BIGGEST LOSER and calories

StiringWendel

I am going with the site on this one ( and with trainer Bob)

Bob/The Biggest Loser didn't actually state how many calories Mike was eating vs. what Bob thought he should eat. Jillian has been pretty open about how many calories the contestants eat, and for women, they shoot for between 1200-1400 and for men, they shoot for between 1600-1800. If they are working out the number of hours a day that Bob and Jillian have indicated they do (6-8 hours/six days a week), then I would say that there is pretty clear evidence that they are creating a calorie deficit beyond 500 a day with all of the exercise. So if you think it is necessary to eat all of your exercise calories, I would say you might not want to be listening that closely to Trainer Bob.

Here's my thinking on eating exercise calories. Yes, I'm new here, but that doesn't mean I'm new to fitness or to weight loss. I heard about this place from a fitness site I've belonged to for over a decade and find MFP to be a great place for logging calories (and I'm learning a great deal in the process). And I don't disagree with the concept that exercise calories should be eaten. HOWEVER, I don't think a blanket statement can be made that it works best for everybody because everybody is different.

Creating a 500 calories deficit for everybody isn't as easy as it looks, and I think that should be taken into account here. For instance, my average daily energy expended would be 1587 calories a day if I didn't workout (that's not my BMR, but the calories I need to do normal daily activities as a person with a sedentary life). In other words, I would need to eat 1587 calories a day to MAINTAIN my weight. Given that, it would actually be impossible for me to create a 500 calorie deficit and stay near or at my BMR (which is 1322) in calories consumed (since going under 1200 under any circumstance is never recommended). So I would actually need to ADD exercise to my lifestyle to create a 500 calorie deficit.

For me to create a 500 calories deficit to get close to eating my BMR calories, I would need to workout 1-3 days a week and not eat a single calorie from that exercise! In other words, with that level of exercise, I would still be at a 1300 calorie a day diet, and still within the 'safe' range of a 500 calorie deficit.

That will never change for me given my age, my size, etc. In other words, in order for me to even create a 500 calorie deficit in my diet, I have to exercise first!

For me, it is only when I get into the higher ranges of exercise (4-6 days a week and vigorous activities), that I need to contemplate pulling my calorie intake above my BMR much, but even at hard exercise 6 days a week, I only need to add about 400 calories a day above my BMR (which is less than I would have burned) in order to create that 500 calorie deficit because my starting point for creating that deficit isn't before exercise.

So the entire concept of eating exercise calories DOES vary for individuals, and I think it is important for people to do the research to understand that. Because some people can be eating every one of those calories and wondering why they aren't losing their pound a week. And the truth could be that in eating every one of those calories, they aren't creating enough of a calorie deficit to generate the weight loss.

Back to The Biggest Loser, Jillian has made it perfectly clear that she thinks it is fine to create a calorie deficit beyond 500 a day if it is done safely and through exercise. So I would imagine that is how the baseline calories for the women and men on TBL are set--the 1200-1400 is set for the women based on a 500 calorie deficit from their AMR (Active Metabolic Rate) or their calculated average daily energy expended and the same for men in the 1600-1800 range. I would imagine they calculate that for each individual, and perhaps Mike, because he is younger, actually needs to eat more than the other men in the house and simply wasn't. Chances are that was impacting him, perhaps even down to his energy level in the gym. But there is no doubt that where the weight loss is coming on the show, IMO, isn't from the calorie deficits through eating, but in the huge calorie deficits being burned through exercise. If those contestants were eating all of their exercise calories, they would never lose the amount of weight they are every week.

The concepts for weight loss as created on The Biggest Loser are valid, IMO. They just aren't possible for the average person because the average person doesn't have the support around them that the contestants do on TBL, nor does the average person have that amount of time to devote to exercise. But that doesn't mean the concept of creating calorie deficits and such are necessarily faulty IN THAT ENVIRONMENT (these people are under constant supervision by trainers, doctors and dieticians). If these contestants understand the calorie deficit being created and the expenditures of calories through exercise, they should be able to carry these philosophies (at a more reasonable rate) into their daily lives.....just like the rest of us. Just because they don't doesn't mean the show is a failure in what it does, anymore than MFP would be responsible if I were to gain 100 pounds next year. It just means these contestants chose not to implement the whole 'less calories, more activity' to sustain their weight loss. Of the former contestants I've heard talk about their subsequent weight gain, not one has said their metabolism was destroyed by the show because they were in starvation mode for so long. They have said, instead, that they just couldn't control their eating.

