The Biggest Loser - Opinions?

[Dogmama]

OK, I admit it. I watch this show. I've always wondered, though, if people keep the weight off after the show ends. I've also wondered what goes on when the cameras are gone. I don't like the "game playing" part of it but I love to watch the trainers work with the contestants.

I ran across this: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25loser.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

What do you ladies think? Is this a good message to our overweight population? Are we encouraging people to make changes? Or are we encouraging the American ideal of the "quick fix?"

[Sadie]

I watch the show too, and love it! Seems to me, most make life altering changes and deal with the emotional side of their overeating. Love Bob and Jillian. I have a personal trainer like Jillian, and it sure is motivating...

[Zen]

Jillian grates on my last nerve and now she's pushing some sort of weight loss supplement pills (http://deceiver.com/2009/08/03/biggest-loser-trainer-jillian-michaels-hawks-diet-pills/)

Sometimes I think they're pushing those people a bit hard considering their history of inactivity.

[NoNo]

I have no doubt there are people there solely for the money and will do whatever it takes to win. But I also believe there are people that truly want to change their lives and actually take what they learned and carry it forward after the show. I've never felt the workouts were realistic for someone just trying to do it on their own, but watching those people change so dramatically may be what it takes to get someone off the couch and start making some little changes.

Go Danny!

[roadie gal]

We watched the first 2 seasons religiously but we haven't watched it much lately, since the game playing has overshadowed the weight loss for some people.

I think the workouts are unrealistic for these people. I'm surprised that there haven't been heart attacks and deaths.

There's a "Where are they now" show coming up next week that profiles the previous contestants. Now THAT'S the show I want to see.

[katluvr]

I am addicted. And not for a good reason. NOt sure why I am obsessed with this show. (And I sit and sip my wine while I watch!:D)

I do get very frustrated by the time they spend in the gym. And if they dont' have a gym the all freak out. They should show people how to incorporate non-gym activites and to have fun. They have moved more towards the running doing those 1/2 and full marathon distances.

But you can tell there are mroe and more injuries as they push these people harder than they should.

I also wonder if they put them on appetite suppressants. How does one go from eating thousands and thousands of calories to eating probably between 1000 - 1500???

I think there are some good messages...just not enough.

I am most interested to see tonight's look at who kept if off. I have ALWAYS wondered what happend to those folks.

(Oh and what about all the crying...drives me insane. Actually it is like a comedy to me. Sorry, don't mean to offend anyone that watches...because I watch it toooo!)

[tongue_tied]

I watch it as well, and as someone who's also trying to lose weight, it almost seems unreal to me for someone to lose 16 pounds in a week. I have a job, and I work out 4-5 times a week. These people work out 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Maybe if I had that time, I too could lose 150 pounds. Besides that and the product pushing they do after segments, I think it's a good show which, underneath it all, has a good message to get out there and change your life.

[Tri Girl]

I watch it, too, but know it's changed since it's inception. It was more about the lifestyle changes and learning how to live healthier in the beginning, but I feel it's gotten way more "commercial" and out to sell merchandise/items lately. Might be just me, but it seems like they're trying to find heavier people and push them harder (bigger, faster, more).
I can't wait for the special tonight. It is inspiring to see people change their lives. As someone who lost 35 lbs with WW only to gain it all back plus 5- I feel their pain. It was so incredibly difficult for me to go from "dieting to lose" to "eating to maintain." I can't imagine trying to keep 100+ pounds off.

[Crankin]

I've only seen a few of these shows because the first hour is on against my favorite show (NCIS).
But, I agree with everyone who said that the work outs seem a bit over strenuous for that population, given their history of inactivity and medical issues. I did see the first show this season and when that person fainted and had to be taken away in an ambulance, I thought about what kind of message it sent to the general public. It goes against everything I learned when I was training to be a fitness instructor. Aren't they afraid of the liability issues?
The show seems to be doing some things right, like addressing the emotional aspects of eating, but really, who has 8 hours a day to exercise.
Get those people on a bike!

[NoNo]

They alluded to this season's first episode in the article, but I think it served as a wake-up call about how out-of-shape a lot of people are, not that they're pushing them too far. It was a mile, no one said they had to run it. Just walk a mile. I bet if you asked any of those people before they started, they'd say "Oh, I could walk a mile!" It sounds so simple. But then you got the reality of how bad a condition they were in. I hear my dad say things like that all the time, and then he's sucking wind after going up a flight of stairs. Maybe that was the wake-up some people needed to say "Gee, maybe things aren't as rosy as I like to think they are".

[badger]

like everyone else, I've also wondered what happened to the previous contestants. I've tried to look them up before, and there's not much info out there on them so I just assumed they all gained back their weight.

It's all hunky dory when you're at the ranch and you get all the time in the world to work out and get support on food and stuff, but when you're back to your real life, it must be more difficult to maintain their weight loss.

[GLC1968]

I have a mild obsession with the show. I didn't watch it for the first few seasons, but then one day, I saw an episode and I was hooked. I even plan my own workout/training schedule so that I have a rest day on Tuesdays so that I can watch 'guilt free'!

I get annoyed at the game playing, but I understand why they do it. And I agree that they should show more of the background information that they get about nutrition and training. Yes, it's not glamourous and yes this is a TV show first and foremost, but clearly these people are getting way more information and help than they show on TV.

And I was reading a commentary by one of the contestants about why they push them so hard. It's basically to remove a stereotype - that fat people can't exercise. They purposely push these people as hard as they do to 1) show the world that if THEY can do it, so can everyone else and 2) to show the contestants that they can do it. This guy was saying that prior to being on the show, he had NO idea what he was capable of and he really needed Jillian (I think he worked with Jillian) to show him that he was. I thought that was pretty telling.

Presumably, they screen the hell out of the contestants prior to signing them up. Yes, they want heavy people, but I would bet money that they make sure that no one is going to be a danger to themselves right off the bat.

While the show has it's faults, I figure that if I find it inspiring and I'm only a little overweight and still active...what could it do for others who are more sedentary than me? Hopefully, it gets them off the couch...product placement or not. ;)

[PinkBike]

I've watched every season. I don't like the accelerated product plugging during the episodes. I think NBC must have pushed that - 30 Rock parodied it last year. I mean do Bob and Jillian actually chew Extra Sugar Free Gum, it's shameless.

