My Diet Is Better Than Yours - General Discussion

[Guest]

I like the show, too.  I think it's toast, though.  I watched one season on BL is all.  I didn't like the exploitation, misrepresentations and Jillian playing therapist.

 

That's funny about Dietbet!  I just started using that site.  I won two 4-week bets over the holidays so I'm on a 6-month one now.  

 

I hate the women's outfits, too, but it'd be worse if the dudes were topless and in bike shorts, though possibly more fair.  Kent's moobs as seen through his nylon jersey were bad enough.  

[izabella]

That is majorly fucked up.  Really, really disturbing.

 

This week's Frontline on PBS was about the dietary supplement industry, and how it's completely unregulated.  Health claims have no oversight whatsoever.  And even if the product could work, there aren't any compliance standards for what's actually in the bottle.  People have done independent testing, comparing what the label says is in the bottle and what's actually in the bottle, and the results are scary. 

 

On the heels of that, I see this new trainer having Latasha spend god knows how much money on these things at the grocery store.  At the same time as he complains about cheese because it's "processed" and they take out the good bacteria at the same time they remove the bad bacteria  But ingesting things from a bottle that you have no idea what they are--that's okay, and in fact the secret to weight loss.  Bleh.

 

The only cheese that is processed is processed cheese.  The stuff in cans, cheese spread and those singles of American cheese.  Other cheese is not processed.  She could eat all kinds of Swiss and Gouda and mozzarella and whatnot and none of it is processed.  And he totally just made that stuff up about good and bad bacteria being removed from the cheese.  That's not what "processed cheese" is.  Processed cheese means it's made with a little cheese and lot of other stuff, like vegetable oil, salt and sugar. 

 

Combined with the crap about supplements,and  I don't think this guy knows so much about food, nutrition, or health.

[candall]

Hmm,  what's this Dietbet?  I'm going to go check it out.  I can lose weight like nobody's business.  Maintaining:  different story.

 

Agree that this show--conceptually, anyway--is better than BL.  I couldn't handle that; the "B" should stand for bully.  Or berate.

[tribeca]

Hmm,  what's this Dietbet?  I'm going to go check it out.  I can lose weight like nobody's business.  Maintaining:  different story.

 

Agree that this show--conceptually, anyway--is better than BL.  I couldn't handle that; the "B" should stand for bully.  Or berate.

answered in chit chat thread

[Guest]

Dietbet now has maintenance bets, I believe.  You don't win much when you win but the weight control is the whole goal.  If you find you're motivated to stick to your diet because you're averse to financial losses, it can be a good tool.  I wish I'd invented it.  

 

Anyone watching Fit to Fat to Fit?  I'd have to pay $3 an episode on Amazon Prime but I might check it out.  

 

Virtually all food is 'processed' (in addition to the special meaning as related to cheese above).  Does he think there's a magnesium capsule tree?  As soon as I saw 'nutrient timing' I called nutball.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

The only cheese that is processed is processed cheese.  The stuff in cans, cheese spread and those singles of American cheese.  Other cheese is not processed.  She could eat all kinds of Swiss and Gouda and mozzarella and whatnot and none of it is processed.  And he totally just made that stuff up about good and bad bacteria being removed from the cheese.  That's not what "processed cheese" is.  Processed cheese means it's made with a little cheese and lot of other stuff, like vegetable oil, salt and sugar. 

 

Combined with the crap about supplements,and  I don't think this guy knows so much about food, nutrition, or health.

 

That's the thing:  If she "shouldn't" be eating cheese, give a valid reason for it.  She said the macaroni and cheese she makes has something like 7 different cheeses, and it costs $90 to make a pan of it.  Number one, hand me a fork. 

 

But number two, she's obviously using the "good" stuff, and needs to know why it might not be compatible with the diet she's supposed to be following.  I don't think the woman is stupid, and someone looking for loopholes, which I suspect she's inclined to do, shouldn't be given nonsensical reasons.  Anybody rubbing two brain cells together will highly suspect that Cheese Whiz is probably not weight-loss friendly, but "real" cheese, like the kind you pay a lot for at Whole Foods and is found on the perimeter of the store?  You're gonna have to convince me why I shouldn't be eating that, and the "bad bacteria" thing smells of bullshit.

 

ETA:

 

Anyone watching Fit to Fat to Fit?  I'd have to pay $3 an episode on Amazon Prime but I might check it out.

 

I glanced at it.  All I saw was a fitness fanatic overeating and being miserable, lying on the couch all the time, and scaring his family.  Pinching a teeny bit of extra skin on his side and declaring it muffin top.  Claiming he's afraid he might become complacent being like that.  I highly doubt it.

 

And you can't tell me that there's any way he's going to have the same experience trying to lose weight that his clients do.  So what's the point?