prayerfulmom

I am going with the site on this one ( and with trainer Bob)

Bob/The Biggest Loser didn't actually state how many calories Mike was eating vs. what Bob thought he should eat. Jillian has been pretty open about how many calories the contestants eat, and for women, they shoot for between 1200-1400 and for men, they shoot for between 1600-1800. If they are working out the number of hours a day that Bob and Jillian have indicated they do (6-8 hours/six days a week), then I would say that there is pretty clear evidence that they are creating a calorie deficit beyond 500 a day with all of the exercise. So if you think it is necessary to eat all of your exercise calories, I would say you might not want to be listening that closely to Trainer Bob.

Here's my thinking on eating exercise calories. Yes, I'm new here, but that doesn't mean I'm new to fitness or to weight loss. I heard about this place from a fitness site I've belonged to for over a decade and find MFP to be a great place for logging calories (and I'm learning a great deal in the process). And I don't disagree with the concept that exercise calories should be eaten. HOWEVER, I don't think a blanket statement can be made that it works best for everybody because everybody is different.

Creating a 500 calories deficit for everybody isn't as easy as it looks, and I think that should be taken into account here. For instance, my average daily energy expended would be 1587 calories a day if I didn't workout (that's not my BMR, but the calories I need to do normal daily activities as a person with a sedentary life). In other words, I would need to eat 1587 calories a day to MAINTAIN my weight. Given that, it would actually be impossible for me to create a 500 calorie deficit and stay near or at my BMR (which is 1322) in calories consumed (since going under 1200 under any circumstance is never recommended). So I would actually need to ADD exercise to my lifestyle to create a 500 calorie deficit.

For me to create a 500 calories deficit to get close to eating my BMR calories, I would need to workout 1-3 days a week and not eat a single calorie from that exercise! In other words, with that level of exercise, I would still be at a 1300 calorie a day diet, and still within the 'safe' range of a 500 calorie deficit.

That will never change for me given my age, my size, etc. In other words, in order for me to even create a 500 calorie deficit in my diet, I have to exercise first!

For me, it is only when I get into the higher ranges of exercise (4-6 days a week and vigorous activities), that I need to contemplate pulling my calorie intake above my BMR much, but even at hard exercise 6 days a week, I only need to add about 400 calories a day above my BMR (which is less than I would have burned) in order to create that 500 calorie deficit because my starting point for creating that deficit isn't before exercise.

So the entire concept of eating exercise calories DOES vary for individuals, and I think it is important for people to do the research to understand that. Because some people can be eating every one of those calories and wondering why they aren't losing their pound a week. And the truth could be that in eating every one of those calories, they aren't creating enough of a calorie deficit to generate the weight loss.

Back to The Biggest Loser, Jillian has made it perfectly clear that she thinks it is fine to create a calorie deficit beyond 500 a day if it is done safely and through exercise. So I would imagine that is how the baseline calories for the women and men on TBL are set--the 1200-1400 is set for the women based on a 500 calorie deficit from their AMR (Active Metabolic Rate) or their calculated average daily energy expended and the same for men in the 1600-1800 range. I would imagine they calculate that for each individual, and perhaps Mike, because he is younger, actually needs to eat more than the other men in the house and simply wasn't. Chances are that was impacting him, perhaps even down to his energy level in the gym. But there is no doubt that where the weight loss is coming on the show, IMO, isn't from the calorie deficits through eating, but in the huge calorie deficits being burned through exercise. If those contestants were eating all of their exercise calories, they would never lose the amount of weight they are every week.