Anyway, I watched last night's "where are they now," and the thing that really struck me was that wierd Dr. H. said in order for these people to keep the weight off they'd have to exercise 1.5 to 2 hours a day 4-5 days a week for the rest of their lives.

Talk about disheartening. I can see them totally giving up, I think I probably would. I mean Eric looked SO GOOD when he won, and he put it all back on.

But I was so sad for Matt(?) who missed his Ironman Finishing Qualifier by 3 minutes.

I'll keep watching it though.

[Grog]

Anyway, I watched last night's "where are they now," and the thing that really struck me was that wierd Dr. H. said in order for these people to keep the weight off they'd have to exercise 1.5 to 2 hours a day 4-5 days a week for the rest of their lives.

Talk about disheartening. I can see them totally giving up, I think I probably would. I mean Eric looked SO GOOD when he won, and he put it all back on.


Personally I find it rather realistic than weird or disheartening. Or even: nice! I enjoy moving my body in the outdoors, using my own strength to go places and do things. Personally I "exercise" about 90 minutes a day getting to and from work (hilly commute on my bike), plus walking around (sometimes several kilometers a day) and running. I don't have a weight problem, but certainly having an active lifestyle has helped.

There are shifting guidelines in the world of health-related exercise, but recently I've often heard 1-hour a day, 6 days a week for regular adults, to say nothing of people with a hard time keeping weight off...

[roadie gal]

We watched the "Where are they now?" episode last night. I found it much more inspirational than the last few seasons. Most of them have gained back some of the weight, but it looks like almost all of them are continuing a healthy lifestyle.

The ones who have kept off all of the weight seem to have made fitness part or all of their professions. They've become personal trainers or they work with getting kids fit, etc. Interesting.

[NoNo]

After all the talk on here I actually forgot to watch the "Where are they now" show!:mad: By the time I remembered, I only saw the last 15 minutes. I did see an update on MSNBC that caught up with a bunch of people. Most seem to have gained back some weight, but I think that's to be expected when you go off that super-intense training regimine. I was amused that two of the women refused to give their weights, even though we'd seen them in spandex on national tv.:rolleyes: I was also surprised at how many of them have become motivational speakers. Are there really that many people willing to hear the same message? Who's paying them? How do I get a job like that?:p

[Zen]

The ones who have kept off all of the weight seem to have made fitness part or all of their professions. They've become personal trainers or they work with getting kids fit, etc. Interesting.

That's not an uncommon occurrence. I just wonder what their qualifications are for teaching others aside from losing weight.

[Zen]

Ive taken several different classes, the good instructors have enthusiasm, energy, and a desire to motivate everyone to work hard.
Those sound like the job qualifications of a cheerleader. I won't comment on group instructors, just personal trainers.It's far too easy to get certified, there need to be state licensure requirements.



Edit to add: And its not ALL about losing the weight too, its about adopting the healthy lifestyle.

Which is why at least one and preferably two semesters of college level nutrition classes should be a requirement. Sadly, they aren't.
And that's how we end up with Jillian selling diet pills.

[Trek420]

We end up with Jillian selling diet pills because broccoli and leeks don't have an advertising budget. :cool: ;) Neither do bikes. :o I blanched at an episode this season (yeah, I watch. I work out while I do, sit ups, Cycelops, push ups, boken) featuring some gizmo that's not a bike, not a trikke, I dunno what it's called. It looked like the only place to ride this 4 wheeled space hog would be an empty parking lot. Another peace of junk to end being sold used at Play it Again Sports.

On the "where are they now" show I did not see the previous player who took up cycling after the show, did a cross country ride. I bet he kept the weight off. :cool:

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-2-21-18350-5,00.html

[PinkBike]

NoNo - you can catch it on nbc.com I think.

About personal trainers - what DOES it take to get licensed? I just joined a gym and after the 2nd freebie training session the guy turned into a salesman, and when I told him I just couldn't afford my own personal trainer he dropped me like the proverbial hot potato. He was a pup anyway so I don't know what he knows about training and nutrition for women my age.

So I'm going to this gym and doing a program I invent as I go along - mostly a compilation from weight training books.

[Dogmama]

NoNo - you can catch it on nbc.com I think.

About personal trainers - what DOES it take to get licensed? I just joined a gym and after the 2nd freebie training session the guy turned into a salesman, and when I told him I just couldn't afford my own personal trainer he dropped me like the proverbial hot potato. He was a pup anyway so I don't know what he knows about training and nutrition for women my age.

So I'm going to this gym and doing a program I invent as I go along - mostly a compilation from weight training books.

Commercial gyms are in business to make money, period. They want to sell personal training and the competition is huge. At my gym, I see trainers cycle in & out constantly. Some are good, most of them stink.

Some certifications are quite stringent & others are candy. My wish is that every cert required a hands-on test. You can read a book, take an on-line test & presto - you're a trainer. But how do they know that I can correctly teach somebody to squat? It's like swimming - you can't learn it reading a book.

Spinning - I was certified through Maddog (I always flub the spelling) and they, too, are quite stringent on the do's & don'ts of spinning. I also see certified Maddog instructors do contraindicated moves like push ups on the handlebars, spinning at crazy fast RPM's, etc.

[Dogmama]

Which is why at least one and preferably two semesters of college level nutrition classes should be a requirement. Sadly, they aren't.
And that's how we end up with Jillian selling diet pills.

It's about the money and how it is presented. Andrew Weil is in business of making money but it's presented differently. Yet, his website was slapped by the FDA by promoting pills that would prevent swine flu.

Look at the celebrities pushing diet plans - they have NO background and their only claim to fame is that it worked for them. Big deal. If I had unlimited time to exercise & unlimited money to buy this stuff, I'd drop tons of weight too. Of course, there is always the disclaimer that basically, "this probably won't work for you, buddy, but if it does you'll be golden!"

It's about commitment & lifestyle, not quick fixes for the upcoming class reunion.

