weight loss

You've seen the ads. Those "Fitness Made Simple" commercials with the lame but catchy jingle. ("It's Fitness Made Simple...Made for real people!") Now John Basedow has made a promotional video for his new reality show.

Basically, the video is him walking around a mall, signing autographs, talking to people, and getting kisses from women (one woman says "he's sooo hot"). Many people also say he's "rockin' the hair," which I think is a good thing. I'm not quite sure why he says at one point that "the reality crew" with the camera has been following him around all day, like he doesn't know who it is. I mean, the video is for John Basedow TV, but I guess it gives it that reality "feel."

You don't find out until the end that the reality show they're talking about can be seen exclusively on...his MySpace page. Yeah, I have a reality show too. It can be seen exclusively in my living room every night. Of course, I'm just jealous. And his fitness strategies actually seem really logical and effective.

Ruben Studdard is at the helm of a statewide effort to encourage people in Alabama to lose weight. Ruben, who won American Idol in 2003, lost more than 100 pounds when he began a weight loss program last summer. He is asking 25 percent of Alabamans to lose 10 pounds in eight weeks. Studdard's weight loss program, called Scale Back Alabama, kicks off January 4th. Alabama is ranked as the "heaviest state" in the nation with 28.4 percent obesity.

Ruben says he was motivated to lose weight because of a family history of diabetes and heart trouble. He did it in a very extreme way, though. He went to Duke Diet & Fitness center for a month to learn how to become a healthy eater. His mentor for weight loss has been Idol judge Randy Jackson.

(S03E02) NBC, what're you trying to do to me? Another two hour episode this week?!?! You're testing my patience and the patience of the flood of fans who dropped by here at TVS last week to leave comments. Okay, there were exactly two comments last week, both from viewers who stated their intention to watch America's Next Top Model instead anyway. No doubt a double-sized Loser is just what is needed to reel viewers in. Here is my plea to reality show producers: if you're going to run two hours a night, make it two episodes -- that is, two challenges, two eliminations, don't just pad out an extra hour.

Anyway, here goes ...

(S03E01) I don't watch that much reality television, but I like this one because it seems to work for the contestants. And maybe for viewers too: last season I watched and got inspired, losing fifty pounds myself. So I've been looking forward to this.

But wait a minute: Jillian Michaels -- the tougher of the two trainers in earlier seasons is gone, much to my disappointment. Had I paid attention when she announced her departure months ago, maybe I wouldn't have tuned in tonight. I really like how she drove the men's team last year, and they seemed to love her too. That, and this time there are fifty contestants to wade through. One from each state in the union. The obese nation theme gets a lot a play early on. But fairly quickly they're whittled down to a manageable group of 14: seven men and seven women. Unlike last year, they are not divvied up into teams based on gender. The other 36 will continue the challenge on their own at home. However, the parade of fifty hopeful contestants marching down the hill to the Biggest Loser Ranch is an impressive sight. (Spoilers after the jump.)

Our fitness-focused sister site, That's Fit, has posted FitTV, a list of this week's health and fitness related programming. Here are some quick picks from the schedule:

NBC
The Biggest Loser - 9/20, 8/7c (two hour season premiere!)

DISCOVERY HEALTH CHANNEL
I Lost It! (Episode: Carla & Shawn) - 9/19; 6:30am, 11am ET
I Lost It! (Episode: Allison & Robin) - 9/20; 6:30am, 11am ET
I Lost It! (Episode: Debi & Bob) - 9/21; 6:30am, 11am ET
I Lost It! (Episode: Dana & Caitlin) - 9/22; 6:30am, 11am ET
Relay For Life: Giant Steps - 9/23; 10am ET

VH1
Celebrity Fit Club (Episode: Put Up or Shut Up) - 9/18; 11PM ET

For the full list, check out FitTV: September 18 - September 24.

I was watching Less Than Perfect last night (yes, it's back on ABC... yes, I thought it was cancelled, too), and the first thing I noticed was that Sara Rue had lost weight. A LOT of weight. Not that this is the first time I've seen the skinny Sara (I think I saw her skinny self on an episode of Ellen or something), but I had forgotten just how much she had slimmed down since her sitcom started four years ago.

But here's the thing: I don't understand why she had to lose the weight to begin with.