The concepts for weight loss as created on The Biggest Loser are valid, IMO. They just aren't possible for the average person because the average person doesn't have the support around them that the contestants do on TBL, nor does the average person have that amount of time to devote to exercise. But that doesn't mean the concept of creating calorie deficits and such are necessarily faulty IN THAT ENVIRONMENT (these people are under constant supervision by trainers, doctors and dieticians). If these contestants understand the calorie deficit being created and the expenditures of calories through exercise, they should be able to carry these philosophies (at a more reasonable rate) into their daily lives.....just like the rest of us. Just because they don't doesn't mean the show is a failure in what it does, anymore than MFP would be responsible if I were to gain 100 pounds next year. It just means these contestants chose not to implement the whole 'less calories, more activity' to sustain their weight loss. Of the former contestants I've heard talk about their subsequent weight gain, not one has said their metabolism was destroyed by the show because they were in starvation mode for so long. They have said, instead, that they just couldn't control their eating.

My understanding is that they work out 6-8 hours A DAY on campus. Case in point the young man Bob just scolded for not eating enough calories. He burns about 10,000 a day Bob said. Now I've had a body bugg in the past. I can work out several time in a day (or a multi hour run) and just make it over a 3,000 calorie burn. He couldn't make a deficit of say even 5,000 with food. Its the hours of exercise and the decreased calories together. That is why they lose so much weight each week.

I do like your point about the ONE SIZE FITS ALL type of point. We are all different and we have to find what works for us individually. Some may get to eat exercise calories, some part of them, and some none. We don't want to experiment to see what works individually, we just want a perfect science....and we want it now. We've got to be willing to learn more about our own bodies.

drewzaun

I do like your point about the ONE SIZE FITS ALL type of point. We are all different and we have to find what works for us individually. Some may get to eat exercise calories, some part of them, and some none. We don't want to experiment to see what works individually, we just want a perfect science....and we want it now. We've got to be willing to learn more about our own bodies.

Exactly. Something that is every bit as important as learning to eat healthy and making exercise a habit is to learn how to listen to your body. Know what it says and pay attention. We are not all the same, and that is why many respected nutritional scientists can not agree on an absolute plan. (fad diets and pills do not count as part of the debate, IMO)

ggooding12

Brittney from a season or two ago was only eating 500 calories a day. Jillian made her bump it up to Minimum of 1400. So yes, they eat more than 1200 calories a day. Don't know who assumed that one. BTW: Erik from season 1, gained ALL of his weight back plus.

mrsyac2

when it comes to exercise calories we just have to agree to disagree because it may work for some and yet not work for others--
Not 1 person is the same so whats good for me may not be good for the next person.

wannaBme

Well wait, who said that they only eat 1200 calories on the biggest loser? I've never heard them say that in the show, in fact I think bob was telling them that they needed to eat MORE becuase if he didn't it would put him into starvation mode. Maybe I got it all wrong IDK. :huh:

Yah, I think the topic got a bit off track. This week the contestants were encouraged to eat MORE calories so that they could have enough energy to do more. I didn't understand this at all a few weeks ago but I have been doing lots of reading on the subject it's getting clearer.

In the first few seasons there was more information about "how to lose" weight but unfortuanetly viewers LOVE their reality TV drama ... and that has seemed to take the lead on the show.

I disagree with those who say this hasn't helped American lose some weight. The show has highlighted the need and a desire for healthier eating habits. The Biggest Loser Club and other online weight loss websites have boomed along with the shows ratings.

As for the clothes that they wear when weighting in ... I agree that the bras need to be lined but that's all I agree with. Show the bodies !! It's the reality .. nothing to hide. This is what over eating has done to their bodies. Now .. you strip and look in the mirror. See your body, don't hide it. Let your boyfriends and husbands see you. Our size and shape DOES NOT determine WHO we are. The contestants on the show love each other REGARDLESS of their size. We even love (and hate) some of the people on the show REGARDLESS of their size.

Body acceptance is a huge message that the show is trying to convey as well as showing that transformation CAN take place.

I dislike the "in show" commercials .. very cheesy

sassiebritches

I eat 1299 without exercise......that is close to a 1000 cal deficit already. If I burned 500 cals, I would definatley need to eat them back as a 1500 deficit would be dangerous. My body requires 2300 on a lazy day just breathing.....so for some of us, yes we have to eat our excercise cals. For some in order to reach a deficit we do not........sounds right to me. I think it is dependent on each person..I say try everything out for a bit. If you notice after 2 weeks of doing something it's not working try something else. But always eat well, exercise and drink your water.

But what do I know, I only lost 9 pounds since Jan 30th.

GO GREEN!

Monda

Heather, a single serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. Hope this helps until you can get a scale.