 

Also, thanks in general for the brief discussions on Biggest Loser.  I've never seen it and now know to avoid it like the plague.  Bullying fat people?  Really?  I always thought "Biggest Loser" was kind of a pun, but it sounds like they actually mean it. 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2016 by StatisticalOutlier

[izabella]

That's the thing:  If she "shouldn't" be eating cheese, give a valid reason for it.  She said the macaroni and cheese she makes has something like 7 different cheeses, and it costs $90 to make a pan of it.  Number one, hand me a fork. 

 

But number two, she's obviously using the "good" stuff, and needs to know why it might not be compatible with the diet she's supposed to be following.  I don't think the woman is stupid, and someone looking for loopholes, which I suspect she's inclined to do, shouldn't be given nonsensical reasons.  Anybody rubbing two brain cells together will highly suspect that Cheese Whiz is probably not weight-loss friendly, but "real" cheese, like the kind you pay a lot for at Whole Foods and is found on the perimeter of the store?  You're gonna have to convince me why I shouldn't be eating that, and the "bad bacteria" thing smells of bullshit.

 

She can eat cheese, just not so much of it because it's so easy to eat too much cheese in terms of calories.  He should have compared cheeses and shown her that hard cheeses like hard cheddar are less fatty and calorie-rich than softer cheeses like brie so she can make better choices.  She can even eat that amazingly delicious 7-cheese mac and cheese (OMG, that sounds so yummy right now!), but she can't eat as much of it.  I wish he'd asked to see her recipe for the mac and cheese, and calculated all the calories so she could understand how many are in a pan of it, and how many are in a serving, so she understands how she can work that into her diet and the impact of it if she exceeds a serving.  And then maybe he could have shown her how to make that same recipe but with a bit less of the 7 cheeses, or shown her how to try a lasagna instead that has tons more veggies in it and less cheese.

 

The best thing he taught LaTasha was portion and proportion for a meal  - two fists of veggies on a plate, plus one fist of protein, and two thumbs of fat.  That is simple to remember and will help her be aware of how much she's eating and what proportion she should be shooting for at each meal.

 

I really liked the idea of this show, because it's so true that people respond differently to different types of dieting approaches and workouts.  Working out, unless you're doing a LOT of it, doesn't actually burn lots of calories - not enough to lose more than a pound or two a week.  I've heard you can overcome a bad workout with a consistently good diet, but you can't overcome a bad diet with a consistently good workout, not if you want to lose pounds..

 

So I feel they aren't spending much time informing us or the contestants on the diets themselves.  I guess they thought that wouldn't be dramatic enough for tv? 

Edited January 24, 2016 by izabella

[chocolatine]

I thought by "removing bad and good bacteria" that trainer meant pasteurization. The obvious solution would be to buy unpasteurized cheese, BUT you'll still have a hard time losing weight if you eat $90 worth of it on a regular basis. Cheese is high in calories, fat (not the good kind), and sodium. You can lose weight if you eat it in very small portions, but I don't think Latasha is the kind of person who can eat it in very small portions. I say this as someone who was in the exact same situation. I treated cheese as a food group, could polish off a wedge of brie or a ball of mozzarella easily in one sitting, and there is no way I could have eaten just an ounce and let the rest of it sit in my fridge. So I quit cheese (and all other dairy) cold turkey a couple of weeks ago. I haven't lost much on the scale, but I feel a lot less bloated and my tummy is much flatter, and now that I can't have a huge piece of cheese with crackers as a meal anymore, and my other favorite meals - pizza and pasta - aren't fun without cheese, I'm forced to cook/order healthier meals. Maybe once I've reached my goal weight I'll try reintroducing cheese in moderation, but I'm also OK with giving it up completely if I need to.

[candall]

 

 

Anyone watching Fit to Fat to Fit?  I'd have to pay $3 an episode on Amazon Prime but I might check it out.  

 

 

Read the "new show" PTV review--which is hilarious--before you pay your $3. 

[DancingD]

Well, grass fed raw milk cheese is one of things I'm trying to add back to my diet. It's got probiotics like yogurt, but also lots of CLA like raw milk which is hard to come by. I only eat about an ounce at a time though.

 

And pastured pork is a thing. We get it from a farmer in the panhandle of Texas that delivers to our area. It's really tasty. It's pretty easy to find beef, there are websites like Eat Wild that help, but harder to find chicken and pork. And not cheap, but as they say, cheaper than getting sick. Pastured eggs are available at the Farmer's market and at grocery stores.

Edited January 24, 2016 by DancingD

[realdancemom]

LaTasha's trainer gave her a bodybuilder diet.  He said that he doesn't want to tell her that she can't eat something.  However, he did say that she could eat cheese but only two thumbs of it.  He counted it as a fat.  There is no way, she can eat her mac & cheese dish because she's not going to eat just a little serving that won't even fill her up.  At least, he gave her a diet which I don't think the Taskercise lady did. 

