research program. They were going to do testing to see how the weight loss will affect others through out the world. It was said that the amount of weight that is lost on the Biggest Loser Ranch is unlike any other place in the world, without surgery.
Sean then sat down with Dr. H. and was told that he DID have medical problems and he DID have type II diabetes. Sean then started to cry about dying young. Moe was ten told he may be 55 years old, but the age of his body, because of his fat, was really 69 years old. Moe said he was frightened.
Shay was told her body is 57% fat. Her age was 29, but the age her body was 45. Shay then said her Mom died almost at that age and that she was killing herself. Dr. H. said that she was on a one-way path towards sel destruction. Bob Harper and Jillian started to scream at all of the players in the gym and talking about last chance workout. Bob said to America that it was no joke, it was disgusting. Moe was told to fight and that there was no quitting and no letting up. Sweat was pouring from all of the players and it was a brutal workout. Jillian told Julio to stop crying and to get up. If was on the floor if he was not dead, he had to get up, for his children. Shay said last chance workout was difficult and that she would never walk out of the gym again because it would be walking out on herself. Bob said this group that was on the Ranch now had alot of baggage and issues that had to be worked through. Bob then told Sean that he would be there to help him and that he (Bob) was not going to go anywhere. He was there to help him. Alexandra was talking about how she could not focus and Jillian said she was acting pathetic and then Alexandra started to spill her guts about why she was there and then Jillian screamed to focus and get moving. The “F” word was then bleeped out during a closeup of Jillian.
Soon we saw the players walking to their first weigh in. The voices of the players were being replayed and there was an echo saound effect added for effect. Then there was Bob and Jillian talking about how important it was to drink water, then another series of commercials began. Once the commercials were over the scene returned to the weigh in and Alison told everyone a good job to survive the week. Then it was revealed that only one person on the losing team would be sent home this week.
Shay was happy to have immunity, but was not happy that Daniel was the one to earn it.
Orange Team: Daniel 312/300 lost 12 pounds. Shay 476/459 lost 17 pounds. Together they lost 29 pounds.
Pink Team: Amanda 250/244 lost 16 pounds. Rebecca 279/261 lost 18 pounds. Together they lost 24 pounds. 4.54%
Blue Team: Rudy 442/414 lost 28 pounds. Dina 253/245 lost 8 pounds. Together they lost 36 pounds. 5.18%
Red Team: Antione 367/349 lost 18 pounds. Sean 444/422 lost
Brown Team: Liz 267/257 lost 10 pounds. Danny 430/406 lost 24 pounds. Together they lost 34 pounds. 4.88%
Green Team: Allen 325/306 lost 19 pounds. Abbey 247/232 lost 15 pounds. Together they lost 34 pounds together. 5.94%
The weigh in then stopped and then the players all spoke about being motivated for their families, but they were there for themselves. If they could not be there for themselves first, they would fail. Jillian aggreed and was happy that the woman were doing well.
Black Team: Alexandra 309/296 lost 13 pounds. Julio 407/394 lost 13 pounds. Together they lost 26 pounds. 3.63% They were now the ones BELOW the yellow line.
Purple Team: Moe weighed in by himself. (Tracey still in hospital) 355/336 lost 19 pounds. 5.35%
The team that was below the yellow time the first week was The Black Team. Either Alexandra or Julio were going home this first week. Julio was shacked and pissed and he was upset because he lost 13 pounds and yet was still below the yellow line. Julio pleaded to stay so he would be around for his children. Alexandra pleaded that she worked her ass off and that she wanted to stay. She said her biggest fear was always being the first one sent home. Allen pleaded with his fellow player judges to keep the person and not the number.
The vote soon followed was as such:
Moe: voted for Alexandra
Pink Team voted for Julio.
Red Team voted for Julio.
Orange Team voted for Julio.
Brown Team voted for Alexandra.
Blue Team voted for Alexandra.
The vote was now tied and it was up to the Green Team to decide who would stay and who would be sent home.
Green Team voted for Alexandra.
The person sent home home on The Biggest Loser Season Premier that aired on September 15, 2009 was a member of the Green Team and it was Alexandra.
The Biggest Loser transformation moment began with Alexandra talking about how much she learned in that one week. She said she realized that she can and will change her life. She said she has to have the will and that she now believes in herself. She said she has the determination to make it happen. Once home she was shown exercising and she lost over 60 pounds. She was shown exercising with her Mother and her BodyBugg was visible in all of the shots of her exercising. Her goal weight is to lose 180 pounds by the season finale.
To read the review of the next Biggest Loser that aired after this episode click here.