Did Jillian Michaels Go Too Far on BL?
Replies
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I personally don't watch the show. I did once years ago and it scared the daylights out of me. I felt there had to be much more going on that we don't see. I so agree that it does a massive disservice to dieters by giving them a horrible idea of what is acceptable and what isn't. As far as someone taking a spot that someone who really wanted it could've had, I don't think people going on the show have any idea what it's going to be like.I think they go too far all the time, including their training methods.
I think the show, while entertaining and motivating, also does a massive disservice to dieters by giving them a horrible idea of what is acceptable and what isn't.
/gets off soapbox.
I saw a show that three trainers from Biggest Loser were on. Jillian herself said, "we make people workout 6 hours a day and unless you're puking or dead you keep going!" I don't think when someone goes on the show that the understand they will be working out, hard, 6 hours a day. I guess I have no business saying anything since I haven't lost much since coming back to MFP a few months ago. I just know that the show scares me and actually makes me feel worse about myself that I'm not able to "do it".0 -
Totally agree with the 2 year wait...if it was that important for him to lose the weight that should have been his wake up call!
I think it's MUCH better way to go about it, on your own. It's easier and healthier I'm sure.I think they go too far all the time, including their training methods.
I think the show, while entertaining and motivating, also does a massive disservice to dieters by giving them a horrible idea of what is acceptable and what isn't.
/gets off soapbox.
Troof.
It's the only show I've seen where people get upset that they "only" lost 20lbs their first week. You'll see plenty of posters around here who expect the same results these people on tv are having.
Plus I don't think you really learn much about a healthy lifestyle if you're taken from your family, home, and job and given a personal trainer and pre-planned meals for a couple months. Losing weight on your own as a part of your regular life is really a better way to go.
I have to say I was really disheartened by a man on the show .... who said he'd been waiting TWO YEARS to get on the show and lose weight.
All I could think... is if he had found something like MFP and already implemented the changes in his life two years ago.... he wouldn't need the show.0 -
I think she went WAY too far! It's like she has a years worth of pent up anger... or may she needs a nap!0
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the guy who "waited two years" also stated that he did try at home before finding out he was on the show and failed to lose the weight he wanted. Obviously you all missed that?! It is a show and can be helpful to those of us watching. Yes, you do have to get off your butt to exercise and get some well needed activity in your life. Being sedentary and eating healthy is not enough to lose the weight you actually have to get up and move and I don't mean to go to the fridge or to go to the bathroom.0
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love it.
no one gets stronger by working around their weaknesses.
truth0 -
THIS! I won't watch it. They use unethical tactics and instead of being motivating, it shows results that are unattainable for most people. Come on... 20+ pounds a week? How is that healthy? And who in the "real world" can be at the gym 8 hours a day?Check out Kai Hibbard of The Biggest Loser Season 3 for what really goes on at the ranch...
I agree with this 150% It's really REALLY dangerous. When Kai and the other contestant, I can't remember his name, came out and told the truth about what they did to win a weigh-in, that made me lose serious respect for the show and for the trainers that sign on for that. Not cool to be associated with such dangerous tactics.0 -
I have mixed emotions about Jillian last night. I thought she was really tough. I mean these guys are literally passing out on the treadmill and she is yelling at them? No compassion at all. Regarding how she was towards Nikki, while I do think she was rough on her- she was right. Nikki was not ready to be there. She wasn't even trying. If I were her and I watched last nights episode I would be embarassed. All these people trying out for the show and she takes a spot of someone who really wanted to be there.
Yes I will be watching. It is one of the only shows my husband and I watch together.
Oh and I do think off all the seasons this season has the most attractive. You can see when these people lose weight they are going to look amazing !
I agree!!!0 -
The way she curses at people and all that rough talk ... I'm not going to watch her show anymore. I've lost a lot of weight in the past with a trainer that had a lot more patience and never once yelled at me. It's unprofessional to me. It's not the NFL
The patient and gentle method works for you -- but not for everyone. Some people need the "roughness" to move them from complacency. As someone else posted, there are contestants on that show who think that all they had to do was get selected and everything would happen miraculously. Those people probably need to quickly realize that they are not at a "fat melting" farm and they are expected to put in extra work.
We normally will see an hour of this a week and it is clipped together and edited for maximum impact; we do not see 167 hours of what they are doing each week. Jillian might have sworn twice out of 168 hours but both times get edited into the show; she might have hugged, encouraged, consoled and cried with contestants the rest of the week - but showing that would soften her "drill sargeant" image.
By the way, you said "this is not the NFL". Coaches and trainers in the NFL come with different temperments too. Some are more like your former trainer, some are more like Jillian and some are a mix - depending on circumstances.0 -
I thought Jillian was a bit tough myself, but that’s what people signed up for and as others have stated—this is a show and the producers choose the footage they air. They probably picked the worse of the worse for dramatic affect.
