ArcaMax

Biggest Loser

I was asked recently by an exercise enthusiast what I thought of the TV show The Biggest Loser.

Just the posing of the question released a torrent from me. I couldn’t help myself. I just went off on a rant. What I’m going to do here is show you my answer and then spend a bit of time trying to explain myself. Here goes:

I see nothing on TV that is a bigger disservice to the fat people of this nation than that show. I have watched it. The first season I think I watched every episode trying to find the redeeming qualities it might have. I have tried to watch it each season since, and now I can’t get through more than five minutes of any episode before I become so angry I want to vomit. My heart goes out to those people.

I don’t think that show is motivating to the huge majority of potential watchers. It’s just disheartening. It’s demotivating, and leaves them thinking that unless they check into someplace where they will be badgered, berated and tortured for hours on end, they will never lose weight.

I can’t be the least bit unbiased about that particular subject. My apologies if my passion runs rampant. They believe nothing more than calories in/calories out and the expenditure they require is so unreasonable for most people to even dream of doing -- it’s sad. I’d rather see them help people get weight off and then put them through a tone-up, build-up program that looks attainable. Then I think that show would be an inspiration to the world.

Okay, so that’s where my rant ended. Some additional thoughts:

I do think exercise is a good thing. I believe non-impact exercise is best because it has been proven that impact exercise (like jogging on a treadmill) will only wear out your joints. We did not evolve to run like that unless we were being chased. That’s why the sports medicine industry has mushroomed. We ache. Joint replacement surgery has skyrocketed. Too many of us started jogging in the 70’s and wore out our bodies before retirement even hit. I worked with a trainer for more years than I can count. I worked out at my appropriate aerobic level which was monitored by said trainer. I religiously met with that person and went through the paces for an hour at a time a minimum of three days a week. It was a major investment, but as a CEO I felt that working out was part of my job description. I had to be in healthy shape.

For most folks, working out three days a week for three hours total is just about all they can fit in their schedule. Even more than most can fit in. I made it a priority. After seven years, you know how much weight I lost as a result? Zero. I kept gaining weight. I ate about 800 calories a day most weekdays and ate more on the weekends when I had dinner parties. I kept getting fatter and every obesity expert I consulted was stumped. Many of them thought I was lying because they could not figure it out. Did I get stronger? Absolutely. I could bench press 160 pounds. A lot of guys can’t do that. I could leg left 500 pounds. That was amazing for a woman. I could toss my bag into the upper cabinet on an airplane with one hand but I could barely fit in the airplane seat. Exercise was not the solution for my weight problem. And most people can’t come anywhere close to the activity level expected of the people on The Biggest Loser.

Studies also show that calories-in/calories-out is not the answer for most. Take me. I went down to 800 calories a day and didn’t lose an ounce. I reported everything I ate to a nutritionist for months. Once I was down to 750 calories and still not losing. He quit. He felt that was starvation level and he worried about me dropping over dead. He did not want to risk his reputation on losing a client to death. He admitted that to me the day he resigned.

So if it’s not all about calories in/calories out, and exercise doesn’t make you skinnier without doing a blazingly large amount of it, then where does that show stand in my credibility rankings? Low. It’s a reality show. Reality shows don’t garner ratings without drama. My husband calls The Biggest Loser “Gym Teachers Gone Wild”. I have to admit, that’s pretty descriptive. Maybe that’s the title for a spin-off.

In the interest of self-disclosure, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not finished losing weight. I’m still a work in progress. I’m also not going to get in a spandex contest with Jillian from the show. I’ll be happy when I am comfortable in a tank top and shorts. All in good time. I don’t have to get it done in the span of one season of a TV show. But I will get there. For now I’m happy with frame-worthy blood tests that show I’m pretty close to perfectly healthy.

Panna Cotta (EASY) and Sauce

Serves six. Can be doubled for a party easily

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of whole milk
1 (.25 ounnce) envelope of powdered gelatin
1.5 cups of whipping cream (heavy cream)
4 tsp of Truvia
3 tsp of vanilla (see note)

Get out a medium bowl. Pour the milk in. Open the packet of gelatin and sprinkle it over the milk and let set five minutes.

In a small sauce pan add the cream and the Truvia. Begin heating it on medium. Stir to dissolve the Truvia. Add the gelatin and milk mixture. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium, stirring constantly. Take off heat and add your flavoring*.

To make other flavors, you can use organic flavorings or use flavored stevia drops. I go for the organics if possible. I can easily see coconut, lemon, orange flavors. They would all be refreshing. If you do flavor them, put in one teaspoon of vanilla and make the other two teaspoons the varied flavor.

I did coconut flavor and drizzled just a bit of melted chocolate over the top and it tastes a lot like a Mounds bar.

Pour the mixture into small ramekins. Each person will get about a half cup serving. Cover with plastic wrap so they don’t get a gooey film forming on top. Chill at least four hours. You can easily make these the day before and they’ll keep just fine. Leftovers can be kept covered for days in the refrigerator but don’t count on leftovers!

To unmold and serve: Put hot water about one inch deep in a pan (like a 9-by-13-inch pan). Put the ramekins in and count to 30. Then take them out. Run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen the top. Place a serving plate on top of each one. Turn over and then grip the ramekin and plate to sandwich it in your hands. Shake gently to loosen the panna cotta. You’ll hear a little “thwak” when it comes loose from the ramekin. Don’t expect them all to be perfect. You can cover little loose parts with sauce.

Special note: If you don’t own ramekins or don’t want to buy some you can put the custard in a 9-by-13-inch pan and chill it that way. That means you’ll just scoop it out or slice and scoop it out. It might not be totally uniform so plan to serve it in a nice dessert dish and fancy it up with the sauce and maybe a sprig of mint.

For sauce:

You can also pair the panna cotta with fruit sauce (aka fruit coulis)

Just take a pint of berries and put them in a blender with one teaspoon of vanilla and one or two packets of Truvia. Blend until smooth. If you don’t mind lumps or seeds, you can serve it right from the blender. Just spoon it over the panna cotta. Or if you want to get the seeds and solids out, strain it. That means put it in a strainer and keep stirring it around until the liquid drops off the bottom of the strainer. Be sure to scrape off the bottom of the strainer too to get the very last bit.

You can also make sauce from tropical fruits like mango and papaya. I took frozen mango, let it thaw and then just blended it up. Didn’t even need sweetener.

For holidays: You can use food coloring to dye your batter so it can be all kinds of pastel colors. Just use six to eight drops and see if you like the color when mixed. I dyed the pictured version a light green for St. Patrick’s Day and Spring.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola