Challenge for Me!

Last night I watched Season 10 The Biggest Loser first episode...Now understand that I'm not one of the shows "biggest" fans (lol)..I was faithful for the first 2 seasons but got tired of the unrealistic way they did the show and all the "drama"...but I do like to see the first episode to see who is going to "the Ranch"...to hear the contestants stories..how they got to thier size and what is motivating them...then I'll tune in every once in awhile just to see how they are doing..I say "unrealistic" because I don't believe that anyone can lose as much weight as they do on this show WITHOUT help...6 hrs of exercise a day..who can do that..you definately need a medical person on staff with you...
Anyway back to the show...TBL went to 7 cities (Atlanta included) and had 3 contestants from each city in competition against each other to see which 2 would go to "The Ranch" (I figure the 3rd person will eventually end up on the show sooner or later)..Now understand each of these contestants are at least 100 pounds overweight (if not more) and they expected them to either do a 1 mile run or 500 step-ups on a platform..That would be like a normal person doing it while carrying a 100 # bag of something...I cringe just to think about it...

I'm not sure I could do the 500 step-ups.(even without carrying anything)..so it got me to thinking about Challenging myself to see if I could..Since I don't have a Platform (and I don't want to do this at the gym) I looked around the house to see what I had that would work...and the closest thing I could find is step up out on the back patio. I've been doing the Stair"Monster" at the gym but I really don't pay any attention on how my steps I actually do..I just put my time (20 mins) in and then get off..It kicks my butt everytime..So MY

CHALLENGE to myself is to see IF I can do 500 step-ups and how long it takes me..I did do 100 pretty easy today just to see if the step would work but didn't time myself..I figure I'll do it in the morning before coming here and going to work...then as I get better at it..I'll move over to where it's a higher step..until I can do that..this is a great workout for the butt..and I've been b*tching lately (to myself)  about how WIDE and SAGGY my butt is...

Back to the show...one of the things that was said last night that made me stop and think(I think Bob said it) is that "Obesity has surpassed smoking as number one cause of preventable deaths in this country"..This is not only sad but SCARY...we are literally EATING ourselves to our deaths...Being a child of the 60's I can remember all the hoopla that came out when the Surgeon General declared smoking hazardous to our health and how everyone jumped on the bandwagon to quit..second hand smoking was and still is considered hazardous...I can see how Eating can be "hazardous" also but it's something we need for our bodies...so maybe we could say "UNHEALTHY"  EATING is Hazardous to our health..

I actually cried a couple of times during the show...(I know I'm really a softy at heart)..one was when Corey a 27 yr old man with dreadlocks (in Portland) actually collapsed 20 yds from the finish line of the 1 mile challenge..I was so cheering for him..he needs help so much..he weighs 391 pounds and is sooo young..to think that he couldn't even make 1 mile makes me cry for him...

The other was when a young mother Lisa in Oklahoma City was telling about having to take her young daughter to the emergency room because she couldn't see..She found out that her daughter was very dehydrated and was literally starving herself because she didn't want to be heavy like her mom..and the sad thing is the stats show that this child has a reason to worry...Jacksh*t blogged about this today. I know that when my daughter was growing up it was a BIG worry for me, but not enough for me to change our (my husbands and mine) way of eating..I used my husband as an excuse but that's exactly what it was..Now I see my daughter (who has gained extra weight in the last few years) doing the same thing..although her daughter isn't heavy (yet), my g'son has the potential to be heavy..this worries me that it's all my fault that she is heavy now and that the g'kids will carry that tradition into their lives..It's not a good thing..

Today is the first day of Fall...why is it still hot here in Atlanta...of course pretty soon I'll be bitching about the cold..so I guess I'll just go an enjoy the heat while I can..

I'm off to find something comfortable to wear this evening on my hike..Hopefully I'll see the moon again tonight...it was so pretty last night.