emotional underpinnings

*warning: spoiler*

A friend of mine loves The Biggest Loser.  I’ve never seen it, but lately I’ve been concerned about my lack of discipline so I thought I would watch it.   For those who don’t know, it’s basically extreme weight loss, with an intense workout plan and weekly weigh-ins.  The two teams with the lowest percentage loss are voted upon, and one team goes home.

A couple of thoughts - the workouts are intense.  I like to think I’m in excellent shape, and I wouldn’t last a day on that show.  Anyone who makes it a week or more has my respect.

Second - there is no mercy.  The trainers are all about tough love (which conceivably is what I need).  Cry as much as you want, the trainer will just sit on you while you’re doing push-ups.

But the most striking factor of this show is the emotional impact.  The contestants are fully emotionally vested in this program.  Despite the brutal workouts, they do not want to be voted off. They want to lose the weight. And in the process, there is an incredible amount of personal growth (and this version, interpersonal as well).

Weight, like money, carries with it a lot of emotion.  Many of the bad habits we fall into are not necessarily because of ignorance or lack of discipline.  Sometimes they result from deeper emotional blocks that we have yet to work through.

Today, the white team went home.  When giving their justification, the teams voting them off all stated that one member lacked the motivation to be there.  And in the end, I think that’s really what matters the most - whether you have the drive to accomplish the goal you’ve set.

in the news

I got a little bored this morning in class and surfed the internet for interesting news stories. Here are my favorites of the day:

Felons love Michael Jackson. Movement therapy has always been a part of rehabilitation, but some prisoners in the Philippines are taking it a step further. It seems, as part of their daily activities, these guys are learning to dance. They’ve choreographed pieces to Michael Jackson, among other things.

I Heart my Farmers Market. We all, even those we assume know nothing about healthy eating, know that the best produce is at the farmers market. But a recent study has shown that including vouchers to farmers markets in WIC packages increases purchase of fruits and vegetables. With healthy eating being a more expensive habit than unhealthy eating, this is a program that definitely needs expansion.

Lighter than Air. Apparently, there is some sort of Apple convention going on. Who knew. Jobs launched MacWorld Expo today, with some exciting (for Mac users anyway) announcements, including a new skinny laptop.

USDA vs FDA: Taxpayers Dollars at Work. What are the two most worthless government agencies up to? Does anyone care? Well, probably, this time we should. FDA has approved cloned animals for consumption, and USDA is asking for a temporary hold on introducing these animals into the market. A lot of other people weigh in as well. Of note is the interesting lack of requirement for labeling of cloned products.

Obama and Clinton Play Nice. For 2 hours. My dreams of a Clinton-Obama ticket are going down the drain. Not that they were ever realistic to begin with, but a girl can dream!

Will Work for Loan. Citi took a nosedive today. Not surprising, really, but what is interesting is this little offer they made. Apparently, Citi is willing to offer to you, the average citizen, the same deal offered to Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Bail them out of their current mess, and they’ll reward you beyond your wildest desires.