Tag Archives: TV

Row, Row, Row to Get Fit Like Frank Underwood (It’s Better Than Spinning!)

frank underwood rowing

Oh, boy. House of Cards is back this week, and who isn’t excited? The extremely popular television show premiered on Netflix two years ago, and even though we got a brief flirtation with a third season, our long wait is finally over. Though we all appreciate the entertainment value in House of Cards (or any Netflix–binge-worthy show), we have to at least mention Frank Underwood’s stellar shape.

In the first season of House of Cards, Frank’s wife Claire buys him a rowing machine, to which he replies, “It looks positively medieval, doesn’t it?”. He isn’t as avid a runner as she is, and she wants him to stay fit so the two of them can continue their Napoleon-esque takeover of D.C.

Claire is certainly a healthy fitness inspiration, but her reign of influence has caused a boost in the popularity of rowing since a machine moved into her basement, and it is no wonder why. Rowing is a tremendously beneficial activity to add to your fitness routine.

“Rowing is awesome because it pulls double duty,” explained DietsInReview’s Kelly Turner, a personal trainer and fitness journalist. “It’s an amazing cardiovascular workout, but the motion and resistance of the rowing machine also counts as strength training.” (more…)

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Jessica Tholmer

How to Beat the Winter Workout Blues Without Leaving Your Couch!

winter-blues

If you’re anything like me, the second it gets cold you want all the blankets, all the creamy soups, all the Netflix on the couch, ALL THE TIME! Who wants to change into tight workout clothes and attempt to bundle up and leave the house for a run or a trip to the gym when your cozy chair and favorite knit socks simply won’t let you go?

Well fear not fellow homebodies! I’ve gotten pretty creative this year on how to stay moving without moving too far at all. Here’s how to beat winter at its own game, and do it from the comfy-cozy confines of your house.

Dread commercials? Make ’em count!

While I fully endorse the 25 Days of Christmas movie marathon, nobody needs 25 full days to sit around. Use those dreaded commercial breaks as an excuse to move around. The average half-hour TV show has at least 8 minutes of ads, double that for an hour, so if you’re binge-watching Gilmore Girls that adds up quick! Think pushups, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, no equipment, and only a few minutes to push it hard before your show is back on!

Here’s a TV Commercial Break Workout you can squeeze in between scenes. (more…)

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Katie McGrath

The 9 Best Gilmore Girls Food Indulgences, or the Gastronomic Nightmare That is the Gilmore Girls’ Diet

gilmore girls food

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the last 10 days or so in a Gilmore Girls-induced haze. Ever since the entire series was added to Netflix on October 1, I confess that I’ve been binge watching almost every night.

Several things have stuck out to me while re-watching the series. I’ve marveled at the quick, witty script, cringed at the awful early 2000’s fashion, and enjoyed pre-Bridesmaids Melissa McCarthy. However, the thing that’s stuck out to me the most has to be the food. It’s a running gag that the titular Gilmore Girls eat like crap and somehow manage to still look amazing. To celebrate (and condemn) the gastronomic nightmare that is the Gilmore Girls diet, here’s a countdown of some of their top indulgences.

gilmore girls chinese food (more…)

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Elizabeth

Rachel’s 60 Percent Weight Loss is Nothing to Celebrate; Biggest Loser Should be Ashamed

UPDATE: Editor Brandi Koskie spoke with WCCO radio in Minneapolis, MN, about Rachel’s shocking weight loss. Listen to the conversation here:

 

 

105 pounds. 60% loss? Rachel is beautiful, but @biggestlosernbc that is not healthy. We both know that. We shouldn’t celebrate that.

That’s what I tweeted tonight once the confetti fell on the Biggest Loser stage. Reactions of shell-shocked viewers, like this one, poured in. And there are more below.

 

rachel-bl-winner

Rachel Frederickson may have won Biggest Loser season 15 tonight, but there’s very little to celebrate. She looked stunning when she was finally revealed during the live finale, but awe turned to shock when millions of viewers at home noticed her frail, skeletal frame.

