I used to be fat

I still am fat. However, I'm talking about the MTV show titled I Used to be Fat. Otherwise known as MADE for fat kids who wanted to be skinnier.

I have a love/hate relationship with this show but not in the same way that I have a love/hate relationship with The Biggest Looser. See I hate The Biggest Looser (I just LOVE to look at Jillian) Where I have clear and defined lines along my disdain for The Biggest Looser as a franchise, I have a love/hate with I Used to be Fat because it gives me a bit more hope. It's a bit more realistic. A bit.

See these kids often say before I go off to college, or before I start school again I want to make a change in my life. Often it gives them anywhere from 98 - 115 days to do so. You can drop a large amount of weight in 3 months. I dropped close to 40 pounds in my first 3 months of training with a trainer 3 days a week. However, these kids are working out 6 days a week for anywhere from 4-6 hours. Yet it's only breezed over that this is how much time they are putting in. It's also breezed over that they are "eating healthier" when it's never really spelled out what methods are being used in their diet.

I love the show because it shows you what you can do if you are determined, push through, and actually make a dedication to yourself. I hate the show because it doesn't fully show young kids how much support you need to push yourself. Family support, yeah they focus on that. But what about the rural fat kid who sees this show and can't afford the personal trainer, who doesn't have a gym nearby, how do they replicate the same results.

I would love a show that follows people in the struggle. People who take the time to change their bodies. I would love it if the show was positive and helpful. The damned Heavy show on A&E just has the music that is depressing and makes me feel like I'm watching Intervention hoping for the addict to fail. (I know how horrible that sounds but the internet can show you all sorts of Intervention drinking games)

What I want from I Used to be Fat is for them to follow these kids and see how the term "I used to be fat" affects them. Often friends who have lost weight mention to me that it's hard to let go of the defenses of the funny fat kid, or the fat kid who goes along with what everyone says. I want people to know that struggles don't stop just because the weight eventually comes off.