As far as TC goes, I would like to be the devil’s advocate here. When the show aired his story, I figured he would be one of the season favorites and I was sorry to see him go. I disagree with the other posters that say he is lazy and had two years to lose the weight. People have different ways of dealing with their emotions—one being they set their mind on their goal and work hard towards it. The other is that they use food to numb out their guilt and emotions. My take on TC is that he had a lot of guilty baggage he was trying to deal with. So to say he could have just dieted at home may not be as easy as you think it is.
If it was just that easy to “diet” at home—then it should be thrown on all of the contestants and not just TC. They all didn’t gain the weight within the past year or two. It’s been ongoing. They all are on BL because they need something that will break them down emotionally and build them back up. It’s a last resort because they couldn’t do it on their own.0 -
I had mixed feelings about it, but I do think Nikki had problems she needed to deal with outside the show. She wasn't going to get better on the show. It did irritate me that TC ended up getting booted though. Stay tuned....0
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How can someone go too far, unless one lives under a rock, when after all these seasons every contestant knows what to expect. It is a reality show, so we are only going to see the dramatic parts not all the everyday stuff. These contestants sign all sorts of disclaimers before even being chosen, so there really are no surprises for them, just a wake up call for what is really required when signing up for an intensity training. After all, these people lose a ridiculous amount of weight in a very short (and unhealthy) time. But that is why medics are standing at the ready.
I did hate seeing the first person go home last night (wont give name to spoil), but very proud of what knowledge he/she took home w them after only one week. The question is, will we hear back from Nikki and whether or not she had a wake up call once home.0 -
Nope - tough love. People (myself included) will use excuse after excuse why they can't. She's the trainer I love to hate. May not like it but respect it0
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I saw it and I was glad the girl left, she clearly was not ready. If you dont know what to expect from the trainers by season 14 then I don't know what to tell ya. I can tell you as a viewer I was irritated by all the whining and quitting going on in the biggest loser gym. Millions of people would give their fat right arm to be chosen as a contestant. And they got chosen and acted like boo-babies. I wouldn't be embarrassed to weigh in publicly scantily clad in a sports bra and spandex. I wouldn't be embarrassed if I did my best but got eliminated. But I would be embarrassed if I gave more excuses than effort and got kicked out of the gym by my trainer. I liked the fact she didnt waste her time on those not willing to help themselves.
The guy that she asked if he was gonna pass out and he said I THINK SO. huh? No! You aren't, suck it up buttercup!
Instead, I'm cheering for the young kid (19 I think) that came out as gay. He seems truly ready. He worked till he puked and didnt quit.
The guy that got eliminated finally seemed to have a breakthrough and I'm all about second chances but at his size his percentage should have been higher so I can't see my way to think he deserved to stay over anyone else. It's harder for the smaller people and women to pull in those high numbers.0 -
I have to say I was really disheartened by a man on the show .... who said he'd been waiting TWO YEARS to get on the show and lose weight.
All I could think... is if he had found something like MFP and already implemented the changes in his life two years ago.... he wouldn't need the show.
Exactly
This0 -
I enjoyed it. I think JM was doing her job, it was her job to teach, lead and yes, motivate. It probably appeared (through editing and tv 'magic') that she was taking out a contestant who should have been there, but seriously, if the girl didn't think she could handle it mentally then she had no reason to be there.
I watched biggest loser during my weight loss on Netflix. I came to really like and respect Jillian because she was hard on people, but totally got into their heads as well. It's important that the contestants, or anyone losing weight figure out what's going on in their minds that got them there in the first place. Mental health is just as important as physical. I for one learned more about myself than I ever thought I could learn when I was in the process of losing. Watching Jillian and contestants from the past episodes really made me think and motivated me more to get to my goal and maintain it healthfully.0 -
I have to say I was really disheartened by a man on the show .... who said he'd been waiting TWO YEARS to get on the show and lose weight.
All I could think... is if he had found something like MFP and already implemented the changes in his life two years ago.... he wouldn't need the show.
Exactly
This
That went through my mind as well!0 -
Totally Agree!I do have to say that I did NOT miss Jillian. She brings so much drama. She thinks she needs to break people to help them make a change....trust me they are broken!
Bob and Dolvett are both tough and compassionate. I love the show but I am not into Jillian!0 -
I didn't see the show so I am going to base this answer off of previous season I have watched and my own experience with people.
Many of us need that hard reality. We too easily quit because something is hard but will turn around and cry that we have not changed. In my opinion JM is awesome and knows what she is doing. She probably wanted that person to stop making excuses and take control of her life. Also from what I have seen of JM she wants to show people that they are stronger than they think they are and if they can deal with her crap that they can handle anything the world throws at them.
