Advice from The Biggest Loser trainer is bad?
joycelyn35
Posts: 20
I repeated advice I found online from Bob Harper, trainer from The Biggest Loser, on a thread here and many commented that it was bad advice. I've followed it myself and found it to be helpful, however, I would like to educate myself further and perhaps more properly if I'm damaging my body (and giving poor advice to others on how to live a healthy life).
Here is the advice I had given that I found and have been utilizing from an online search of "8 Skinny Rules 'Biggest Losers' Never Break":
"I'm not an expert, however, eating big leafy salads such as the Organic Spring Mix from your local grocer is phenomenal. All of your vitamins and nutrients are there. Eat it without dressing or squeeze a lemon or lime over it. Quick and simple. The citrus helps boost metabolism and aides in digestion...the salad will also help you feel full.
Drink lots of water. Before any meal, drink an entire glass of water.
Do not eat after 7 pm. Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.
Cut out dairy, white junk (white rice, white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, muffins, etc.), soda, alcohol, fast food and all sweets.
My aunt lost 70 pounds rather quickly by simply eating lean cuisine and drinking only water. She is your size and has the same lifestyle. Walk. Wherever you go, park far and walk. Take the stairs. Stand at your desk when you can - it burns more calories.
Do not eat at your desk!
Look for and make the opportunity for movement each day, throughout the day!"
I have lost 6 lbs. in 2 weeks and feel better. I'm somewhat limited in exercise as I have a chronic pain condition (around my core/abdomen).
Advice, suggestions, clarification and a general 'steering in the right direction' is appreciated! It seems I need a proper education on my health and perhaps I'm following a fad unaware lol!
Here is the advice I had given that I found and have been utilizing from an online search of "8 Skinny Rules 'Biggest Losers' Never Break":
"I'm not an expert, however, eating big leafy salads such as the Organic Spring Mix from your local grocer is phenomenal. All of your vitamins and nutrients are there. Eat it without dressing or squeeze a lemon or lime over it. Quick and simple. The citrus helps boost metabolism and aides in digestion...the salad will also help you feel full.
Drink lots of water. Before any meal, drink an entire glass of water.
Do not eat after 7 pm. Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.
Cut out dairy, white junk (white rice, white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, muffins, etc.), soda, alcohol, fast food and all sweets.
My aunt lost 70 pounds rather quickly by simply eating lean cuisine and drinking only water. She is your size and has the same lifestyle. Walk. Wherever you go, park far and walk. Take the stairs. Stand at your desk when you can - it burns more calories.
Do not eat at your desk!
Look for and make the opportunity for movement each day, throughout the day!"
I have lost 6 lbs. in 2 weeks and feel better. I'm somewhat limited in exercise as I have a chronic pain condition (around my core/abdomen).
Advice, suggestions, clarification and a general 'steering in the right direction' is appreciated! It seems I need a proper education on my health and perhaps I'm following a fad unaware lol!
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Well I can try to break this down on the basis of my own personal research and understanding of diet and nutrition:
Eating things high in fiber will help you feel more full on less calories that much is true, although there are things higher in fiber than lettuce. If you like salad nothing wrong with eating salad but salad is not some magic food for weightloss."I'm not an expert, however, eating big leafy salads such as the Organic Spring Mix from your local grocer is phenomenal. All of your vitamins and nutrients are there. Eat it without dressing or squeeze a lemon or lime over it. Quick and simple. The citrus helps boost metabolism and aides in digestion...the salad will also help you feel full.Drink lots of water. Before any meal, drink an entire glass of water.
Agree that staying hydrated is important. The timing doesn't actually matter although I can see a point to spacing it out not trying to drink all your water in one sitting. Coupling it to meal timings might make sense to just keep yourself regular in your intake but not necessary.Do not eat after 7 pm.
This part is pointless, there is no benefit to not eating after 7pm.Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.
This is just teaching you portion control and suggesting foods that are low calorie for the amount they will satiate you (lean protein and fiber rich carbs). Nothing wrong with this advice.Cut out dairy, white junk (white rice, white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, muffins, etc.), soda, alcohol, fast food and all sweets.
This is being suggested because these foods tend to be high calorie relative to how satiating they are. That said there is nothing wrong with them and if you can exercise some basic portion control no reason to cut them completely.My aunt lost 70 pounds rather quickly by simply eating lean cuisine and drinking only water. She is your size and has the same lifestyle. Walk. Wherever you go, park far and walk. Take the stairs. Stand at your desk when you can - it burns more calories.
