The Magic of Television

bobnstuf

I am a big fan of "The Biggest Loser" and watch it religiously, since it's been off I began watching "Losing It With Jillian". Now when watching TBL, I can understand the tremendous results that they get. The folks on the show are at the Ranch and can work out all day, their foods are carefully monitored and there is no outside world distractions...all good, I get it.
Watching Losing It with Jillian is different though, she spends a week with a family works thru emotional issues, exercise routines, etc. Then she comes back 8 WEEKS later and these folk have lost tremendous weight! 50 - 60 lbs in 8 weeks seem commonplace on this show, so I wonder aloud; is this real or is this the "Magic of TV and the almighty ratings" ?
The end of each episode we get to see the results and of course there is a fantastic transformation, Jillian hands them $50k and the world is once again safe for democracy.
I 've been at my latest attempt to conquer my weight for 6 weeks now, I log everything that goes past my teeth every day and make sure that it's below the 1670 that is recommended. I walk/jog five miles 5-6 days a week (each week there is more jogging and less walking) and unless I lop off a leg there is no way I will lose 50 - 60 lbs by the end of this month.
I try to focus on my improving stamina and strength, but I'm a little bummed when I step on the scale and it still screams for me to get the hell off
Besides monitoring food intake and exercising regularly, what else can these magical people on TV be doing that I'm not?

clioandboy

I don't know the programme but it sounds like a lot of tosh! Miracles don't happen in the real world, only in tvland, and this type of stuff gets right on my nerves coz it makes us feel bad that we arent doing well enough, fast enough blah de blah

try to enjoy your new lifestyle and try not to measure yourself against a programme that is probably sponsored by diet food companies with an agenda to exploit fatties!

keep up the good work

Crysta1976

"but I'm a little bummed when I step on the scale and it still screams for me to get the hell off"

LOL... yep, I hear a primal scream every morning!

rmccully

Try paying more attention to what it is you are eating. are you eating a lot of fruits and veggies? what we eat plays a big role in the weight we shed. I recently cut out all dairy and soy and dropped 6lbs in a matter of a few weeks. take the food back to the basics.

hope this may help you, keep up the good work.

funkyspunky871

I have no idea. I wonder the same thing. Maybe, like the Biggest Loser contestants, they have found the time to work out for 6-8 hours a day, but even that doesn't make much sense. Who has the time to do that?!

I don't like Losing it With Jillian. There's too much crying, too much drama. I can't wait for the Biggest Loser to start up again.

Yurippe

Contestants on TBL have reported that what looks like a week on the show is sometimes several weeks in real time. I wouldn't doubt that this show is any different. Makes for good TV though, right?

Some of the former winners of TBL have gained back ALL of their lost weight. I don't know about you, but I'd rather take this slow and keep it off forever. What do you learn about functioning in the real world by locking yourself away from society for months and doing nothing but work out?

kk_stephens

Well said. True weight loss is life change -- not isolation. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Those of us on here (MFP'rs) are real life people makeing the change the right way...slowly, and with mistakes, but we cant learn without the mistakes.

Makes me glad to see people here that have met their goals but are still here -- they help us even after they have achieved their results.

Behavior_Modification

I so totally feel your pain. I have been working my @$$ off for over 4 months now WITH the help of a personal trainer and am only down 31lbs. I don't necessarily let those tv shows discourage me because I know that they are working out several hours per day (or more) and their nutrition plan is much more strict than even mine and I'm working with a nutrition coach also, but I do sometimes get discouraged when I hear people talk about their weight loss and (in my opinion) they are barely doing anything different to acheive it.

Example that I heard recently:

"I cut out regular soda and lost 10 lbs last month". Really? No other dieting and no exercise and you lost 10lbs? Not fair!

LainMac

Bob, Darlink, you are being way to hard on yourself. The scale just measures one thing and one thing only. What you weigh at that particular moment. It can't tell the difference between fat, muscle, body fluids, bones, whatevah!

It is a good tool to keep one honest and from sliding back into gaining weight. But it isn't the be all or end all.

You are jogging. I can't jog and probably never will be able to. Does that mean, I should pack it in? Of course it doesn't. It means that perhaps for me, I should aim for walking faster tomorrow than today.

And yeah, these shows are entertainment and not a documentary. No one should compare themselves to the highly edited verision of what they actually show. The "real" isn't ont the "reel", it is on the cutting room floor. (Digitially anyway.)

maryann73

unless I lop off a leg

HA! Love it! There was a time for a few brief seconds I considered limb amputation as a viable weight loss strategy. Pleased to report that option is off the table, thanks to MFP.

Good luck on figuring it all out. I sometimes think those folks on tv MUST have tons of loose skin if they lose weight so fast.

00trayn

I was watching a few video clips last night from Amanda of season 8 (pink team, blonde hair, finalist) and she answered a question about loose skin. She said it's a common problem among the contestants and it's the reason they change weigh in clothes halfway through the season: so people don't see the skin. It's understandable given the large amounts of weight lost, like with anyone, but losing it that fast definitely makes it worse. I've dropped 40 pounds in almost a year and my skin has bounced back so far. No guarantees it will after another 30 pounds, but it looks great so far.