[Crankin]

In my modest opinion, a real personal trainer is someone with a degree in exercise science and a certification from ACE or ACSM. However, someone with the ACE or ACSM certification, who has a degree in something else, is also qualified in my book. That doesn't mean, of course, that someone with these qualifications will not end up peddling some weird "diet" or training plan that doesn't make sense.
Although I recently let my gym membership lapse, I have spent about 25 years hanging out at various gyms, as both an employee and a user. The field has evolved slightly since the mid eighties when I got my group exercise certification from ACE; back then, just about anyone could walk in and call themselves a trainer. At my last club, all of the trainers had degrees in exercise science. Many of them had private clients outside of the ones they worked with at the gym. They knew what they were doing. I worked with one for about a year, before my cycling trip to Austria and I never felt like he was doing anything contraindicated or giving me a hard sell. Of course, there was a price tag for this, that a lot of people would not or could not pay.
Don't get me started on the certified spin instructors who continue to do the push ups on the bike and the crazy rpms. While I don't love riding my bike on the trainer, I don't miss the characters and weird stuff that went on in spin class.

[katluvr]

Ok, I DVR's Tuesday's episode and just watched it last night.
I am about to rant (so ignore this if you want).
I do think it is great they show them running. I think they should do "exercise" outside a gym. But 60 days to train for a marathon?? What are we telling the average out of shape person? I am "in shape" and doing a 16 week program. I just worry it sends the wrong message. True "anyone can do it"...but is the message being sent correctly?

So they started off looking a big sweaty....but by the end they didn't look sweaty at all. Nor was anyone "red faced". I swear Liz had full makeup on that was still there in the end. Yeah, the one young girl was "crying". No running mascara and eyeliner for her! And Danny....he was really hurting. I understand pushign thru some pain...but really...was it wise for him to do that?

I swear after my 7 mile run I look WAY worse than they do. My goal is a 4:30 marathon...that is a 10 min mile --it isn't easy...but Rudy was just about 5 hours. I shouldn't doubt it. Many a person is faster and finds running easier than me. But it just didn't look as real. A marathon is hard!

Ok, that is my rant. I just had to let it out. I just wish they did a better job about discussing proper training etc w/ endurance sports. And about sports injuries. Ok, ok, I am done now!

[channlluv]

I've had two experiences myself with personal trainers. One through a gym where I was a member - it was a short-term promo thing trying to attract new clients. They rotated trainers depending on who was next in line, not who would be a good fit for me. I got a 23-year-old, 6'4", former pro-baseball player who'd blown out a knee or something, and was now doing personal training since he couldn't play ball anymore. Lovely guy. Literally. He was really handsome. And he had me doing some stuff that I wouldn't have tried on my own, and was amazed at my ease with the yoga moves, how strong I already was (I'd been taking yoga for a while, so the planks, warrior lunges, and such were a piece of cake), but his nutrition advice for me? Calories in, calories out. I could eat anything I wanted. He actually recommended, yes, recommended, Chik Fil-A because they use a healthy oil or something. Didn't last long after that. Maybe he can eat whatever he wants, but not me.

The next was that older woman trainer at the Y who took one look at me and advised me to stop eating potatoes and chips and things, because you know that's what every heavy person's problem is, all those bags of chips and cheesecakes we scarf down when no one's looking. Sheesh. We did not connect, needles to say.

Now I've getting great results working out with DH, who is doing the Core Performance workout that Lance Armstrong's trainer recommended. I'm feeling really strong - muscles I didn't know I had and all that. I still haven't lost any weight, but I've been laying off the aerobic stuff for over a month. Not on purpose. I just had an emergency trip to Florida, and then another a week later, and I got out of my every-day Y/cycling habit. And Daylight Savings happened, and I don't have lights on my bike.

Alas.

I don't watch the Biggest Loser. When I read about how those people game the system, it's not about getting in shape. I'm not learning anything new there that I can't learn here, and with a lot more love and support. And nobody here is going to vote me off the island, you know?

Roxy

[Catrin]

My current fitness club requires that all personal trainers have at least a B.S. degree (almost all of them have a Masters) in fitness/exercise science, and have ASCM certification (at least, most of them have multiple certifications). Our spinning instructor has all of the above, as well as certification in spinning and is a life-long avid cyclist.

I've never seen such a high level of qualification required by a fitness club for their training staff - but my club IS medically based and is part of an Osteopathic hospital (the fitness club is a massive facility). Their primary focus is wellness, and they will even waive the initiation fee if your doctor officially prescribes exercise.

My last fitness club did not seem to really have any requirements, at all, for their training staff other than a willingness to work for X amount an hour. I am taking full advantage of the trainers, there are two I work with, but I doubt that I would have ever done that if they were less qualified. From what I can tell, there seems little consistency between club to club regarding this.

[Pedal Wench]

Ok, I DVR's Tuesday's episode and just watched it last night.
I am about to rant (so ignore this if you want).
I do think it is great they show them running. I think they should do "exercise" outside a gym. But 60 days to train for a marathon?? What are we telling the average out of shape person? I am "in shape" and doing a 16 week program. I just worry it sends the wrong message. True "anyone can do it"...but is the message being sent correctly?



60 days to train, after a few months at the ranch - they're were all running on treadmills quite a while before they heard about the marathon. I thought that too, but then realized they were already running since they got to the ranch.

[Dogmama]

Ok, I DVR's Tuesday's episode and just watched it last night.
I am about to rant (so ignore this if you want).
I do think it is great they show them running. I think they should do "exercise" outside a gym. But 60 days to train for a marathon?? What are we telling the average out of shape person? I am "in shape" and doing a 16 week program. I just worry it sends the wrong message. True "anyone can do it"...but is the message being sent correctly?



Rant on,sister. That was way over-the-top.

[Ritamarie]

From Trek420's link about the biggest loser guy who cycled across America "Now, I spend my days thinking about my next adventure instead of my next meal."

I never saw this show, but THAT'S cool.

[lph]

Rant on,sister. That was way over-the-top.

Hey, this reminded me. I stumbled over a blog earlier this year, turned out to be a Norwegian sports journalist who had a plan to get back in shape.

He used to be fairly fit, played football regularly, had at one point run a marathon, but had settled down to family life, put on weight and stopped working out over a period of several years. So his plan to get back in shape? Sign up for the Norseman Xtreme triathlon, apparently the worlds's hardest Ironman, with nine* months to go...

