Not only does ABC's new weight loss reality show, Fat March, enlist 12 obese marchers to walk 570 miles across 9 states, but they surprised marchers at the end of the first day with more news. The marchers would not be sleeping in a warm bed. Instead, they would be camping in tents in the freezing cold. What in the world did camping have to do with weight loss reality TV?
As my husband, Steve Pfiester, trainer for Fat march explained, most of the marchers had spent their lives staying as comfortable as possible both physically and mentally. Strenuous activity was avoided at all cost. Daily routines were centered on eating and laziness. The marchers were in the habit of looking for shortcuts, even to the extent of having a refrigerator in their bedroom to avoid a walk to the kitchen. There are no shortcuts when it comes to camping.
Another part of staying comfortable is the idea of keeping the mind occupied in order to avoid uncomfortable thoughts. It is common to try to escape problems by keeping our minds busy but thinking, exploring and soul-searching is exactly what the marchers needed. Fat March was not only going to offer them exercise, but hours and hours of time to think; allowing them to learn, develop, rebuild and heal.
In addition, the 12 marchers were pulled from the enabling environments they had invented and were thrown into a survivalist mentality. They had to learn to do for themselves or do without. This helped increase their daily activity and built confidence as they learned to overcome difficult circumstances.
The hardest thing by far for these 12 people was not the physical activity alone; it was the mental anguish of the outdoors, the sheer repetitive nature of the workouts, and the selflessness to encourage teammates who they struggled to even like. "This grew us all and stretched us as human beings." Steve Pfiester explained, "but it took us to a place mentally, and emotionally, where we learned to overcome". That's what this show is about. Fat March is not just about weight loss, but learning to overcome in ANY circumstance."