It’s been thrown about a few times by people already, so I wanted to discuss whether my stint at Green Mountain is “realistic.” The start of the new season of The Biggest Loser has many in the blogosphere talking about realistic weight loss and goals. This is to be expected as the show is one that sets up unrealistic expectations for contestants and audiences. It’s dramatic and I enjoy watching, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that contestants consider a 6 pound loss a failure. Realistic in any way? No.
In many ways my stay at Green Mountain at Fox Run is similar to doing something like the Biggest Loser (well, except for doing it in front of a national audience). I’m away from my family. I’m in a new environment focused on getting healthy. I came into it wanting to lose as much weight as possible. I’m eating less than I normally would and exercising more. And I’m here for three months just like they are on the show.
But here’s the thing…. I’m not leaving after three months weighing 150 pounds. People who come here for a month aren’t going to do that either. I’m not expecting unrealistic things to happen because although there are similarities, this isn’t the biggest loser. Not even close. All things considered, this is very similar to my life over the last year. All that is removed is the access to crap foods and my ever present negative influences at home. But my experience at Green Mountain is still my real life. The rest of my time here is not a break or a retreat like the first week was. I’m still working and have all the time management and stress that entails even when you LOVE your job. I’m still blogging and spending time working on my own projects. I’m still trying to squeeze in exercise when I can even though I know I have other things to do. I’m still worried about things like money, because that’s what I really need yet can’t get right now. This isn’t a three month escape from reality for me. Living here might be a little different than if I was still in Memphis, but it still feels very normal for me.
And the thing that distinguishes this experience the best is the fact that it is all about choice. Green Mountain is fabulous at setting up a balanced meal plan and exercise schedule. They encourage us to do things but no one is here to force you to workout. Jillian isn’t going to drag my butt out of bed in the morning when I don’t feel like working out for 8 hours. Today I felt like crap, so I just didn’t workout. I didn’t want to hike so I didn’t. No one came around to tell me that I should have gone. This is pretty much just like real life… the options to exercise and eat right are there and you just have to choose to do it. I admit it’s harder at home, but still, you can choose to be here and never workout if you wanted. Each day here still requires a daily decision to live a healthy lifestyle like you have to make at home.
This morning started out great with Robin, the nutritionist, making us eggs over easy! Hurray! I think it might be my favorite way to have eggs so that was a nice start to the day. After that for me it rapidly went downhill as I felt like crap all day. My throat is now hurting pretty bad and I’ve got a bit of a cough as well. Lori was super nice enough to drive us into town so I could go to the drugstore for vitamin c, cold eeze and some meds. I also got a little chocolate bar because I’ve been craving chocolate (it’s a once a month girly kind of thing, if you must know). But I am not eating it tonight because we had baking class after dinner and I had yummy carrot cake instead. I took a few pictures during the baking class and also some video! Once I check it out I might post a bit up so you can see just how awesome Chef Lisa is.
Meals:
Not pictured: Lunch – 1/2 slice pizza. Dinner – bbq pulled pork with pesto cauliflower and corn on the cob. I’m still working on taking a moment to take a picture of my food first but I don’t always succeed.
Moves:
(light day because I was feeling so yucky)
1 mile walk outside
1 hr upper body conditioning class
30 minutes playing volleyball & badminton
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{ 18 comments }
sounds like you are having a blast and learning so much about healthy living and about yourself!! Thank you for this post! it is really nice to get a glimpse into your world!! do you really LOVE your new job? What are you doing at Green Mountain? Have the leaves started changing colors yet?? OK, I have asked enough questions ~ I hope you feel better!!
xo
<3 jen
Cool post, and I love this blog!! I did get a chance to see the Biggest Loser and was kind of upset at the fact that some of the people on the show looked down at 13lbs weight loss.
I don’t know about anybody else but if I lost 13lbs in 1 week I am doing the happy dance!