I... this is just mindboggling. I mean, I'm all for big dreams and all that, but there is a point where optimistic turns plain stupid. And I dunno, to me it seems a bit disrespectful, to all of the talented, determined athletes out there who train hard and well and healthily over a long period of time and prepare themselves properly to be able to do something like this without killing themselves or sustaining long-term injury.

I know, this doesn't really hurt anybody but him, but since he did start a blog and post this in the paper, and made a point out of wanting to be "followed" I felt he was sort of putting himself out there as an example. "Hey, this isn't hard!"

He ended up being pulled from the race because he was so far behind at some point.

So anyone but me thinking... "Men!" :rolleyes:

*eta: I just googled him. Per January 1st 2009 he was, in his own words, 20 kg overweight, hadn't worked out regularly for 3 years and couldn't swim freestyle. The Norseman was August 8th.

[Trek420]

I wish they would have 'em do a century as the Great Test of Strength at the end. Even after weeks at the ranch they are so heavily taped, obviously major joint problems. I questioned it since two were really struggling early on I didn't think they'd make it and still would not be surprised to hear if they "take a shortcut" in the car. :rolleyes:

But cycling's easy on the joints, with the spinning they've been doing that's both very hard and doable.

[shootingstar]

I haven't watch 1 full episode of the show that's being discussed here. I actually find it vaguely disrepectful to the contestants, even though I realize they are after the money.

[Deborajen]

I... this is just mindboggling. I mean, I'm all for big dreams and all that, but there is a point where optimistic turns plain stupid. And I dunno, to me it seems a bit disrespectful, to all of the talented, determined athletes out there who train hard and well and healthily over a long period of time and prepare themselves properly to be able to do something like this without killing themselves or sustaining long-term injury.


Well said. I've never cared for "Biggest Loser" because it's - well, it's not smart. The idea of losing weight, looking better, doing things you never dreamed you could do is great. But sometimes the long way is the better way and the healthier way, and this "Hollywood shortcut" does in some ways seem to mock those who worked hard over a period of time to do something big like lose a lot of weight or run a marathon. At the very least, the show promotes a quick-fix, which in this case can be downright dangerous.

[katluvr]

I was going to stay away from my original rant. I really don't want to take this away from them IF they really did the full marathon. But I swear they weren't really sweating at the end. They looked so fresh. You should of seem my sweat and what I looked like after my 4 miler this AM. And if they did do it the show should talk more about proper training. That is all. No more ranting--I promise (:p)

[GLC1968]

I was going to stay away from my original rant. I really don't want to take this away from them IF they really did the full marathon. But I swear they weren't really sweating at the end. They looked so fresh. You should of seem my sweat and what I looked like after my 4 miler this AM. And if they did do it the show should talk more about proper training. That is all. No more ranting--I promise (:p)

If I recall correctly, Rudy's t-shirt was soaking wet as he and his previous partner came up on 1 mile to go. It looked like he'd jumped in a pool! It is possible that they clean them up a bit right before crossing the finish line so that they are slightly more presentable - I mean it IS tv.

I think they would talk more about proper training if it were a show about running marathons...but its a show about weight loss (and apparently Multigrain Cheerios & Britta water filters :rolleyes:) so that's what they focus on.

[kacie tri-ing]

Don't forget that they HAVE been caught cheating on a marathon before.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/03/biggest-losers.html

I wouldn't put it past them.

I did, however, watch the "where are they now," and I certainly teared up when he didn't make the ironman cutoff. No rides in Kona, that's for sure.

[Crankin]

Katluvr, I feel the same way you do. *I* know the show is not really focused on running a marathon or riding, but the millions of people out there don't. It is just plain irresponsible to present training in this way. After my brief foray into running this year, I have totally messed up my back. And, I am in shape, prepared, stretched, had PT, etc. So if this happened to me, what's going to happen to the out of shape, overweight person who thinks they can train for a marathon in 60 days?
I know I err on the side of super conservatism when it comes to training, risk, etc. But really, the whole show is just to make $. I watched the "Where are they now?" show and it was interesting, but nothing surprising.

[Tuckervill]

Well said. I've never cared for "Biggest Loser" because it's - well, it's not smart. The idea of losing weight, looking better, doing things you never dreamed you could do is great. But sometimes the long way is the better way and the healthier way, and this "Hollywood shortcut" does in some ways seem to mock those who worked hard over a period of time to do something big like lose a lot of weight or run a marathon. At the very least, the show promotes a quick-fix, which in this case can be downright dangerous.

The people on that show will NEVER be the kind who take the long way. It's also IMPOSSIBLE to do the "Hollywood shortcut" on your own (or without a LOT of money), so no one seriously thinks it could be done outside of the show, do they?

Karen

[dinabean]

Well, as someone who is very, very, very overweight, my take is a little different. I don't think the problem is that these people don't "want" to take the long way. I think they are so desperate, confused, and overwhelmed with life that they truly need to get away from their life and hit the ranch for 12 weeks to transform themselves. The positives of this show:

(1) It shows fat people that it is possible to swim, bike, run, lift weights, and just generally exercise. That even if you are fat, you are capable of more than you realize with just a wee bit of tenacity. That has been very, very inspiring to me. That's part of what got me out there training for a triathlon. And I know I am not alone.
(2) Despite all of the product placements, they do more than pay lip service to teaching them to heat healthily. They bring in chefs, take them grocery shopping, teach them to count every calorie and really understand the diet end of things.
(3) They force them to work on their psychological issues that got them fat to begin with.
(4) They impress upon them that this has to be a life long thing to work. On the recent where are they now episode, one person said she was told she would have to work out 1-2 hours a day 5-6 days a week to maintain.

The negatives of this show:
(1) They do push them too hard. The one mile run on day one put two contestants in the hospital. That marathon route? It's *hilly*. And while they had been working out 4-6 hours a day, 7 days a week for 12 weeks prior to undertaking that, 8 weeks to marathon is really way overboard. My DH, who is training for a marathon right now, was pretty floored.
(2) The editing. :lol: Enough said.
(3) They force them to work on their psychological issues that got them fat to begin with in front of a TV camera for our entertainment.

