First off, this morning, I want to thank my core group of dedicated students who were in class last night, when so many others opted to stay warm in their homes.  Yes, the temperatures in South Florida ARE unseasonably cold but this is the first week of the new year and I know that masses of people resolved to exercise more this year, so sometimes we have to tough it up a bit!  We can't possibly be succesful at our long term goals if we don't have short term goals that we achieve.  "It's too cold," is nothing more than an excuse and excuses don't lead to success.  It really is true that whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Thank you also to Jane and Kyle who pushed the DVR on me and taught me that I no longer ever have to MISS anything on TV.  I still rush home from the gym filled with anticipation, but I no longer have to end my class early!!!

So last night we got to meet some of the biggest contestants ever on the show in it's 9 seasons.  At 526 pounds, Michael Ventrella is the heaviest contestant ever.  He also lost the most amount of weight in one week than any other contestant, so we see, once again, that the more you have to lose, the easier it is.  Makes sense.  Those of us (so many!) that are looking to lose 5-10 pounds HAVE to keep this in mind.  The less you have to lose, the harder it is.  As for Michael,  let me put it out there right now, he is gonna be one nice looking young Italian, when this journey is over!  His gorgeous eyes and face are evident even behind his 526 pounds. 

Actually,  I think it's a great cast this season.  I have a lot of favorites already.  In the end it was the twins, who together weigh just under a half of a ton, that fell below the yellow line.  Amazingly, identical twins, John and James lost the exact same amount of weight in one week.  They each lost 23 pounds and yet together they lost the smallest percentage of weight and James was eliminated.  Two other couples were sent home, only to find out they would get to come back again in 30 days and compete against one another on the scale, to see which couple would get to come back. 

For me, personally, the thrill of the show is how incredible the human body is.  Together with a focused mind and great support, it seems to be able to do ANYTHING.  I am in awe of the courage and dedication these contestants display.  Sure, the weight loss transformations are amazing, but I would never enjoy the show if I were seeing people weigh in 6 months after gastric bypass or lap band surgery.  It's the will and desire that impact me and inspire me to do more and to push others to do more.

After the show, I saw Jillian Michaels on the Jay Leno show.  When Jay asked her how often she works out, she said only about 3 hours a week because of her work schedule.  Her job is obviously VERY physical, but as a person who has taught fitness for almost 30 years, I relate to the FACT that we trainers need our own personal workouts, too.  What Jillian did say, very as a matter of fact, was that (for her to keep up her incredible body) it was all about eating clean, healthy food.  As a trainer I believe it's 90% about eating and 10% about exercise.  Don't get me wrong, exercise is SO important for weight loss and health and so much more.  That said, you can exercise 8 hours a day and go home and eat one fat laden meal that negates the calories burned.  MAKES NO SENSE!!!!

So if you are already exercising regularly and still struggling with the weight, get serious with your eating.  Great abs are not made in the gym, they are made in the kitchen and as the saying goes "nothing tastes as good as thin feels".