ABC's Extreme Weight Loss

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Wookinpanub
Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
in Success Stories
Watched this show for the first time last night and they profiled "Bruce" - a 29 year old football coach who weighed 382. I would say he was 6 feet give or take an inch or two. He had a personal trainer and sent him to a weight loss facility in Denver for 90 days. Here's the results:

Phase I - 90 days (really 87 days bc he bonked his head in the pool and had a concussion) - down 121 lbs to weigh 261
After 6 months

Phase II - 6 months (total) and at his home - down another 49 lbs to weigh in at 212

Phase III - 9 months and final weigh in at 196 (5 lbs short of his goal). 186 lbs lost

He then has skin reduction surgery. The final weigh in after a year he is at 181 lbs 201 lbs lost in one year. That is 4 lbs per week.

Thoughts? Aside from some of the made for tv hokey ness, it was interesting to watch. I think they went over board with the feel good stuff and they played a lot on his abuse as a kid. His Dad was a football coach who abused him and other boys. Also he got a concussion in the pool then later showed him teaching a concussion safety class to his football players. He was a coach too. It's like they used the Jerry Sandusky story as a model for the show and the current hot topic of concussion in football. Seemed a little contrived to me.
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Replies

  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
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    Anyone else see this show?
  • becs3578
    becs3578 Posts: 836 Member
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    Yes I did.. I thought it was inspiring! Sometimes it can get a little hokey (and yes I think showing him at his dads patrol hearing was a little much) but all in all I find this show to be an inspiration for me.
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
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    I actually like this show. I've seen a number of episodes, and I enjoyed them all. It's not as annoying as the Biggest Loser, and honestly, the trainer is really nice to look at. :)
  • deborahmills22
    deborahmills22 Posts: 44 Member
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    I agree the show is a bit contrived. However, I watch the show regularly and was very inspired by Bruce's transformation and by his zest for life even after everything he's been through because of his dirt bag of a father.
  • JonnyQwest
    JonnyQwest Posts: 174 Member
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    I loved it, makes me want to work that much harder.....you can tell by the end result that he did something amazing. Who cares if it was hokey, beats 99% of the crap on TV these days. That was literally the only TV show other than the USA World Cup that I have or will watch this week.
  • russellvolk
    russellvolk Posts: 102 Member
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    I think it was a great episode. Bruce went through a lot, mentally and physically. He lost over 200 lbs and completely transformed himself. If he can do it, anyone can. Very inspiring!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    I used to watch these sorts of things but now I don't because I don't want to reinforce in my brain the idea that some "Fairy Godmother Reality TV Producer" will suddenly appear on my front steps and solve my weight problem. For some, such shows are an inspiration. For others, like me, they're a procrastination enabler.
  • jeanniebeanie59
    jeanniebeanie59 Posts: 141 Member
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    I love the show, very inspirational. I try to watch every week and the trainer seems really caring and motivational and his pretty wife. She just had a baby and she looked good during the pregancy , she is a trainer also.
    The only thing about loosing so fast is the loose skin, so I think loosing it slowly most of us would not need surgery for the excess skin.
    I do love the show, good luck to everyone . I love MFP for all the motivation on here!
  • determinedgirl1
    determinedgirl1 Posts: 128 Member
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    Yes, I watch the show. I also watch the biggest loser. I think Extreme Weightloss is inspiring because you follow the person for an entire year. The coaches set attainable - but difficult goals.
  • Watch_Me_Rise
    Watch_Me_Rise Posts: 301 Member
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    I had never even heard of the show, but that's not uncommon because I don't really watch tv. So I googled it, this is on the ABC's website: "Bruce, 29, is from Salt Lake City, UT. He is 5’10” and weighs 382 pounds. A high school football coach, Bruce is adored by his players and friends. He wants to set a better example for his team. However, he struggles with a dark secret from his past... " and then it goes on.. Definitely interested in watching at least this episode.
    But I think from reading the comments and the little I know about it, his hard work is incredible and overcoming the struggles he did is inspiring whether it was displayed for a national audience or not.
  • Wookinpanub
    Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
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    Great to see him transform himself outside and in. It was a little much watching the trainer trying to turn the fake tears on.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    did you see the one with the 19 year old baseball phenom that quit and asked them to pay for college and/or a car? he was so freaking frustrating. He really did have pro baseball caliber hitting skills, and he had an agent telling him that if he lost the weight then he'd get a pro-baseball contract.

    i really felt for the guy at first. the only thing standing in his way of a pro-baseball career was his weight. He seemed super motivated. then 30 min into it you completely understand why this guy fails at everything other then putting a bat on a ball. He kept talking about 'the contract' and how much money he wanted to make. never really said he loved the sport or anything like that. There was some issue with the agent, and the trainer convinced the kid that the agent was blowing smoke up his *kitten* (and he probably was). the moment that a pro-baseball career did not seem like a done deal, he quit
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    and then he comes back in six months, ask for help, the trainers agree... then when they tell him they want him to go where they live (maybe even move in with them... i'm pretty sure thats what they said, but i'm not sure if thats really what they meant)... and he refuses to do it. he wanted them to come to him for 3 months.

    which was stupid because he already did 3 months in denver
  • lauriebrug
    lauriebrug Posts: 6 Member
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    I love all weight loss TV shows and try to ride my exercise bike while watching ;) You do have to realize they are on tv, but I find them inspiring and a lot of times you get some really good tips.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I've watched it once, where there were 2 contestants. One did really well, had a natural interest/ability in dance and ended up becoming a Zumba instructor. The other was a baseball player/young guy who quit.

    I didn't like the way it was set up to fail goals. Its understandable that with major medical supervision, if you make fitness & weight loss your job for 3 months: you can expect bigger than average results. And I understand the 'prize' is to earn free skin removal surgery. But it irked me that missing the preset goals was such a negative scene - when they still had amazing results.
  • lavendy17
    lavendy17 Posts: 309 Member
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    Oh the show is back? I love watching it! I know it's TV but I just enjoy watching it so much :)
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    I've watched it once, where there were 2 contestants. One did really well, had a natural interest/ability in dance and ended up becoming a Zumba instructor. The other was a baseball player/young guy who quit.

    i guess you can't really tell from a tv show, but they made it appear that all that was necessary to become a 'zumba instructor' was to go to a single class
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    He was a coach too. It's like they used the Jerry Sandusky story as a model for the show and the current hot topic of concussion in football. Seemed a little contrived to me.

    There have been all types of people on this show in past episodes, so I don't know if I'd make this analogy because of one episode.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I loved it, makes me want to work that much harder.....you can tell by the end result that he did something amazing. Who cares if it was hokey, beats 99% of the crap on TV these days. That was literally the only TV show other than the USA World Cup that I have or will watch this week.

    I agree with this. Last nights episode was by far my favorite. Very inspirational. They do lose weight fast however, with most of them being 300, 400, 500 lbs, it's not that unhealthy for them to lose up to 4 lbs a week. It's quite normal for someone that large to drop weight fast. Plus you have to remember that they are under constant medical supervision.
  • crunchergirl
    crunchergirl Posts: 184 Member
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    Yeah I watch it. I enjoy the fact that you follow them for a year and we get to see their ups and downs. I also saw the one with the baseball player. He was a mess and definitely not on the show for the right reasons. I imagine in 5, 10, 15 years from now he will look back and wish he had taken advantage of the opportunity.

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