Fat March

[Bearcata]

There is a new reality show that is on ABC Mondays at 9pm called Fat March. I am all for losing weight so I thought I would give it a try.

Here's the link: ABC.com: Primetime - Fat March - Fat March

All you need is a pair of sneakers! Twelve overweight people set off on the walk of a lifetime! It's an epic, life-changing journey that begins at the starting line for the Boston Marathon and ends in Washington, DC. The contestants and their two charismatic fitness trainers, Steve Pfiester and Lorrie Henry, will walk over 570 miles, passing through nine states, with the goal of shedding unwanted pounds and getting fit along the way in an attempt to permanently alter their lives. In addition, they all will compete for a prize pool of $1.2 million. Stressing team work, the more people who finish, the more money each person wins, on Fat March, premiering MONDAY, AUGUST 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

During each leg of the excursion there are "luxury reward challenges" where an individual or team can win incentives such as spa treatments, low calorie gourmet meals prepared by a private chef or deluxe accommodations for the night to help them on their trip. There are also amazing prizes at stake, such as get-aways to Hawaii and Las Vegas. The challenges are geographically specific to the area contestants are in. At the elimination, participants are able to expel a group member who is holding them back from reaching the finish line in the allotted time. However, eliminating a fellow competitor has a price: $10,000 is deducted from each competitor's potential prize money with each elimination.

Executive producer is Nick Emmerson. Co-executive producers are Julie Laughlin and Kirsty Robson. The production company is Ricochet (Supernanny). Fat March is based on the British series, Too Big to Walk. A TV parental guideline will be posted closer to airdate.

I could not believe that all the marchers had to do the first day was walk 5.5 miles and Kim the diva rapper whined so much about it, and that night and the next day. Here is a golden opportunity to lose weight, get fit, have an adventure and win some money and all she did was whine and whine and whine and then quit. Considering how hard auditions can be and how proactive you have to be to create an audition tape and send in an application what did she think she was getting herself into. The show is about walking 570 miles. What part of walk and 570 miles did she not understand. God forbid they had to camp in tents.

As far as Shane and his stress fractures, well he does not have to wait until they heal until he works out, that is what stationary and recumbent bikes are for.

Oh, and to that baseball coach who was such a grump to the green team lady when they won, sore loser needs to be stitched into your mouth as I sew it shut. People should be allowed to celebrate their wins and feel good about their accomplishments and not have other people pull them down.

[Google]

 

[ElizabethG]

I watched this....thought that the two hosts or trainers, coaches, whatever were just a tad too perky and trying a little hard to be like the coaches on the Biggest Loser. The whole show reminded me quite a bit of BL, especially the weigh-ins. Overall, though, it was pretty interesting....most of the contestants seem to really want to do this. Can't remember most of their names right now, but the one lady with two names (Jamie-Lynn?) seemed to be pretty nice. I'll probably continue to watch. I like to see and hear other people's stories of how they find their motivation and committment to change their eating habits and exercise habits.

[Hutch]

So far it's a boring show and a poor concept............but, I'll hang in there for a few more episodes.

[Bearcata]

Originally Posted by Hutch

So far it's a boring show and a poor concept............but, I'll hang in there for a few more episodes.

I found it alot more exciting then Hell's Kitchen. Better personalities too.

[Bearcata]

This show is based on the British show "Too Big Too Walk" which was done in an observational documentary style and is about 8 obese people, 4 men and 4 women, who walk 500 miles in 8 wks starting in Scotland and going south through England using both rural and urban walkways. The group mostly camps out but has a daily budget and can chose to stay overnight in better accommadations if they are available. There is not prize, the group walks 6 days out of 7. They are put into groups and there is a buddy system and it all for them to support each other. The point of the show was that the Brits have as big problem with overweight adults as we do here in the USA. That blows the stereotype I had of all Europeans being fitter then we are cause they eat less processed foods then we do and walk more. Not surprisingly the contestents are all hyped up until the minute they start to actually walk and one girl starts the entire negative meltdown and quits the first day very much like Kim did on the first episode of Fat March.

ABC is making their version of "Too Big To Walk" renamed "Fat March" more of a game show with a prize, challenges, and a vote off. What surprised me is that in an interview I read on another site with Wendy Wright, one of the contestents, said that they were only walking 4 days a week, with one day set aside for challenges and vote offs. This is a 10 week challenge, a 6 wk reality show with the finale on Sept 10. Still I am surprised they are only walking 4 days a week, cause to walk 570 in 40 days (10 wks x 4 days walking equals 40 days walking) averages 14.25 miles a day and this group is so out of shape that they only walked 5.5 miles the first day. Perphaps that explains some of the lower weight losses that were recorded at the first weight in at the 8 day mark by some of the women. Still I did the calculations and if the crew walked 5 days a week they only needed to do 11.4 miles a day to complete 570 miles in 10 weeks. If the crew walked 6 days a week they only needed to walk 9.5 miles a day to complete the 570 miles in 10 weeks. Still I am in favor of anything that helps people loss and kept off excess weight.

