What would you do?
About 6 months ago, when I first got engaged, I was feeling very "in the spirit." I came up with this idea to email talk shows about having a bridal competition to lose weight. Ya know, 3 brides competing and you win things for your wedding, type thing. Well to my surprise, one of the shows called on Saturday! I couldn't believe it! I never expected to hear back. So now, I have to decide if I really want to do this!? I mean....advertising your weight to the world? I don't think so. Standing in a bikini on TV? Um not so much. Winning prizes, OH YEAH!I only have about 20 lbs, maybe 25, to lose, but I don't know if I really want to do this? Needing adivce, ladies! What would you do? Realisitically?
(Right now I asked for information regarding possible prizes and details on what is required from me, so more info to come)
(Right now I asked for information regarding possible prizes and details on what is required from me, so more info to come)
Labels: Buff Brides, Miss Cleveland Park
posted by Miss Cleveland Park at 11:02 AM
18 Comments:
it sounds like a good opportunity! Is this like a national talk show, or just local. I have 8 months until my wedding and have been working out a couple times a week but haven't seen any changes on the scale, just toning. I plan on hiring a trainer in the spring, but they're so expensive. If the talk show would have you meet with a nutritionist and a trainer that would be worth it since you'll benefit from that information long after your wedding. I have about the same amount of weight to lose as you do, so good luck!
Uh this is a Big one. Not only national but outside the US. Would you do it? And good luck to you, too.
I would 100% do this! I getting married in May and have been working with a trainer since August. To be honest, I only had 5-10 pounds to lose, but decided to use the wedding as an excuse to finally get rid of my "cheesecake pounds." I cannot extol the benefits of a trainer enough. I feel fabulous about my body which has been great not only for the wedding, but also for me and my fiance in general. :) That being said, trainers are expensive, so I would jump at the chance of getting one on a TV show. Plus, you really don't have that much weight to lose; 20-25 is nothing to be ashamed of. Go for it!
By the way, I love all of your posts. You are adorable!
They had something like this on Style yesterday.
http://www.thebiggestloser.info/the-biggest-loser-for-couples.html
They won a honeymoon if they won the first weigh in and then a $50,000 wedding if they won the overall thing.
The loss of weight between the two couples was amazing... I think one lost 75+ pounds together.
I would do it. Not to lose all the weight, but to get healthier. I only need to lose around 10 or so, but I don't really know how to eat right and enjoy exercising so I could benefit from something like that.
I think it's a great idea! I would watch the show. Is it with Dr. Phil. I hear they are looking for brides who want to do a weight loss competition. Good luck!
hahahaha yes
I would do it... you are so hot Miss Cleveland park so work your stuff on National TV!!!
Considering our generation's enthusiastic abandonment of personal privacy for overwhelming (and electronic) candor, going on a show and revealing your weight, wedding date, and personal struggle to get fit seems like a logical continuation of the trend. You have already posted pictures of you and your fiancé on a public website, discussed your weight, and have even disclosed your living situation and where your wedding will be located. And all of this is of little benefit to you besides being known by the readers of this blog. Yes you may win prizes and lose weight for your wedding, but is that worth losing your privacy and being known to more strangers?
Often people see being on television as its own end. Why? The ironically anonymous commenter above me wrote, "you are so hot...so work your stuff on national tv!" Why? So more people will know you are hot? For average individuals who have nothing to contribute to the world of daytime television, nor anything to gain besides some gifts you would get anyway from your registry, the only point of being on television is an indulgent narcissism. If you are a narcissist, or an extreme materialist, then television is the way to go. If you value the little privacy we have in this age, then you'll avoid putting yourself in a situation where you will be judged on an (inter)national stage.
In your previous post you discussed how horrified you were at the idea of trying on wedding gowns because of the weight you had gained and the fact that you "did not want to be disappointed with yourself." And that was just with the idea of being alone in a dressing room. Now think about that, but on national television; then subsequently on YouTube; then discussed on blogs ad infinitum. And this is forever. How would you react?
