What do weight loss shows have over me?

Phaedra2014
Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 47 year old female. I've lost 126 pounds since June 2012. It's been a slow process but a good one. I went from being relatively sedentary to being quite active. I log my food, eat well, count my macros (40C/30P/30F), take my measurements, and change up my workouts.

I have the last 15 pounds to lose. They won't come off. I oscillate between 134 and 135 and have been doing this dance for a month now. Before that, it took forever to get from 140 to 135.

I've watched a few episodes of these weight loss shows where very obese people lose 200+ pounds in ONE YEAR. I am positive they hit plateaus but still, to lose steadily in a year is awesome.

What are they doing that I am not doing? I just have these last 15 stubborn pounds to lose. What *should* I be doing?

YES to the following:

I log my food

I weight my food with a scale

I take my measurements

I even started working with a Personal Trainer

I change up my workouts

I am dedicated

I am disciplined

I've worked my tail off to lose 126 pounds

I lift heavy weights

I don't engage in tedious steady state cardio but prefer HIIT, Tabata, sprints or run a 3 miles here and there



My diary is not open but I've been at this for 2 years so my food logging is good. Any suggestions? I am very proud of my work, don't get me wrong, I simply want to progress at a slightly faster pace.

Thank you!
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Replies

  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    What *should* I be doing?

    Stop watching weight loss shows.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    No matter what if your not losing your not eating at a calorie deficit. No matter how good we think we are it's very easy for logging to slip in ways such as using inaccurate database entries or using cup measurements when you should be weighing. I'm afraid that your logging is most likely to be the culprit or your numbers are off without being able to see your diary it is impossible to give any specific help. The other possibility is your TDEE figures or exercise calories are wrong. Remember these are all estimates.

    As you get closer to your goal weight any errors in logging all your figures will have more of an effect as your deficit will be smaller. So inaccuracies that you could have got away with 126 pounds ago you will not get away with now, Have a look at your logging and the link I've posted below which gives some great advice. No matter what we all let it slide at some point. Congratulations on your impressive loss so far and good luck

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • littlefoot612
    littlefoot612 Posts: 156 Member
    On most of those shows, with the exception of the ones involving bariatric surgery, the participants can spend anywhere form 3 to 6 months on the "ranch" or at "boot camp". For the time they are there, they workout for hours each day, meals are prepared for them and losing weight is their full time job.
    We, on the other hand, have lives and families and jobs as well as trying to lose weight.
    Although I sometimes find myself rooting for these people and finding some of them inspiring (and others annoying) their weight loss journeys are so far from reality.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    As someone who majored in TV/film and worked in the TV industry, please don't believe all you see on television. a lot of what you see is for marketing purposes and is staged or manipulate d. Its notvery "sexy" to show people losing at 1-2lbs per week, learning healthier eating habits and exercise (yawn) no ratings there.
  • mom2rpkp
    mom2rpkp Posts: 185 Member
    What *should* I be doing?

    Stop watching weight loss shows.

    !!!This!! I stopped watching this pseudo-psycho-drama when I realized that one of the big motivators and goals they use is skin removal surgery. Sure, it's motivating to see that it's possible to lose a large amount of weight, even when quite obese to start. But I want to see that it's possible to do it in a SANE, HEALTHY WAY that leaves a prayer of skin recovering on its own. The vast majority of us with large amounts of weight to lose will NEVER be able to afford skin removal surgery, so we must lose in a healthy, slow way. By taking the time to permanently change thought patterns and coping strategies, to try and fail and then try again, you are giving yourself a permanent lifestyle change. I admire what these people are able to accomplish, keep in mind that they do it with an unrealistic amount of support, and do so without having to remain in their day-to-day lives. You are a reality TV star in your own life, by making changes in the midst of all your responsibilities and with the real-life limitations of jobs and kids and a budget. When these people lose so quickly, I worry that they haven't permanently changed the thinking that led them to be obese in the first place. Yes, Chris gives them some little poignant counseling sessions but honestly those aspects of the show make me frustrated because IMO they trivialize the real emotional pain some obese people are hiding behind. We don't see where these people are in 1 year, or 5 years, or 10 years. Have they regained the weight? Sure, some from the Biggest Loser have maintained there weight loss, but they do so by, again, being given resources to help them and, in most cases of the ones I've seen, a strong financial incentive through speaking engagements.

