Biggest Loser :: Take 1

A year ago around this time, 3 friends and I embarked on a fitness journey when we joined the Biggest Loser competition at the health club in Iola. The problem with our journey is that we took so many detours -- eating what we wanted, blowing off exercise -- that we came to a dead end. Needless to say, we pretty much finished in last place.

Now it's that time of year again. I've decided I am going to give this another try. The problem is that I lost my team. One teammate is pregnant and the other two are doing their own things. In my quest to find a new team, I became paranoid that our reputation preceded us. No one wanted me. Did they know I was a loser last year -- but not in the successful weight-loss sense? Do they think I am a slacker?

The deadline for sign up was last week but yesterday I emailed the fitness center director to see if there were any lonesome losers like me who needed an extra body to complete their team. Turns out, there were.

So now I have a team. I considered calling us the Lonesome Losers but instead went with the Dedicated Divas -- we are willing to do what it takes to get this done, even if it means teaming up with strangers.

The program officially launched today. We had our weigh-in and body fat measured. The aspect of this program that I like is that it is not completely weight-loss driven. Our goal is to decrease the percentage of our body fat. Obviously, that does involve some weight loss to accomplish, but it shouldn't set us off on a complete scale obsession.

I think the trainer set reasonable goals for me that will go a long way toward my previously mentioned birthday deadline. I can and will reach my goals and help my team. I am ready to kick butt!

Part of me is motivated, too, by the fact that I don't want to let strangers down. Isn't that weird? We are OK with letting our friends down? Maybe it's because we know our friends will understand. And with strangers, at least I know they won't be saying, "Hey, let's go get pizza! (or chocolate or cheesecake or a Shamrock Shake)."

I mean, c'mon. I may be a Dedicated Diva, but I don't have abs, buns, arms or willpower of steel! ... Yet.