The Biggest Loser - how do they do it?

Controlled setting and a lot of help.

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Hi all, still trying to work out the best way not just to lose weight now, but to eat to keep it off forever! I've watched a lot of the biggest loser programmes over the years and have always been very impressed, I mean you can't not be... but here's the thing, does anyone know how they do it? I mean the huge losses that some of them manage - the losing a stone a week... when everything I've read says that it's physically impossible to lose more than 1 - 2lb of fat per week, any more than that and you're eating away your muscles - but those guys definitely aren't! Now I'm not expecting to ever achieve losing a stone a week - I'd be happy with 2lbs a week thanks! But what they manage on that show definitely seems to go against a lot of the theories - they obviously work out REALLY hard, but what do they eat? Do they snack all day? Do they eat back their exercise calories or do they work on a huge calorie deficit? Does anyone know? Thanks!

I saw a post that said they eat 1,200 calories and burn 6000 calories. There are many myth's and misconceptions in health and fitness. A bunch are just flat out lies. I have lost 15lbs in the last 2 weeks, I don't eat 6 meals a day. I eat one meal, a main one at night, (you're not superposed to eat at night according to these theories). You can talk about theories all you want, but you can't argue with results.

I saw Ali Vincent speak one time and if I remember correctly she said they worked out alllll dayyyy lonnnnggg. She said that some people had blisters so bad on the bottoms of their feet that they had to be packed. that's a bad blister. I suppose if we worked out for 8 hours straight we would be in such a humongo deficit that we could do that too. She also said that they didn't have a chef, they made all of their own food...i thought that was interesting. A lot of them gain it back when they go home (i don't think she has gained hers back she looked amazing). I don't watch tbl very much anymore because it is aggrivating to see people lose 5-10 lbs a week and then beat themselves up about it.

They're working out for hours upon hours a day - there's no temptation of fast food because they don't go out unless its for a reward. Their diets are tailored to match their bodies by a professional nutritionist. They've got medical staff to watch over them to prevent injuries before they happen.


Basically, everything they do is monitored and controlled.

As far as I'm aware, they are on a very calorie-restricted diet.....Each and every person on the show consumes a net of only 1,200 calories in a day....And they are working out for 6-7 hours per day!

It's an INTENSE situation, and not feasible to carry over into real life....Additionally, if you've seen any of the previous contestants recently, MANY of them regain weight...Now, they certainly don't regain it ALL back, but there are a significant number who have gained back anywhere between 20 and 40 pounds....There's the clue that in real life, it's not realistic to keep the weight off when you lose it as drastically as these contestants have!

Slow and steady is better, sustainable, and DEFINITELY the way to go!

On Biggest Loser they also exercise for eight or more hours per day! They do not have to worry about jobs, kids & all the other responsibilities of every day life while they are on the ranch. Oh, and they have access to their own personal trainer(s) constantly! In "real" life, we do not have that much time to devote to exercise. They also live on the reanch where there is a kitchen stocked with all healthy foods: They don't have to resist the goodies that the hubby or kids bring in, the ice cream stand, etc. In real life it can be done, but takes a lot more time and effort. But in the end, we can all get there!

Just keep on keeping on! :flowerforyou:

none of these people are working. all they do is work out and have someone tell them what to eat. it isn't realistic for someone who works every day or dosn't have a personal trainer yelling at them to keep going or controlling what they eat. it would be nice though

I saw Ali Vincent speak one time and if I remember correctly she said they worked out alllll dayyyy lonnnnggg. She said that some people had blisters so bad on the bottoms of their feet that they had to be packed. that's a bad blister. I suppose if we worked out for 8 hours straight we would be in such a humongo deficit that we could do that too. She also said that they didn't have a chef, they made all of their own food...i thought that was interesting. A lot of them gain it back when they go home (i don't think she has gained hers back she looked amazing). I don't watch tbl very much anymore because it is aggrivating to see people lose 5-10 lbs a week and then beat themselves up about it.

Actually, you missed seeing Ali on the finale this past Tuesday. She has gained weight back! She's probably put on approximately 20-25 pounds since we last saw her on the show!

I saw Ali Vincent speak one time and if I remember correctly she said they worked out alllll dayyyy lonnnnggg. She said that some people had blisters so bad on the bottoms of their feet that they had to be packed. that's a bad blister. I suppose if we worked out for 8 hours straight we would be in such a humongo deficit that we could do that too. She also said that they didn't have a chef, they made all of their own food...i thought that was interesting. A lot of them gain it back when they go home (i don't think she has gained hers back she looked amazing). I don't watch tbl very much anymore because it is aggrivating to see people lose 5-10 lbs a week and then beat themselves up about it.

