Oops! Pilates for Pink on SUNDAY!

My friend Caroline informed me October 2 is Sunday. Not Saturday. Don't go to Union Square on Saturday.

My bad!!!!


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Pilates for Pink this Saturday!

Hey New York readers, if you are available this Saturday, SHAPE Magazine is hosting Pilates for Pink to raise money for breast cancer research in Union Square.  One of my fellow co-workers and friend, Caroline Leone, will be demonstrating her Pilates magic for instructor Julia Starobin, in her "Elite Pilates" class, held from 1-1:45pm. It will be an open class designed to challenge all levels. Each class costs $25, with 100% of the fee going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Additionally, each participant will receive a goodie bag and a Pilates mat from SHAPE.

The event begins at 9 am with plenty of classes to please the pickiest Pilates participant.

You can find the class descriptions here: http://www.shape.com/sites/shape.com/files/minisites/pfp/schedule.html

 

Get out there and raise some money for the cure!!!

The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 2- "Don't sit on the couch and spit on the ceiling and expect things to happen for you."

I believe this is the book Anna got that quote from.

It's a new week on The Biggest Loser:  New theme song, new challenges, new drama!  Usually the contestants wait a few episodes in to start talking about GAME PLAY, but not season 12.  Let's get it on.

Ali introduces the first temptation challenge of the season:  DONUTS!  A room full of sweet donuts that need to be eaten so control can be gained!  Who will stoop to the challenge? 

Ali explains that the groups will not only be divided by age but also by time slots this week.  There is an early morning slot, a mid-day slot, and a late night slot.  Whoever eats the MOST donuts will get to choose what time the teams workout.  This is important because the teams only get two hours a day to get their burn on.

Of course we have the saintly contestants who decline to participate because they want to workout only.  But there a couple of GAME PLAYERS in the bunch:  old team Mike eats 11 donuts and feels like he has clinched the win for his team, but middle aged John ate 37 donuts, over 1,295 of winning calories.  "What did I just do?" he moans.  The black team decides to take the early morning time slot, they give the old timers the mid-day time slot because they "respect them" (burn!) and the youngsters get the late night time slot.

Bob wakes the black team up with a manic megaphone, getting them into the gym by 5 am.  John is newly crowned "Donut", and everyone feels the wrath of their win.  HIGHLIGHT:  Antone breaks down again, this time slamming his fists into his spin bike and into the ground.  Is he going to cry every episode?  Is this what releasing the demon means?

Did you all know Antone was in the NFL?  I'm not sure if the show covered that.

The black team also starts fighting with each other because John, that little trouble maker, says that Sunny is a dumb as "poo" (her quotes, not mine) and he is making alliances with members of the red team.  Has this guy never watched an episode of this show?  You don't play all your cards in the second episode!  Where will we go from here?  Where is Melissa Morgan when you need her?

Antone says in the NFL this is called an "airing out session".  Thanks, Antone.

Then it's the old timers time in the gym.  This is code for everyone works out while Anna has to coax Boston Johnny to work out.  Poor Becky.  I bet she is wishing she was just one year younger so she could be on the black team.

After a late night Yoplait yogurt plug ("It tricks it out!"), Dolvett brings the whipper snappers into the gym and gets amped!  So amped, we find out that Jessica's boyfriend MADE her gain 135 pounds during their 6 year relationship.  They blurred out the photos with his face, but apparently it is her twitter avatar if you missed it on the tv.  I'm sure she is over this guy.  I would never want to date a guy that force fed me- that is not cool.  Good thing she can now choose what she wants to eat. . .

Am I being overly sarcastic?  Or have I watched a lot of episodes of The Biggest Loser?

Dr. H drops in with his silky mullet to inform the contestants that disease is right around the bend if they don't take responsibility for their health.  I think it's sad that we get serious about our health only when it seems too far to fix.  If you start NOW when you have no issues or small issues, it's a lot easier to turn it all around.  Not when you are face to face with Dr. H and a JC Penney collection tie from 1987.  That's not the right time.

The physical challenge for the week involves a floating maze and life jackets-awesome-which the black team whoops up on for the second week in a row.  They earn a 2 pound advantage at the weigh in, the red team earns a 1 pound advantage, and the blue team gets that sound from The Price is Right when you lose- wwwwwaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

The Last Chance Workout montage this week was seriously the BEST MONTAGE I have seen.  I was riveted the whole time.  I also heard the worst sentence: "5 am last chance workout!"  Dolvett's workout was especially sexy for some reason.  If you have it taped, go back and watch it and tell me if I am making this up.  Especially during the tug and pull section.

Weigh in!  How can people fare when they get two hours to workout a day?

