Why is it that people on the Biggest loser etc

gibran30 · February 2011

okay,,, please help me understand something....

If I am understanding correctly lets say that I have a daily caloric intake of 1400 calories but then I exercise and burn 450 calories then in order to at least stay above 1200 ( to not enter starvation mode) I would need to eat some more food...

Well how do the people on the biggest loser do it.... it seems they exercise ALOT and they arent allowed to eat much so how are they loosing so much weight and yet seemingly breaking the rules, If you follow what I am asking

ivyjbres · February 2011

Remember the pictures of holocaust death camp survivors? Well they weren't that skinny cause they were eating 6 meals a day, I'll tell you that! "Starvation mode" is really a misnomer: yes, your metabolism will slow down in your body's effort to preserve itself, but if you keep pushing it, it doesn't have a choice but to use that fat supply just to live.

The harm in entering starvation mode isn't that you stop loosing weight, its that when you return to a normal diet, you gain exponentially.

NikiP7 · February 2011

The Biggest Loser contestants work out about 6 hours a day. AND they eat (well, they should be eating) small controlled meals throughout the day with snacks. The other post was right, their bodies are burning so much it doesn't have a choice but to lose the fat. If only I had 6 hours a day to work out and endless supplies of free healthy food!! Oh yeah, and yelling trainers.

courtneykrueger · February 2011

And not to mention that you are not giving your body enough nutrients to function properly. Also remember that you don't see everything on Biggest Loser, they have nutritionists on the show and (hopefully) know what they are doing!!

Be healthy and eat those calories!

taraknits · February 2011

Excellent response!!

Amcantar · February 2011

Yes, so let your body enter starvation mode, because if the people in a Holocaust death camp can "push it" and keep loosing weight, so can you! And it's totally legitimate and healthy for your body!

gina205 · February 2011

I don't watch the show but maybe it's not how much they're eating, but what they're eating. Maybe it's a lot of protien. I'm sure they eat more than you see. Those shows are edited. Things aren't always what they seem. They have to stay properly nurished for all that exercise.

gibran30 · February 2011

so are you saying that the people on the biggest loser arent losing weight in a healthy way?

ivyjbres · February 2011

yeah

ashleynicoleb · February 2011

I've wondered that, too. I have a feeling they don't eat their exercise calories. I've never even heard of eating back the calories you burn during your work outs until I started MFP. I remember seeing on a past show that there was a whiteboard tracking calories for the day and it had a total of around 1280.

charmsangel13 · February 2011

I know what you mean - I was watching the weigh ins on the Aussie version of the show (not sure if thats the one you were watching too) and some of the guys lost 14 kg! The girls lost anywhere from 3 - 10 kg! It was insane. Here I am trying to make sure I'm eating and exercising enough and STILL haven't lost weight (have lost cms tho) and I'm getting super frustrated.

Can't believe how much weight they are losing, but I guess they have fancy trainers and nutritional supervisors etc. so they can get away with it. When they get home again they have trouble with weight loss which makes me feel less like a loser!

dawniee · February 2011

you wont,...... the calories that you burned off from working out is just that....old calories....I do not eat my calories I burn off...defeats the purpose....that why they lose so much weight.....they actually aim for negative calories!! I eat my 1200 a day and workout as much as possbile. the more you workout, the more you will lose...just make sure you are getting lots of water, 90 grams of protein to keep your muscles and build more, and not too much sugar. High fat and sugars make you crave more of them, to get rid of cravings, keep these low! You can look at my goals and compare to yours....I'm actually signed u with jillian michaels.com to get good advice on diet excersise and since i'm incorporated what she says, I'm seeing the scale move more! Good luck

gibran30 · February 2011

okay dont mean to seem dense... but it your bodies metabolism slows down etc it seems you wouldnt want to go into starvation mode...

skinnyme125 · February 2011

I heard them say tonight that they only work out like 2 hours a day. And each one has there own calorie intake number. They may not be breaking the rules after all. But I still think they are, this is why. First of all they are losing like double digits in weight each week. That means they are losing a whole lot really fast. Too fast. It has always been said that to lose weight the healthy way and to keep it off you shouldn't lose more than 2lbs a week. Then these people lose all this weight and then go home and gain it back because it is imposable to stay at the levels they set for them while at the farm. Most people don't have that much time a day to work out and to fix their food that is healthy, and go to work and take care of the kids. But while on the farm they have no other responsibility. It would be wonderful to loose that much weight that fast but I would hate to be in their shoes as they will most likely gain it all back.

jr1985 · February 2011

you have to remember... people on the biggest loser have a LOT of weight to loose... the rules change when you go from needing to loose 300 lbs to only needing to loose 10-20... I read that they generally eat about 1500 calories a day. but also try to work off around 1500 calories a day... but more than that... most of these people were quite possibly eating as much as 5000 calories a day before they started dieting on the biggest loser... they are active enough where your body can't go into starvation mode... where if you live a sedentary lifestyle your body can get to be very efficient on very few calories... Don't get discourages... The Biggest Loser is not like the real world, as much as I wish that it was

gibran30 · February 2011

and I dont mean to sound confused but yet i am

some say you should eat some of your exercise calories and some say not to.. I just dont get which is best

irishgal44 · February 2011

Thank you! I've never heard it put this way before and I think I will take this advise. :flowerforyou:

CCSunlight · February 2011

Different things work for different people. I would say that the best thing for you would probably be to talk to a doctor or nutritionist face-to-face about your goals and find out what they think is best for you.