I'd agree that getting in some exercise whenever you can even if brief is better than nothing which seems to be all he is saying here.Do not eat at your desk!
Really where you eat doesn't matter obviously, I'm eating at my desk as I type this. That said I think the idea here is if you eat at your desk you may eat mindlessly and not get the feeling of satiation from an intentional sit-down meal if you just snack. I don't really agree with this though.Look for and make the opportunity for movement each day, throughout the day!"
Yeah, good advice. Go for a walk now and again. If you have a desk job get up when you can and stroll around the building.
Honestly there is nothing in his advice that will cause you harm if you follow it. I think with the exception of the "don't eat after 7pm" things all these suggestions can help you with a diet even if the reasoning given for them is flawed. The 7pm thing is total B.S. though so ignore that. I'd also ignore the idea that you have to cut out ALL of those "bad" foods he listed, all things in moderation.0 -
all of that advice is well and good, but its not something that is sustainable. cutting out ALL candy, alcohol, "white junk" ect. isnt something that you'll want to be doing for the rest of your life. instead count your calories and eat still what you want, but keep the calorie count below your daily goal. that being said however, 100 cals worth of "white junk" wont fill you up as much as its whole counterpart (i.e. whole grain bread as opposed to white)
meal timing isnt a necessity, but it helps some people eat less in the day if they dont eat after a certain time. same goes for eating at your desk.
water of course is very important, and leafy greens are definitely great for getting proper nutrients0 -
While I think some of that advice is absolutely ridiculous, it's not going to harm you, if it is working for you then keep doing it. You don't need approval from the internet.0
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A container of Earthbound Farms organic spring mix has 90% vitamin A, 50% vitamin C, 8% calcium, and 20% iron. It's an awesome beginning to your day. You will still need to work to get more calcium and iron."I'm not an expert, however, eating big leafy salads such as the Organic Spring Mix from your local grocer is phenomenal. All of your vitamins and nutrients are there."
Those who are overweight often confuse thirst and hunger, and an extra 3 cups of water per day won't lead to gross overhydration, so taken in moderation, I'm all for this.Drink lots of water. Before any meal, drink an entire glass of water.
I eat after 7pm all the time. This may be helpful if late night snacking is a big issue for you.Do not eat after 7 pm.
This follows the MyPlate recommendations. Can't go wrong there.Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.
Strongly disagree. First, cutting out dairy conflicts with MyPlate and the Harvard plate eating guidelines. Second, it's likely to lead to a calcium deficiency--he should have warned about that possibility and spelled out alternatives (e..g, "Eat 4 containers of spinach per day per glass of milk you had before."). Third, cutting out foods instead of practicing moderation increases the chance of binges.Cut out dairy, white junk (white rice, white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, muffins, etc.), soda, alcohol, fast food and all sweets.
Great advice!!Walk. Wherever you go, park far and walk. Take the stairs. Stand at your desk when you can - it burns more calories.Look for and make the opportunity for movement each day, throughout the day!"
You tend to eat less when you're mindful about your eating.Do not eat at your desk!
So, I have great respect for this man, and largely agree with all his advice but one.
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Thanks for clarification thus far.
Not eating after 7 is somehow controversial and I'm gathering that is simply due to the fact that it is not a realistic long term goal for sustainability.
Here is what Mr. Harper said regarding the thought process on that:
"Go to Bed Hungry
If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar."
I had just seen Dr. Oz's episode that mentioned the same scenario - eating small and frequent meals does not allow your body to turn to your fat stores for energy since you're replenishing fuel frequently with the meals or snacks.
Does anyone have thoughts on that as it seemed clear to me?0 -
Suppose you eat 200 extra calories at 6pm. It converts to fat. At bedtime your body burns away that fat. Now, suppose you eat 200 extra calories at 10pm instead. While sleeping, your body burns away those calories before they turn to fat. In either case, your ate, burned, and weigh about the same."Go to Bed Hungry
If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar."0 -
Thanks for clarification thus far.
Not eating after 7 is somehow controversial and I'm gathering that is simply due to the fact that it is not a realistic long term goal for sustainability.
Here is what Mr. Harper said regarding the thought process on that:
"Go to Bed Hungry
If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar."
I had just seen Dr. Oz's episode that mentioned the same scenario - eating small and frequent meals does not allow your body to turn to your fat stores for energy since you're replenishing fuel frequently with the meals or snacks.
