The Biggest Loser Diet - thoughts?

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DawniesLife
DawniesLife Posts: 157
in Health and Weight Loss
So, after wondering what kind of diet they follow on the Biggest Loser, I decided I would do a little searching and came across this:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/biggest-loser-diet

Thought others may find it interesting as well. It sort of laughs in starvation modes face so to say, because many aren't getting 1200 calories a day, especially not net calories a day.

Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • agoessli
    agoessli Posts: 81 Member
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    Hmmm....I am very interested to see what people think too!
  • Fat2FitChick
    Fat2FitChick Posts: 451 Member
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    That sounds ok but it seems to restrictive for me. I'll stick to what I'm doing now. Seems to be working like a charm and I get to eat all day and can have more when I exercise. I like this way better but for those that wanna try it, more power to you!
  • mislove68
    mislove68 Posts: 240
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    I know that Jillian's diet on her website you dont eat your exercise calories either. My Aunt joined her site.
  • Amarylis13
    Amarylis13 Posts: 41 Member
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    well, I may not be super knowledgeable about this, but I would think that weight lost through starvation is not necessarily weight that will stay off. When I got out of the hospital and couldn't eat anything, I lost 25 pounds in 2 weeks... gained it and more right back once I could eat normally again.

    They're just looking for the sensational effect on the show, maybe not as concerned about the people's health and welfare. Unless they learn afterward how to maintain that weight loss, I'd bet it won't last.
  • live2smyle
    live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
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    I just read the whole thing and saw this.....American Dietetic Association spokesperson Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, also endorses the plan -- as long as you consume at least 1,200 calories daily. "It is not recommended to consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day because it is difficult to obtain the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed for daily activities," she says.

    I wonder how many people are not going to catch that paragraph in this article :/
  • agoessli
    agoessli Posts: 81 Member
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    I know that it everyone says you should eat your exercise calories and I love having a few extra calories to eat when I exercise but on my new elliptical....I burn over 1,000 in my 30 minute workout so....I was really nervous about what to do because I simply cannot eat the amount of healthy food I would need to to eat back all of those calories so....maybe I will be ok as long as I am reaching the goal BEFORE the exercise calories are added???
  • agoessli
    agoessli Posts: 81 Member
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    which at my weight and goal is 1490
    I know that it everyone says you should eat your exercise calories and I love having a few extra calories to eat when I exercise but on my new elliptical....I burn over 1,000 in my 30 minute workout so....I was really nervous about what to do because I simply cannot eat the amount of healthy food I would need to to eat back all of those calories so....maybe I will be ok as long as I am reaching the goal BEFORE the exercise calories are added???
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
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    well, I may not be super knowledgeable about this, but I would think that weight lost through starvation is not necessarily weight that will stay off. When I got out of the hospital and couldn't eat anything, I lost 25 pounds in 2 weeks... gained it and more right back once I could eat normally again.

    They're just looking for the sensational effect on the show, maybe not as concerned about the people's health and welfare. Unless they learn afterward how to maintain that weight loss, I'd bet it won't last.

    Did you actually read the article? Or are you just guessing it is a starvation diet? It is backed by top dietitians with proven success... As stated in the article.. And starvation mode and starving yourself are completely different. And anyone that loses a huge amount of weight, or any amount of weight and then goes back to their old eating habits is going to gain the weight back. That happens on any diet! As mentioned in the article there are resources how to maintain once you hit the point you need to maintain... You just do a different equation of how many calories to eat..
  • Amarylis13
    Amarylis13 Posts: 41 Member
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    I thought eating your exercise calories was more like a treat, not a recommendation. I think that's the point of exercising, to burn more calories than you take in... if you eat them all back, it seems to me a lot of work for nothing.??
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
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    I just read the whole thing and saw this.....American Dietetic Association spokesperson Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, also endorses the plan -- as long as you consume at least 1,200 calories daily. "It is not recommended to consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day because it is difficult to obtain the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients needed for daily activities," she says.