    What we DO know is that you have undertaken a life-altering journey that has given you many gifts above and beyond your weight loss - You've listed them yourself! You've gained discipline, pride in your accomplishments, confidence in your strength and in your ability to see things through, the example you are setting for your friends and family.

    Stay the course. You rock! Do what you know to work, and the weight will take care of itself. You have accomplished what a very small percentage of humans are able to do - lose weight slowly, safely, sustainably, and, by virtue of the fact that you're still at it after two years, maintain your weight loss. I speak from experience - I've worked REALLY hard to lose 58.6 pounds in 22 months. That's less than 3 pounds a month, but I know I will never see any of those pounds again. My naturopath is checking thyroid and hormone levels to see if I need thyroid support or progesterone, but other than that I've done it the tried and true way - eat less, eat real food, move more, log, drink water.

    We got this. Who needs TV? Let's spend that time with our families or go for a walk.
  • spara0038
    spara0038 Posts: 226 Member
    Chances are they're taking unhealthy measures to lose the weight (exercise 4 hours a day, eat 500 calories, etc). The thing is, on those shows, generally those people take time off of their normal lives to lose the weight. I (and I assume you too) don't have that time luxury. I need to make my workouts fit around work, prepping meals, having a social life, etc.

    Just because they lose MORE or they do it FASTER does not mean it's the right way to go.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    They have a big cash prize or the opportunity for pricey skin removal surgery to motivate them. Once that is off the table many end up gaining it back. And think about how much damage they do to themselves to get to that goal weight.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    A lot of those shows cheat. They encourage participants to gain more weight before the show begins so that their losses will be more dramatic. They use 8-10 day "weeks." They put their contestants in saunas before weigh-ins. Don't compare your losses to Hollywood magic.
  • MoJoPoe
    MoJoPoe Posts: 139 Member
    Maybe you are already at your best weight. You have gained muscle.

    Loose skin has weight that is very difficult to lose. I did not realize that was my tummy issue for 30 years.
  • mg1123
    mg1123 Posts: 69 Member
    My question is more a general one related to this, but how do you know you need to lose that last 15 pounds? I did gain my weight back, but I was so set on reaching a goal before, that when I got there, I realized how bad I looked, and that I really needed to put about 10 pounds back on. And as MoJoPoe pointed out, the loose skin can be a problem - even if it doesn't weigh much, it may still make you feel like you have fat to lose?
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    Sort of agree with some of the others, if you aren't losing weight over time you are eating and exercising at maintenance. Nothing really magical about it, eat less or move more. The only advantage the TV shows have over you is someone else weighs and measures there food and during workouts there's a person there to scream at you. Other than that it's all you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    With very little weight to lose now, it's going to be slow going...you're not doing anything wrong except for watching these shows and thinking that they're actually reality.

    Also, what makes you say you need to lose 15 Lbs? Just some arbitrary number you told yourself you needed to be at or are you making this determination based on BF% or something else? How are you arriving at this number? If you're at a healthy BF%, your body is going to be reluctant to keep leaning out...the human body really doesn't like being super lean.
  • Jess__I__Can
    Jess__I__Can Posts: 307 Member
    On most of those shows, with the exception of the ones involving bariatric surgery, the participants can spend anywhere form 3 to 6 months on the "ranch" or at "boot camp". For the time they are there, they workout for hours each day, meals are prepared for them and losing weight is their full time job.
    We, on the other hand, have lives and families and jobs as well as trying to lose weight.
    Although I sometimes find myself rooting for these people and finding some of them inspiring (and others annoying) their weight loss journeys are so far from reality.