Does anyone have thoughts on that as it seemed clear to me?
It is a complete myth, nothing to substantiate it in the literature at all. No study to back this up. Doesn't even make sense. You only have a net fat burn if your body is at a caloric deficit. If you could burn fat simply by not eating for a long period of time regardless of your caloric intake and yet a certain caloric intake was all you needed for nutrition then all the diet guidelines would tell you to eat one meal a day and eat it as fast as you possibly could.0 -
Thanks for clarification thus far.
Not eating after 7 is somehow controversial and I'm gathering that is simply due to the fact that it is not a realistic long term goal for sustainability.
Here is what Mr. Harper said regarding the thought process on that:
"Go to Bed Hungry
If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar."
I had just seen Dr. Oz's episode that mentioned the same scenario - eating small and frequent meals does not allow your body to turn to your fat stores for energy since you're replenishing fuel frequently with the meals or snacks.
Does anyone have thoughts on that as it seemed clear to me?
My thought is that Mr Harper is being ridiculous and he is wrong.
Whether or not you burn fat at a specific time isn't relevant. You are constantly going through periods of fat storage and fat oxidation.
What matters is that over time, fat oxidation exceeds fat storage. This happens when you eat fewer calories than you burn, regardless of how those individual phases of fat storage/oxidation occur.
So for a simplified example if you eat ALL of your food at night and NONE of your food during the day, you store fat at night after that huge meal, but you also burn all kinds of fat during the day because you're not eating. Reverse this scenario and eat all your food for breakfast and then nothing at night and you store a bunch of fat during the day (after eating all your calories for breakfast) and you burn a bunch of fat at night (no food).
Worrying about what happens in a few hours post-eating is missing the big picture.0 -
To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.0 -
If its on Dr. Oz, its usually monetarily motivated.0
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To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.
The idea behind eating "clean" is just that if you eat nutrition rich foods you need to eat less calorically to get your nutrition which makes a certain amount of sense for being on a diet. In comparison some of the foods listed (like simple carbs) are generally higher calorie and lower nutrition. That does NOT however mean that you need to avoid them. If you ate perfectly "clean" most likely you would find that you would not be getting enough calories. Seriously try eating nothing but broccoli and chicken breast and see if you can stomach eating enough to hit your goals.
Your calorie goal should be a goal, not something to constantly undershoot, and at somepoint you will need to eat more calorie dense foods to hit it. Why not have that be dairy or bread?0 -
To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.
There is no such thing as clean eating. All food is clean.0 -
The number of times you hear something doesn't increase its truth value.Not eating "white junk" including diary
If you cut out dairy, you need to seek alternate sources of calcium and vitamin D or your body will be deficient in those and face the consequences. It's negligent to say "cut out dairy" without pointing to alternate sources of those micronutrients. Most studies show food sources to be superior to fortification/supplements. FYI, it takes four containers of spinach to provide the same amount of calcium in a c up of milk. This isn't so different from going vegetarian--that's doable, but you have to be wary to get adequate protein.0 -
To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.
There is no such thing as clean eating. All food is clean.
I think adding things like leafy greens, vegetables and lean meats will make it easier to hit a caloric deficit while still feeling satiated which is the idea behind "clean" eating. That said I think people take the advice way WAAAY to far and decide that what "clean" eating means is ONLY eating those things. You don't need to avoid bread and dairy and actually as was pointed out completely avoiding dairy, especially as a woman, could actually be detrimental to your health.0 -
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Bob Harper is selling books.......his new Skinny Rules book promotes a very low calorie diet (800 calories for women).
Jillian Micheal's sold weight loss supplements before they got yanked off the shelf...........do I take their advice as gospel? Nope!
They need a gimmick to boost sales......they need to say something "different" to do that.0 -
Bob Harper is selling books.......his new Skinny Rules book promotes a very low calorie diet (800 calories for women).
Jillian Micheal's sold weight loss supplements before they got yanked off the shelf...........do I take their advice as gospel? Nope!
They need a gimmick to boost sales......they need to say something "different" to do that.
I second the notion that the LAST place you want to get diet advice is from someone who is trying to actively sell you something.0 -
+100. I had a cup of milk yesterday from a 2-shot Peet's latte, and I ate a big dinner around 10pm because I was so on-the-go yesterday, and my weight loss is totally on-track.Instead of following advice from a bunch of different sources and people trying to sell you their books/products, try following this one piece of advice.