 

I agree with whoever said that Jeff seems bipolar.

 

I like this show better than Biggest Loser because it's more realistic.  Too bad the ratings are so low.  I also like to hear about the different approaches.  For the short term, I can probably do any of the existing trainers' diets.  However, for the long term, I think the swap diet is the one that I can do for life.  Can't do vegetarian or the taskercise lady approach.  I don't want to exercise in public unless it's a gym.  LaTasha's new trainer thought her approach was exhausting too. 

Edited January 26, 2016 by realdancemom

[tribeca]

Taskexercise or what ever it was (?) could have been a nice concept.  There is always articles about how to do exercises at home well watching TV. Even in my gym there is a private women's work out area because some women are uncomfortable working out in front of men.

  I think if CleanMomma had a softer personality and focused on doing exercises at home it could have worked. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

Can't do vegetarian or the taskercise lady approach.  I don't want to exercise in public unless it's a gym. 

 

I don't think I'd mind exercising in public.  But that would not include doing squats in the produce section of the grocery store.

[Noirprncess]

I personally don't think a gym is the ONLY way to get exercise in. However, I wouldn't want to go mall shopping and feel the need to do squats along the way or do some form of exercise while at the movies. That comes off as obsessive, excessive in my book.

Now bike riding, park walking or running, hiking, water workouts... all fun times. Good examples of non gym based exercise that's in public.

[realdancemom]

I personally don't think a gym is the ONLY way to get exercise in. However, I wouldn't want to go mall shopping and feel the need to do squats along the way or do some form of exercise while at the movies. That comes off as obsessive, excessive in my book.

Now bike riding, park walking or running, hiking, water workouts... all fun times. Good examples of non gym based exercise that's in public.

I agree with you.  I wasn't clear in my earlier post.  What I meant is that I don't want to do squats in a restaurant or grocery store which is what the taskercise lady was doing. I love doing outdoor activities like you mentioned. Thy don't feel like exercise.

[candall]

And pastured pork is a thing. We get it from a farmer in the panhandle of Texas that delivers to our area. It's really tasty. It's pretty easy to find beef, there are websites like Eat Wild that help, but harder to find chicken and pork. And not cheap, but as they say, cheaper than getting sick. Pastured eggs are available at the Farmer's market and at grocery stores.

I am overjoyed to hear that pastured pork is a thing.  I once mounted a campaign to get Ralston-Purina to put their checkerboard square on bowling balls and give them to pig famers as promotional items.  Pigs are almost at chimp-level in intelligence and they're miserable with no more stimulation than . . .mud.  They'll chase a bowling ball around and organize games, passing it back and forth.  But I got nowhere and someone finally pointed out that pig farmers do not want their pigs running around, exercising and losing weight.  Oh. 

I'd patronize the hell out of any pig farmer who pastured his stock.  (Ask that guy if he'd go for a bowling ball.  I could send him one from Amazon.)

Edited January 28, 2016 by candall

[chocolatine]

Pigs are almost at chimp-level in intelligence and they're miserable with no more stimulation than . . .mud.  They'll chase a bowling ball around and organize games, passing it back and forth. 

 

I don't eat meat and would prefer that animals aren't farmed for consumption at all, but now I really want to see a bunch of pigs having fun playing with a bowling ball. Bonus if they're little piglets.

[candall]

Edited January 28, 2016 by candall

[ToukieSmith]

Taj has serious emotional problems.  I hope she gets help.

 

I really liked this show.  The weight loss was realistic and the I liked the contestants.  

[Noirprncess]

Taj is a flipping nut. No plan will work for her until she gets her mind right.

Will be back once I finish the second episode.

[hoosiermom]

Holy cow! taj is a rude piece of work I must say.

[MakeMeLaugh]

All in all, this was so much better than the Biggest Loser, and the four week length was perfect.

Taj was well-cast to represent those of us who balk at people telling us what to do. She probably walked away from participating money, so she really cut off her nose to spite her face. And definitely proved that she does indeed need some counseling. As if she would have done any better with her first trainer. The other trainers seemed to feel really bad for her second trainer.

Not a whole lot of running for that half marathon, so people's joints were spared.

800 to 1100 calories for that big guy on the wild diet? On purpose? Hope there's a followup somewhere to see if he stayed at his new weight. So glad he didn't win.

TV reporter looked so pretty at her new weight.

Jas really worked well with her trainer's program. It was probably the most traditional and well-structured, and Jas had a great attitude. Yay Jas and Dawn!

[Noirprncess]

Kurt made the biggest dent in his overall body fat % which will help him in the day to day. Love that!

Jasmine won but she really needs to drop more body fat %

Baby Huey looked upset.

