Hansen Report

The Biggest Loser

The Bravo show regarding superhuman weight-loss is pretty fantastic. I detest television and reality shows are the worse.

My mom seems to enjoy watching the show. I will even admit to watching two episodes. 

 These contestants are crazy. They are losing over a hundred pounds in certain cases. Its impossible for me to imagine losing 40-50% of my body weight over the course of 3 months. If that was to happen I would weigh less than 100 pounds. 

 Weight is not something that I worry about. In my days of lightweight rowing, it was extremely important for me to stay in top condition. This was only during high school and part of college, but during these pivotal years I was able to maintain my weight to the pound and at weigh-ins to the ounce.

 You have to be within certain guidelines if you want to be competitive in the world of lightweight rowing. In high school the boat has to have an average weight of 155 pounds/rower. The highest weight you are allowed in the boat is 160 pounds, while the rest of the weight can be averaged out with smaller rowers in the 140’s. As a part of the “engine room” I was allowed to stay at 155-157 pounds at the height of the season. I was able to do this because I worked out 3-4 hours a day/five days a week. Also, at 6’2” it would not have been healthy for me to go any lower in weight. Furthermore, unlike bulky 5’8” rowers that weighed 155 pounds, I was able to use my height for better leverage. This leverage propelled me to get record-breaking scores on the team and to help carry our lightweight boat into victory at local and state levels.

 In college these descriptors become even harder to maintain. The Freshman boat has to average 150 pounds/rower with the heaviest rower weighing no more than 155 pounds. 

One of the important things I learned about my lifestyle is that I can control the variables. Too many people get stuck eating unhealthy amounts of fatty foods,  starches, carbohydrates and acidic meals. This can all change through simple changes to the diet.

 There are two major factors that lead to my ultimate happiness: Stress and Nutrition. The manner that we deal with these two occurrences can be strongly correlated to our lifestyle. If we eat healthy and take steps to take stress out of our lives we will be happier people. This has been what I have found to date.