The Biggest Loser - Opinions?

[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! 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. 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?

[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. Neither do bikes. 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.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6...8350-5,00.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]

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.