I started working out regularly by doing the couch to 5K program for running back in September. At that time, I weighed 245 pounds. 3x a week for 35-50 min a day, for 9 weeks. Toward the end, I bought a bike, and try to ride at least once a week. I've added in spin classes on Sat. morning, and am working on upping the running to 4x a week. I am also trying to be more conscious about my eating. I've now run 2 5K races, can run 4 miles without stopping (at a VERY SLOW pace; it takes me an hour) and bike 5-8 miles at a time. I still can't do all the climbs in spin class. And I've lost 11 pounds. For me, I it's hard not to get frustrated that I don't see the numbers they do, but I just remind myself that I am also not working out 4-5 hours a day. For me, slow but steady will win it. My hopefully realistic goal is to be down under 220 by Christmas, and under 200 by my race on Mothers' Day. But before seeing that show and seeing some overweight friends of mine complete a sprint triathlon, I just didn't think I was capable of succeeding at exercise or being athletic, because I never have been. For getting me past that mental block, that show has been priceless.

[Trek420]

The people on that show will NEVER be the kind who take the long way. It's also IMPOSSIBLE to do the "Hollywood shortcut" on your own (or without a LOT of money), so no one seriously thinks it could be done outside of the show, do they?

Karen

I disagree. For one thing we don't know the contestants personally; no way to know if they would take the long way to health given time, info and resources,

Also I don't think it's a shortcut at all. A shortcut would be (my opinion with no medical training) dangerous quick fixes like surgical options. Yes it's quick in terms of time but by no means easy.

If I was able to train full time, no work or distractions with a trainer for months I'd tone up and drop weight too.

I would like to see more emphasis on getting the family involved, that seems key. Incorporating an active lifestyle, some could have a challenge weaning an entire family off junk food, soda, sedentary lifestyle choices.

Also lastly; go dinabean GO! You rock! And welcome to TE BTW.

[Possegal]

Kudos dinabean for all you've accomplished and your input.

Has anyone seen the Lifetime show called DietTribe? They've done 2 of them. Five women, all friends, needing to lose weight, some with not nearly the amount that biggest loser women need to lose. They are still in their everyday lives, with their families and their jobs. They usually have a goal of 50 lbs to lose. Not sure of the time frame but it is a good time and I think they weigh in like every 2 weeks and often the weight loss is in the 4-6 lb range. This last season their end goal was to do a sprint tri. I find it more relatable for those reasons. It is sort, not many episodes. But I've enjoyed both seasons.

[GLC1968]

For getting me past that mental block, that show has been priceless.

Exactly! Thank you for sharing your experience/feelings!

I know this is a hard sell to a forum where everyone here is already active to some degree....but as we all know, there is a HUGE segment of our population that would never even dream of exercising. Of them, many are obese. I can't tell you how many people I've met in my lifetime with the mentality of "I'll just diet to lose weight first and then once I get smaller, I'll start exercising" and then they never quite get to the point where they feel comfortable buying a bike, or going to the gym, or to even be seen running/walking on a public roadway or park becasue of their size. So they give up on the weight loss and as a result never got off the couch in the first place (so to speak)! What if we got all those people up moving FIRST??

I mean, speaking as myself, I've never been classified as obese. But I've certainly been overweight for a vast majority of my life. Now that I'm in my 40's, I don't give a rats *** what others think of me at the gym or out on the road...but when I was younger, I certainly did. I remember distinctly being only about 15 lbs overweight and not wanting to attend step aerobics classes in the 90's because I'd be the 'fat girl'. Seriously! Now multiply that by ten-fold for some of these people and just imagine being in their shoes. Had I seen the BL back then, I'd certainly have been inspired to get moving. Hell, I'm inspired by these people now and I'm already active!

Yes, walking a mile on day one was a stretch since they made a competition out of it and that made a bunch of them over-exert themselves. But did you notice Daniel on that day? He was the returning contestant from the previous season. He was still 150 lbs overweight and yet he ran that mile with relative ease. It's not about the weight - it's about the conditioning and that's a big point of the show.

I do think the 'marathon' is misleading. Except for Rudy - no one ran the whole thing (and we don't know that he did either - he averaged a 13 min mile so there could have been some walking). That's a bit different than someone who is training to run one for time (or a cut-off). And if you figure that they got off the couch and started working out 6 hours a day a full 12 weeks before the '60 days' started, that means they 'trained' for this event for 20 weeks. Honestly, that's not unrealistic. I know plenty of women who have trained to walk a marathon (for breast cancer, I believe) in 20 weeks.

What I don't like is how the show leaves a lot of these minor details out. Yes, it would get tedious to recount them, but by not doing so, it is misleading...no doubt about it.

[shootingstar]

Keep pluggin' away dinabean. And congrats. so far.

Do you like any of the sports you are doing now? It's important in terms of staying with some form of exercise...for life. Because many of us here, will say that...it is for life...even after getting down to one's healthy good weight.

So the more you love to do something, the more your body will crave to do the exercise/sport several times per week.

Try the bike to explore the world..not just to grind away for weight loss.

[Tuckervill]

I disagree. For one thing we don't know the contestants personally; no way to know if they would take the long way to health given time, info and resources,


Then why haven't they already? Do you think if TBL didn't exist, that a large percentage of these contestants would do anything about their obesity? One or two, maybe. The rest of them would still be waiting for their kick in the ***.

Karen

[Trek420]

I don't know why not. :o There are quite a few on this board who used to be either dangerously/unhealthily out of shape, overweight or both and who have found/are finding a way to fitness through biking and all the other things we here do.

We might try asking: what was your wake up call?

[Tuckervill]

My wake up call came way way waaaaaay before I reached 300 lbs (206 is my high weight). In the time it takes to put on 200 extra lbs., you have probably considered and declined many many wake up calls. The percentage that take advantage of them at any given point in time is definitely not large enough to solve the obesity problem.

Karen

[divingbiker]

My highest weight was around 240. I've lost weight several times through the years, but the latest wake up call was when I was approaching 50. I lost 60 pounds, gained 40 of it back, and now have lost that 40 plus a few more. Still have about 20 to go at age 53.

Both of my parents died in their early fifties, and my sister is 55, obese, and has a pacemaker/defibrillator, so I'm doing what I can to fight my family history.

