Maybe I'm just a skeptic....

[nscrbug]

(Warning: Biggest Loser rant) But I simply have a hard time believing that ANY of those BL contestants can run 10 or 12mph on a treadmill...even if it's for less than a minute. I'm not saying that it's completely impossible...but I do think it is highly unlikely. Last Tuesday's episode showed the black team on the treadmills with Jillian barking out orders as usual. She told them to go up to 12mph. Ummmm, really?!? C'mon, now. NONE of them looked like they were running even close to 12mph. I'm just not buying it. You can't convince me that Kourtney (who was 258lbs at the time) was sprinting at 12mph...I just don't believe it. They never once actually showed the display on any of the treadmills reading 12mph, and I could tell simply by looking at the turnover rate of their feet hitting the belt...that they weren't doing 12mph. Maybe 8...possibly 9, but 12 or even 10??? No way. I run nearly everyday and have been for a long time and I have trouble keeping a 7.5mph pace (and I'm 154lbs), for just 1 minute. I observe very seasoned and conditioned runners at my gym running on the treadmill at 10mph and trust me...they are hauling some major a$$. They literally look like they are going to fly off the back of the treadmill at any given moment...and we're talking about serious runners here. The other thing that really bugs me, is that the show is giving off the perception that any sedentary, obese person out there can just hop on a treadmill and expect to be running full-out sprints at 10 or 12mph in a few short weeks. When in reality, that just is not going to happen...at least not without some injuries.

So am I way off-base here in being the only one who thinks that TBL is embellishing those treadmill speeds to up the drama factor of the show? Or are there others out there that feel the same way as me? Just curious....

[Tri Girl]

I'm with you. When I was 120 lbs and a pretty fast runner, the most I could do at 10mph on the treadmill was 1 min. And I was hauling!!!! Maybe she was telling them to do 12 min. miles- you know- 5 mph?
I don't think they can do it. I'm not saying never- just not for one minute. And even if they could- that would seem to be a bit too much stress to put on their bodies I would think.

I think lots of things they do on that show are a bit over-the-top. I've never been a huge fan of the show in general, tho, so I might not be the best person to give my opinion.

[Crankin]

I have an issue with having very obese people start out doing a run that is long, in hot weather, on the very first day. When people are vomiting, fainting, and having to be taken away in an ambulance, that is not the right thing for either the participants or the viewers. It gives the false impression that is what you have to do right away, to lose weight. I find it hard to believe that there are medical people who go along with it.
I am a skeptic, too.

[malkin]

They need a speech-language pathologist on that show to help the trainers deal with voice problems.

(I'm available!)

I saw the part of the show you are talking about and I wondered if it might be some random numerical scale rather than mph.

[Susan]

Maybe that, or they have a km/h scale. 12 km/h is still fast, but not as unlikely as 12 mph would be.

I noticed that she didn't mention "mph".

[malkin]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

[Tri Girl]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

Isn't that the truth!

[nscrbug]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

HA!!! Ditto here!!

[Catrin]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

Same here

I have never seen the show, and from what I've heard about it I never will. If they really do expect people who are starting in that kind of shape to put forth the kind of effort I've had described to me at the very beginning - that is just irresponsible and asking for someone to get injured just to get good ratings. I think it would also discourage someone at home from doing anything at all if they think they have to start at that level of effort.

[malkin]

And I despise Jillian. She starts yelling, and those poor people struggle and take it. It's wrong!

If it is any consolation, Jillian's voice sounds like she's got big trouble.

[Tri Girl]

When I first became active about 8 years ago, if I thought I had to start out at that level, I never would have taken that first step into the gym- and I wasn't nearly as heavy or out of shape as they appear to be.
I wonder if the show encourages people to get moving, or intimidates them?

Have you ever watched the AMC show Heavy? I've seen previews, but have never watched it. It seems like it does a better job of being realistic about life changes, not just short-term huge weight loss (but I don't know- I've never actually seen it).

[ultraviolet]

Odd timing. I actually just saw this episode this afternoon with some friends.

For what it's worth, they were doing 20 second sprints. And it seemed like only a couple of them were doing it at a "12", a couple of people were standing still on the treadmill, and more than one ended up grabbing the handrails and windmilling their legs for a few strides. Given all of that, I don't find it impossible to believe.

I do think that the show's producers apply of a lot of creative editing to get the storylines and "drama" that they want, but that's true of all reality television. *shrug* Just my two cents.

[trista]

I used to love that show and I don't watch it at all anymore. Mostly because I can't stand the in-episode commercials; it's beyond product placement, they stage product-promotion conversations and it is so phony. Plus I don't like the tactics... their method doesn't work, as evidenced by the many, many BL contestants who gain all the weight back after the season ends. I also dislike the new trainers... too much punching and yelling. Although I don't really like Jillian & Bob either. It just seems like they are more interested in selling products than actually being trainers.

I agree they were not running 12 mph. Maybe 12 min miles. No possible way it was 12 mph.

[badger]

I don't bother with that show anymore, too. It used to be inspiring how the contestants slimmed down after they went home, but everything's just been overplayed. It's much like Survivor; the first few seasons were interesting, but they just keep getting nastier, more drama-loving people to one up the season before.

TBL just keep getting bigger and bigger people and, unfortunately for me, the novelty's worn off and I'm no longer interested in watching it.

[indysteel]

When I first became active about 8 years ago, if I thought I had to start out at that level, I never would have taken that first step into the gym- and I wasn't nearly as heavy or out of shape as they appear to be.
I wonder if the show encourages people to get moving, or intimidates them?

Have you ever watched the AMC show Heavy? I've seen previews, but have never watched it. It seems like it does a better job of being realistic about life changes, not just short-term huge weight loss (but I don't know- I've never actually seen it).

I've watched several episodes of Heavy. I like it far better than TBL. It follows two people per episode, and you really get some insight into their lives. They spend the first month of their journey at a facilty where they work with personal trainers, dieticians and therapists. The workouts look hard, but they do seem to more geared to their size and conditions. After that month, they are sent home, where they continue to work with a trainer. If they struggle at home (and many do), they return to the facility. At the end of six months, they graduate witha final weigh in. There have been some extraordinary results. The show really focuses more on the emotional aspects of their journey. What led them to be obese in the first place, what issues they need to confront to recover, and what changes need to be made in their family dynamic to be successful. Many of them have obsese partners, children and extended families. I think the show tries not to be as exploitave as TBL, but it IS still reality tv.