My thoughts EXACTLY!! I watched it last night and I will continue to watch the rest of the season...0 -
Totally Agree!I do have to say that I did NOT miss Jillian. She brings so much drama. She thinks she needs to break people to help them make a change....trust me they are broken!
Bob and Dolvett are both tough and compassionate. I love the show but I am not into Jillian!
Yes!!! I agree 100%.0 -
Oh my gosh YES! She was horrible last night. I know she has always been a little rough. But she was really cruel and over the top, "in your face" last night. She was a bully. I would have quit too.Hey, fitness fans! Just finished watching last night's Biggest Loser. I was a bit baffled by Jillian Michaels' treatment of the one girl, who she seemed to badger into leaving. These people are already broken -- does she need to break them down more? Can't the workout itself do that? I'm curious, what did you think? And will you be watching this season?:drinker:0 -
i was working out with my trainer one day, when i started this... path of weight loss. we were doing some crossfit wod, and in between sets two and three i was of breath sitting on the ground. i had also been taking little breaks in between each exercise.
so he goes to me "come on man, i don't have all day."
i looked at him like i wanted to kill him. i went through the last circuit straight through. 27 box jumps, 20 burpees, 11 power cleans. just to shut him up and show him i could do it.
afterwards, you know what his words of encouragement were? "next time do the whole thing without stopping." then he took my money and i thanked him.
I wanna work with that guy ^^
Last night as I was working with the trainer (free assessment that I finally accepted) he kept giving me high-fives for not b!tching or quitting...to which I asked why should I be rewarded for doing what I am SUPPOSED to do?
I know he was just trying to be nice, but I didn't ask for nice.0 -
THIS! I won't watch it. They use unethical tactics and instead of being motivating, it shows results that are unattainable for most people. Come on... 20+ pounds a week? How is that healthy? And who in the "real world" can be at the gym 8 hours a day?Check out Kai Hibbard of The Biggest Loser Season 3 for what really goes on at the ranch...
I agree with this 150% It's really REALLY dangerous. When Kai and the other contestant, I can't remember his name, came out and told the truth about what they did to win a weigh-in, that made me lose serious respect for the show and for the trainers that sign on for that. Not cool to be associated with such dangerous tactics.
I actually did read Kai's interview where she talked about dehydration before weigh-ins and conflicting info from the trainers and docs.
But really is anyone THAT surprised? I mean really...these people are losing double digits week after week. I'm aware that at 300+ lbs your body is just happy to be up and moving, screaming to lose weight. I remember long ago wanting to know there calorie intake and calorie burn. I was curious to see how long they worked out and how much they ate. Even now...it's hard to find a straight answer.0 -
Jillian is supposed to be a "Coach". Helping people work through their emotional and mental aversions as well as their physical limitations.
Not a Marine Corps Dril Instructor.0 -
Jillian is supposed to be a "Coach". Helping people work through their emotional and mental aversions as well as their physical limitations.
Not a Marine Corps Dril Instructor.
Not to argue, but what do you think coaches do?
It's like that scene in Glengarry Glen Ross. That scene is interpreted in two very different ways. The first is: that guy is an a-hole, and nobody has the right to talk to me like that, the second is: people are motivated and think "man, screw this guy...I'll show him!".
It's brutal, rude and borderline sociopathic, and also it is an honest and accurate expression of what the world is going to expect from you.
Gillian seems to be a screaming Alec Baldwin.0 -
I usually love Jillian, think she went a bit too far. Kai Hibbard stayed on the show the entire time, all the way up through the finale. I don't take her word over anyone else's. I find it very hard to believe that a trainer would tell someone to stop drinking an electrolyte beverage after a doctor ordered it. Wanting good rating doesn't equate to wanting to kill someone. I don't think the BL success numbers are any worse than sustained weight loss in that population in other programs or through self-sustained diet and exercise.
What I think would be amazing is if the contestants were also provided intensive emotional/mental health therapy that was not televised. Contestants could talk about their progress if they want to. But I wonder what kind of growth could come from dealing with powerful emotions while simultaneously transforming the body? That's pretty empowering. People who reach 500 lbs probably have some kind of eating disorder. Of course diet and exercise is often not going to be enough to sustain progress. Any therapy on the show probably wouldn't be enough. It would need to be ongoing for quite some time, just as it usually is for other illnesses and addictions. You return an addict to his normal environment and have no support, it's much more likely than not that there is going to be a relapse.
Edit: Jillian's mom showing up for an episode doesn't count! :laugh:0 -
I follow Tara Costa on Facebook and she's still doing amazing.
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Tara was a beast. She kicked everyone's *kitten*!!0 -
She went way too far. It was a huge turn-off for me.....0
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