[candall]

I'm just watching this now so I haven't read any comments or spoiled myself on the winner, but I'm cracking up at the first episode.  It's all just so aw. . .esome!  Jasmine's poster board affirmations.  The J2 tattoo!  Is the trainer crazy that he wants to brand the memory of petulant Baby Huey Jeff on his wrist?  Dude, was the real estate on the bottom of your foot already taken?  Latasha earns the coveted pink bandana, now with bedazzles!  Oh, LOL.  Then Taj's yellow belt test.  Oh, man, what a proud moment.   Of course, for the Kurt and Abel segment, they sit down and have an intelligent, reasonable discussion about metabolism.

 

Here's the weigh-in.  Uh oh, Jeff disagrees with the whole notion of "eat 'til your hunger is satisfied."  Fuck that noise.  J'accuse!

Edited January 29, 2016 by candall

[racked]

Aw I really enjoyed that finale and was so happy for Jas and Dawn winning. I loved Kurts transformation and Latasha looked amazing. Dawn looked so cute and happy at the finale. I don't really believe they all ran that 1/2 marathon that day - they looked too good and not sweaty. So maybe they reenacted it with some dramatic scenes? But they all (except Jeff) looked like they were in much better shape. When Latasha was crying about how proud she was of herself for sticking it out I teared up a little too.

I was surprised Jeff lost more weight. He's such a petulant child and has a chip on his shoulder. I hate those mock humble faces he'd make at weigh in. He was so outraged that on a show where the entire goal is to lose as many pounds as possible in as short a time as possible that Kurt was, gasp, restricting calories? When Abel kept talking about how Kurt was in fat burning mode I wish he'd explained a bit about ketosis and how it can really repress appetite because I could see someone like Jeff thinking "I'm burning fat too but I'm still hungry you must be cheating!" Yes 800-1100 seems low for a man of Kurts size but first of all he was probably underestimating, as dieters statistically do, and second, the real fear with very low calorie diets, that of losing muscle mass, was clearly not an issue with him since he lost so much body fat. The wild diet, like paleo, seems to prioritize protein so it makes sense. Jas had to be on a very low calorie diet to lose that much too. And she didn't lose very much body fat so she probably lost a lot of muscle mass. Her diet seems so sustainable for her tho so that's great.

Taj does need some therapy. I didn't get why she'd leave the competition because she didn't want to deal with her trainer when the trainers were leaving anyway.

Edited January 29, 2016 by racked

[crazycatlady58]

Aw I really enjoyed that finale and was so happy for Jas and Dawn winning. I loved Kurts transformation and Latasha looked amazing. Dawn looked so cute and happy at the finale. I don't really believe they all ran that 1/2 marathon that day - they looked too good and not sweaty. So maybe they reenacted it with some dramatic scenes? But they all (except Jeff) looked like they were in much better shape. When Latasha was crying about how proud she was of herself for sticking it out I teared up a little too.

I was surprised Jeff lost more weight. He's such a petulant child and has a chip on his shoulder. I hate those mock humble faces he'd make at weigh in. He was so outraged that on a show where the entire goal is to lose as many pounds as possible in as short a time as possible that Kurt was, gasp, restricting calories? When Abel kept talking about how Kurt was in fat burning mode I wish he'd explained a bit about ketosis and how it can really repress appetite because I could see someone like Jeff thinking "I'm burning fat too but I'm still hungry you must be cheating!" Yes 800-1100 seems low for a man of Kurts size but first of all he was probably underestimating, as dieters statistically do, and second, the real fear with very low calorie diets, that of losing muscle mass, was clearly not an issue with him since he lost so much body fat. The wild diet, like paleo, seems to prioritize protein so it makes sense. Jas had to be on a very low calorie diet to lose that much too. And she didn't lose very much body fat so she probably lost a lot of muscle mass. Her diet seems so sustainable for her tho so that's great.

Taj does need some therapy. I didn't get why she'd leave the competition because she didn't want to deal with her trainer when the trainers were leaving anyway.

As I understand it Taj had to leave beacuse she would not follow her trainers diet/ exercise program. She had already changed once and could not change again. Hopefully she sees this and understands that she does meed help, if she does not get help she will lead a sad and lonely life.

[racked]

As I understand it Taj had to leave beacuse she would not follow her trainers diet/ exercise program. She had already changed once and could not change again. Hopefully she sees this and understands that she does meed help, if she does not get help she will lead a sad and lonely life.

I guess that's the part I don't get. The trainers were all leaving anyway - she wouldn't have to see her again for 7 weeks! I think she was just so pissed she wanted to make a point, but it was dumb. She didn't seem to have a problem with the diet program so much as the trainer herself. But she was too stubborn to keep doing the diet of someone she hated? I agree she seems like a sad and lonely person. It must have been hard for her to watch last night as everyone else went on to lose more weight and finish the competition.

