On 1000-Lb Best Friends, Dr. Procter recommended Ashely Sutton attend a wellness retreat to “reset” her weight-loss intentions, but the retreat was not what she had in mind.
Ashely invited her friends, Meghan Crumpler, Tina Arnold, and Vannessa Cross, to go along, thinking it was all saunas and massages, but when the ladies pulled up in their best summer dresses, ready for some rest and relaxation, they soon realized they were at a fitness boot camp.
The tough regimen of calisthenics from the very first day caused Ashely to injure her back, and she couldn’t take anymore, bowing out in the middle of a half-mile challenge.
But when the friends started grumbling about her giving up when she was the one to invite them to fit camp hell, Ashely snapped.
She said in a confessional, “I don’t think they realize I’m 50 pounds heavier than all of them. I can’t do what they can do, so I need them to shut the f**k up, and I need to go and rest.”
When Vannessa said Ashely is quitting on us, Ashely told her, “blow it out your a** Vannessa.”
The friends argued about motivation and whether or not they were unfairly pushing Ashely to do too much.
1000-Lb Best Friends star Ashely Sutton struggles with fitness boot camp
When Ashely Sutton finally get the courage to see Dr. Procter after a long hiatus from her weight-loss routine, the Bariatric Surgeon recommended a “wellness retreat” to reset her weight-loss goals.
The wellness retreat was actually a “fit farm” fitness boot camp. Fitness boot camps are a popular trend for people working on their Fitness goals, but are they right for the 1000-Lb Best Friends?
The American College of Sports Medicine says the most effective exercise for people struggling with obesity is a modified, low-impact regimen, five to six days a week at low to moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes per week.
The risk of injury or disease is higher with people of size, and a possible lack of conditioning from a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous when doing high-intensity workouts. This can be counter-productive for individuals like Ashely, who are considered medically morbidly obese.
Although the 1000-Lb Best Friends are doing modified workouts, Ashely’s admitted lack of conditioning caused her to injure her back, and instead of resting, she was encouraged to continue exercising with an injury.
The Mayo Clinic recommends fit people who want a challenge are the individuals who benefit the most from fitness boot camps. In addition, they suggest when considering an exercise trend like fitness boot camps, check with your doctor to make sure it’s right for you.
1000-Lb Best Friends fitness boot camp drama continues
In a sneak peek at next week’s show, the 1000-Lb Best Friends are still struggling in fit farm hell with a gravity-defying balance beam challenge that has Meghan Crumpler and Vannessa Cross butting heads.
Vannessa’s challenges with her center of gravity had her struggling to stay steady on the beam without reaching for Meghan in front of her.
Meghan didn’t appreciate having her balance thrown off, and the frustration had the two recklessly going at each other and calling each other names. Vannessa said in a confessional she was so angry at Meghan that she was ready to knock her out.
It’s doubtful this is what Dr. Procter had in mind for a “wellness retreat,” but the made-for-TV drama works for TLC as we tune in next week for more fit farm shenanigans from the 1000-Lb Best Friends fitness crew.
1000-Lb Best Friends streams Wednesdays on Discovery+ and airs Thursdays at 10/9c on TLC.