Finally, let me give my thoughts on the health aspects of this challenge. Katy above mentioned "The Biggest Loser." Though it is true the show provides professional trainers, dietitians, and advice on how to lose weight, it has a terrible track record on those contestants keeping the weight off. They often crash diet and cut weight like wrestlers for the final weigh-in and gain it all back in a matter of months--TIME had an article on this. They perform a feet to win some money. Contests are an awful way to lose weight, because you do not need to keep it off.
I am speaking as someone who lost 55 pounds at the age of 17-18. Everyday is a constant struggle to keep the weight off, even five years later. Once you've been fat, the fat cells stay. They never go away. If you're not careful you can and will gain the weight back.
Twenty to twenty-five pounds might not seem like a lot, but that's two bowling balls. Three gallons of water. Half of the baggage allowance on domestic flights. It's probably something like 15-20% of your total body weight. That's a huge change. And while the experts say you can lose 10 pounds a month safely, it's a lot harder than it seems. It took me almost a year, with many setbacks. Losing weight is about changing your life, like getting married, and if you do not approach it seriously you will fail in either case. If you lose the weight only to gain it back, it will have a huge psychological effect, and you may become so discouraged you'll never hop back on the elliptical and remain "just 20-25 pounds" overweight. That drastically increases your risk for heart disease, cancer, and other health problems over time. Losing weight is a necessary step, and requires a seismic shift in your lifestyle. If you wanted to lose five pounds, you could manage really easily, but this is significant.
So my advice to you would be that if you are the type of person who would go on television to find a man and get married (a la "The Bachelorette"), then go on television to lose weight. If you value your private life, your health, and your future more than fame and material goods, then you should stay away.
Besides, you should be focused on getting married and not with your next scheduled appearance on television. This will only distract you. All of your friends and family know what you look like now; there is no point to try to act like you never gained the weight, especially if you announce your current state on national television. But they don't care what you look like. Your fiancé loves you (he proposed to you!) as you are now, so six months in the future will not matter much. You are an attractive woman. Plan your wedding and have a good time at it, even if you are a few sizes larger than what you think is "ideal." After you eat your wedding cake and go on your honeymoon, sit down and make plans for the second big event of your life: losing the weight. Don't make it a sideshow, make it the main event.
i would do it! i just got engaged last week and one of the first things i realized i had to do was lose some weight! if i had the opportunity i would totally do it.
for prizes i would think they could easily give away travel for the winners honeymoon!
While I appreciate ALL opinions, please understand, my reasons for even considering this are not egotistical or superficial.
First, My desire to lose weight is more about wanting to feel beautiful on my wedding day and no one else. I am working out and doing weight watchers, but this is a slow process and I see the TV show as motivating and fun.
Secondly, I would only consider this for our future. Like I mentioned, it would be a competition and there would be prizes. Mr CP and I are saving for a house, which is the most important thing we can do for ourselves at this point. If this show yields assistance in reaching that goal, then I will at least take the time to listen to the details, and the opinions of the blog readers.
I really do appreciate all the advice. I am not sure yet about this, but I am discussing details with the show. I have 28 years if making good decisions and am confident I will make the right choice for myself. thanks though
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The whole premise of my comment before is that people do not think about the negative aspects of publicity, but rather that it is an unmitigated good. Should the experience be personally fulfilling, there is no way anyone could argue with that. Even me. Whatever you do, it will be a good decision, because as you have written yourself, you are decisive. So please, please do not think I was disrespecting you. All I was trying to do is offer general observations about society, not about you specifically. I would never presume to judge someone I do not know.
OMG!!! You have to do it Ms. Cleveland Park! What a great opportunity to lose weight, have fun, and get prizes!!! I know you would have a super time with this and you would be famous! Maybe this is a spring board to something huge!!! TC
I would definitely consider doing it. It's a conversation I would have to have with my fiancé however. Please keep me updated!!
Ha! I love all the comments from the cheap seats (ie. one's own couch).
To Anonymous, per your comment in paragraph 4: contestants perform a FEAT, not a FEET. They are very different words, meaning very different things.
Finally, to MCP: this was YOUR idea to begin with...I say game on!
Thanks everyone! I will keep you updated! (PS- I hate wicker and love liquor too!)
dont do it... just dont do it missclevelandpark...dont do it.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention - I’ve reviewed it myself now. A very enjoyable read
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