Channeling My Inner SunShine

Those of you who know me well know that I love TV, especially reality TV. One of the show’s on the top of my MUST WATCH list is “The Biggest Loser.” The show takes severely overweight contestants and gives them medical advice, nutritional advice and two no-nonsense Personal Trainers. The contestants compete against each other in physical and temptation challenges each week, but the main challenge is to lose weight. Each week the contestants are weighed and the people with the lowest percentage of weight loss are sent home. The show is often faulted for bring somewhat unrealistic, because 99.99% of people trying to lose weight do not get to do so in this “failing is not an option” circumstance with all of these amazing resources. I however, think it is amazing. It gives this handful of people the opportunity to change their lives and for many of them save their lives, while inspiring others. This show truly is inspiring and motivating. Watching the mentally, physically and emotionally grueling things these people are put through really proves you can achieve anything if you work hard enough.

My favorite contestant of all time is on this current season’s show, her name is SunShine. She came on the show with her father O’Neal. As the two biggest members of their family, SunShine and O’Neal have a special bond, one that enables both of them and caused them to become extremely unhealthy. SIDEBAR: They’re from Minneapolis which makes me love them even more! SunShine is 24 years-old (just one year younger than me) she has never had a boyfriend, never been kissed and has never felt good about herself. Watching her on this Biggest Loser journey has been truly inspirational. She has lost 80 pounds in 12 weeks, but the real changes are emotional. She had a tough conversation with her dad this past episode telling him that he can finally let go; that she is, for the first time in her life, truly happy and that she is finally realizing and feeling like she is beautiful. Talk about water works, I was crying like a baby. But what truly inspires me is her determination, she came to the show to lose weight, become healthy and change her life and she is not going to leave without accomplishing that. She is always giving every work out 110% and when she’s not pushing herself she is pushing an encouraging her dad and the other contestants. I know it’s crazy, but I feel like I know her and I am so proud whenever I see her win a challenge or kill it on the scale. I need to look to SunShine for inspiration in my own life; inspiration to not only be healthier and push myself but to believe in myself, be more confident and to really push encourage those close to me.

 You get 'em girl! And if you ever need a Sugar Free Vanilla, Skim Latte...I got the best one in town!