Vinny:  From 405 lbs to 400 lbs- 5 lbs lost
Jessica:  From 239 lbs to 232 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Courtney:  From 257 lbs to 250 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Patrick:  From 367 lbs to 361 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Ramon:  From 338 lbs to 329 lbs- 9 lb lost  TOTAL:  35 lbs, 2.18% BW

Joe:  From 326 lbs to 324 lbs- 2 lbs lost
Jennifer:  From 311 lbs to 305 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Sunny: From 261 lbs to 255 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Antone:  From 415 lbs to 405 lbs- 10 lbs lost
John:  From 408 lbs to 393 lbs- 15 lbs lost TOTAL:  41 lbs, 2.38% BW

Becky:  From 228 lbs to 223 lbs- 5 lbs lost
Mike:  From 297 lbs to 290 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Bonnie:  From 250 lbs to 247 lbs- 3 lbs lost
Johnny:  From 311 lbs to 313 lbs- 2 lbs GAINED  TOTAL:  13 lbs, 1.2% BW

Say it ain't so, Boston Johnny!  The numbers are usually lower week 2, but a weight gain is something special.  Anna totally calls him out, saying "If you don't want to change anything you shouldn't be here."

Her words must have stuck with him, because after he is eliminated, he goes home and loses 59 pounds.  But not the straw hat.  The straw hat is staying.

Next week:  NFL WEEK!  WHAT?!?  I wish there was someone on the show this season that had been in the NFL so this episode would really resonate with them.  Like if we went to the Olympic training camp and there was a former Olympic athlete on the show.  It just makes sense.

Want to know what Courtney from season 11 has to say?  Here is her recap, courtesy of DietsinReview.com!

Sunday Funday!

I had the jingle pop into my head the other day and I just HAD to share. . .and yes, I owned all five sets.  My parents should have known that that, coupled with my love for Richard Simmons, would lead me to where I am today.  Get in shape, girl!

The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 1- BATTLE OF THE AGES

Grr faces, everyone.

After a nice long break, The Biggest Loser roars back to life complete with US Marine helicopters and hummers to drag the 12th season competitors to the brink of Death Valley (literally) and back.

We know the 411, so lets jump into my first impressions of the 15 contestants:

Courtney: 24, "Single Girl"
Joe: 46, "Big Daddy"
Becky: 50, "Daddy's Dieing"
Jessica: 26, "Nervous Nelly" OR "Dazed and Confused"
Jennifer:  39, "Bob Lover"
Ramon:  27, "2 Legit tattoo artist, dude"
Patrick:  25, "Cry Baby"
Antone:  44, "The Footballer"
Vinny:  27, "Overalls"
John:  40, "Helicopter Lover"
Mike:  61, "The Cheerleader"
Bonnie:  63, "The Weeper"
Debbie:  60, "Gimmie a Break"
Johnny:  65, "The Don"
Sunny:  41, "Didn't know she was on the show until the weigh in.  Seriously."

Ali jumps out of a hummer with sunny blond pig tails to explain the rules for this season.  The contestants will be split into three teams based on their age:  The Under 30's, The Middle, and The Over 50's. 

The trainers for the teams are introduced as well.  We have good ole Bob, Anna K, and DQ- Dolvett Quince- who may be my new favorite now that Jillian Michaels is no longer on the show.  I did keep waiting for Jillian to ride up on a kick ass Ducati and have a secret fourth team, but it didn't happen.  That was the number one thing talked about during the live tweet fest was that everyone REALLY MISSED JILLIAN.

Ali introduces the first challenge.  Of course, it is a mile run to choose the trainer.  And of course they are all attached to a pole with a camera on the end.  Happily, no one has to be helicoptered out, and the teams are as follows:

Bob with The Middle
DQ with The Under 30's
Anna K with The Over 50's

We have a first chance workout in the shiny and amazing new Biggest Loser gym on the ranch, where the mettle of all the contestants is tested until they are left in sniveling piles of tearful goo.  After a quick Brita plug, it is time for the Last Chance Workout (!) and then on to a 50 minute weigh in ceremony.

Are we sure we can't get this show down to one hour, NBC?

WEIGH IN!  Age before beauty, Johnny.

Johnny-65:  From 328 lbs to 311 lbs- 17 lbs lost
Bonnie-63:  From 254 lbs to 250 lbs- 4 lbs lost
Mike-61:  From 309 lbs to 297 lbs- 12 lbs lost
Debbie-60:  From 239 lbs to 233 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Becky-50:  From 238 lbs to 228 lbs- 10 lbs lost  Total:  49 lbs, 3.58% BW

Joe-46:  From 348 lbs to 326 lbs- 22 lbs lost
Antone-44:  From 447 lbs to 415 lbs- 32 lbs lost
Sunny-41:  From 277 lbs to 261 lbs- 16 lbs lost
John-40:  From 445 lbs to 408 lbs- 37 lbs lost
Jennifer-39:  From 330 lbs to 311 lbs- 19 lbs lost Total:  126 lbs, 6.82% BW

Vinny-27:  From 426 lbs to 405 lbs- 21 lbs lost
Ramon-27:  From 355 lbs to 338 lbs- 17 lbs lost
Jessica-26:  From 254 lbs to 239 lbs- 15 lbs lost
Patrick-25:  From 387 lbs to 367 lbs- 20 lbs lost
Courtney-24:  From 270 lbs to 254 lbs- 16 lbs lost  Total:  89 lbs, 5.26% BW

Bob's team leaves everyone in the dust, obviously, and the Seniors must sort out who is going home first.  The Seniors have a Real Housewives moment when Debbie tells Bonnie she finds her tears annoying which doesn't earn her any points in the popularity department.  Not surprisingly, Debbie Downer is eliminated.  Now she can take all the breaks she wants!

