Chalene Johnson
 

Interesting video on YouTube with Chalene explaining why she left Beachbody and fitness. (Don't know if she left forever or I'd taking a breather).

She was getting ready to start here next project when the director/,producer told her husband that she needed to lose weight. She said she had never lost more than 2 or 3 pounds. She lost 6 pounds. Her hair started falling out, she was irritable and realized she couldn't promote this idea of what she should look like.

I watched that video a few days ago - it was very eye-opening and thought provoking to me - particularly about how she knew she was unhealthy but everyone was complimenting her on how good she looked.

It also made me see her in a different light -while I had a lot of fun with Turbo Jam back in the day, Chalene always reminded me of the cool girls in HS who wouldn't have given me the time of day - seeing this vulnerable side to her was an interesting experience for me - maybe those cool girls had their own insecurities deep down, too!

Of course it makes me want to do Turbo Jam now! I have to see which ones I kept...LOL!


Donna

I just happened to catch a PiYo infomercial the other day, and stopped to watch. I've had the set since it's release and seeing Chalene again made me want to try the workouts. My mom mentioned to me just last week, "have you ever heard of PiYo?" She had know idea what it was and she doesn't really know about the fitness obsession that I've had over the years. ;)

I have PIYO, too - Pam! I keep looking at it and then putting it back on the shelf. In true vidiot style I purchased it - returned it - re-acquired it and haven't done it. LOL!

Donna

She talked about something similar on an episode of her podcast; I'm not a regular listener, but I checked out that episode because someone said she mentioned some controversial things about the FIRM. She said the same thing there, and that she really couldn't advocate trying to fit an unhealthy ideal, even temporarily, and that Beachbody felt like they had to compete with series that showed their leads continually getting smaller (that was basically their reference to the FIRM, that through the later "pink" years the regular stable of instructors were getting more ripped and smaller). I hope this is not BB's current stance, and I know the former FIRM instructors who went to BeMax still look pretty ripped but perhaps slightly healthier. I didn't really think they were unhealthy, but apparently someone did. :/

I guess I have a slightly different take. Her story has changed somewhat over time. I have heard her talk on this before and caught the recent video last week or so. I listened to a few of her podcasts in her heyday as well. She has always come off as very shallow and it seems that BB, age etc finally kicked her out of the ability to do that for a living. It doesn't erase the fact that she did willingly put out a facade of health while doing extreme/less healthy things to maintain that. So she knowingly sold a bit of a lie to us. I wonder if she is mostly shilling for what she is doing now. I have little doubt that she would still be willing to go back if it was an option.

I do hope I'm wrong and that she she has grown. We have a right to mature. And I like the comment about "cool girls having insecurities". It interprets it in a more kind light than I can muster. I think there is a lot of pressure on women in fitness, especially when there is a lot of money to be made with the right "look". But I get tired of all these "heart felt confessions" only after these folks have been ejected for age etc and have no choice but to find a new angle. I think it was her past podcasts that really influenced my thinking on this--such a huge focus on money, physical appearance, materialism.

I think one of the bonus sections of a workout from her was a tour of her house, which turned me off. Did I imagine that?

After I enjoyed my first round of CLX, I decided to watch her old bb live chat videos and recently (in the last 2 years) one of her own videos. Not my cup of tea at all. I try to not to watch anyone's personal nterviews anymore if I like their workouts. I don't wanna think about their offscreen personality.

You're right Sherry - that was bonus content on Turbo Jam and it totally turned me off, too.

That is generally a wise thing to do - some things you just can't un-see/un-hear.

donna