Why is that man crying?

Be forewarned: it is now TV season, and most of my favorite shows are reappearing after a dismal summer of garbage that came after a writers' strike that devastated my groove. So for the next little while, you can expect posts about TV shows I love. It's what's on my mind.

Last night was the season premiere of Biggest Loser: Families. Tim and I watched last season faithfully, which was Biggest Loser: Couples (same diff, really, except this time they are all related to each other, and last time there were friends and brothers and a couple that had never met). It was very inspiring to watch the show as a married couple, especially a couple that both wanted to lose weight. So we'd sit down with a plate of cookies and watch people work out and cry and throw up and get yelled at by Jillian, and think, we should work out more. We were actually involved in a family competition, until I got pregnant and the whole thing went down the drain. Anyway, the point is, the show is extremely emotional, and just about anyone watching can relate to the pain of exercise, and sympathize with the people that have found themselves overweight somehow. Well, there happened to be a pair of brothers that were on the show last season that started out totally rude and the mean one (Mark) had a change of heart after getting kicked off and getting a second chance. Once this guy got back on the show, he was a complete bawl baby, and there came an episode where his brother got the boot. That night, our then 2-year-old couldn't sleep, and we finally gave up and brought him downstairs to watch TV with us. Mark was in the middle of a very emotional scene with his brother, where both men, but especially Mark, were bawling their eyes out. It was better than a soap opera. Our little boy said, "Mommy, why is that man crying?"

There's just a lot of crying involved in that show. Which is a problem for someone like me. I'm a sympathetic crier (sp?), which means I also spend a lot of time crying when I watch this show. And the new season has already gotten me worked up (although now I can blame the pregnant hormones and not that I'm just a big baby). There's something very touching about watching a daughter inspiring her grizzled old cop dad by killing herself to get up a hill first, and seeing a married couple help each other stay on the treadmill, even though they're both ready to drop dead. And the weigh-ins always amaze me! Can you imagine stepping on the scale after trying over and over again to lose a few pounds, and find you've lost 18 lbs? I would cry, too. And I do. I always feel so inspired to cook a healthy meal and to do pushups after I watch that show. Just so I can be healthy for my kids. Of course, I feel inspired, but don't act on it as often as I should. But the fact that reality TV, which has turned out loads of trash, has also resulted in a show that inspires a country that has gotten lazier and eaten worse for decades to get off the couch and lose weight is amazing. I think I balance out my guilt for watching America's Next Top Model, which is totally shallow and lame, but entertaining, by watching a show where people are changing their lives for the better and becoming good examples for people that have given up. I just have to resign myself to the fact that I need a box of tissues next to the couch every time I watch, and that Tim will mock me from time to time when I start to tear up after someone has been yelled at by Jillian and just can't take it anymore.

By the way, about Jillian. Is it really necessary to be that cruel? I know Jillian gets results, but is screaming right into someone's face as they collapse from fatigue really that effective? Bob seems to do okay with his teams, and, although he's strict and stern, he seems to understand that encouragement is just as good. Plus he's all about yoga and meditation, which seems like a nice idea. I know from personal experience that yoga is killer if you want to burn fat. Just holding beautiful warrior for 30 seconds about did me in one time. (And I think I only did it that one time. Oops.)

Okay, back to real life. Instead of running on the treadmill, I'm going to go do the dishes and throw in some laundry. Maybe I'll do it on my toes to get maximum calf workout.