Actually, you missed seeing Ali on the finale this past Tuesday. She has gained weight back! She's probably put on approximately 20-25 pounds since we last saw her on the show!

Hhahaahaha what are you smoking? She's in the best shape he's ever been while hosting that show haha she didn't gain anything where ever you hears that is a lie

... but here's the thing, does anyone know how they do it? I mean the huge losses that some of them manage - the losing a stone a week... when everything I've read says that it's physically impossible to lose more than 1 - 2lb of fat per week, any more than that and you're eating away your muscles - but those guys definitely aren't!

Like everyone else said, no jobs, 6-7 hours working out etc..
but
What made you think that they don't lose away any muscle?

Each year, the contestants who win or come close, always lose close to if not over 50% of their original weight.

Also each year, they always seem to have trouble in that same event where they have to carry around all the weight they lost. If they had kept all their muscle, they wouldn't struggle as much as they do?

I saw Ali Vincent speak one time and if I remember correctly she said they worked out alllll dayyyy lonnnnggg. She said that some people had blisters so bad on the bottoms of their feet that they had to be packed. that's a bad blister. I suppose if we worked out for 8 hours straight we would be in such a humongo deficit that we could do that too. She also said that they didn't have a chef, they made all of their own food...i thought that was interesting. A lot of them gain it back when they go home (i don't think she has gained hers back she looked amazing). I don't watch tbl very much anymore because it is aggrivating to see people lose 5-10 lbs a week and then beat themselves up about it.

Actually, you missed seeing Ali on the finale this past Tuesday. She has gained weight back! She's probably put on approximately 20-25 pounds since we last saw her on the show!

Hhahaahaha what are you smoking? She's in the best shape he's ever been while hosting that show haha she didn't gain anything where ever you hears that is a lie

There were not talking about the host Allison Sweeney, they were talking about the past contestant and winner Ali Vincent. She HAS gained back some weight, but she still looks good.

Here is an interesting article: http://juneauempire.com/stories/033109/sta_416718828.shtml about a past contestant.

Wow! I was just discussing this with my family....I guess great minds thik alike.

Here's how they do it:

1) Contestant selection - Take a person that normally eats over 4,000+ calories a day and out of shape. Notice when the show 1st started, the "big" women were 215-230lbs. Now the "big" women are 250lbs +.

2) Nutrition - Put the contestant on a strict 1,200 calorie diet. Not only are they decreasing their caloric intake BUT you're also changing WHAT they are eating. The contestants don't eat processed, greasy or fatty food - just basically fruits, vegetables, lean meats and 100 calorie snacks.

3) Exercise - The regimine is ALL DAY - 6-8 hours WITH a personal trainer. You can't go wrong with that!

4) Environment - Take them to a ranch away from the things that can cause stress - family, friends, jobs, tv, etc.

If you put all of that together you SHOULD lose 15+ lbs a week!

But, I want you to know this nugget of advice that I got from my former personal trainer. She said:

"You're running your own race. You can't look to Biggest Loser or what everyone else is doing. Remember, the way you take it off is the way you keep it off FOREVER. So, if you lose weight with pills, you'll have to take them forever; Lose weight doing drastic changes, you'll have to do that forever; BUT, if you lose weight eating a healthy diet that's full of vegetables/fruit and keep activity in your life, you will gradually lose and then keep it off FOREVER"

Then, she said something that totally SHOCKED me. She would only train with me for a month and I was paying her $105 week which is $425 month. So I trained with her and lost a good amount of weight. She said that she won't train with me again until I can lose 20 lbs by myself. She wants me to find my own "formula" and then she'll work out again with me. I'm so grateful to her that she just didn't "take the money". So far, I've lost 18 lbs without her. It's been hard but very rewarding. In fact, I probably won't see her until after the Summer, so that she can REALLY see the change that I did for myself.

Stick in there! You can DO THIS!

There was a link to a blog from one of the former contestants on TBL around here somewhere. Apparently that particular contestant is now battling an eating disorder and was very critical of the way they did things on the show. A lot of it is not as it seems. But, real life dieting is very boring and would never make good television.

I think I read the same story. (Was it the winner of Season 1?). They gained all the weight back and then some. I don't know if the show got "better" in helping them after they left but many of the contestants lost weight and then couldn't handle normal life with all the temptations.