Did anyone watch "Extreme Weight Loss" last night.

elkhunter7x6
elkhunter7x6 Posts: 88 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I have never watched any of these shows until last nights episode of "Extreme Weight Loss". The lady started at 296lbs and after 3 months she was down to 215. Three months later she weighed 161lbs! That's 135lbs lost in 6 months. She went on to lose another 13lbs in the next 6 months to finish at 148lbs! She did end up having skin removal surgeries but she looked so much healthier and happier after a year.

So anyways based on the info that I see tossed around here, how is it even possible to loose a 135lbs in 6 months? That is an average of 5.625lbs a week. So based on 3500cals being close to 1 lb that would mean that she was eating at a 19687 calorie deficit. She had two trainers and a nutritionist working with her. Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    they work on the basis that being so overweight is worse for the persons health than losing the weight so quickly.

    they'll be doing it the same way biggest loser contestants do. 7 hours exercise per day on 12-1500 cals.
  • jnmrie
    jnmrie Posts: 145 Member
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    I am sure that they did. Hearing stories from contestants on the Biggest Loser I would believe it. 135 lbs in 6 months is an unsafe pace.

  • taty914
    taty914 Posts: 6 Member
    I also heard the same thing that in the biggest looser women worked out because they needed a deficit of 6000 calories a day and 8000 for man. All on a 1200 and 1500 diet .. That's crazy insane . Although I would love to have an average of 3-4 pounds a week:)
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited July 2015
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    I have never watched any of these shows until last nights episode of "Extreme Weight Loss". The lady started at 296lbs and after 3 months she was down to 215. Three months later she weighed 161lbs! That's 135lbs lost in 6 months. She went on to lose another 13lbs in the next 6 months to finish at 148lbs! She did end up having skin removal surgeries but she looked so much healthier and happier after a year.

    So anyways based on the info that I see tossed around here, how is it even possible to loose a 135lbs in 6 months? That is an average of 5.625lbs a week. So based on 3500cals being close to 1 lb that would mean that she was eating at a 19687 calorie deficit. She had two trainers and a nutritionist working with her. Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    She was losing at what the average person would consider an "unsafe" pace to lose without the supervision of a medical team. Which she was undoubtedly under.

    These shows (including biggest loser) can be motivational, but unrealistic. Be under no doubt that these people are working out hours upon hours each day and running an incredibly high calorie deficit. Every thing they do is being monitored, and it's near impossible to uphold on their own. It gives many people the impression that this is a normal/healthy/acceptable range to lose weight in.... yeah...
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
    Yes it's possible, but you don't see that sometimes these people mess up their metabolism, have hair loss, etc. This kind of weight loss is extremely unrealistic and in my opinion unhealthy. While it makes good tv, don't attempt at home.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    If they don't lose massive amounts, there would be no ratings. I'm pretty sure the producers have no problems having these people fall into the "unsafe" zone.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    jnmrie wrote: »
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    I am sure that they did. Hearing stories from contestants on the Biggest Loser I would believe it. 135 lbs in 6 months is an unsafe pace.

    Of course they do. Listen to a former participant:

    http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/10/james-garrison-blows-whistle-on-extreme-makeover-weight-loss-treatment-of-contestants/
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Also I would say 60-80% of the contestants end up gaining all the weight back once they go back home and don't have a trainer for 8-10 hours a day.
  • kthompson601
    kthompson601 Posts: 174 Member
    I've watched some of the Extreme Weight Loss episodes on YouTube, because I do find them interesting and to some degree motivational (I like Chris Powell, I think he is pretty genuine), but they are definitely unrealistic for the average Joe. I remember there was one woman who apparently developed an eating disorder as a result of the "transformation", and at the end of the year she agreed to go to an ED clinic.

    I don't like "Biggest Loser" at all. Those reality shows are so unrealistic and scripted, and I think they do a lot more harm than good. Besides, being overweight shouldn't be used as mass entertainment for America. :(
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    For one thing, people with a lot of extra fat can lose weight more quickly without health risks. For another, during the first three months they are in "boot camp," which takes place under the watchful eye of medical professionals. I believe they said how much they were having her eat, it was something like 1500 or 1800 calories per day, so she would need to burn about 3000 calories per day over and above what she normally would. That's about half of what those guys riding in the Tour de France are burning right now, and some of them weigh less than her final weight.

    Of course, rapid weight loss does have it's problems. One of those problems is the amount of loose skin. It is rare on that show when they have someone who doesn't need skin reduction surgery.
  • elkhunter7x6
    elkhunter7x6 Posts: 88 Member
    Escloflowne wrote: »
    Also I would say 60-80% of the contestants end up gaining all the weight back once they go back home and don't have a trainer for 8-10 hours a day.

    This would also be true of most people that lose a 40+ lbs.

  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    Escloflowne wrote: »
    Also I would say 60-80% of the contestants end up gaining all the weight back once they go back home and don't have a trainer for 8-10 hours a day.

    This would also be true of most people that lose a 40+ lbs.

    It's true of anyone who loses even 10 or 15 pounds, honestly.

    I think your assumption that the producers wouldn't push at an unsafe pace is flawed--from the articles I've read about the Biggest Loser and other shows (I include travel, survival, and dating shows in the mix), producers aren't THAT concerned about a contestant's well-being. Remember that man who was a contestant on a dating show, then went home and murdered his wife while the show was airing? The production company had outsourced his background check and failed to turn up a conviction for battering a previous girlfriend. There have been numerous articles discussing the toll, both physical and psychological, that reality TV production has had on contestants. The price of brief fame must be worth it, I guess.

