Don't go breaking my heart...

When I first started watching The Biggest Loser two years ago, I saw the initial weigh ins and mentally attached myself to the woman who weighed the most like what I did at the time.  We were the same - a great team - and we were going to reach a lower weight together!  But as weeks went on, and her pounds melted off with no chance of me matching her, I felt frustrated with my own body.  What was wrong with me?  Why couldn't I lose weight like gangbusters, too?

The second season that I watched, I tried a different tactic.  I picked someone who was about the same weight I USED to be when I started my weight loss journey.  Then I tried to beat them to their lowest.  Only that didn't work either.  Who knew Tara was going to be such a stud muffin and shed more weight than any other woman on the show?

The third season, I figured out the perfect motivational tool.  Again, I'd pick someone that weighed what I used to.  But then I'd use her and her body as motivation for what I could look like if I just tried harder.  Only that kind of felt like I was beating myself up. And I was.

The fourth season, I told myself that I'd just be happy if NONE of the women's starting weights were less than what I currently weighed.  And that was great...for the first week.  But weighing less than morbidly obese people (who got to be on the TV show by being morbidly obese) feels like stacking the deck.  The win isn't as sweet.

But no matter what the tactic in any given season, I'd always feel super lazy as I watched the show.  There were people - some twice my size - exercising and grunting and here I was eating on my couch (apples or carrots, but still...).

So this season, I'm trying something new.  Last week was the first episode...and while I don't quite understand why they had to introduce new trainers OR why we can't see their faces (Are they in the witness protection program?  Were they disfigured by a horrible tragedy?  Or is Joe right...are they ninjas?*), I still like watching the show.  But two hours out of my night is just too much to sacrifice.  So what to do?

I'm going to sweat in the workout room of our building.  I have my first therapy appointment of the year at 5:30, which gets done at 6:30.  Because my office location moved at the end of 2010, I can now eat on my way to the appointment so dinner is not a limiting factor.  I can make it back home by 7 and be changed into my workout stuff and into the workout room by 7:10.  All I'll miss is the recap of the week before...and with as many contestants as they have on the show right now, I can't keep their names and colors straight anyway.

There is one runner chick who used to run during Tuesday nights, but I think she might've moved out.  I guess I'll find out tonight.  Even if all I do is the elliptical, I'll feel much better about not wasting time in front of the TV.  I can workout until I'm tired (no way am I going to last 2 hours this first time) and then go back to our place to drink water and relax...assuming the exercise didn't break my heart.

The Biggest Loser and me - perhaps the best team since The Captain and Tennille.  {insert groan here.  I know...I had to work hard to set that one up, didn't I?}

*Cute story...since I ended with such a punny joke.

My co-worker was out driving with her 5 year old grandson at the end of the year.  They stopped at a stoplight and on the corner, there was an Indian woman with a burka on. 

Her grandson gasped and then said in an amazed whisper, "I think I just saw something!"

"What do you think you saw?," she asked.

"I think I saw a ninja!"