    This.
  • shinisize
    shinisize Posts: 105 Member
    If you pay close attention, extreme weight loss shows use extreme measures. Eating 1500cal/day with none back for the 4+hrs/day of exercise would be equal out to unhealthy fast weight loss for most average height women in the HEALTHY BMI range, which is how TV participants who weight more than double their 'ideal' weight can lose so much that fast. Think of how many of those people experience serious soft tissue and joint injuries. Those are from pushing themselves too fast, too hard, too long, and not giving their body the food and rest it needs to heal minor injuries.
    Additionally, you will lose weight more slowly as you near your goal weight. It happens to everyone. Paying very meticulous attention to your food intake can help speed that up, as well as pushing yourself just a little harder when you exercise (we all like to fall into a grove, pushing past that comfort zone will help drop pounds faster). Just from personal experience, when I get down to 135lbs I can only really lose a max of .25lbs/week without going nuts. I lose more like a quarter pound every two weeks because that is what works best for me. Don't lose that determination, change is just being a stubborn b**** and you have to be more stubborn.
  • DianeinCA
    DianeinCA Posts: 307 Member
    As someone who majored in TV/film and worked in the TV industry, please don't believe all you see on television. a lot of what you see is for marketing purposes and is staged or manipulate d. Its notvery "sexy" to show people losing at 1-2lbs per week, learning healthier eating habits and exercise (yawn) no ratings there.

    ^^^^^^^
    THIS.

    I really can't overemphasize enough how big a crock of **** the entertainment industry is. It's a fun crock. It's a crock filled with the most beautiful people you've ever seen. BUT YOU CANNOT TRUST ONE THING ANYONE SAYS ABOUT HOW THEY ACHIEVE THEIR RESULTS.

    Particularly on a show that makes its money on people losing weight, come hell or high water.

    And when the beautiful, skinny model says she stays that way by eating anything she wants, walking her dog, and doing "light yoga"? She is STRAIGHT UP LYING. (Unless she has the most amazing genetics in the world.) Seriously, there is no Bureau to Maintain Truth in Entertainment Journalism.

    Stop watching those shows if you find yourself comparing what you're doing to what they're doing. I assure you, you don't even know what they're doing.
  • hj1119
    hj1119 Posts: 173 Member
    And when the beautiful, skinny model says she stays that way by eating anything she wants, walking her dog, and doing "light yoga"? She is STRAIGHT UP LYING.

    I wish more people knew this. I wish teenage girls knew this.

    To the OP - I would suggest either dropping your calorie intake by a couple hundred a day or upping your activity level and see if that makes a difference.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    With very little weight to lose now, it's going to be slow going...you're not doing anything wrong except for watching these shows and thinking that they're actually reality.

    Also, what makes you say you need to lose 15 Lbs? Just some arbitrary number you told yourself you needed to be at or are you making this determination based on BF% or something else? How are you arriving at this number? If you're at a healthy BF%, your body is going to be reluctant to keep leaning out...the human body really doesn't like being super lean.

    I based it on body fat% as tracked by trainer over a period of time. I'm currently at 21% BF with LBM of 106 and Fat Mass of 28. I know these numbers can be off but I've had measurements taken consistently so they've been off from the start :-D

    I want to preserve LBM (or increase it later with a bulk) and cut down on BF% to about 17%. 15 pounds may be too ambitious but 10 is also cool. I'm only 5'2" so not tall.
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    On these weight loss shows don't they usually get a bunch of loose skin cut off at the end?? Volia! -15 pounds!
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Eat less food.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Eat less food.

    What makes you say this? You don't know how much food I eat. At the very least, ask me how many calories I consume and what I eat before making your declaration.

    If I hadn't eaten less food I wouldn't have lost 126 pounds. I know I got that part covered.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    On these weight loss shows don't they usually get a bunch of loose skin cut off at the end?? Volia! -15 pounds!

