The Biggest Loser - how do they do it?

suzitkd
suzitkd Posts: 110
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
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!
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Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Controlled setting and a lot of help.
  • lisa0913
    lisa0913 Posts: 22
    I've often wondered some of those questions too. I wish they would outline how long and what they do all day and their menu for the day.
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    bump
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    I agree..controlled setting. I remember getting a quick glimpse of their meals one day when they were still at 2 different ranches. For the 3 meals a day, it added up to less than 1100. I'm assuming they had snacks in between.
  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
    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.
  • Tzavush
    Tzavush Posts: 389 Member
    Its the magic of television. Not all of those "week"s are really just a week and they put the equivalent of one months worth of training into one week of TV training. I read an article that someone had posted here of an interview with one person from the first or second season.
    They have a prescribed amount of calories that they should e eating and according to the person in the interview, they would actually get told off if they hadn't eaten before the workouts.
  • 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.
  • strandedeyes
    strandedeyes Posts: 392 Member
    Controlled setting and a lot of help.

    Aside from this...they dehydrate before weigh in at times and some of those weigh ins aren't weekly the way we think they are. As inspirational the show is, it is a tv show and they will tweak things for the ratings. They also workout almost 24 / 7.... Remember it is a tv show and we don't see everything the constestants go through.

    If you keep up with exercise and healthy eating, you will reach your goals, promise.
  • lailenm
    lailenm Posts: 203 Member
    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.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    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.

    Best to stick with realistic goals and real life changes. Most of us cannot go to a "fat camp" and devote 24/7 to weight loss accompanied by personal trainers and a fully equipped gym as well as the incentive of huge prize money.

    Don't get me wrong, I enjoy TBL, especially to watch Jillian Michaels, but it is not completely realistic.
  • ChRiStA_1983
    ChRiStA_1983 Posts: 380 Member
    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!
  • Sarah_uk
    Sarah_uk Posts: 209
    Aren't they on a 1200(female)/1500(male) diet? And probably high protein aswell.Like that you'd build up a HUGE calorie deficit I think.

    I think it would be very difficult to keep it up when they have finished the program. I did read about some gaining back all the weight.
  • KTalada
    KTalada Posts: 47
    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:
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    I'm not sure what they eat or anything, but I do know that some "weeks" are actually up to 2 weeks long. And, I'm not sure if this happened on the ranch, but some past contestants have talked about extreme dehydration... to the point of peeing blood... before a weigh-in (maybe she was just talking about the finale weigh-in, I'm not sure).
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
    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 ;)
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    Hollywood is all smoke and mirrors. You can't take anything you see at face value. It is not real.
  • ChRiStA_1983
    ChRiStA_1983 Posts: 380 Member
    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!
  • Trudger
    Trudger Posts: 13 Member
    I don't usually add to threads here, but I just wanted to share that one of the best concepts I learned after joining MFP was the abbreviation NSV. I remember the first time I saw it and had to ask what it was.

    NSV = Non-Scale Victory

    I've built my new life around this concept. The scale weight loss is great...I am really happy with my progress there, but I also am more active, happier, less stressed. In addition, I have completely come off my insulin and cut my cholesterol meds in half. High blood pressure meds lookout....you are on the radar.

    In this culture of pounds/kilograms remember there are many weighs [sic] to lose "weight."

    Continuing to Trudge the road...
  • RichGebs
    RichGebs Posts: 345
    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
  • tannaleigh
    tannaleigh Posts: 188 Member
    I think it is somehwere along the same lines as "i used to be fat" a show on mtv. On that show the kids work out anywhere from 6-8 hours every day for 90-110 days
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    ... 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?
  • forgiven4life
    forgiven4life Posts: 451
    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.
  • mrsmofink
    mrsmofink Posts: 6
    Although it would be SOOO nice to lose weight that fast, it's not realistic. I believe that if you lose weight at a steady pace you will tend to keep it off for the long term. You have to change your lifestyle and the way you think about food and exercise. At least that is what I am trying to do for myself. I guess we will see how that goes. :)
  • Krys_T
    Krys_T Posts: 1,406 Member
    Here is an interesting article: http://juneauempire.com/stories/033109/sta_416718828.shtml about a past contestant.
  • WhyW8
    WhyW8 Posts: 54 Member
    Hollywood is all smoke and mirrors. You can't take anything you see at face value. It is not real.

    Yep. I hate living in California. I saw Brad Pitt at the airport and he looked like a dirty bum and I thought...it's all a lie. These are just people like you and me. Except they have personal trainers, personal chefs, wardrobe consultants, make-up people, and killer salaries - no wonder they look so good! Us normal people have to do it the hard way - ourselves! But you know the slow and steady approach is a way that you can live with for life - and thats what we need. Not a quick fix. And I did hear that they work out for like 6 hours on that show. One of my friends said he got the paperwork to fill out to be a contestant and it said you couldn't work for the entire time and he was like -I'm on my own - how could I afford that? But I think their "work" is working out basically.
  • MoLivesLuvsLifts
    MoLivesLuvsLifts Posts: 1,161 Member
    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!
  • suzitkd
    suzitkd Posts: 110
    Well, some interesting responses - it's amazing what goes on when you pop out for a bike ride lol! First off I'd just like to say that I have no intention of replicating what they do on biggest loser in any way! I'm aware of how much they work out, how gruelling that is, and I have no desire to lose more than 1 - 2lb a week (actually managing that would be great, but that's another story lol!).

    There is so much discussion on here about 'eating back your exercise calories' with so many people getting very hot under the collar when you DON'T eat them back - which is what lead me to thinking about the biggest loser show. Obviously what they do on there is to the extreme and could not possibly be replicated in real life - but you can BET that they aren't 'eating back their exercise calories'! - BY A LONG WAY!!! Yes, I can see that they are probably losing some muscle mass too - indeed they definitely do struggle when made to carry the weight they've lost! However, the vast majority of what they've lost must have been fat - if a large proportion of it had been muscle they wouldn't have been able to stand up by the time of the finale surely! So isn't this proof then that, certainly for those with more to lose at least, sticking to your 1200 - 1500 or whatever your daily calorie intake should be, exercising, but NOT eating back those calories works? I can see that when your body fat percentage has greatly reduced that you would need to be a lot more careful to eat enough calories so that you don't hit into your muscle mass, but if you have 30+ lb to lose is that such an issue?

    Thank you all for your encouragement - I know I can do this, I will get the weight off eventually, it will be a slow process but it's for life so I'm in no big hurry - if in a year's time I'm at target I'll be very happy! It's still early days for me, I feel like I'm going through a life changing process and being of a very analytical nature I like to understand why things do or don't work! Right now I'm NOT eating back my exercise calories - I've yet to decide if that's the right choice! Time will tell.
  • JenniferVegas
    JenniferVegas Posts: 25 Member
    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.
  • JenniferVegas
    JenniferVegas Posts: 25 Member
    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:

    There's also the money and fame incentive. As nice as it is to lose weight... how much harder would one try if a cash prize and fame were part of it?
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