Plus it's fun to be able to do triathlons, half marathons, kayaking, and pretty much whatever else I want.

[katluvr]

Great job and keep it up Dinabean. Just keep moving...really that is what we all have to do!

I do think for many the message is that no matter how big you are it is not toooo late and you can get moving.

I just really got hung up on the marathon and that message.

You can bet I 'll be watching the finale. As much as I rant and parts of it drive me crazy, I do like to see the progress and love to see the end results. I do know they do a tremedous amount of work and do have to change their life to keep it off (even if they don't keep ALL of it off).

K

[nscrbug]

For those TBL fans...a few links for a preview at season 9, which starts Jan. 5th. Wow...I sure hope nobody keels over or gets seriously hurt.

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/biggest-loser-plans-for-biggest-contestant--868

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/15/new.season.biggest.loser/index.html

[Trek420]

Season opener, a contestants is a Fat Cyclist, and I mean that in a good supportive TE way. :D She has a road bike! :) Break out the Cycleops, TBL is on. ;)

Go Sophia!

[malkin]

Saw part of the show, but not the cyclist.
Lots of hard stories.

[dinabean]

Yes, I saw the fat cyclist too! (And for those who didn't, that's what she called herself -- she said "I am tired of being a fat cyclist.").

Anyway, looking forward to seeing how the season unfurls. I always feel like I need to be on the trainer when I watch. And continues to inspire me to step up the exercise and work on the eating.

[Trek420]

Yes, I saw the fat cyclist too! (And for those who didn't, that's what she called herself -- she said "I am tired of being a fat cyclist.").

Yeah, she has a pretty nice bike too :D


always feel like I need to be on the trainer when I watch.

Yep, I'm dusting ;) have to be moving while I watch.

[GLC1968]

Yep, I watched it from the trainer, too! I can't remember, which one was the cyclist? I saw it, but it just didn't register at the time...

And seriously, there are some REALLY tough stories this season! It's like they sought out the most devastating stories they could find! I really felt for the woman who's daughter almost killed herself trying to not be fat like mom. Wow. And more than a couple of these contestants already tried lap band surgery, too. Unreal.

[badgercat]

Sophia is the cyclist. I didn't actually watch the episode, but I was intrigued by all your discussions so I started poking around online. :o She's also a spin instructor! I've never followed the show religiously, but it seems like contestants have tended toward the more sedentary side, so I'm guessing she would have less trouble than most with the physical demands--maybe her major issues are dietary in nature?

[Trek420]

Sophia is the cyclist. I didn't actually watch the episode, but I was intrigued by all your discussions so I started poking around online. :o She's also a spin instructor! ....so I'm guessing she would have less trouble than most with the physical demands--?

Ah. so when they had the first challenge I had a feeling she'd dust the 2 men. Go, fat cyclist chickies, go! :D :p

[GLC1968]

Sophia is the cyclist. I didn't actually watch the episode, but I was intrigued by all your discussions so I started poking around online. :o She's also a spin instructor! I've never followed the show religiously, but it seems like contestants have tended toward the more sedentary side, so I'm guessing she would have less trouble than most with the physical demands--maybe her major issues are dietary in nature?

Awesome, thanks! I liked her anyway, so that makes sense. ;)

There were a couple of them who did appear to be a bit more active than typical contestants and I really, really like that. I mean, not everyone who is obese is a couch potato. Hopefully by having more active heavy people on the show, they can highlight that fact and perhaps appeal to a whole new segment of our population.

[ScaldedCat]

At my heaviest I was 322lbs but still reasonably active by virtue of not driving, I had to walk everywhere or catch the bus.
I've since lost 114lbs and have a little way to go to reach my goal weight of 196 or below.
I've done it on my own, sensible eating (although I still eat treats regularly and drink alcohol several times a month) walking, running, going to the gym ( I quit the gym and have have used my monthly gym fee to buy my custom road bike) and cycling.
I have watched TBL occasionally (manily the Aussie version) if only because the size of some of the contestants makes me feel fantastic about myself).
What strikes me is that even though the participants do huge amounts of high intensity excersise many don't seem to lose much more than I have and still do on some weeks on just moderate activity, everyone is different though I guess.

I haven't found losing weight and getting fit to be especially difficult, making the decision to begin down that path just took me quite a while. My main incentive was that I wanted to be sporty, I wanted to be one of those people whose main hobby is some kind of athletic activity as I had always admired those types of folks.

A few (not very good) pics of me over the past 24 moths or so,
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m40/Seraphina426/KathMandy.jpg
2008
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m40/Seraphina426/photo-2.jpg
May this year, still wearing clothes a size too big though (shopping budget struggling to keep up with weight loss)
Have enjoyed having my hair cropped now that I have lost the weight from my face and neck.
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m40/Seraphina426/CNV00002-1.jpg
July this year at a premiere of a friends movie (it was a long night lol and that's all I'm saying regarding my dishevelled appearance)

[badger]

that's AWESOME, scaldedcat!! Looks like you're on your way to attaining your goal weight and you're doing it sensibly.

***
What I noticed while watching TBL premiere is that like anything else in life it's the mindset of people that will dictate who will achieve their goals. Those who said "I was going to win that thing no matter what" were the ones who got in the game. That black woman (don't know her name or which city) was so painful to watch, moaning and whining and making the biggest production ever running a mile.

[GLC1968]

What I noticed while watching TBL premiere is that like anything else in life it's the mindset of people that will dictate who will achieve their goals. Those who said "I was going to win that thing no matter what" were the ones who got in the game. That black woman (don't know her name or which city) was so painful to watch, moaning and whining and making the biggest production ever running a mile.

Very, very, very good point. I'm actually working on this myself (to change what I say to myself on a daily basis) and I noticed that watching the show as well. It's also so much more motivating/enjoyable to watch the people who do think and speak positive about what they want than it is to watch those who whine. NBC should take note of that! ;-)

And awesome job, scaldedcat! Great transformation!!

[jobob]

Looking great, scaldedcat! :cool:

[crazycanuck]

Ok, normally i don't watch "reality" tv but since my dear's away, I flipped the channel from continuing coverage on Cyclone Yasi in Qld to Biggest Loser Families.