[ToukieSmith]

I guess that's the part I don't get. The trainers were all leaving anyway - she wouldn't have to see her again for 7 weeks! I think she was just so pissed she wanted to make a point, but it was dumb. She didn't seem to have a problem with the diet program so much as the trainer herself. But she was too stubborn to keep doing the diet of someone she hated? I agree she seems like a sad and lonely person. It must have been hard for her to watch last night as everyone else went on to lose more weight and finish the competition.

This did not make sense to me either.  Taj's time with Jennifer was over so all she had to do was follow the plan for 7 weeks.  Taj sabotages herself and she needs to explore why.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Taj didn't even have to really follow it--she wouldn't even give her trainer the satisfaction of saying she would follow it. She could have gone home and just reverted to her old habits, as all the trainers said they were worried about how their contestants would do at home without them. I bet she gained weight after the karate incident and didn't want to weigh in before they went home, so she flipped it around and blamed her exit on her trainer disrespecting her. I hoped she might still show up at the end but oh well.

[candall]

Aw I really enjoyed that finale and was so happy for Jas and Dawn winning.

 

Me, too!!  I became very invested in these people with their individual quirks and foibles and their responses to the various training/diet plans.  (Calling the first hour "awful" was a poor word choice because I was more tickled with the goofy bandanas, tattoos and man-pedi inducements than complaining.  I'm changing that to "awesome.")

 

I was so happy for Jasmin's win.  She was just a little sweetheart, with the wedding rings, the helpful family, her positive can-do attitude.  Plus it's kind of refreshing when the giant man isn't the foregone conclusion weight loss champ.

 

I liked Kurt a lot, though, and The Wild Diet lines up with my personal soapbox, preaching the benefits of healthy fats. 

 

Latasha did a good thing, sharing a little bit of her emotion and vulnerability.

 

I knew Taj was a goner as soon as she said she cheated on her diet to teach her trainer a lesson.  I have a good friend who will opt-out or otherwise self-sabotage to make a point, even if the perceived opponent is something as impersonal as a government agency.  There should really be a term for that mindset, besides "cutting off your nose to spite your face." 

 

I agree with above that the half-marathon footage wasn't 100% authentic.  Kurt was obviously coached to pause at the end of the last hundred yards.  I would have been just as proud if they'd straggled in there sweaty and limping and collapsed in a big heap of makeup smears.  Thirteen miles is FAR!

 

Good job, everybody--I enjoyed the show, and the thread.

[Lightning]

Taj just rubbed me the wrong way.  Talk about an ingrate!  There were probably a lot of people who wanted to be on this show for the free diet and exercise advice from their own personal trainer, not to mention the thought of a $50,000 prize.  Also, I laughed when she tried to get everyone to admit that the trainer called her "crazy".  Well, Taj, if the shoe fits.  Her little shut-down after being presented with her yellow belt was more fitting to a 3 year old than a grown woman.  She must be an absolute joy to work with.  Did anyone notice how much Kurt looked like Ted Cruz after his face got thinner and he shaved his beard and mustache?  And, yeah, I call shenanigans, too, on the 1/2 marathon.   No sweat?  Perfect make-up?  In real life, Latasha would have ripped those pearls off after 5 minutes when the sweat started pooling around her neck.  All in all I did enjoy the show.  I would hope they would repeat it in some form.

[candall]

Hee, Shaun was a slow-talker, for sure.  I've seen his "Cize" infomercial, from my semi-conscious position on the couch at 3 a.m, but I didn't realize until the last episode of this show:  the man is a giant!

[Noirprncess]

I guess that's the part I don't get. The trainers were all leaving anyway - she wouldn't have to see her again for 7 weeks! I think she was just so pissed she wanted to make a point, but it was dumb. She didn't seem to have a problem with the diet program so much as the trainer herself. But she was too stubborn to keep doing the diet of someone she hated? I agree she seems like a sad and lonely person. It must have been hard for her to watch last night as everyone else went on to lose more weight and finish the competition.

I think the trainers weren't giving personal one on one contact but would likely check in via phone or Skype over the 7 week period. If you watch Extreme Weight Loss, this would be set up just like his phase 2 or 3 where you no longer have daily contact and work out with the trainer but they are reachable by phone. At that point you are expected to know what you need to do and just follow their directions on diet/exercise with minimal oversight.

Yeah, that 1/2 marathon wasn't real. They all looked too fresh for 2-3 hours of running. When I ran my first 1/2 marathon, I was nowhere near picture perfect at the end.

[Mrsjumbo]

I enjoyed this more than Biggest Loser too. Esp the point that they have to try & fit diet & exercise in in their regular lives around jobs & kids & temptations.

