ive noticed on the biggest loser

KierstyPants
KierstyPants Posts: 468 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
that they lose 10+ every single week.
Isn't that unhealthy? :O
it's crazy..and i don't understand that when we're supposed to lose 1-2?

Replies

  • nickeymhughes
    nickeymhughes Posts: 115 Member
    I know it's crazy isn't it.. I know they do over 2 hours of just cardio a day.. but that's all they do is spend the whole day with a personal trainer.. DON'T I WISH!
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    It IS unhealthy. A lot of the participants don't maintain their weight loss and they are also watched by a team of doctors every second of every day, because it's very likely that ppl of their size working as hard as they are on only 1,200 calories a day may just have a heart attack or pass out.
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????
  • ckehoe89
    ckehoe89 Posts: 144 Member
    When you are that overweight losing 10lbs can be pretty easy. Once you start to get to a healthier weight, losing 10lbs that fast is really unhealthy. The reason for this is most of those on biggest loser were pretty sedentary prior to the show. So just an hours exercise can do a lot for them.
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
    It is unhealthy to lose that much weight in such a short amount of time. But they are STRONGLY and closely monitored by trainers and doctors as well as emergency personal 24hrs a day! They also eat ONLY nutrient dense foods, so their bodies are getting WAY more quality food than they were getting. It is true that they have a hard time maintaining their weight. Also, for the forst 8 weeks, their body is flushing mostly fluids that they retained over the years of obesity. But most of them certainly are healthier than they were before the show! haha I am friends with Jim Germanakos actually. ;)
  • dinavarrete
    dinavarrete Posts: 6
    that it is a special situation that would be impossible to replicate at home. If all you did all day was exercise you would lose a lot of weight too. I like the show because of the tips and because when I see people that are obviously out of shape doing the exercises it motivates me to try. I out of shape and overweight but I can do a lot if I push myself
  • daybehavior
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
    A "week" at the Biggest Loser ranch isn't always just seven days. Some contestants have come out and spoke out against this deception actually. But yeah, if you are around 380 lbs its probably not that unhealthy to lose ten pounds in one week.

    They work out for about six hours a day and they guys usually are on an 1800 calorie diet. Don't be fooled by the first week weigh ins of crazy numbers like -30lbs though. Many contestants intentionally water load before the initial weigh in to have a huge loss later that "week."
  • brookenerlien
    brookenerlien Posts: 1
    Also, sometimes the weigh-ins are actually over a 1.5-2 week span. Still, not healthy to lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks!
  • ieatstickers
    ieatstickers Posts: 51 Member
    Well, they trained really hard. Not to mention they are severly overweight. The bigger you are, the more calories you burn during exercise. Or so that's what I've heard. When I was 204 and worked out my first week, I lost 7 pounds. And I was eating healthy and exercising for an hour a day. Now I lose around 2-3 pounds a week.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????

    At least that's all they used to give them....I'm sure some ppl got a little more.
  • spitfire1962
    spitfire1962 Posts: 347 Member
    I think that the Biggest Loser contestants have the great opportunity of having the doctors and trainers there 24/7. Sure losing 10 pounds a week may be unhealthy, but staying as big as they are is unhealthier. They also are given the tools and education to keep it off. If they don't then they really were only in it for the money. You have to stay focused even after the weight loss. That's why lots of people who lose weight whether on the show or not, gain the weight because they think "okay, now that I've lost all this weight I can eat whatever as as much as I want. The show did help motivate me. It showed me that if these contestants who are much bigger than me can do it, why can't I? I also know that no matter what weight or size I get down to, I am never going back to mindless eating and not logging my calories.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
    I agree with the poster above me..

    It's not the healthiest to lose so much weight in a week.. but you sort of have to juggle what's best, losing 10lbs a week or weighing 300-400lbs? I don't think they eat just 1,200 calories a day. I remember a couple of seasons ago there was a big guy that was reaching a plateau and Jillian asked him what he was eating. I think he was only eating 1400-1500 calories and she told him he needed to eat MORE in order to lose weight.

    They are closely monitored by doctors and those that gain the weight back is due to their own faults. There are contestants who look as good as the finale on the show, i.e. Ali Vincent sticks out in my mind. She was the winner of Season 8, two years ago and still looks fabulous. I think it is an individual choice -- the people on the show have the information and knowledge to keep the weight off, they just have to use it.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    Patrick who is 27 was told by his doctor that he maybe had six more months to live. He was 400 pounds. Getting the weight off became an emergency situation. You have to keep in mind that the extra fat is not just on your hips, it's also surrounding your organs. That is why, when a person has lost 10 pounds they already begin to feel better in some cases. They are beginning to give their organs relief. For a person that is not morbidly obese 1-2 pound weight loss is best.
  • marieisthecool
    marieisthecool Posts: 46 Member
    most of those on biggest loser were pretty sedentary prior to the show. So just an hours exercise can do a lot for them.
    truth. I jump started my metabolisim just by wearing rebok easy tone shoes, at that time I never excercised at all.
  • jsecret
    jsecret Posts: 606 Member
    While I can completely understand them pushing some of the big guys (300 +) at the beginning to lose massive amounts of weight a week I think it is completely insane for them to expect smaller girls toward the end (like Ada now in the 170's I believe) to still be losing 6-7 lbs a week! As you get smaller it gets harder and unhealthier to lose those huge numbers!
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????