    I watched 2 episodes of Extreme Weight Loss. I don't have a TV so I don't watch these shows. I have heard and read about them. I think in those two episodes only a stomach skin reduction was done, nothing else.
  • littlefoot612
    littlefoot612 Posts: 156 Member
    On these weight loss shows don't they usually get a bunch of loose skin cut off at the end?? Volia! -15 pounds!

    I watched 2 episodes of Extreme Weight Loss. I don't have a TV so I don't watch these shows. I have heard and read about them. I think in those two episodes only a stomach skin reduction was done, nothing else.

    On Extreme Weight Loss, it happens in all the episodes. That is their cliffhanger moment in the third quarter of weightloss. The participant has to reach a certain weight and percentage of weight lost in order to qualify for skin removal surgery. Just as they are about to step on the scale they cut to commercial. If the are almost at the goal the show the consultation with the surgeon and, again, a cliffhanger commercial, then the Doctor says they are a good candidate for the surgery. On The Biggest Loser, they are wearing something under their clothing at the final weigh in to hold all the loose skin in place but I understand they have the skin removal surgery later.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    On these weight loss shows don't they usually get a bunch of loose skin cut off at the end?? Volia! -15 pounds!

    I watched 2 episodes of Extreme Weight Loss. I don't have a TV so I don't watch these shows. I have heard and read about them. I think in those two episodes only a stomach skin reduction was done, nothing else.
    The women on EWL are not getting anywhere near 21% BF. I think they wind up in the mid-30s at best, typically. So you're way ahead of them. They too would struggle where you're at. (21% is kind of ideal but you probably know that.)
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    This contains your answers:

    http://www.cracked.com/article_21137_5-details-they-cut-from-my-season-the-biggest-loser.html
  • Fit_Housewife
    Fit_Housewife Posts: 168 Member
    What *should* I be doing?

    Stop watching weight loss shows.

    Lol this
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Eat less food.

    What makes you say this? You don't know how much food I eat. At the very least, ask me how many calories I consume and what I eat before making your declaration.

    If I hadn't eaten less food I wouldn't have lost 126 pounds. I know I got that part covered.

    Do you want to lose an additional 15 lbs?

    Eat less food. Or if that doesn't suit you, burn more calories.

    Repeat until 15 lbs less.
  • skyeny
    skyeny Posts: 51 Member
    Is 120 lb a magic number?... You look awesome NOW (I assume it's your arm on the pic?), you're doing everything right. So why not just keep up with your routine and live your life, concentrate on other goals. Who knows, maybe in a few months your body will surprise you. If not, you know you're healthy and look great. I have my own weight goals on MFP, but already right now I'm happy with myself. I'm happy that I work out and eat healthier. And if my lb number stays the same for the next few months, so be it. I promised myself that I'm not gonna give up on my health anymore, and the number is just a number. I wish I could explain it to my body that for every 3500 calories I'm short it has to give up 1 lb, but I don't know how, it has it's own schedule. Of course I can stop eating, or cut my calories even more, but that wouldn't be healthy or sustainable for me, and I'm not going that way. Weight loss shows... we can quit our jobs, workout instead, eat like kids in Africa... but look how many of those biggest losers gained the weight back. I don't really watch TV, but when I do I prefer the Food Network =)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Perhaps 120 is an unreasonable goal weight. Set a body fat % goal instead.
  • RogueinSF
    RogueinSF Posts: 20
    With so little left to go I would say just start having fun! Go dancing, do some power yoga...play, play, play. The fittest I have ever been was because I was too busy having fun to sit about and eat all the time. Good luck and congratulations, you are already a super star!
  • StacyPhillipsTSFLcoach
    StacyPhillipsTSFLcoach Posts: 83 Member
    Wow! Great job! You are amazing!

    Those weight loss shows don't have anything over you. I'll bet you look fit and healthy, as opposed to "formerly obese" like most of the contestants on those shows end up looking. You have some great stats with your % body fat and your pounds of lean body mass that you preserved in the process of becoming healthy! You can be proud of that!

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