Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition – Was Michael set up to fail?

Now don’t get all riled up by the headline! Michael certainly did not fail in his quest to lose weight on this episode of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, but there’s one little part of the show that always bugs me a bit, and it’s that carrot host and trainer Chris Powell dangles in front of his client at the start of the first phase of weight loss. We’ve seen on past episodes the promise of trips if the 90 day weight loss goal was achieved, and with Mike — the 493 lb, 28-year-old virgin — Chris promised him a dating coach/matchmaker if he reached his goal of 120 lbs. Michael hit the goal right on the button, and then the entire next segment of the show was devoted to meeting the coach and going on a night of speed dating, and then being rated on his performance! Meanwhile, all I’m thinking is shouldn’t this guy be on the treadmill so he can hit his next weight loss goal of 70 lbs?

Michael did well with his first attempt at dating, which gave him the confidence and the push to keep up with his program … and then his friends set him up on a date which, good for him, went from a game of Putt-Putt to a full-time commitment. Except that commitment came at a price. Chris was a bit dismayed to see (with his spy cams) that Mike was slacking off on his workout routine in order to hang more with his friends and new girlfriend. This is why I wonder if the people on the show are set up to fail at this stage of the game. Seriously, after three months no one is going to have the self-control yet to not fall back into old habits. People who get sent on trips right at the start of Phase 2 inevitably gain weight, even while they attempt to work out, because they still haven’t conquered their unhealthy relationship with food. Setting Mike loose on the world of dating, and then seeing him fall for the first girl he went on a real date with, was just all kinds of wrong for him at that point in the program. I know that Chris (and the producers) probably see that as a test, to see if the subjects can focus on their goals but, come on, this poor guy has never been out with a girl, then you send him out into the dating world, and you expect him to stay focused?

Needless to say, Michael did not meet his six month weight loss goal, losing “only” 56 lbs. A good number by any means, but he was preparing to run a triathlon and needed to be as close to 300 lbs as possible. At 317 lbs, it was a questionable choice for him to continue with his plan, but Mike set a goal of six hours (which Chris pulled down to five), really set his mind to it and even after almost not making it through the running, he managed to finish in a stunning four hours and twenty minutes. So maybe the “failure” at the weigh in was really a ploy to kick Michael’s butt into gear for the rest of the program. Either way, it worked and Michael ended up losing 255 lbs for a final weight of 238 lbs. And best of all, he had his entire family supporting him, pledging to collectively lose 500 lbs in the course of the year (they lost a total of 442 lbs by year’s end). Congratulations to Michael on his success, and for finding that focus to stay the course even after the cameras stopped rolling. Keep up the good work!

Clacked by Chuck Duncan
on Jul 02, 2012 @ 01:14 EST5EDT