Can someone please tell me: How can you not know you're eating poorly??? I just don't get it. Yes, in the past, someone may not have fed you well but there's info out there at the library, the net etc about changing.. Eating a huge bowl of ice cream plus McDorknalds each day?

Also, why is it that people need to be embarassed on nation wide television about thier weight before they do something about it?

What does this say about society? Is weight just another issue that doesn't affect us but rather someone else?

I don't know if what i've just typed makes sense or is worded correctly but it's around the right words of what i'm trying to say.

[Crankin]

It makes perfect sense and I often ask myself the same things.
I think it's a combination of really not knowing proper nutrition, doing "what you've always done," and not having the support you need to change. Money plays a part, too. It's cheaper to eat crappy food, which is an issue for many, especially in the US.
Change is hard. Eating habits/exercise are no different than addiction to substances. What concerns me about the BL is that the people are put in an artificial environment where they have nothing else to do but lose weight and exercise at a level that even I don't approach most of the time. While this may be no different than someone going to a substance abuse program, my concern is that when the person goes back to his/her home, they are still surrounded by people who eat horribly and don't exercise. The #1 thing that addicts have to do is stay away from people and environments where drugs and alcohol are being used. It's a lot harder to stay away from people and places that are eating/serving unhealthy food. It's everywhere.

[lph]

Some random thoughts on the topic:
Hunger is real. It's one of the strongest cravings we have and not surprisingly - if you don't eat, you die. And we've been genetically hardwired for thousands of years to eat when we have, so that we starve slower when we don't have.
Willpower can only go so far. It's a limited and unstable resource. Habit is much stronger, for many of us. You need willpower to start a good habit, but habit creates its own willpower.
Large parts of todays society is geared towards expending as little effort as possible. Yesterday I got off the metro (abandoning a comfortable seat and a good book) to run the last 6,5 km to work. Before I got outside to where I could run I had gone through 2 sliding doors, 1 revolving door and taken 3 escalators, ensuring that my precious resting heart rate was completely undisturbed. After running and showering I sat at my desk for six hours.
Rational eating is just a tiny part of why we eat. I eat what I eat because I like the taste, because it's what's available at my local store every day and every week, because I have cultural preferences telling me that this food is wholesome or traditional, because I want to treat my family to something special and this is the way my mother always fed us when we celebrated something, because I always comfort myself with this treat when I'm feeling down, because this is acceptable food to serve guests etc. etc. And because I'm hungry, or maybe even sometimes - because I feel my body needs this particular food.
Knowledge of healthy food and exercise is important, but I think it's really hard to kick entrenched habits unless you have some insight into why you eat and exercise (or don't) the way you do. For some people those connections are very complicated, for some they're simple and easy to break.
Sorry for rambling on again, I don't mean to sound preachy :D

[nscrbug]

Very well said, lph!

[ivorygorgon]

lph - love your post!!

I don't remember who posted here asking something along the lines of "how can you not know you are eating unhealthy?"

My highest weight was 245, I am down to around 160 now. I am hoping to lose at least 12 more. This process has taken me several years. I can tell you that there are different levels of knowing. At my highest weight I knew I was really fat. I knew I ate far too much, but then on the other hand, I didn't really know HOW bad it was. There is some kind of mechanism going on - maybe denial (that I have seen in many other heavy people) about exactly how bad the situation is. I also think that for many of the mirror lies. I still don't know what I look like! How many times have you heard someone say "I didn't know i looked like that?" Until they saw a certain picture. I certainly never thought I looked how I look in old photos. Even today, I don't think I look like how I look in photos. It's one of the reasons I absolutely HATE having my picture taken.

The whole mess is just really confusing isn't it?

[Catrin]

I also think that for many of the mirror lies. I still don't know what I look like! How many times have you heard someone say "I didn't know i looked like that?" Until they saw a certain picture. I certainly never thought I looked how I look in old photos. Even today, I don't think I look like how I look in photos. It's one of the reasons I absolutely HATE having my picture taken.

The whole mess is just really confusing isn't it?

This is such an important point, and it works both ways. I was quite large for well over a decade, and will I chipped away at it over time I've lost over 50 pounds in a little over a year. Even though I am now only 131-132, when I see myself in a mirror I have problems seeing why people now refer to me as "small" or "petite". We have an internal image of how we look, and when that gets out of sync with changes - either way - it takes some time for that internal image to catch up.

[OakLeaf]

when I see myself in a mirror I have problems seeing why people now refer to me as "small" or "petite"

+1

And, while it's true that each individual is ultimately responsible for her own health, it's important not to deny the effects of commercial interests, too. Most processed foods are formulated to actually decrease satiety, so you'll eat and buy more of them without feeling full. They're enhanced with chemical flavors and aromas that target food/nutrition cravings that are hard-wired into our bodies by evolution. Then there's the whole media empire that conflates advertising with news and commercials with science.

Like the USDA's "food pyramid" (ever wonder why it comes from the department of Agriculture, not the department of Health and Human Services? It's because it's there to sell food products...). I haven't really looked at the newest version, which is supposed to be a little better than the prior ones, but the wording is much stronger on what you're supposed to eat more of than what you're supposed to eat less.

And the defeatist news stories bewailing how it's impossible to meet the new sodium guidelines. (Well, no, not if you eat actual food, which none of these writers seem to ever do.) And how supposedly healthy processed foods (that come out of a box, the microwave, or a fast food restaurant) aren't really healthy, but instead we should eat this other set of equally processed foods. :rolleyes:

Then, if you've been fed fake food-like substances from childhood, and you've been taught by commercial interests (medical as well as food industry) to ignore the messages your body is sending you, it's very, very difficult to learn to hear those messages, and actually taste the flavors of real food.

You have to have time, inclination, self-respect, and at least a decent high school education, I think, to really be able to sort the truth from the advertising about nutrition. How many people have all those things in this economy?



ETA: Mark Bittman's take (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/a-food-manifesto-for-the-future/) on the issue. As usual, he says most things better than I ever could. :cool:

[lph]

I was at a seminar recently which was really boring... so I ended up spending most of my time reading a study done on why people are active, or inactive, in daily life. I just remember a few points here, but definitely mentioned was that active people had active friends and often active family members, while the most sedentary ones had very many sedentary people around them. Keeping yourself fit may look like a personal and solitary challenge, but in practice we tend to do as others do, compare ourselves to our neighbours, family and friends - and if they're all kicked back with their feet on the table eating cheetos, why shouldn't you?