1. Log your food.
If you do that you'll know how many calories you're eating and how much protein/fats/carbs you're getting. It's really all you need to do. 0 -
This is all great - I am realizing I have a lot of personal myth busting in my immediate future lol!
I have actually believed that I should never eat a large meal before bed since sleeping isn't burning calories that meal is turning into fat 'overnight'!
Aaron_K123 - "eating as fast as possible"! Effectively funny myth busting lol!0 -
To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.
Instead of following advice from a bunch of different sources and people trying to sell you their books/products, try following this one piece of advice.
1. Log your food.
If you do that you'll know how many calories you're eating and how much protein/fats/carbs you're getting. It's really all you need to do.
The rest, the eating at certain times, don't eat at your desk, avoid foods with this color... that's hokum. The only thing you need to do to be successful is to watch what you eat. Make sure you're getting the right number of calories and hitting your macros.
Throw in some exercise, water, and sleep and you can't lose.
This.
Weight loss and fat loss is as simple as eating less calorically than you expend and finding out where you are at is as simple as accurately logging your intake and calculating your expenditure. That is it....everything else is unnecessary detail giving "hints and tips" for how to achieve that. Fact is you need to just track your calories and macros and find out what works for you for hitting your calorie goal while getting a good balance of macros and all your micros. Everything else is fad designed to sell you something.0 -
"I'm not an expert, however, eating big leafy salads such as the Organic Spring Mix from your local grocer is phenomenal. All of your vitamins and nutrients are there. Eat it without dressing or squeeze a lemon or lime over it. Quick and simple. The citrus helps boost metabolism and aides in digestion...the salad will also help you feel full.
Drink lots of water. Before any meal, drink an entire glass of water.
Do not eat after 7 pm. Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.
Cut out dairy, white junk (white rice, white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, muffins, etc.), soda, alcohol, fast food and all sweets.
Do not eat at your desk!
I suppose if it works for you to works for you - but for me - If I didn`t eat at my desk or after 7pm I wouldn`t eat -I`d also be awake at 3am starving - I eat my last food at about 11pm - a protein shake
I need more than salad to be fueled to execute my work outs
I do not buy into this idea that drinking water before eating is any different to drink during or after - but I guess if you are working on your hunger stopping you eating rather that counting calories it has some merit
I like white rice and white pasta - I`m making a lifestyle change so no I`m not cutting out the whites - I ft them into my diet - same goes for the occasional treat - I`m not living off cookies and candy - but I have something everything day
I would be crippled if I tried to work standing at my deal but I do get up and pace when I am on calls - more because it stops me wanting to kill the person I`m talking to - I have seen studies that this makes a slight difference but nothing earth shattering
I would say unless you are prepared to do whatever it is you do to loose weight the rest of life - find another option - because you`ll just gain the weight back0 -
I don't see what's unsustainable abut eating after seven. I pretty much always eat the vast majority of my day's calories after 7pm - a large meal and snacks until I go to bed. It's not for everyone, but it just suits how I like to eat. I've done this since I started on MFP. So, that's coming up 2 and a half years, 18 months of which has been maintaining my weight loss. I also eat dairy and other white foods, and have done fine doing so. I'm not allergic or intolerant to these things, so why cut them out unnecessarily? Why do we have to start calling certain foods "junk" or "bad" or "dirty"? Eat foods that are nutritious. Eat foods you enjoy. Avoid foods that you are allergic to or intolerant to, or you don't enjoy, or you have a problem eating moderately.Thanks for clarification thus far.
Not eating after 7 is somehow controversial and I'm gathering that is simply due to the fact that it is not a realistic long term goal for sustainability.
Here is what Mr. Harper said regarding the thought process on that:
"Go to Bed Hungry
If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar."
I had just seen Dr. Oz's episode that mentioned the same scenario - eating small and frequent meals does not allow your body to turn to your fat stores for energy since you're replenishing fuel frequently with the meals or snacks.
Does anyone have thoughts on that as it seemed clear to me?
If these guidelines help you maintain your calorie deficit or feel less hungry or whatever, then that's great, but they shouldn't be considered "rules" to live by. As for Dr Oz - well, I have zero respect for him based on the advice I've seen him give and the fad diets I've seen him promote. Just very glad that he's not too prominent (yet) in this country.0 -
This is all great - I am realizing I have a lot of personal myth busting in my immediate future lol!