Taj's meltdown reminded me of an Extreme Weightloss episode I saw. In that episode, as soon as the contestant was pushed beyond comfortable she shut down & quit.

Not surprised Baby Huey had another tantrum. I really felt sorry for his trainer. And tattoos? That's pretty extreme.

I'm glad Jasmine won. She had a great attitude & her plan looked the most sustainable.

The only thing I found annoying is that Dawn does not have her book out yet!

[StaceyNotStacie]

I'm glad that Jasmin won.  I think Jeff had such a lousy attitude was because he finished in last place.  

 

I really liked this show.  I'm hoping they'll bring it back in the future, but wouldn't be surprised if it was cancelled; I don't think ABC even made a FB page for it.  It's a shame that they didn't bother advertising this show like they do Extreme Weight Loss or how NBC promotes The Biggest Loser.

[SnarkKitty]

Good start to this inaugural series. But too many conflicting theories - eat within 2 hours of waking up! breakfast most important, can't go without after fasting all night. Now Wild Diet is saying don't eat breakfast/fast til noon.

 

"I need to not talk, not listen, blah blah blah." Translation: I need to be left alone to sit and get fat. You don't apologize for being Taj? Taj is an annoying pain in the ass!  You should apologize for that! As a teacher she should be ashamed to show up on TV showing such a stubborn, recalcitrant, intractable personality to the teenagers whose minds she attempts to mold daily. They're old enough to watch and you know they are, especially since they've been shown on TV. How on earth do you encourage someone to work harder when they stop when they "don't feel like it?" She's so frustrating. She should at least give Jennifer professional courtesy as an educator.

Glad Jennifer was like, I'm sick of your shit, Princess. You have more excuses and I'm done. YOU'RE displeased? Fuck that noise! Trainer's are supposed to push you. If you want to work at your own pace, work alone. "There is no 'my way or the highway with her.'" I do not think that means what you think it means, Princess. Any good teacher can teach any student. Right.  "Brick wall, here's today's lesson." Mark & Kelly, come get your girl.

 

I see you, editing. Jasmin is talking about how she couldn't have said those things on her chart about herself in the beginning, and you can see there's another chart on the wall. Next minute, Dawn is asking if she wants to see the original chart, and then unrolls and hangs it - right where it was in the previous scene already shown. Why even bother to rearrange that? Makes no sense and didn't materially change the scene - but it did remind that reactions and conversations don't even happen in the order shown, and sometimes does change things.

 

On a gross note ... I saw Shaun spit at least 3 times on people while talking to them. Yuk! Is this the downside of HD? I just switched over after not bothering to watch the HD channels for years.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

They all looked too fresh for 2-3 hours of running. When I ran my first 1/2 marathon, I was nowhere near picture perfect at the end.

A half-marathon in 3 hours is only a little over 4 mph - somewhat over a normal walking speed, but not even that brisk. Not a problem if it wasn't too hot or humid, and I'm sure they took weather into account in planning. They wouldn't have wanted the contestants to be collapsing in puddles of sweat halfway through.

[racked]

I got curious to see how Taj did after she gave up on the competition. It looks like she did continue losing weight. https://www.facebook.com/TajRobinson-939438776112103/?ref=br_rs Though I think she's also using some waist trainers in these pics. Good for her either way.

And Latashas trainer has a pic on his Facebook of her in her wedding dress so she made that goal! She looks great too.

[chocolatine]

A half-marathon in 3 hours is only a little over 4 mph - somewhat over a normal walking speed, but not even that brisk. Not a problem if it wasn't too hot or humid, and I'm sure they took weather into account in planning. They wouldn't have wanted the contestants to be collapsing in puddles of sweat halfway through.

 

I think it was quite chilly. Anna was in a puffy jacket, and she'd always been in a sports bra or crop top before.

 

Agree with everything that's been said about Taj. What a piece of work! She thought Jennifer disrespected her?!? All I saw was Jennifer trying time and time again to help her, and she was actually succeeding in the sense that Taj was losing weight nicely. And now Taj is saying she would have done better with Jovanka? Bitch, please. She made it very clear when she booted Jovanka that she was unable to stick to a vegan diet. Which is a valid choice, but then when she was given a non-vegan diet, she decided not to stick with that either. And to say something like "I only care about my feelings and not anyone else's" like that's a good thing - I understand why she's getting divorced.

 

I'm so happy Jasmin won! Dawn's plan (and personality, for that matter) were the most sensible and non-gimmicky on the show. Jas is the same weight as me now, though I think I'm an inch or two taller (she looks very short, but it's always next to Dawn, and it may just be that Dawn is very tall) and I'm an hourglass so my waist is slimmer than hers, but my hips and thighs are larger. Like I said upthread, I'm trying to lose 15, but it's good to see people around my height and weight look fit and healthy.