    I wonder how many people are not going to catch that paragraph in this article :/

    People tend to skip portions of articles, that is a good point. Personally, I'm not going to consume less than 1200 calories a day, but the article also says that most people that think they are eating less calories the lower point of the calorie plan, are usually eating closer to the 1200 calories a day in reality anyway. But there is also no mention of eating back those exercise calories, your encouraged to exercise while on this plan as well.
  • Tuckersn
    Tuckersn Posts: 149
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    I know that it everyone says you should eat your exercise calories and I love having a few extra calories to eat when I exercise but on my new elliptical....I burn over 1,000 in my 30 minute workout so....I was really nervous about what to do because I simply cannot eat the amount of healthy food I would need to to eat back all of those calories so....maybe I will be ok as long as I am reaching the goal BEFORE the exercise calories are added???

    I would be suspicious of a piece of exercise equipment that told me I burned 1,000 calories in 30 minutes. That is an outrageous amount of calories in 30 minutes. Might wanna cross check that with a heart rate monitor . . . just a thought. =0)

    If a diet was extremely restrictive . . . I wouldn't last on it. Slow and steady, I know I'll lose it. That said, I don't have 100 + lbs to lose . . . so I really wouldn't know how to advise in that situation.
  • RoniDoll
    RoniDoll Posts: 262
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    I know that it everyone says you should eat your exercise calories and I love having a few extra calories to eat when I exercise but on my new elliptical....I burn over 1,000 in my 30 minute workout so....I was really nervous about what to do because I simply cannot eat the amount of healthy food I would need to to eat back all of those calories so....maybe I will be ok as long as I am reaching the goal BEFORE the exercise calories are added???

    Thats what I do... I work out at the end of the day and I burn 1000 calories. There is no way i can eat all of my calories back (I wouldnt want to anyway) befor bed. Its working fr me and the weight is staying off even when I splurg =]
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
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    I thought eating your exercise calories was more like a treat, not a recommendation. I think that's the point of exercising, to burn more calories than you take in... if you eat them all back, it seems to me a lot of work for nothing.??

    Actually a lot of people say you should eat all of some of your exercise calories back, because your net calories can go too low causing "starvation mode". Many people say that if you for example eat 1300 calories in a day, but exercise off lets say 700 calories in that day then your net calories is only 600 calories. Of course there are a million variables for this.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
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    My rule of thumb is that I never go below 1200 calories per day, taking exercise into account. So if I eat 1700 calories but burn off 300, that puts me at 1400 and I don't eat the exercise.

    But if I only eat 1400 and I burn 400 at exercise, I'll eat another 200 to put me back up to 1200.
  • shaunshaikh
    shaunshaikh Posts: 616 Member
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    What you have to consider about the Biggest Loser contestants is that it their metabolic rate could be slowed to the point where 700 net calories a day would be maintaining weight... but they are burning SO MANY calories through exercise I'm sure they run a NET -1,000 or more per day. Think about it. If you are eating 1,000 calories a day and exercising for 3,000 calories a day -- who cares what your BMR is? You're going to lose weight.

    You also need to consider that since these people are so obese they can do things like that. The people who are closer to their goal weight still only lose 0, 1, 2, 3 pounds per week because they run into the same obstacles everybody else does when they get closer to their goal weight. And that is with a lifestyle that is 100% dedicated to weight loss.
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
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    I would be suspicious of a piece of exercise equipment that told me I burned 1,000 calories in 30 minutes. That is an outrageous amount of calories in 30 minutes. Might wanna cross check that with a heart rate monitor . . . just a thought. =0)

    If a diet was extremely restrictive . . . I wouldn't last on it. Slow and steady, I know I'll lose it. That said, I don't have 100 + lbs to lose . . . so I really wouldn't know how to advise in that situation.

    I am going to have to second the possibility of the 1,000 calories in 30 minutes, it does sound quite high.