I have actually believed that I should never eat a large meal before bed since sleeping isn't burning calories that meal is turning into fat 'overnight'!
Aaron_K123 - "eating as fast as possible"! Effectively funny myth busting lol!
Think of it this way. When you sit on your butt all day long I'm guessing you probably burn 1600 calories in a day. When you do your exercise routinue, whatever it is...Zumba, going for a run, weight lifting w/e you probably burn like 250 calories. The vast majority of your calorie burn is just your body doing its thing. You definitely burn calories while you sleep, much more than you burn in any single workout session unless you are doing a long distance run.
Even if you somehow didn't burn any calories while sleeping but your calorie needs did not change (meaning you still needed 1600 calories or w/e to maintain) it still wouldn't be true that eating right before bed would make you gain fat. You would gain fat while you slept but then you would burn it off later as a previous poster stated. All that matters is your average caloric intake versus your average caloric burn.0 -
This is all great - I am realizing I have a lot of personal myth busting in my immediate future lol!
I have actually believed that I should never eat a large meal before bed since sleeping isn't burning calories that meal is turning into fat 'overnight'!
Aaron_K123 - "eating as fast as possible"! Effectively funny myth busting lol!
I have lost a few hundred pounds taking a 500-600 calorie to bed with me (literally) every night and it never stalled my weight loss.... SO to me yeah that whole eating after 7 thing is kind of a myth to me anyway..... :drinker:0 -
"Bad" is subjective. It won't kill you, and it may or may not help you along. Most of it is largely unsubstantiated by science, and is unnecessarily restrictive.0
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In my opinion following these things can be helpful to losing weight - but for me (and many real people) permanently banning certain foods could be setting up for failure. Following that list is not the only way to lose weight. Bottom line, eat less and move more will do it. (Though moving more is for general overall health, and can help lose weight - but moving more is not THE key to losing weight. For that, its to eat at a deficit. Out > In.)0
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Because chocolate and nut butters?
The idea behind eating "clean" is just that if you eat nutrition rich foods you need to eat less calorically to get your nutrition which makes a certain amount of sense for being on a diet. In comparison some of the foods listed (like simple carbs) are generally higher calorie and lower nutrition. That does NOT however mean that you need to avoid them. If you ate perfectly "clean" most likely you would find that you would not be getting enough calories. Seriously try eating nothing but broccoli and chicken breast and see if you can stomach eating enough to hit your goals.
Your calorie goal should be a goal, not something to constantly undershoot, and at somepoint you will need to eat more calorie dense foods to hit it. Why not have that be dairy or bread? 0 -
To clarify, the advice I listed is not verbatim and some of it was gathered from other areas - a full glass before meals as well as not eating after 7 was, however.
Not eating "white junk" including diary are things I've read and heard from many when it comes to clean eating for optimum and organic health.
Instead of following advice from a bunch of different sources and people trying to sell you their books/products, try following this one piece of advice.
1. Log your food.
If you do that you'll know how many calories you're eating and how much protein/fats/carbs you're getting. It's really all you need to do.
The rest, the eating at certain times, don't eat at your desk, avoid foods with this color... that's hokum. The only thing you need to do to be successful is to watch what you eat. Make sure you're getting the right number of calories and hitting your macros.
Throw in some exercise, water, and sleep and you can't lose.
^ This.
Don't overcomplicate things. Keep it simple, and stop listening to TV personalities for diet/fitness advice.
Good luck!0 -
Do not eat after 7 pm. Fill your plate half full of veggies (cooked at home either without butter or eat simply raw) and fist sized portion of fish or chicken.Do not eat at your desk!
These are both related to the same thing. When we create a good meal (have vegetables, small amounts of protein), we eat consciously and intelligently. Whether you eat dinner at 6 PM, 7 PM, or 8 PM really depends on your schedule.
HOWEVER, most "late night eating" is dumb eating in front of the TV, or carb-heavy snacking to keep yourself going. There is nothing wrong with smaller meals throughout the day, but if you are going to eat after dinner, it needs to be a healthy small meal, NOT "snacking."
A pint of ice cream @ 10 PM, awful. A bowl of berries with a dollop of yogurt on top (my late night snack of choice), okay.
If you prefer to eat dinner later, that's okay, but if you eat ice cream, chips, or other "in front of TV" snacks, you'll be in trouble.0 -
I burn 1600 calories sitting on my butt?! I can do that all day! JK!0
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