I just have to look at my own neighbourhood really, we live in a fairly low-status area where not that many people are heavily into exercise, and I know I have a reputation for being "you know, one of those exercise addicts".It doesn't bother me, but if I had a major setback, like an injury, and had to stay at home for a while, it would be quite easy for me to compare myself to my neighbours and think that hey, I'm not doing so badly after all, what's the rush. It also helps me to focus on healthy eating that I have a super skinny dh. He's just naturally skinny, but I don't have to gain much weight over a lazy Christmas before I start feeling pretty darn chubby compared to him.

I can't really imagine the challenge it is to radically change your whole lifestyle, without friends or family changing at all.

[Tri Girl]

amazing transformation, ScaldedCat! WOW!:D

[Trek420]

amazing transformation, ScaldedCat! WOW!:D +1,000,000 :D

It takes a village to raise an athlete; family, friends, community. What we do is seen as a solitary sport but we may need encouragement from all those and more.

What we've all said about food: broccolli, berries, pine nuts don't have marketing departments and Super Bowl ads. For some raised with TV as the baby sitter that's where we learn about food. :(

I was raised by amazing cooks and at one time a sous chef myself. I really like what this woman writes about the family dinner :) :D:

http://thefamilydinnerbook.com/

[abejita]

Here is a picture of my wakeup call. I ate healthy...I just ate way too much healthy. I got anxious, I ate, sad, I ate, mad, I ate...you get the picture. It is never as easy as just stop eating and exercise more. Only people who don't struggle daily with their weight say that. Unless you have been the one in the seemingly perpetual weight battle, you will not know what it is like to battle the unhealthy relationship people have with food. In the end, I think for 95% of overweight people, the weight is a symptom of something deeper...obesity is very seldom caused by 'just eating too much'...it is a symptom of a failure to deal with life's issues in a healthy manner. That is what people need to be taught...what to do when life gets a little uncomfortable.

I am certainly still learning to deal with life in a healthy manner. I've come a long way. I started in the spring of 2009 after seeing this picture of me and my family at Easter. I was about 220. A year and a half later, I am right at 124 (and yes, I do struggle with seeing myself as petite or skinny) I still struggle daily to normalize my relationship with food and to not transfer using food as crutch to something else (shopping anyone??)

[OakLeaf]

You look great, abejita! (ScaldedCat too, if she comes back...)

I was just reading this (http://brainworldmagazine.com/?p=804) in a waiting room last night. It's a pretty condensed summary, but basically, it says that the neurochemical basis for physical, calorie-deprived hunger, and for "psychologically" based "cravings," is pretty much identical. You really have to engage your mind, step back and analyze what your body is asking for, because your body is asking for it in almost exactly the same way in either case.

"Only eat when you're hungry" doesn't work for someone who hasn't done this analysis and learned to listen very, very closely to their body, because we ARE hungry when we're trying to stuff emotions by smothering them in food, or something similar. And then there's the other part of the equation, that some people can eat in a disordered fashion and stay slender, and other people can eat exactly the same way and gain.

Nothing made it clearer to me than when I was on a medication that caused weight gain. I didn't realize it was the medication that made me gain. But when I went off it, within four months I'd lost the 20# I'd gained on the med. No change in appetite. No change in eating habits. No change in activity. Nothing but a chemical change in my metabolism caused, in this case, by a single added substance.

[abejita]

Great article Oakleaf. This paragraph stood out to me:

Food, like sex, is associated with pleasure. This is nature’s way of encouraging us to eat. The feel-good aspect of food is one important cause of overeating. The link between the brain’s reward mechanism and overeating is something that scientists are still trying to figure out.

I think that another interesting aspect that the article didn't touch on is that so much of the processed food is engineered to trigger the pleasure center in your brain. Somebody asked how those people didn't know that they were eating so poorly. I am sure at some level they do, but those foods are engineered in a lab to trigger the same parts of your brain as drugs. People literally get addicted to junk food. It can be as hard a habit to kick as smoking, drinking or other drugs. I am thankful everyday that that wasn't a battle that I ever had to fight.

[Pedal Wench]

Wow, Mary and Scalded Cat - great transformations!!!!

I'm loving the talk about image too. I've never been really heavy - heaviest was 135 at 5'4", but in my mind, well, I am. Actually, I'm not that much different weight-wise now, but the difference between an exercising 135 and a sit-on-the-sofa-drinking-martinis 135 is huge. Like others, there's a photo that makes me cringe. And for anyone struggling with the scale - it's tricky. One time at 135, I was a size 10. And now, that 135 is a size 4. However, I think that's why I can relate so much to people's struggle - in my head, it's my struggle too. In my head, I'm about 5'9" and 175. That's what I see in the mirror. I just laugh when people say something about me being short, or thin. I just don't see - or feel it.

[limewave]

A few weeks ago I went to a specialty clothing shop. The clerk greeted me at the door and directed me to the "Small" section after doing a quick once-over. So weird! I used to wear a size 26.

[GLC1968]

It can be as hard a habit to kick as smoking, drinking or other drugs.

In some ways, I'd say it's even harder because you cannot abstain from all food like you can from smoking, drinking or drugs. No matter how dependent you are on food, you still have to keep eating it to survive. Abstinence is impossible.

[abejita]

Yea, it is not like you can just not have it in the house or stay away from people who eat...

[limewave]

Yea, it is not like you can just not have it in the house or stay away from people who eat...

Or the people who push food on you! Or feel the need to make a comment on what I'm eating. I HATE THAT.

[Becky]

Or the people who push food on you! Or feel the need to make a comment on what I'm eating. I HATE THAT.

Don't forget the ones who criticize when you do have a little treat....

[Tri Girl]

Don't forget the ones who criticize when you do have a little treat....

I *hate* that. "Are you still on WW?" Yes, I am, dangit- I'm just having a treat! It's like when people make comments to me about "did you ride" on really crappy, snowy days when they know good and well that I didn't.