<p>I don’t watch TV. I see news clips on the Internet, watch West Wing DVDs with S1, and Mary Tyler Moore DVDs with S2. The only time I watch TV is when I am at the gym walking on the treadmill. </p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago, I was walking on the treadmill and got so hooked on Losing It that I walked for almost an hour. The next week, I made sure to be at the gym so that I could watch the entire show (while walking on the treadmill). In between, I watched the shows that I hadn’t seen on the internet. Tonight I couldn’t go to the gym, because DH was out. So I actually watched it at home (shocking S2, who sees me watch TV only on election night). </p>
<p>I am not sure why I have gotten so hooked on this show. There are a lot of things that I don’t like. The workouts seem extreme and dangerous for morbidly obese, often middle-aged, people. The weight loss in 6 weeks is excessive - some people lose 50 pounds in that time. Jillian swoops in and, within a week, psychoanalyzes the entire family and reverses years of dysfunctional health habits and relationships. What bothers me the most is that children are included in the meeting with the doctor, and they hear the dire predictions. I also wonder about the beginning of each show, where the family is going about their normal lives, unaware that Jillian is about to descend (don’t they notice the cameras?)</p>
<p>I think I like it because the people they choose are very appealing, and it is hard not to get caught up in their lives.</p>
<p>If you think Losing It is addictive, you should watch The Biggest Loser. It’s a much better show than Losing It, IMO. I’ve not been able to get into that one, but TBL is one I actually enjoy.</p>
<p>I haven’t watched the show yet. I saw previews, and I just couldn’t get excited about watching more of Jillian doing her psychoanalyst gig. She’s not exactly qualified when you get out of obesity issues and into other stuff like hoarding, ocd, etc., which is what I saw on one of the previews.</p>
<p>But I’d probably watch it if I happened to have the TV on when her show began.</p>
<p>Agree that if you are going to watch one of these Biggest Loser is the one to go with - it’s more interesting IMHO to watch the same group of contestants over several months and see the amazing transformations. There has also been some negative reports lately of how rough things are for the contestants on the ranch - the injuries and deprivation they suffer - that they don’t show! And of course, some have regained the weight - but I think most have kept if off.</p>
<p>The new show with just Jillian tries to do too much in one hour - she completely fixes their marriages, their eating habits, their exercise routines, helps them come to terms with dead relatives, job losses, etc. - it’s a bit too much for me to swallow.</p>
<p>I agree with the extreme and dangerous part. I watched one episode where a middle-aged woman with bad knees achieved her “dream” of finishing a 5K in obvious pain. Jillian should not have pushed her to do it; she should have encouraged her to take up bike riding or swimming instead. She’d get the same exercise value without damage to her body. I have not been tempted to watch again.</p>
<p>Sorry, all the yelling and “tough love” approach doesn’t work for me. I’ve got no taste for Jillian’s methods and don’t believe they work much out of the confines of a reality show and its associated financial incentive for contestants. I don’t watch Jillian and I don’t intend to in the future.</p>
<p>The big challenges such as the 5K, the weekly challenges, and in recent seasons, the full marathon are not the ideas of the trainers but of the producers. Both Jillian and Bob have complained about some of these ridiculous ideas that have been pushed on these obese contestants too soon and/or in spite of physical limitations.</p>
<p>Not to say I haven’t seen the trainers come up with some bone-headed ideas of their own, however. Once Jillian had one of the women carry a 250 or 300 lb. man on her back. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I was terrified the poor woman’s knees or back would go “POP!”</p>
<p>And then there is the whole issue of the diet pills Jillian was promoting - I think they were pulled off the market or there was some concern that they were actually dangerous - don’t remember the specifics - but I found it puzzling that she is all about healthy diet and exercise on reality tv - but is then selling diet pills elsewhere.</p>