Chronicles of a Late Bloomer

So, here’s how it works.

I’ve had a couple of brushes with casting for The Biggest Loser. Sue me. I live in Los Angeles.

But, of course, appearing on a reality TV show wasn’t really what I wanted. It’s not that I had the opportunity to actually choose (I didn’t get that far in the audition process), but the fact is that I don’t want to be a star. I want to be healthy.

One of the things you do if you are in the casting process and obsessive (as I am) is read Casting Tips and join the comment frenzy over on Matthew McNutt’s blog. Matt was a cast member in season 3 — one of the “at home” contestants who was invited back into the house for a mid-season weigh-in. He ended up losing 176 pounds (for a grand total of 48%) but it wasn’t quite enough to get cast back into the BL Ranch or win the at-home prize. Still, he’s one of the only former cast-members who actively blogs and stays involved with the process, at least in this online-blog-y kind of way. He’s a bit religious for my tastes, but when it comes to casting for the Biggest Loser, he’s sort of the be-all of support.

[bookcover:1931290571]

Many months ago, while obsessing about the process, I read Matt’s review of Dr. Huizenga’s poorly-designed but apparently super-helpful book. Dr. Huizenga is the wee little sprite of a thing with a curly mullet that shows up at the beginning and end of the season, sometimes. He is usually the one reviewing the results of the in-depth physicals, announcing people’s real-age estimates and trying to put the fear of medical god in the contestants. He’s also the one who congratulates them in the end for reversing diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and whatnot.

Turns out he’s not only a little guy in bad need of a haircut, but he also graduated from Harvard Medical School and specializes in sports medicine. Maybe a guy who’s worked for years with 300-plus-pound athletes (linebackers, etc.) know a thing or two about people my size trying to get into shape, not just lose weight.

I bought the book on November 27th.

This entry was posted Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 5:51 pm and is filed under Biggest Loser, The 2010 Experiment. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.