Does anyone watch biggest loser for inspiration?

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toffee2013
toffee2013 Posts: 344 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
As the titles says really. Does anyone watch this show for motivation and inspiration ? I certainly do . It's help me lose the weight i lost last year and lately i got bk into watching it again. Watching the last season. I know its full of sob stories and set up in places but i do go along with it as i can identify with them . Losing weight is so mentally challenging and an emotional roller coaster. I'm currently doing Insanity at the moment , so i need all the inspiration i can get !!

Feel free to add me .
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Replies

  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Not anymore. I did watch, and enjoy, season 2.

    But as someone who is a fan of fast weight loss, with no interest in "slow and steady", it's fascinating to behold people doing things that the establishment deems impossible. And, in the long run, enough of those fast losers have maintained a significant portion of weight loss as to give them the same odds as slow losers for long term loss.

    Odds which are pretty terrible all around.

    So regardless of weight of loss, all of us are facing an uphill battle to maintain over the duration.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I used to, but anymore it just frustrates the crap out of me. Besides all the yelling and drama - it's the unrealistic expectations the show gives "regular" people.

    Yes, the contestants have a LOT of weight to lose, and showing large drops on the scale is expected. But half way through or even near the end of the show, when the trainers are all upset and seem angry when someone has only lost 6 or 7 lbs is ridiculous! I see if here all the time - a new person to MFP will be upset that they only lost 6 pounds in three weeks or something like that, which is a GREAT loss and much more realistic.

    Being on the show, having a trainer shouting at you, working out 6 hours a day, plus a chef making all your meals - that's not reality for the rest of us - we have lives, families, jobs, do our own shopping and cooking, etc. And we're not in a competition with anyone else - at least we shouldn't be - getting fit and healthy should be your own personal competition with yourself - striving to do better with each workout - go a little farther, push a little harder, lift a little more, be stronger than last week, more flexible than last workout, etc.

    It is inspirational in the sense that you see some amazing changes in people who are morbidly obese, and many of them learn to make the changes, lose the weight and keep it off. But the way they portray such drastic weight loss as "normal" and mess with the minds of the average person needing to lose weight really bugs me.

    Ok, end rant. LOL
  • lore11a
    lore11a Posts: 166 Member
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    I love to watch the Biggest Loser. It does inspire me to do better. Granted most people cannot exercise 6 to 8 hours a day, but you can do the best you can. I wish they would focus a little more on showing you what they actually eat and not so much about all the exercise, which I know is very important. That being said, take away a lot of the drama, it is still one of my favorite shows.
  • katy_jane_2013
    katy_jane_2013 Posts: 38
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    I used to watch it a lot but the sob stories and unrealistic goals were a bit annoying, most people don't have that much time to exercise, I also watched fat families - Steve miller, it Is good and inspirational, as they are still working and having to fit it into there everyday lives.
    I have just started on here, logging my food for the next couple of day on what I eat now and then I can look at what needs changing.
    I have no friends on here as I was only coming on to log food but I am about to start taking it seriously. need all the motivation I can get.
    all friends welcome to add :)
  • mgorham13
    mgorham13 Posts: 168 Member
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    I don't watch biggest loser on purpose anymore but I might leave it on if I stumble across it.
    I do like extreme weight loss makeover, I like the fact that it takes place over a year and is done at the contestants home.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
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    I use my Wii Fit balance board to step on and off, with hand weights whilst watching The Biggest Loser Australia at the moment.
  • SephiraRose
    SephiraRose Posts: 775 Member
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    I'm very happy for their success stories, but jealous too.
  • ThinWhiteDuchess
    ThinWhiteDuchess Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm afraid to burst a bubble here, but that show is inhumane. Not because of what you see on TV, but because of what happens off screen and through endless editing. There is constant dehydration. There are untreated injuries. There are obscene amounts of pain cut and edited to look like blatant laziness. There are contracts and law-suits that prevent the contestants from saying anything in public about the horrendous treatment they receive. It's basically a glamourized concentration camp with cameras.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Nope. That show sets unrealistic expectations for people. Plus, it's just a huge commercial.
  • Marcolter
    Marcolter Posts: 103 Member
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    No. because how many can afford the support of a all that spa/boot camp lifestyle with no job interfering. For inspiration I look to You Tube work out videos or recipe demos.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
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    I was never as big as the people in that programme so it doesn't motivate me much due to that, also it reminds me of all the weight loss motivation where people get prizes for losing the most which is slightly unfair for people who don't have as much to lose. but nonetheless it can be a good motivator
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
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    I watched it in the beginning for inspiration, but not anymore. I hate all the drama and some of the people/personalities are just too much and unrealistic. I don't like the pairs of family/friends on there and don't like the way they get rid of people. I don't think it's fair. After this year, I am totally disgusted. The only reason I would watch it anymore is becuz I LOVE Dolvett. Oh, and I totally agree with ThinWhiteDuch , I've read all about the behind the scenes stuff and it's disgusting.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.

    My thoughts exactly. If anything, I think the show is cruel - both to contestants and to those watching.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.

    The long term weight loss for the contestants is around the rate of long term success for any weight loss program, including "slow and steady" calorie counting.

    So yeah, it doesn't matter much how fast you lose the weight when it comes to maintainance. In fact I've quoted a couple studies right here that had faster losers keeping the weight off longer after the "diet" ended.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    It's basically a glamourized concentration camp with cameras.

    Concentration camps are involuntary places of extreme cruelty, slavery, and death.

    To compare a weight loss show, done for monetary gain, that's completely voluntary, to a concentration camp is the very definition of insensitive, and flat out absurd.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.

    My thoughts exactly. If anything, I think the show is cruel - both to contestants and to those watching.

    I agree completely
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.

    My thoughts exactly. If anything, I think the show is cruel - both to contestants and to those watching.

    I agree completely

    Fourthed. Or whatever the right word is.
  • kikkipoo
    kikkipoo Posts: 292 Member
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    I do watch and love it because its my workout show. I basically get on my treadmill and walk the entire hour and I love seeing the transformations. That being said I also know the show is set up to look like something it's not...and what we view as a period of a week actually takes place over the duration of 2-3 weeks. Hence why a 2, 3, or 4 pound weight loss is viewed as negative because in 3 weeks that should be easily obtainable by anyone who is obese or morbidly obese.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I don't think that kind of loss is inspirational. Or long term.

    My thoughts exactly. If anything, I think the show is cruel - both to contestants and to those watching.

    I agree completely

    Fourthed. Or whatever the right word is.

    Yup.

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