Hey girl…. I hear what you’re saying about ‘biggest loser’. I have always been a fan of that show because I found to be motivating but after going to Green Mountain I just don’t see the appeal as much. First of all the way the trainer was yelling at people was ridiculous and secondly… losing 28 lbs in one week? I don’t even know how that’s physically possible!! You’re doing all the right things… keep it up!!!
GM sounds like a really great place where you are given the opportunity to focus on yourself, learn more about your body and the weight-loss process, enjoy amazingly delicious food, and experience different types of exercises in a really supportive and positive setting. It seems like you can write your own story there — a ‘choose your own adventure’ type of place. After all, how accomplished can you feel if everything is being forced-fed and shoved down your throat? My guess: not very.
To be honest, I am a fan of the Biggest Loser. It’s one of the very few shows out there doing some real-life good. The bottom line is simple: it may be over the top, it may walk a fine line sometimes, but it’s saving lives. Somewhere in between the product placements and the drama BS, the show has managed to get people to think about themselves. The inspiration being derived from this show sees no boundaries. It touches people big and small, old and young, etc, etc.
Watching people bitch about a 23-lb weight-loss is hard for those of us who have to navigate the struggles and stressors of everyday life, but let’s not forget — these people hurt and ache just as we have or we do.Maybe BL was their ‘last hope’. Maybe not, but I can’t sit here and penalize people I don’t even know for doing what they think is right for them.
We all know that going home is a different story. They will most certainly feel those struggles of the realities we face every day. Hell, they may feel it 100-fold. Can you imagine going home after a 150-lb weight-loss only to gain weight and send yourself into that emotional spiral that probably caused the weight-gain to begin with? NO THANKS. I personally would not want to slip into such a drastically different and unrealistic alternate universe to lose all that weight… only to be faced with a flood of demons I have left behind.
However… to each his own. We’re all just trying to do the best we can with the circumstances we’ve been given. Just because BL isn’t something I would do, I can’t judge others for doing it — especially if it means saving (or simply improving) their lives.
Anyhow. I don’t see many similarities between GM and BL. :) Looking forward to more of your GM stories. I hope you feel better tomorrow!
It sounds like this is really shaping up to be a great experience, it’s just too bad you weren’t feeling the best today. I hope it quickly passes and you are able to get fully back into the swing of things.
@bwjen
Hehe. I do love my job. I’m working with Marsha on the blog/website/social media stuff. It’s right up my alley and I love it! I am excited about the stuff I get to do. :) The leaves are starting to change. I will have lots of pictures and video up next week when they are super gorgeous.
@Mr. Meltdown
Seriously! 13lbs in a week should warrant a happy dance. Or something.
@Sarah
I think YOU are doing a great job, girl! Seriously, I am super proud of you and can’t wait to here how things go after the move. :)
@BodyByPizza
I still like the Biggest Loser too, actually. I think that even if it is the only choice for someone, it is a good choice because they do get a chance to change their life. I hate that a lot of them end up going home just to fall back into the problems they left, but I still think it’s great for the ones who don’t. By no means did I judge the show or say it was terrible like some people do. I don’t judge anyone for the route they choose because we all have to walk different paths. My only problem with the biggest loser is the unrealistic message it sends people about weight loss (and the training techniques that people do at home without really understanding them because its never good to get hurt). But yeah, I see similarities in the situations and differences. I’m glad I’m at a place that focuses more on what to do AFTER the experience than how to get the weight off super fast.
@Steve
Thanks. I’m downing Vitamin C and those cold things like crazy. I don’t want to get sick!
Hope you feel better!!! AND, I love the food pics!
I hear you on realistic expectations. Often, this is where a person might fall back in their own weight loss or get healthy plan. They set up unrealistic goals or expectations. One must set short & long term goals & make them specific & achievable. No setting yourself up for failure. You have a great environment to learn!!!!
Mary, your attitude is fantastic! Keep up the great work and I hope you feel better soon. :)
i love the biggest loser (last season was my first)… but it also freaks me out… and if normal weight loss folks get scale dependent… how crazy do they get?!
another great thing about your situation now is the food!! i feel like i spend 3 hours a day, planning, prepping, preparing… and then doing dishes. having a place like that seems like a great jump start, allowing you a little extra time and ideas for foods later too.
hope you are feeling better*!