When we check back with Debbie, she has gone from 239 to 215, is break dancing with her grand kids, and hopes to be 160 by the finale.

This season looks like there is plenty of drama on the teams- GAME PLAY!- and lots of blood, sweat, and tears.  I am looking forward to seeing how Anna K fits into the whole show and if she'll be able to help her team see the numbers they need to see so they aren't picked off one by one.  Dolvett can stay.  You can stay, Dolvett!

Want to know what Courtney from season 11 has to say?  Here's her recap, brought to you by DietsinReview.com!

Reality Alert! Wicked Fit coming to Style Network

Katie Boyd kicks some pageant butt.

Yes, the 12th season of the Biggest Loser is starting tonight on NBC, but if you are in the mood for something new, check on Wicked Fit starting October 23rd on the Style network. 

You know I always try to bring you the latest and greatest weight related reality shows, and this one looks like fun!

Really? C'mon Guy Sueing White Castle!

If you can't fit into the booth, maybe that's a sign?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/man-sues-white-castle-because-over-booth-size-160126946.html

New Season of The Biggest Loser Starting Soon!

I was watching America's Got Talent and saw the new ad for The Biggest Loser with Bob, Anna, and DQ.  Plus:  No more boxing workouts!  Con:  All tennis workouts.



Of course, I totally miss Jillian.  Here's an article from FitPerez.com to tide you over!

See you in a couple of weeks!  This is gonna be an interesting experiment!

Big Sexy is a whole lotta fun!

The one in the middle? 6'3"!!!

I have to thank Project Runway for introducing me to two new shows:  Dance Moms, which is horribly wonderful, and Big Sexy, which is really fantastic!  If it wasn't for Lifetime and their wonderful advertisers, I wouldn't know about this little treasure of a reality show that knows how to handle a "real" woman.



Big Sexy is actually on TLC, but there isn't anything to really learn about.  The women of Big Sexy are women you know, or maybe you ARE this woman:  Curvy, busty, beautiful, and not ashamed to be those adjectives.

Big Sexy follows the lives of four fabulous females living and working in the fashion industry here in New York City. (LADIES: IF YOU ARE READING THIS I TOTALLY WANT TO BE FRIENDS!)  Yes, there are issues of weight addressed, like when the women tried to get into snotty nightclub Marquee- it was blurred out on the show but not here!- and they were asked to pay a $30 cover charge and the thinner girls got into the club for free, or when they are speed dating and one guy candidly tells one of the plus size ladies that he only dates big girls when he is drunk (!).  But what I LOVED about this show is that the women are confident and are sexy on their own and that their weight is not what defines them.  They define themselves.

Everyone has their hang ups about their bodies.  I see women at my place of business that have bodies that most women would die for, and yet they spend hours on the elliptical, pinching and pulling at fat that isn't there and fretting about what calories that they put into their mouths.  Hell, I have been there.  It is nice to see women that have a healthy view of themselves and want people to know that not everyone has to be thin to be happy.

Of course, my concern AS ALWAYS is that people know that no matter your size that your internal health is my most important concern.  Cholesterol, blood pressure, visceral fat around your organs, joint pain, drinking and smoking habits:  All of these conditions effect women of all sizes and I want people at the end of the day to love their size AND be able to live long and lovely lives.  I feel as if the ladies of Big Sexy are living the lives they want to live in bodies they love.  And that kind of confidence is sexy in a big way.

TV people!  Choose to show more people that are happy and proud of whatever life they live, and that even if they are big, they don't JUST have to be contestants on a weight loss reality show!

A Wag of the Finger to DENNY'S

Oh, Denny's.  Why do you keep finding yourself in my blog?  Why are you so bad?  And why do you have a menu item called Moons Over My Hammy?

According to food blog Eater, Denny's is launching a new "Let's Get Cheesy!" campaign and have introduced a new sandwich:  The Mac n' Cheese Patty Melt.

I think that's a tomato.

What's on this one, you may be thinking.  It couldn't be any worse than the grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with fried mozzarella cheese sticks, right?

The Mac n' Cheese Patty Melt has a hamburger patty covered in mac' n cheese.  With special sauce!  While it sounds terribly messy, which is a pretty good reason not to eat it, let me give you another one.  This sandwich is 1,690 calories.  Just for the sandwich.  No fries.  No drink.  Just the sandwich.  The average person should take in 1,800 to 2,200 calories a day based on personal factors and physical activity.  That sandwich blows that to hell.

Why is Denny's trying to take on the mantle of America's cheesiest assassin?  Please don't order this, folks.  Send a message to Denny's that we deserve better!!!