“I knew it would come to this someday, just wish it hadn’t,” was the comment from a trusted insider who attended the finale. For years people have wondered if the $250,000 prize money would push contestants too far. This isn’t the first time a finalist has looked too thin on that scale; but no one has ever looked as frighteningly emaciated as Rachel did tonight.

rachel-bl-finale

“It’s so much worse in person, isn’t it?” I texted, following the show’s ending.

“I legitimately cried,” our insider told us upon seeing Rachel in person. “[NBC] should be beyond ashamed.”

NBC has “no statement,” confirmed at 9:15am today.

My sentiments were the same as my insider’s. Rachel’s final weigh-in put her at 105 pounds. That’s not how much she lost, that’s her current weight, a 60% total weight loss off of a starting weight of 260 pounds. That percentage, most likely one of the highest in show history, absolutely secured her win. (more…)

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Natalie K

The Biggest Loser Premiere “Drinking Game” Workout

I’m a huge fan of The Biggest Loser. Like many of you, I’ve been a faithful viewer since the very beginning and have been eagerly anticipating the start of season 15, which is all about second chances. I always look forward to “meeting” the contestants and seeing what kinds of twists and turns are going to be thrown into the show.

One of the big twists this year is that the episodes are only one-hour long. While I love watching the show and definitely don’t look forward to it being over, the previous two-hour format was a long time to be sitting on the couch. And while there’s definitely nothing wrong with spending some time relaxing at the end of the day, if I can get a workout in while watching my favorite show I call that a win.

The Biggest Loser - Season 15
Something that I’ve started doing recently while watching some of my favorite shows is creating my own drinking game-style workout. Just in case you’re not familiar, a drinking game means taking a shot of liquor every time a “buzz” word is said. While that sounds like fun, it’s not exactly conducive to calorie burning. The difference with my game is that instead of taking a shot each time a buzz word is said I perform a specific exercise; burning instead of gaining.

Play along with us! Here’s a full body workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home (using your own body weight) while watching the premiere of The Biggest Loser, Season 15. You will not be exercising for the entire hour and have the option of performing more or less exercises during each segment of the show.

The Biggest Loser - Season 15

During the Introductions:

As contestants are being introduced, start by warming up with some dynamic stretching such as arm circles, side to side lunges and toe touches. Every time footage is shown of a contestant eating unhealthy food or says I need to start taking care of myself or second chance, do 15 jumping jacks. (more…)

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Lauren Martin

Make a More Natural Blue-Rock-Tini for Your Breaking Bad Finale Party

The series finale of Breaking Bad airs this Sunday on AMC. After recently winning Emmy awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama (Anna Gunn) and Best Dramatic Series, there’s no doubt the show is ending at the top of its game. I’ve never been drawn to the intensity and gore of other popular series like Dexter or Game of Thrones, but there was something about Walter White that intrigued me from the pilot episode.

How does a man transform from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to a drug lord named Heisenburg? A man who poisons children, dissolves bodies in barrels of acid, and kills old people for ringing bells (OK, so there was a little bit more to that one). During five dark, brilliant seasons, Breaking Bad writers showed us the transformation, then the degradation of Walter White, and I’ve loved every minute of it.

blue martini

The finale is bound to draw more than 6.5 million viewers, and we’ll venture a safe bet that most of you have a blue-rock-theme.

(more…)

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Dani Stone

Healthy School Lunch Reform is Fighting Childhood Obesity, Tackling TV is Next Step

A team of cardiologists at the University of Michigan has found that among obese middle schoolers, 62 percent watched two or more hours of TV a day. The data suggests that when “screen time” replaces physical activity, obesity is likely to ensue. When you pair this decreased activity with the calorie-rich, fat-laden lunches served in schools, you have a full on epidemic.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2024 was meant to provide healthier food for the national school lunch program, which took effect last year. It’s certainly a step in the right direction, but still far from perfect. As for the other side of the coin, it’s ultimately up to parents to tackle the TV problem. The life-long effects of poor dietary and activity habits can lead obesity, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

Boy in Cafeteria Line

Our resident nutrition expert, Mary Hartley, RD, has been an ardent supporter of the school lunch overhaul, and told us that for many kids, half of a child’s calorie intake comes from school lunch, and those calories were 34 percent fat.