    And that is a good point as well, those without a great deal to lose, may not need a diet like this, that is for sure, I know I have 60 pounds left to lose, possibly more after I get to that goal. Keep in mind not everyone on the biggest loser has always had 100+ pounds to lose either. I just watched season 1 that had a girl that weighed in the 160's and another in the 170's, I thought that was strange!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Can some one explain to my why, WHY, so many people are intent on starvation mode not existing? Do you all WANT to eat substantially less than is nutritionally recommended. I don't understand why you would want to survive on 1000 or 500 calories a day, when if you just have the slightest modicum of patience you can eat healthy, balanced and nutritionally sound meals, keep living your lives (ie socializing with others - a meal out, a drink here or there) and not beating yourself up the first time you want cookies or ice cream and still lose constistently? Why are there 86546547332145 posts a day about "can I avoid starvation mode" or "starvation mode is bogus". Let's just say there's not a ton of research backing it up or a bajillion other posts a day of people who are eating 700-800 cals a day and not losing. Let's just say for arguements sake, starvation and starvation mode were made up by fairies that wanted you to lose weight more slowly. I still don't get WHY anyone would want to go through life eating this little!!!!! Your bodies work freaking hard just keeping your heart beating, why make it harder? Haven't we abused out bodies enough letting them get overweight with careless feeding in the first place? Why does everyone seek the answer in malnutrition?!

    agoessli- you need to eat the majority of those calories back because 1000 is a HUGE burn (make sure this is correct - it sounds like a lot in a 1/2 hour to me) and if you eat 1490, and burn off 1000, you are only leaving 490 calories for a body that plain old needs more to operate. Try to plan bigger meals earlier in the day so that you only have a dinner and/or snack sized portion left after your workout, rather than trying to eat it all right after you are done.
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
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    What you have to consider about the Biggest Loser contestants is that it their metabolic rate could be slowed to the point where 700 net calories a day would be maintaining weight... but they are burning SO MANY calories through exercise I'm sure they run a NET -1,000 or more per day. Think about it. If you are eating 1,000 calories a day and exercising for 3,000 calories a day -- who cares what your BMR is? You're going to lose weight.

    You also need to consider that since these people are so obese they can do things like that. The people who are closer to their goal weight still only lose 0, 1, 2, 3 pounds per week because they run into the same obstacles everybody else does when they get closer to their goal weight. And that is with a lifestyle that is 100% dedicated to weight loss.

    Is the beginning statement based on facts? If so please elaborate. But that is true, the BMR on the actual show is a bit different considering how much they actually do exercise wise, and if you read the article you would see the contestants are on a lower calorie diet than those at home....
  • Jd_jaquez
    Jd_jaquez Posts: 34 Member
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    Funny that's exactly what I thought when I read this... If it's true I need one of these... since busting my butt doing the 30 day shred with Jillian michaels all 3 levels back to back only gets me to burn about 500 according to my hrm and it runs for a good hour... so how is this 30 minute elliptical making you burn 1000 cals? Send me the brand :-)
    I know that it everyone says you should eat your exercise calories and I love having a few extra calories to eat when I exercise but on my new elliptical....I burn over 1,000 in my 30 minute workout so....I was really nervous about what to do because I simply cannot eat the amount of healthy food I would need to to eat back all of those calories so....maybe I will be ok as long as I am reaching the goal BEFORE the exercise calories are added???

    I would be suspicious of a piece of exercise equipment that told me I burned 1,000 calories in 30 minutes. That is an outrageous amount of calories in 30 minutes. Might wanna cross check that with a heart rate monitor . . . just a thought. =0)

    If a diet was extremely restrictive . . . I wouldn't last on it. Slow and steady, I know I'll lose it. That said, I don't have 100 + lbs to lose . . . so I really wouldn't know how to advise in that situation.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    of course they aren't getting healthy to MFP standards

    it's a reality tv show. love watching it but i watch it for what it is - entertainment. all the shows about weight loss have them eating under 1200 net cals per day.

    They aren't healthy and I will post this link again from a former contestant :

    http://www.bodylovewellness.com/2010/06/09/kai-hibbard-biggest-loser-finalist-part-1-of-3/

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