Hotlips69 · February 2011

If you speak to a professional they will tell you not to eat your work out calories! Aim to eat 1200 to 1300 calories a day and aim to do at least 3500 calories burned in exercise in a week. You will find many conflicting things on here but what works for one may not work for another. I follow the advice of a professional trainer, who has been trained in many aspect of the health field. He is the one that recommended this site in our Boot Camp! If you follow those 2 simple things and make what you are eating a priority you will lose! Be extremely aware of what you are eating and be accountable for it!

FireRox21 · February 2011

In order to lose weight, you MUST eat a basic minimum NET calories. The key here is NET CALORIES!!!! If your daily goal is 1200, then you need to eat a minimum of 1200 NET CALORIES. Forget about starvation mode. The minimum is needed to supply your body with the energy it needs to support basic function AND exercise. So, after you've entered in all of your calories for the day, click back over to your home page and look all the way to the right and you will find your NET calories. That number should be at or as close as possible to your MINIMUM calories needed for the day.

I'm not saying that you must eat ALL of your exercise calories back, I don't. However, I am struggling losing weight because my NET calories are too low daily. I burn on average 900-1100 calories daily through exercise and it is hard to eat all of those back because I am just not that hungry.

So, when all is said and done, pay attention to the NET calories number!!!!

MonicaBenavidez · February 2011

I eat mine. I lose about 3 lbs a week when I do. When I don't, I gain.

Bottom line- for me eating my exercise calories works.

bikerbiz · February 2011

Best post on the subject is right here...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

seabuckaroo · February 2011

Do not starve yourself. It isn't a realistic long term resolution. I think, although I am not a doctor, that it is important to refuel your body after a workout. Maybe not the whole amount of calories but have an extra banana, cup of low fat yogurt or any other healthy type of 'snack'.....Good Luck!

Lisa__Michelle · February 2011

Do u realize that MFP already puts u in a 500 calorie deficit to start with? You are in the negatives already if u didn't work out at all and ate all 1200 calories a day? That is how people gain weight back when ending a program. That is definitely putting ur body in starvation mode bc u start in a deficit.

Meggie_pooh · February 2011

for the most part, by the end of my day, I usually have at least 500 cals left. I really try to eat them back, but I haven't been hungry since I started MFP 2 weeks ago! I eat 6 small meals a day, so it's constant! It's OK it u don't eat them ALL back, but try to eat some of them back!

amymeenieminymo · February 2011

Some do and some don't because I think those that don't just don't understand the concept (not trying to be snarky here). Yes, the common way of thinking about losing weight is to exercise to burn off calories. But you shouldn't reduce your calorie intake AND work out because then your body isn't getting enough fuel.

Think of it this way, say you need 2000 calories a day to stay the same weight you are. You need to eat 500 calories a day less in order to lose a pound a week. So MFP builds that calorie deficit into your daily plan so you are now eating 1500 calorie. Now you could just eat that 1500 calories and lose weight without exercise, but exercise is good because it tones and burns fat faster and improves your cardiovascular health. So if you're going to work out, you've got to eat those calories back so that you are getting enough food. If you burned off an additional 500 calories, your body is then getting a 1000 calorie deficit and your only netting 1000 calories, that's not enough.

Think of your body as a car that needs fuel, as you burn off that fuel, you need to replace it so it can continue to run properly.

amymeenieminymo · February 2011

Some do and some don't because I think those that don't just don't understand the concept (not trying to be snarky here). Yes, the common way of thinking about losing weight is to exercise to burn off calories. But you shouldn't reduce your calorie intake AND work out because then your body isn't getting enough fuel.

Think of it this way, say you need 2000 calories a day to stay the same weight you are. You need to eat 500 calories a day less in order to lose a pound a week. So MFP builds that calorie deficit into your daily plan so you are now eating 1500 calorie. Now you could just eat that 1500 calories and lose weight without exercise, but exercise is good because it tones and burns fat faster and improves your cardiovascular health. So if you're going to work out, you've got to eat those calories back so that you are getting enough food. If you burned off an additional 500 calories, your body is then getting a 1000 calorie deficit and your only netting 1000 calories, that's not enough.

Think of your body as a car that needs fuel, as you burn off that fuel, you need to replace it so it can continue to run properly.

Time2getFit4Life · February 2011

You have to find out what works best for you some people can eat them all back and continue to lose and then some eat them and lose nothing. The person who said lower your sugar and carbs wer right watch what you intake vice how much!!

Take a look at this video hope this helps:

http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/burnfatg.aspx?hop=seancollin&m=ad&r=aff

MooseWizard · February 2011

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I eat my calories and it is working quite well for me. I only added exercise last month, and my weight loss rate is the same now as it was before.

mrb_9110 · February 2011

I don't get why eating exercise calories is so hard for people to grasp...??? It's built into the MFP program. If you look at the end of the day at the bottom of your food journal, IF you did any exercise, it will have your goal at your baseline (i.e. 1200) PLUS your earned workout calories (i.e. 450). So your goal calories eaten for the day will be baseline 1200 + exercise 450 = goal 1650. It's not that hard. Even when you first sign up and put in your information, the program says, "The more you exercise, the more you can eat!"

solid09 · February 2011

I haven't seen the show but people with a lot of weight to lose will lose it a lot faster than a person who have very little. Most the people on these shows have a couple hundred that can be dropped. Not to mention the meals that are planned for them are better portioned and all together more healthy than the contestants have eaten in god knows how many years.

Why is it that people on the Biggest loser etc

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