Did you happen to catch the new Lifetime TV show, DietTribe? http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/diettribe   It’s about five friends who have a goal of losing thirty pounds each in ninety days, before one of the women gets married.

It’s similar to The Biggest Loser, but much more realistic and, might I add, much more compassionate. The Biggest Loser lost me when I saw that the show revolved around unrealistic weekly weight-loss results and brutal workouts that would send the average person into cardiac arrest. The one time I watched TBL, one contestant lost thirty pounds in a week.

Get real.

Real is what DietTribe is all about. These women (all over 200 pounds) have faced life-long battles with weight and confess that they got to this point because they’ve turned a blind eye to the issue – at times being downright obstinate about it because they wanted people to love them for who they are. Not for what they look like. As women, I think we can all relate to that. Though, when pressed, they all finally admitted the emotional stress of being overweight has ruled their lives – and even more importantly, it’s taken a toll on their health. 

Losing weight is simple math: burn more than you consume. But it goes beyond that. The psychologist and trainer who are working with them agreed successful weight loss is just as much a mental and emotional endeavor. One of them (I can’t remember which) said, “Bring the mind and the body will follow.”

It’s one of those basic things you know, but it still makes you smack your forehead and say, “Wow, that’s right.” If your head’s not in the game then it’s a lost cause.

That was one of the things that hooked me on the show – that, and the way that the friends look to each other for support. They’re achieving their goals not by competing against and “voting each other off,” but by being there for each other.

Sister Quill Kathy Garbera and I have been friends for more than twelve years with another woman named Mimi. http://mimidish.blogspot.com/  The three of us have joined forces to form our own DietTribe of sorts. We’ve known each other through thick and thin. Literally. Now that our friendship has reached a new “decade,” so to speak, we’ve given up the fantasy of fitting into our old college jeans, but we haven’t given up being the best – and the healthiest – we can be at this time in our lives. I don’t want to be cover-model svelte (Good thing, because I was born bigger than that!)  But I do want to get my weight and BMI (body mass index) down to a healthier range.

Basically, we’re going to follow the DietTribe plan of cutting calories to 1,500 per day (eating 5 times per day–three 400 calorie meals, two 150 calorie snacks) and getting some form of exercise five times per week.  Our plan is to check in with each other once a week via e-mail and offer each other support in between.

I’ll admit the prospect of shedding pounds is daunting. I’ve been a yo-yo dieter all my life and have a love-hate relationship with food. But I’d love to get to the point where food was not the illicit seducer. I’m confident I can do it… with a little help from my friends. 

Some of the other jewels gleaned from the DietTribe show: It takes 21 days to make (or break) a habit; excuses are the stories we tell ourselves and believe. We must learn to recognize our excuses and expose them for the saboteurs they are; and most importantly — to be healthy, you must take responsibility for your health and habits.

Awareness makes change.

Anyone out there ready to take on a similar challenge? Or if anyone has lost a large amount of weight do you have any tips or suggestions?