3.15.11 Biggest Loser Marci

The best Biggest Loser contestant ever.  Love her!  Marci…

where she’s at now.

3.1.11 Biggest Loser – Arthur

NBC Producers this is on you.  I know that Arthur has been a sporadic player in his decisions and game play.  But this “shake up” between teams was totally unnecessary and unfairly penalized the weakest runner.  All wrong.  You don’t need to do this stuff.  Your show can stand on the drama of their work, life, and weight loss.  NBC – you should offer Arthur an apology and let him back on the show.  Not cool.

Is it Wrong?

Is it wrong to hope that on the 2nd week of the new season of Biggest Loser several of the contestants without any explanation gain weight after exercising and eating healthy?  Because THAT would make me feel better today.

Oh…and then Jillian looks into the camera and says, “Don’t worry Sam I love you.  You’re the best!”

A Loving Letter from Mom & Dad

Ouch.

Dear Yoga, I’m Sorry

When it comes to exercise and fitness (which I’m about as consistent with as Apple’s 4G ability to keep a call), my ENTIRE life has been spent on lifting weights (and even then I want free weights and not those girly machines ) and running.  That is it.  Without exception.

I’m not doing your elliptical (I tried once, I wanted to throw up after five minutes).  I’m not doing your aerobics and I don’t care whether it is in water or not.  Your Zumba sounds to me like you  need an antibiotic.  Spin classes sounds like something you bring yarn to.  And…I’ve always thought Yoga the most ridiculous looking thing I’ve ever seen.

The movements are slow.  It seems like the only people I see doing yoga are girls (except for the instructor who is always a dude with a ponytail).  The postures have ridiculous names and seem absurd (and unsafe if you have gas…come on…”downward dog”…that could kill the person behind you).  Unless the “mat” is an MMA octogan, I’m not interested in working out on my own little 2 foot x 5 foot “mat.”  So…yoga has often been the subject of my mental ridicule.

Then, for the first time ever, I thought I would try a totally new exercise program (one that wasn’t exclusive to lifting weights and running).  And the program calls for one day of yoga.

I have never sweat more, hurt more, struggled more, or challenged more than with yoga!  Oh man.

So yoga…I believe I owe you an apology.  I’m sorry.

Fight in the Gym Follow-Up

“But this hatred for each other later blossomed into a beautiful friendship, as these things most often do.” – Dwight Shrute (The Office)

Several weeks ago I posted about my fight in the gym with two older men who hog the cleaning bottles for themselves.  One of the two has reformed his ways and now follows better gym etiquette.  The other, has completely ignored my admonition and continues to take a cleaning bottle for himself.  BUT…now, we talk every morning when we see each other.  He is complimentary and a rather nice guy.  I kind of enjoy seeing him.  We’ve become friends.  I would eat ice cream at Dairy Queen with him.

He still steals the bottles.  It still annoys me.

But I like him and we have become friends !  Funny how things like that work out.

My Fight in the Gym

Went to the gym yesterday morning and got in a verbal jabbing match with two gentlemen that are probably in their 70s.  For weeks I have noticed that they each come into the gym, grab a cleaning bottle, and take it for themselves placing it on top of their treadmill.  This is bad gym etiquette…confirmed by the trainers after our verbal sparring.

Why is this a problem?  Because about 20+ people have to share 3-5 cleaning bottles in the entire cardio room and these two yahoos just took two of them for themselves!!  I have watched people look irritated, perturbed, etc. but no one has ever said anything.  Last week I actually watched four people standing there waiting for one bottle to be passed between them when the closest bottle was right in front of them…on the dude’s machine (meaning…it’s mine!).  Same thing happened yesterday morning with three people on stationary bikes.  So what do I do?  What my personality seems to dictate (funny no one else in the gym had to do this…)

When I finished running my 26 miles I got off the treadmill and took the cleaning bottle off one of the guy’s treadmills.  I asked (as politely as I could), “What is up with the two you guys always taking a cleaning bottle for yourself and putting it on the treadmill.“  One guy was silent and didn’t say a word the entire time.  The other guy explained he didn’t want to walk across the gym to get it.  I explained we all have to share it.  He said I could use it, I explained no one has access to it because it is on your treadmill.  If you want it close by, at least put it on the floor by you so others can use it to.  He also kept pointing at his friend saying, “He does it too!” (yea…like we are in the 3rd grade).  I responded, “I know…I’m talking to the both of you!“  He was in a huff and said, “Just take it!”  So I did.

Well…this morning, these two guys showed up again (separate times).  The guy who was silent the whole time once again grabbed a cleaning bottle and put it on his treadmill.  BUT…a few moments later, a woman who was done, WENT UP TO HIS TREADMILL, took the bottle, and then when she was done, wouldn’t give the bottle back to him, but put it on the floor…and on the floor it remained (gym members for justice unite!!).

The other guy (the verbal one), actually came in this morning with three cleaning bottles that he purchased yesterday and donated them to the gym!  In addition, he took a cleaning bottle, and instead of putting it on his treadmill, kept it on the floor (good gym etiquette).  He might have been pouting.  I don’t know.  But the justice of my universe came back in alignment, so when I was done running my 47 miles I went up to him, thanked him for the donation of cleaning bottles, told him he was THE MAN, and offered to give him a hug (albeit it…a sweaty one).  He declined.

Right Now I’m Very Tempted

A Picture of Heaven

People often have questions about heaven.  What is it going to be like?  What will it look like?  What will we be doing? Etc.

I believe in a literal heaven.  I don’t believe it will necessarily be “streets of gold” or “mansions” etc.  Could be.  My guess is that those are metaphors that best communicated the awesomeness that is heaven to 1st century readers (these same metaphors might work just as well in most parts of the world).

So, let me contextualize for a moment with a picture of heaven that at least makes me want to be there!  These will be in heaven!!:

Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers!!!  Eternity in bliss.

Biggest Loser 10/7/08

Presidential Debates are cutting into the normal Biggest Loser time…like what is more important for America…to vote for one of these two yahoos or to lose weight?!  Seriously.  Losing weight is the change we can believe in!

• Vicky vs. her husband, Brady (brown team).  Man…she just turned on her husband (“he’s holding me back”) I’m rooting for Brady.  Not a fan of Vicky.
• Shellay’s whining is tiresome.  I think Jillian is going to kill her.
• I really like Amy & Phil (Tenacious D).  Good parents.
• Reward challenge – care package from home.  Winner…(balancing on a moving bar while holding handle bars above head submerged in a decreasing pool of water)…after 107 minutes…Amy (purple team) fell.  Vicky won. 
• Rough reward…tear jerker (I mean…for a lesser man than myself…sniff…sniff)
• Shellay is still holding the treadmill.  Jillian just said, “Quit holding the treadmill or I’m going to punch you out.”  yes.
• Jillian’s team didn’t do their “homework.”  Jillian is going ballistic.  Ouch.  “You guys aren’t cutting it…at all…compared to any other season…I’m sick of it…I’ve met the leaders…I’ve met the people who changed their lives…AND IT ISN’T YOU!!”  Amy (purple team) just got kicked out of gym.  WOW! 
• No one goes home tonight.  Tomorrow…Wednesday special Biggest Loser for result.  To be continued…