 

I normally don't like to wish people ill on weight loss shows, but I was gleefully happy that petulant Jeff came in dead last, even behind Latasha who had a really slow start. He deserved it after accusing Kurt of cheating.

Edited January 30, 2016 by chocolatine

[Guest]

SnarkKitty, I pretty much thought all those things you wrote, even "I don't think that means what you think it does".  And Shaun spitting.  

 

I could also see Shaun's breath before the run.  It must've been freezing out there.  His cohost looked miserable.  

 

I would not have my child in Taj's class.  Which reminds me of saying that back when Naonka quit Survivor.  I don't know if it's reality casting or what but they sure do love the lazy, mean, quitter black woman character.  

 

Taj acted kind of pissed off that the show didn't side with her and kick Jen off and offer her Jovanka or a new trainer.  Good for the show.  I'm tired of the victim act working.  

 

Is Latasha's hair a weave?  It's beautiful.  But it occurred to me that maybe she never pulls it back even for workouts because it reveals too much?  I noticed my boss is wearing hair extensions and I can see the little clips sometimes.  

 

Jasmin must be pretty short and petite.  That looks like me about 165, not 147.  I'm glad she won.  It's always nice to see someone with a supportive family, a grateful outlook and a willingness to learn succeed.  I'll watch for the People article.  

 

I was thrilled to see Abel mention intermittent fasting but he was giving misinformation.  It's never "having two small meals and one large one", and it's not "unsustainable for the long term".  I've read several books about it and there are a lot of health benefits being discovered about it.  

 

I think nearly all the reactions are re-enacted.  The winner always was weighed last, so they must've known Jasmin won before even taping the phony weigh-ins and just all acted nervous and then surprised and thrilled.  

 

I'm going to see if I can do Dawn's plan for the next 3 weeks.  

[candall]

 

 

I think nearly all the reactions are re-enacted.  The winner always was weighed last, so they must've known Jasmin won before even taping the phony weigh-ins and just all acted nervous and then surprised and thrilled.  

 

 

I don't even believe that platform they step on is really a scale, which makes me giggle when the numbers go upupupdownupdownwaydownUPdownstop.  Clearly they've all been weighed and measured and fat-pincered beforehand.

[ChicagoCita]

I'll watch for the People article.

 

 

Does anyone know what issue it will be in? Dawn was my nutritionist about ten years ago and she is absolutely amazing.

[Guest]

Yeah, the platform is never a scale.  The video screen set to show the numbers flipping was extreme on this one.  Even the first digit was set to just flip through random numbers so even the women would be on the platform and the hundreds digit would flip through 9s and 8s and 7s... lol.  Kind of makes it all the more silly.  I think the other shows set the first digit to just 1s, 2s and 3s.  

 

I might've watched BL over the years if not for the cheap theatrics like the phony weigh-ins, making the people strip down for them, the puke-level workouts, and the total lack of diet talk.  

 

So I guess since Fila paid the prize money those awful workout clothes were all Fila.  God, those bras.  I can take ugly or unsupportive but both, in spades?  Why?  Actually even Extreme Weight Loss seems to love to film the poor women in crappy sports bras, flopping all over as they run.  There must be focus groups who find under-dressed, under-supported fat people more watchable.  It's all just a little 'circus side show'.  

 

I don't know what People issue it'll be in but I get it at home and will post here when it shows up, if you want.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

Shaun T needs somebody to teach him some math.  He said Latasha's body fat went from 49.7% to 45%, and added, "You lost 4.7% of your body fat."  No she didn't.  She lost 9.5% of her body fat, or 4.7 percentage points.  That error always grates, and it's particularly annoying in a show where they're "grading" these people on the percentage of body weight they lose, which they manage to calculate correctly.

 

I think it was quite chilly. Anna was in a puffy jacket, and she'd always been in a sports bra or crop top before.

 

At the beginning of that sequence, there was a thing on my screen that said it was 8:00 a.m. and 33 degrees.  And the wind was really blowing.  Cold, and good for keeping Latasha from sweating up her pearls or ruining her eye makeup.

 

 

But too many conflicting theories - eat within 2 hours of waking up! breakfast most important, can't go without after fasting all night. Now Wild Diet is saying don't eat breakfast/fast til noon.

 

I'm glad somebody finally said it.  I'm usually not hungry in the morning, so I see no reason to eat.  Sometimes I won't eat until well into the afternoon, if I'm busy doing something else.  Other times I'll go to Whataburger at 9:00 a.m. because I happen to be hungry and they serve hamburgers and fries 24/7.  Basically, I eat when I want to eat, not when people think I should eat, and it works well for me. 

 

ETA:  Plus, like the trainer, I find that eating a nominal breakfast--something to just get something in my stomach--somehow makes me hungrier during the day, like it kick-starts the whole thing.  If I eat something like that, then I'm eating again at the same time I would have if I hadn't eaten breakfast, and I'm not eating any less at that point. 