Here is the cast:

Lorrie Henry: Trainer
Steve Pfiester: Trainer

Chantal: 35, 5'2", 250 pounds
Jami Lyn: 30, 5'9", 226 pounds
Kimberly: 39, 5'5", 225 pounds*
Loralie: 30, 5'3", 233 pounds
Shea: 27, 5'7", 280 pounds
Wendy : 40, 5'6", 234 pounds
Anthony: 25, 6'3", 410 pounds
Matt: 36, 6'3", 386 pounds
Michael: 41, 6'2 1/2", 330 pounds
Sam: 22, 5'9", 371 pounds
Shane: 34, 6'0", 500 pounds**
Will: 26, 6'2", 470 pounds

*Kimberly quit in the first episode, day 2 I think. $10,000 deducted from the final prize.

**Shane had stress fractures in his feet and had to stop and go to the hospital. He was voted off. The team had to make up the 13 miles he did not complete and would have to start where he stopped. So they voted him off and had $10,000 deducted from their portions of the final prize.

If all 12 members successfully completed they walk they will each recieve $100,000. Each time a member quits or is voted off they lose $10,000. With 2 members gone the final prizes stand at $80,000 each.

[Bearcata]

A few thoughts; Wendy and one of the other ladies were very disappointed because at the first weight in on Day 8 they only lost 4 lbs. Now I was thinking 4 lbs a week for 10 wks is 40 lbs. In just over 2 months at 20 lbs per month, that is fantastic. You are not going to see the incredible weight losses that happen on "The Biggest Looser" as those folks are doing 3 to 4 hours of intensive weight training, and interval work 6 days a week and that is just not happening in "Fat March". Still the people in "Fat March" would not be able to do the workouts that the contestents in BL are doing, as is seen watching Kim constantly stop during day 1 and Antony collaspe later and be rushed to the hospital. These folks are not even in shape too work out.

[PWS]

My cousin-in-law told me about this show--glad to see I haven't missed many episodes yet. I like that, UNLIKE BL, they are rewarded for keeping everyone around. I think it's a bit discouraging for people who really really need to lose weight about the stress fractures. They need a show geared to what those people can do....

[Bearcata]

Last week was Stage 1 and the marchers completed 65 miles.

Day 1 of Stage 2 starts out with an 11.5 mile walk and lots of moaning and whinning. People are getting irritated with each other. Antony can't stand Will. Mike doesn't like Chantal's jokes and Wendy is constantly complaining. I give Chantal lots of credit for asking everyone if they have a beef with her to please talk. Mike who would like her to shut up is too much of a coward to say anything yet will constantly complain about her behind her back. OK maybe talking up in front of the crowd is too much, but you can always talk to a person one on one. If Mike and the others could not even do that then they need to shut it.

It is interesting to note the riff that is being created between the marchers that want to 100% commit to the new way of eating and the challenge of marching are separating themselves from the one that break all the rules. The idea of a team seems very foreign to the people in this group.

I thought there would be a three way vote off with Antony voting off Will, Will voting off Antony and Michael voting off Wendy. Guess what?? NOBODY was voted off.

The end of stage 2 the group has completed 150 miles (a total of 85 miles for stage 2)

Antony started at 433 and is down to 396 for a total loss of 37lbs.

Will started at 472 and is down to 441 for a total loss of 31lbs.

Michael started at 319 and is down to 286 for a total loss of 33lbs.

Matt started at 389 and is down to 355 for a total loss of 34lbs.

Sam started at 382 and is down to 351 for a total loss of 31lbs.

Chantal started at 250 and is down to 236 for a total loss of 14lbs.

Wendy started at 242 and is down to 223 for a total loss of 19lbs.

Jamie Lyn started at 236 and is down to 218 for a total loss of 18lbs.

Loralie started at 241 and is down to 222 for a total loss of 19lbs.

Shea started at 289 and is down to 272 for a total loss of 17lbs.

These are the weight losses after 3 wks.

[canadian_angel]

I have a really stupid, perhaps obvious, question, but why is it that the women seem to be losing less than the males? It seems like there's a sharp drop between the two. I know they weigh less overall, but I didn't realize that the loss would be so different.

[Allie]

Originally Posted by canadian_angel

I have a really stupid, perhaps obvious, question, but why is it that the women seem to be losing less than the males? It seems like there's a sharp drop between the two. I know they weigh less overall, but I didn't realize that the loss would be so different.

It is not a stupid and obvious question. My mom got so frustrated when my dad would cheat on a diet and lose weight and she would walk PAST a milkshake and gain a pound (it seemed).

women lose weight slower than men. According to MedicineNet.com:

"Body fat content is 25% for women at normal size compared to 15% for men. All other things being equal, such as age and exercise levels, women require fewer calories per pound of body weight daily than do men. Female hormones make it easier to convert fat into food. Finally, in fat-prone women, birth control pills cause the body to produce increased amounts of fat and water. Estrogen alone will cause increased deposition of fat. Anyone on the pill needs to decrease caloric intake by at least 10% in order to maintain the same weight."

And the University of Florida says: "In short: Women have less calorie burning muscle than men. Women also have "sex-specific fat," most of which is deposited below the waist and is stubbornly resistant to diet and exercise. Acheiving a lighter, trimmer figure is, therefore, a little more demanding for the female."