Sunday, November 27, 2011

Family Fitness Challenge Series - Marilyn Denis Show

Fake workout photo!

Submission Photo
On September 9, 2011, I read on the Marilyn Denis website that they were willing to assist a family get back into shape by providing them with a nutrition team as well as a fitness team.  I thought to myself, "Let's try!"  Stacey, Jocelyn and Jennifer were over at the house that afternoon and I asked them to consider submitting our family... well, actually, just the four of us.  Campbell, Vince & Kerby don't need to lose any weight.  Greg does, but he lives in Moncton so he probably wouldn't be able to be part of it.  So we started to brainstorm ideas on a picture to submit as per the website's application.  It also asked to send in your story.  I had no idea what to write for a story.  "Dear Marilyn Denis, We're fat.  Help!"  What story does she want?  We took some duct tape and wrote the word "HELP" on our backs and then took a couple of nice shots of us together as well as a playful shot of us doing a "workout".  I did write a little blurb about our family and our desire to look the best we can for Kerby's wedding and a little history of ourselves.

On September 30th, I received an email thanking us for our submission and a request to continue on the application process and provide them with a short video of our family and why we should be chosen for this series.  After a bit of shock, even to be considered for a national television show, I called the girls and told them about the latest request.  Giggling we decided to ask Kerby for help.  Until that point, she had no idea that we had even submitted anything and her part of our story.  She got very excited that we wanted to be healthier and also lose some weight.  If you don't know Kerby, she is a bit of a fitness nut.  She had all kinds of ideas for a video and music to put it to.  I had no idea and was really out of my element.  Kerby had us video tape ourselves separately and tell a 30 second blurb of why we wanted to lose weight.  That's harder than it seemed.  We also took some video footage of us at the school's gym doing some exercises and stretching poses.  She also asked us to video tape how close we lived to each other by having us drive from our house to Jenn's to Jocelyn's and back home again.

Kerby gave all that footage to Jeremy, her fiance, and he edited it.  As it turned out, Jocelyn had requested tickets to go to the Marilyn Denis Show in August and had received confirmation of tickets for October 3rd.  I emailed the producer and asked him if he wanted us to send our video in by email, or if we could drop it off on the Thursday when we went to the show.  He emailed back and said that if we had it ready to drop off that would be great.  A second email followed shortly after that and another request came to meet us at the show! Jocelyn and I were so excited!  We met with another producer that day and she inquired about our eating habits, fitness regime, likes and dislikes and availability.  We left that show hopeful that we'd hear back from them.

Two weeks went by and we hadn't heard anything.  I sent them another little picture of us at a Colon Cancer run that we had participated in that was published in the Hamilton Spectator.  Just a reminder that we were still waiting.  I know I thought we should be chosen, but really, it's a canadian wide hunt for a family.  We really aren't that special and there are a ton (pardon the pun) of overweight families.  I kind of gave up hope and stopped talking about it with the girls.  Well, lo and behold, over a month later on October 9th, I got an email saying that they hadn't forgotten about us and that they were in the process of finalizing which family they will be choosing.  Hope flickered again.  I called the girls to tell them.  They all had a bit of stunned silence and then a nervous giggle shortly followed.

You can only pretend to know the shock I had on Tuesday, November 22nd, when I opened my email and read this:  "Congratulations!  You guys are going to be the family we feature on the show for the family weight loss series!  We will launch this in January and it will run until June. However, we will probably start filming some of the stories with you sometime in December.  I just want to make sure all of your schedules are flexible and what days/hours work best for you so I can begin organizing a shooting schedule.  We’re very excited about this and I hope you are too!"

Yup - shocked  I tell you.  I called the girls and, oh, my word.... we couldn't believe it.  In fact... couldn't believe it.  So excited about the opportunity to have people walk along side of me and my girls, that I love so much.  I want them to have a better life than I have had being overweight and all the emotional crap it puts you through.  I want to be a great looking family for Kerby's wedding.  I want to live a healthier life and hopefully because of that, a longer life.  I know it's going to be hard work.  I know it's going to be challenging.  I know it's going to mean a lifestyle change...but

WE'RE READY!!!!

As things are confirmed and updated, I'll be posting here.  Pray for us!!!!

1 comment:

  1. I am so thrilled for you family to have the opportunity to do this Marg. What is all this talk about not being special?, you and I both know that is not the case with your family. Your family has blessed so many people and you deserve this. I will definitely be praying for you as you begin this journey to a better lifestyle and I will be watching, if I can get it down here in the US. God Bless

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