From the Inside Out

The Biggest Loser kicked off its 7th season tonight with eleven new couples all striving to win big by losing weight. This season includes:

–The heaviest woman (379 pounds) to appear on the show

–The youngest contestant ever (18) who weighs 388 pounds

–The oldest contestants ever at 63

–The heaviest contestant to appear on the show. At only 19, he already weighs 454 pounds.

Although I don’t need to lose weight, I love this show. It’s incredibly inspiring to watch people change their lives for the better. I am always fascinated by the transformations that occur by the end of the season. The contestants become more healthy, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. It’s so cool.

Watching the show always inspires me to keep striving to improve my overall health — to work out more, to eat better, and to take care of my body. The trainers, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, are amazing. It would be so neat to work out with them. For now, I have the “poor man’s version” of a Biggest Loser personal trainer. I received Jillian’s 30 Day Shred video for Christmas. It offers three challenging levels of 20-minute cardio and strength workouts. I’m doing level one now, and I’m really enjoying it. On the big screen, it’s almost like having Jillian standing there in person pushing me while I’m exercising…haha!

The first episode of The Biggest Loser offered a major twist at weigh in and a great quote from Jillian. I loved what she told the girl from the green team who was panting on the treadmill and whining. Jillian scowls at her and says, “Let me tell you something…when your lips turn blue, then you’re going to pass out…okay? But you’re not going to die.” Classic Jillian.

I’m excited to watch another group of people make the ultimate transformation. There are many interesting characters and personalities, so it should be an interesting journey. I can’t wait to see who wins by losing.

Tonight marks another blogging milestone for me — blog number 200! To celebrate, I decided to share my most popular blog posts. This is so exciting; it’s kind of like a flashback 200th episode on TV, right?

Okay, I’m not really a huge fan of flashback episodes, but for those of you who haven’t read these posts, they are worth it. So without further adieu, here are my top 10 posts of all time:

1. FAIL Blog. A short tribute to a funny blog site, Fail Blog.

2. The New Ikea Car. What if Ikea made cars?

3. Lunar Eclipse 2008. An informational blog about the lunar eclipse which occurred on Feb 20th.

4. Everybody Cheats. My thoughts on how we choose to cheat.

5. Ali is a Big Loser. The first female “Biggest Loser.”

6. Confessions of a Plant Killer. My experience with Aqua Globes.

7. Reminders. Time is precious.

8. My Top 5: Places to Visit. My “bucket list” of places I want to visit before I kick it.

9. Happy Parents: In Denial or in Denial? An interesting (and somewhat controversial) view on parenthood.

10. Retire Early. How to retire before you’re too old to enjoy it.

Tonight was a free night.  Choir practice was cancelled, so I had the night off.  I love it when you get a free night that you weren’t expecting — it’s like getting a small present.  So, what should I do with all that extra time in my schedule? 

Let’s see…I could check out the kickboxing class at LifeTime, go see a movie, hang out with friends I haven’t seen in a while, or catch up on errands.  All of those options would have been great.  Apparently, my body had other plans.

Instead of having fun on my night off, I’m sitting on the couch wallowing about in misery.  The cold/flu season is in full swing, and I just got inducted into its league of doom.  Sore throat, fever, chills, congestion — sounds like a NyQuil commercial, eh?  Oh well, I’m hoping it’ll pass quickly.  Say a prayer for me when you get a chance.  I need it, especially since I can’t take any time off this week (too busy).

Since I’m sick, I’m watching TV tonight.  First up, American Idol.  It had some pretty funny moments.  Paula was late, and when she arrived, she was acting a bit odd (too much alcohol on the plane perhaps?).  Ryan Seacrest became a temporary judge after criticizing Simon’s judging abilities (Paula took over his job as the interviewer).  But the best moment, hands down, was when the girl came down the escalator with her gold acceptance paper.  With passion, she declared, “I’m going to prove Simon wrong.  I will be America’s Next Top Model!”  Hmm….sorry…wrong show.

Afterwards, we watched “The Biggest Loser:  Couples”.  I love this show.  It’s amazing to see lives transformed by losing weight and eating healthier.  I always get great tips watching the show–the sugar thing tonight spoke to me.  I used to drink tons of soda, but now I’m down to one soda a day (yay).  The escalator contest between Jillian and Bob was a bit unfair.  I know Jillian is one of the toughest trainers alive, but she is still a woman and as such, has some disadvantages when going head-to-head against Bob.  Oh well, I don’t think she really wanted to choose the teams anyway — it would’ve been tough for her to pick some and reject the others. 

All right…that’s all from me tonight.  I’m going to sign off early and try to get some rest.