The producers of Fit to Fat to Fit have found their formula and they’re sticking to it–starting with a minutes long, up close and personal gorging of Adonis, a bear of a man who has been a trainer for five years. It’s a great hook to get channel surfers to stay and watch the show and a quick way for continuing observers (currently like myself) to decide if it’s still worth watching.

As always, it’s really hard to think that someone so in shape would be willing to sacrifice their health to help someone else reach their goals. It’s been nice to see the bonding of trainers to clients but there still seems to be a feeling less of self-sacrifice and more of personal notoriety infusing each situation. Either way, this time it is Adonis who decides that in order to help his new client, Alissa, lose weight he needs to gain 70 pounds and join her in her weight loss.

Alissa works in a middle school and is looking to lose weight by forty so that she can feel beautiful, find a boyfriend that will be able to hug her all the way around, and lead the way to possibly becoming a wife and mother. She is determined to see this attempt through all the way to the end. I believe her conviction right away and think that this pairing is going to be really fun.

Adonis meets Alissa and he explains what he is going to do for her. She in turn, informs the audience that she thinks he’s crazy and doesn’t get why he would want to do that to himself. He gives a good speech about his motives and the scene has been set. They will meet again in four months after Adonis has gained 70 pounds—a number that will put him over 300 pounds!

One of the hardest things to endure with this show is the amount of time it dedicates to seeing someone falling completely off the wagon. The secret joy of watching someone healthy get fat is receding and I am rather upset with watching Adonis come apart. His first meal off of healthy food is an orgy of hot wings and nachos, and stuff covered in stuff… you get the picture. It’s all pretty nauseating.

We get more information on Adonis and his journey to being a physical trainer and it is surprising and frustrating when he casually announces that he himself was a large man that had to lose a lot of weight not so long ago. He also used to weigh over 300 pounds. Of course, I felt happy for his success but also felt that I had been duped.  Isn’t the conceit of this show that the trainers that are gaining weight have never been fat? I went back and watched the show again and, yep, that’s an actual statement that has been made over and over again. Now I’ve invested a half an hour into someone that already knew what it was like to be fat. Why does he need to do it again?

Adonis has to stop gaining weight just short of his 70 pound goal because his doctor tells him he is a risk for a heart attack or stroke. He’s put on medication and heads out to meet Alissa for the first time since his gain. She’s shocked but feels that it is really going to make her lose weight because she’s competitive by nature and she really wants to lose more weight than Adonis. He’s happy to see her so fired up.  Alissa’s starting weight is 308 pounds.

They meet up at the beach for the first work out and I am quickly convinced that Adonis is going to end up burying Alissa in the sand and running to the nearest gym to take care of his own business. She seems not at all interested in giving real effort to doing the work out and has an excuse for every reason she can’t participate. It’s real insight into her personality and I found myself worried that Adonis was basically going to be fat for nothing. She wasn’t going to be able to do it.

But Adonis had a nifty, yet morbid, trick up his sleeve and took Alissa to a cemetery. He let her know, straight up, that they were going to end up there if they couldn’t get rid of the weight. Alissa is grossed out but suddenly more willing to give more effort to the cause. She and Adonis start working out in earnest—right there in the cemetery! It was a great psychological moment and also great television as we get to see them both jogging and doing jumping jacks amongst the headstones.

Alissa’s fire has been lit and she actually takes to exercise very well. She is amazed to note that she is probably going to become a runner. She loses 25 pounds the first two weeks and admits that she is being hella legit with her new eating habits and doesn’t seem to want to eat any of her unhealthy foods anymore. Adonis is proud of his new shoulders and is very happy to get back in his healthy groove.

But doubts start to plague Alissa as her two month summer vacation from school comes to a close. She starts to get worried about how she is going to maintain her weight loss with such a change in schedule coming her way. Adonis sits her down and lets her know that he knows she is capable and will be able to continue on. The show likes to put in moment of uncertainty into every episode, make us think that the client isn’t going to be able to keep going, but I didn’t buy it this time. Alissa’s on the fast track and she’s going to be just fine. Check out some workout photos here.

Soon we are treated to an absolutely adorable series of shots showing Alissa teaching Adonis how to swim. He looks extremely uncomfortable as she tries to get him to float on his back and relax as she’s holding him. Then we see her taking what looks to be water aerobics classes and somehow gets Adonis to participate.  He is sweetly out of place but more than willing to go the extra mile to support Alissa.  I laugh and I get a little teary. Good times. Good times.

After the four months of healthy eating and working out, Adonis has lost 56 pounds. He’s decided not to go down to his starting weight because he’s trying to cultivate more muscle. He looks great and is genuinely happy to meet up with Alissa’s friends and family so that they can finally see the progress she has made. Graduation day arrives and Alissa enters the room with a flourish and is in a sparkly black outfit that accentuates her 57 pound weight loss. She is now at 251 pounds!  We get to see her new boyfriend and her new found confidence. You go, girl!

Alissa is thrilled to know that she has lost one more pound than Adonis and she lets it be known that he’s not getting rid of her even though the four months are over. She’s sticking with him and I think it’s going to be a healthy relationship made in heaven.

I readily admit that it was difficult for me to sit down and watch this one. I was overcome with a huge desire to fast forward through all of the unhealthy habits but I stuck it out. The combo of trainer and client is a huge factor in how I feel about what is going on and if the show can keep putting together interesting relationships, I’ll continue to watch. Anyone else having any of the same feelings I have? Let me know in the comments below!