*i just accidentally typed butter instead of better… that would have been an odd statement.
That workout you describe doesn’t sound “light” to me, lol!
Sounds like you’re having fun. Vermont is especially beautiful this time of year! Hope you keep on enjoying yourself!
Every season I say I’m NOT going to watch “The Biggest Loser,” because it’s so unreal and seems very unhealthy. But I end up watching, anyway. It’s kinda like a train wreck; you just can’t pull your gaze away, even though you want to.
I love this post! It’s true that BL does set up some unrealistic expectations for weight loss, but I like that show so much because of the motivation and inspiration I get from it. Plus the fact that these people are losing weigh (no matter how unrealistically) without surgery.
This summer I spent most of my time setting up my own little Biggest Loser/boot camp kind of situation. Since I have summer’s off, I used the 2 1/2 months to focus on making my lifestyle as healthy as possible. I worked out for a couple of hours each day, ate healthy, etc. Now that school is back in and all the realities have come with it, I’m still maintaining that healthy lifestyle. No, I’m not working out for a couple of hours a day, but I am putting in 30-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. I’m still attending WW mtgs and I’m still eating healthy, well balanced foods. It can be done.
I think you’ll come away from your time at Green Mountain with some new tricks up your sleeve as to how to maintain the healthy habits you’ve set in place.
It’s awesome that they cook for you there, but I’m really liking the fact that they have cooking classes, too, so that people can learn how to make food that’s good for them. Can’t wait to hear about the class!
@Jody
I totally agree that unrealistic expectations are one of the main things that set people up to fail. When they don’t get to those crazy goals fast they get discouraged and quit altogether. :(
@Laura
I am never against seeing butter in a comment, just so you know. Hehe. :) Yeah, the food prep here is nice because it lets participants focus on eating mindfully – no worries about cleaning up, prepping the next meal, etc.
@Bella
That’s great! I’m glad you are still maintaining the healthy lifestyle during school – it can get tricky when life gets hectic during the school year. I think focusing on it during the summer was a good idea and even better than you are now doing less but still keeping up the good habits. I hope that is what everyone here does when they go home!
Doesn’t sound unrealistic to me. You are not planning on losing scads of weight overnight. You are slowly learning the tools you need in order to be able to leave and continue losing weight an to ultimately maintain your weight loss. You keep going!!!
Well said! I think getting started in an environment that is more conducive to healthy living is a wonderful thing!
No, YOU’RE awesome! :) Your pictures of our food are great.
I’m sorry you’re feeling under the weather. Let me know if you need chicken soup ;)
Yay, another comment from Chef Lisa!
Seriously, if they had a Green Mountain for men, I’d be there like a thing that was there! The choice part is an amazing aspect, because as you said, in real life every step you take towards getting yourself healthy is a choice. You can choose to, or choose not to.
I used to be a big Biggest Loser fan, but yeah, not so much anymore. It isn’t so much the contestants being down on themselves for having what they would consider small losses. I get that. While it’s not helpful, it’s understandable. But the last season I watched, Bob and Jillian were doing the same thing. The contestants were losing weight, they were beating themselves up because they thought it wasn’t enough, and now the trainers were heaping more condemnation.
I know I’ve said this a lot, but I really hope you get better soon. <3
I must have missed something. I’ve been gone too long. I’m guessing Green Mountain is a weight loss, healthier living camp, if you will? I think that’s awesome and I applaud the sacrifices you’ve made to do this. I can’t imagine being away from home from three months, unless I brought a few along with me. :) Keep it up. You rock, my friend!
I’ve watched The Biggest Loser a couple times – I think of that show as a boot camp…and yes, losing 6 pounds is not failing!! However, I do have to say that the show does inspire people.
Green Mountain sounds like a nice place. I applaud you on your path to becoming more healthy!
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