    Remember they are eating exercise calories back too. You cant lose weight on a negative calories.
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????

    Remember they are eating exercise calories back too. You cant lose weight on a negative calories.

    Oh okay that makes more sence. I just couldnt believe they would only give them 1200 and end up with less than that after their workout!
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????

    Remember they are eating exercise calories back too. You cant lose weight on a negative calories.
    Actually they don't. They're on a strict 1800 cals/1400 cals (guys/girls respectively) intake, hence the big losses every week. This was revealed by one of the disgruntled non-winners from a couple seasons ago..LOL.

    But they recently had another "where are they now" episode, and you can tell, most of them have gained some weight back, including highly competitive & driven Tara...she was starting to look a little wide again when doing that triathlon. The 2 greek brothers also looked like they added 20-25 lbs since the final weigh in.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
    The Doctor on the show said that the morbidly obesse contestantes will have to work out 3-4 hours a day for the rest of there life to maintain there weight loss. So I say cut them some slack on the slight weight gain. Who has time to exersise like that and have a job, family, life?
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
    Although I find the show inspirational, as well, I also understand that it's "reality" TV. There's always that aspect of "how realistic is it really?" and "How much is it staged or tweaked?" I take the show with a grain of salt, I wouldn't model my exercise/nutrition/weight loss regimin based upon what I see on it.

    Shannon
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    While I can completely understand them pushing some of the big guys (300 +) at the beginning to lose massive amounts of weight a week I think it is completely insane for them to expect smaller girls toward the end (like Ada now in the 170's I believe) to still be losing 6-7 lbs a week! As you get smaller it gets harder and unhealthier to lose those huge numbers!

    That's why they go by percentages to even the playing field.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
    The Doctor on the show said that the morbidly obesse contestantes will have to work out 3-4 hours a day for the rest of there life to maintain there weight loss. So I say cut them some slack on the slight weight gain. Who has time to exersise like that and have a job, family, life?

    Why would they have to work more every day than any body else that was fat? With proper nutrition and 4-5 hrs a week, anybody can maintain the loss. Cutting them some slack is how we all got fat in the first place.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    The Doctor on the show said that the morbidly obesse contestantes will have to work out 3-4 hours a day for the rest of there life to maintain there weight loss. So I say cut them some slack on the slight weight gain. Who has time to exersise like that and have a job, family, life?

    I lost over 200 lbs and I don't have to workout anything close to that.....

    You eat fairly decent and you exercise 30-1hr a day and you should be fine.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    delete
  • Silvergamma
    Silvergamma Posts: 102 Member
    From what I've read, a lot of those folks starve and dehydrate themselves prior to the weigh ins. I think the concept of the show is a good one, but because the money prize is only based on the scale numbers, there are some unhealthy practices that occur. The one I have been enjoying is Supersize vs. Superskinny. That one gets more into the emotional reasons for what's going on, and sets up reasonable goals. In addition, without a cash prize the focus is on health.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    The Doctor on the show said that the morbidly obesse contestantes will have to work out 3-4 hours a day for the rest of there life to maintain there weight loss. So I say cut them some slack on the slight weight gain. Who has time to exersise like that and have a job, family, life?

    Why would they have to work more every day than any body else that was fat? With proper nutrition and 4-5 hrs a week, anybody can maintain the loss. Cutting them some slack is how we all got fat in the first place.

    I agree that makes no sense what so ever. Maybe if they were eating the same way they were before they came to the ranch.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,271 Member
    I dont see the show but OMG they only give them 1200 calories a day????

    Remember they are eating exercise calories back too. You cant lose weight on a negative calories.
    Actually they don't. They're on a strict 1800 cals/1400 cals (guys/girls respectively) intake, hence the big losses every week. This was revealed by one of the disgruntled non-winners from a couple seasons ago..LOL.

    But they recently had another "where are they now" episode, and you can tell, most of them have gained some weight back, including highly competitive & driven Tara...she was starting to look a little wide again when doing that triathlon. The 2 greek brothers also looked like they added 20-25 lbs since the final weigh in.

    Ray you disappoint me you know that cant work. They have to eat some of those calories back. 6hours a day workout. They are easily burning over 3000 calories a day If not more. 1200 calories of food intake would not be enough to keep them walking let alone lose weight and build muscle and we know they are building muscle some of those guys at the end look JACKED!
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
    The Doctor on the show said that the morbidly obesse contestantes will have to work out 3-4 hours a day for the rest of there life to maintain there weight loss. So I say cut them some slack on the slight weight gain. Who has time to exersise like that and have a job, family, life?

    Why would they have to work more every day than any body else that was fat? With proper nutrition and 4-5 hrs a week, anybody can maintain the loss. Cutting them some slack is how we all got fat in the first place.

    I'm not a Doctor just repeating what the Doc on the show said.
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