“French fries and other potato products accounted for a disproportionate number of the vegetables on kids’ trays,” she said. “But improving school lunches is only one part of the obesity problem. Parents at home have a far greater impact.”

(more…)

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Patrick

Biggest Loser 14 Official Trailer Reveals New Contestants, New Logo, and New Theme

They’re back and not necessarily bigger than ever, but definitely younger! NBC’s Biggest Loser will return to prime time on January 6 for the much-anticipated season premier of the show’s 14th season. A season off has allowed the producers to refocus and (we hope) select a cast as inspiring and motivated as some of the show’s most popular contestants ever. In this official trailer released by NBC, we have a feeling we got just what we asked for!

Jillian Michaels returns to Biggest Loser this season, joining forces in the gym with Dolvett and Bob, as they “Challenge America,” the new theme for this year. We’ve seen the biggest contestants before, but this time they’re introducing us to their youngest contestants – three teens under the age of 18. The show has been a force in impacting the obesity epidemic in our country, but now they’re going to show how we can all impact childhood obesity, too. (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Natalie K

Danny Boome’s Recipe Rehab is Making Over America’s Favorite Recipes on Network TV

My husband’s grandmother Polly makes the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I won’t say that’s why I married him, but it’s certainly one of the perks of joining his family! The headache I get after eating it is sometimes worth it – it’s that good. But, deep down I know it’s not good for me at all. With more than a pound of sugar between the cake and icing, butter, and white flour, I could really use some Recipe Rehab.

Families like mine across the country are having their favorite traditional recipes madeover on ABC’s new Recipe Rehab, a network cooking show hosted by celebrity chef Danny Boome. He told me it’s the first show to really bring cooking back to network TV since Julia Child. It’s also the first show to have started on YouTube and made the jump to network TV!

On the show, sponsored by Everyday Health, families submit recipes that they love but aren’t loving them back. So far, since the show’s premiere on October 6, they’ve fixed macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, and spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe Danny will hear my cries for chocolate cake help this Thanksgiving!

During the 30-minute show, we see two chefs makeover the recipes with healthier ingredients. The goal is to lower the fat, calories, and sugar while maintaining the flavor, texture, and even ease that the families love. Then, each family receives the two recipes and prepares them in their own home. Of course, no cook off would be complete without a tasting, at which point they reveal a winner.

“The idea of the show is to try to give people choices, open their minds up,” said Danny in our interview. On the phone he is enthusiastic about the work they’re doing and points out the real value the show offers its American viewers. (more…)

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser and Body by Vi Have No Partnership, According to NBC

One of the biggest diet trends to happen in a while is Body by Vi, a meal replacement shake weight loss plan that thrives because of its multi-level marketing (MLM) business model (aka pyramid scheme). The brand has a huge following, and this week sounded like it was poised to gain even more with news of a Biggest Loser tie-in.

When the most popular reality show on TV syncs with a wildly popular diet brand, you’d think it would be a perfect marketing marriage. But that’s not the case. Rumors have been swirling that the two brands were partnering, so we had to look in to it. Turns out, the news is just a misunderstood rumor.

“There is no partnership between the show and this company,” the press representative for Biggest Loser at NBC told us this evening. (more…)

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Natalie K

Americans Who Watch 4.5 Hours of TV Daily Have Plenty of Time to Exercise

You don’t have time to workout, huh? Well, I have information that says otherwise.

According to the Bureau of Labour we’re a busy bunch, but we’re not exactly making the most of our free time. The biggest excuse in the book for skipping exercise kind of falls apart when you see that people spend the majority of their leisure time watching TV. Are your shows that important? Then move while you watch!

You can easily do yoga, squats, or jog in place while cleaning out your DVR and catching up on the hottest summer reality shows. There are some people who only allow themselves time to watch TV while they’re on the treadmill at the gym, and some who keep their TV in the fitness room of their home.


The only thing we spend less time doing than exercise is relaxing, and that’s no good either. Our bodies and brains need plenty of time to unwind. In some cases though, exercise and relaxing go hand-in-hand. Yoga, swimming, cycling, a round of hoops, or chasing your kids through the park are all ways to relax while still remaining active. (more…)

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Natalie K