 

And speaking of one size not fitting all, I have to admit that I'm a little bit on Taj's side.  That girl was sweating up a storm during her yellow belt test, and she said she was tired.  It looked to me like she'd been working pretty hard.

 

I don't know what her deal is, but I'm about the least competitive person in the world, and when people exhort me to do something, there's a fine line they have to walk because I am very able to say, "I don't give a shit."  Because I usually don't.  What I think is that Taj wasn't all into whatever martial arts thing she was doing, and the yellow belt was something she just didn't really care about.  It might be hard for some people to grasp, but I just don't care about things like achieving a certain color of belt, and certainly not a yellow one.

 

I like to accomplish things, but rarely does "winning" motivate me.  Taj might have some of the same traits, and if she does, I can definitely see working to exhaustion during the test, and then when told to dig deep and do more, stopping because she'd given it all she had to give, screw the belt.

 

But when they did that thing where they held the ball over their heads?  That girl was totally into it, with a steely look on her face that was impressive, and even hollering at Jasmine, I think, not to give up, even though Jasmine giving up was going to make Taj win.  Looks to me like that was something that struck something in her, and it wasn't winning that was making her go.  I totally get that.

 

Now, why she cheated on her diet, and then quit, I don't know.  But I do know that I wouldn't be thrilled about someone telling me on national teevee that I needed therapy.  I would have been inclined to tell that trainer she needs to get a nose job, or quit letting the camera frame her in profile.

 

And in other shallow news, why didn't the men take off their shirts for the final weigh-in?  Could Baby Huey have been wearing some shapewear?  Because in the before picture his belly was hanging waaaaay down over his shorts, and if he lost a lot of the fat behind that, then he has to have a skirt of that excess skin now, and it didn't really look like it.

Edited January 30, 2016 by StatisticalOutlier

[ChicagoCita]

I don't know what People issue it'll be in but I get it at home and will post here when it shows up, if you want.  

I'd very much appreciate that!  I've just recently broken a lifelong People habit, had to as soon as they started putting Kardashians on the covers, so I'm trying not to buy it every week.

[Guest]

I subscribed because the deal was like $.50 an issue.  I figure at that price I can throw it out unread if I want.  Sometimes I stop the subscription because I get tired of the tragedy storiy every month.  "Did this mom kill her kids?"  "Who burned this teen alive?"  GAH.  Stick to what Hayden wore to the awards show and what Mila and Ashton named the baby, please!  I don't need gravitas in my brain candy.  

[chocolatine]

Jasmin must be pretty short and petite.  That looks like me about 165, not 147.  I'm glad she won.  It's always nice to see someone with a supportive family, a grateful outlook and a willingness to learn succeed.  I'll watch for the People article. 

 

Shaun said her final BMI was 29, correct? If you do the math based on that and her weight, her height must be 5' even. Which is what I'd thought; I'm also a shorty (5'2") and I tend to guess other shorties' heights correctly. She does look like she could stand to lose a few more, but as an apple shape, she'll always look a bit thick in the middle unless she gets her body fat percentage down really really low. My mom is the same height and shape as Jas, and even at 120 pounds she still had a belly. If you noticed though, Jasmin's hips and legs are very slim.

 

I looked at Taj's Facebook link that was posted upthread, and saw that she continues to be rude and condescending in response to even the most constructively critical comments. So sadly, no personal growth there.

[cpcathy]

I enjoyed this show, and I hope ABC has the heart to put it on again next year. Like you guys, I would have liked to hear about more diet talk, or watch them grocery shop more. The workout challenges are my absolute least favorite part, not everyone works out like that! The dance class Jasmine went to an episode or two ago looked totally staged. I even like Shaun T, even though he does need to feel more comfortable as a host on TV. Handsome, fit, gay black man on TV? Yes, please!

 

Something in particular bothered me about Taj's segment. Just hearing her say she only cared about her own feelings and emotions and no one else's blew me away.  Who says that? And when the trainer mentioned "professional" help, Taj went berserk, saying she said she was crazy. Um, Taj, you do need to talk to someone. I hear this a lot, even on another thread for another show altogether, people think therapy means you're crazy. It does not. It means you have something to work out, you go to therapy, it can be worked out. Not crazy. There, I said it. Just bothered me.

[Guest]

I dug up Dawn's 7-minute full body workout and did it today.  I've been using some of her eating tips and I do feel less snacky between meals.  

 

https://dawnjacksonblatner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/7-%E2%80%93Minute-Full-Body-Workout.pdf

[candall]

I had coconut oil coffee and an avocado for breakfast.

 

Got hungry around 2:30 and had brie, with sliced apple.

 

Took a nap.

 

Wild, Man!