    Anyway, losing 135 pounds in 6 months is possible in those extreme circumstances, but you're going to lose more LBM and run the risk of exhaustion/hair loss/gallbladder failure, etc. It could be done, but it's a bad idea to try.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    If it's on TV it must be true!

    Google Peter Popoff, Uri Geller....
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    How is it even possible to lose a 135lbs in 6 months?

    She had two trainers and a nutritionist working with her. Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    The show began by making Pearls (an obese, out of shape woman in her 30s) run a surprise 5k in street clothes to "prove" she deserved their help. Then they were shocked when Pearls turned out to have a torn meniscus. Last week, Heidi kept hitting Jenn in the face to teach her to stand up for herself or something.

    Was there a nutritionist, or just celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito? Pearls has a long history of eating disorders, so I hope she received lots of support, education, and counseling.
  • LoseSyra
    LoseSyra Posts: 75 Member
    Although I'm not a fan of any reality shows, I guess I was in the mood for a motivational boost as I watched the Pearls episode and last weeks' episode as well. Without medical supervision, no one should attempt to lose the weight these people lose in such a short amount of time. They have a team helping them, not many of us do. Remember reality shows are a tv product, only the participants really know what goes on behind the curtain, and likely some of what goes on is not in the best interest of the participants and goes against sound healthy lifestyle advice.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I watched Mythbusters try to blow a 51 foot boat out of the water with 1000 pounds of explosives. I'm going to try this myself because TV is a way to show you things you should do yourself at home.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Last week, Heidi kept hitting Jenn in the face to teach her to stand up for herself or something.
    You think that's bad? I went to a doctor to get help with a hernia and he CUT ME OPEN WITH A KNIFE!
  • elkhunter7x6
    elkhunter7x6 Posts: 88 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Was there a nutritionist, or just celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito?

    I just assumed that he was a nutritionist, sounds like you are probably correct about him just being a chef though.

  • elkhunter7x6
    elkhunter7x6 Posts: 88 Member
    LiftAllThePizzas wrote: »
    I watched Mythbusters try to blow a 51 foot boat out of the water with 1000 pounds of explosives. I'm going to try this myself because TV is a way to show you things you should do yourself at home.

    Are you just trying to pad your post count with these two replies?

  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    I think that you learn nutrition in culinary school, as a prerequisite. You also learn restaurant management
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    I could never watch the show because that Chris Powell is like nails on a chalkboard to me...ugh.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    I think that you learn nutrition in culinary school, as a prerequisite. You also learn restaurant management

    I didn't know that. Is that so they know how much sodium they can add to their creations without killing someone?
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    I think that you learn nutrition in culinary school, as a prerequisite. You also learn restaurant management

    I didn't know that. Is that so they know how much sodium they can add to their creations without killing someone?

    went to culinary school.. took one nutrition class for associates then one more for bachelors... in grad school for nutrition now. You learn how to cook in culinary school not if you should or should not be feeding people the food.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    I think that you learn nutrition in culinary school, as a prerequisite. You also learn restaurant management

    for my associates in culinary arts no we did not take a restaurant management class. There are programs for front of the house.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    How is it even possible to lose a 135lbs in 6 months?

    She had two trainers and a nutritionist working with her. Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    The show began by making Pearls (an obese, out of shape woman in her 30s) run a surprise 5k in street clothes to "prove" she deserved their help. Then they were shocked when Pearls turned out to have a torn meniscus. Last week, Heidi kept hitting Jenn in the face to teach her to stand up for herself or something.

    Was there a nutritionist, or just celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito? Pearls has a long history of eating disorders, so I hope she received lots of support, education, and counseling.


    Bumpity

    I do love this show, but compared to Chris, Heidi can be um... a bit of a change of pace

    Watching the season on Hulu right now. They can't produce this show fast enough for me lol. I hope it's not been canceled already haha
  • OsricTheKnight
    OsricTheKnight Posts: 340 Member
    Slightly off topic, I enjoyed crossfit's killing the fat man series. Gary Roberts seems to still be active in crossfit games, so he has not yet given up on his new lifestyle. Episodes are on youtube, and are old, so this is pretty strong results+maintenance for this one individual.

    Osric
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    edited September 2015
    In my totally non-professional opinion, I would say this type of weight loss isn't possible for the majority of people purely for the fact that it is intense and unrealistic for 'real life' situations. The people on these shows have to endure all day every day extreme exercise and calorie deficits (monitored strictly by doctors, I presume), Pushing their bodies to the absolute limit every single day - it's really no wonder they are dropping such enormous amounts of weight so quickly. I'm sure it's inspirational to watch but take with a pinch of salt, this isn't something you or I will be able to just 'do' so we certainly shouldn't compare our losses to the 'extreme weight loss' TV shows! I'll stick to my 1-2lbs per week and having a life :D
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    Don't forget for the first three months of a year transformation, the person spends at a weight loss retreat at a university centre. They are not living their normal live. Some spend a further three months at the Powell's home. It isn't that surprising that some have very high losses in their time at the retreat as well as the Powell's home for those who go there.
  • Dichotomy1976
    Dichotomy1976 Posts: 93 Member
    I would say people are taking a risk losing that much weight so quickly no matter how much supervision they are under. In general these shows should be taken with a pinch of salt (not literally of course, that'd just be unhealthy) and not be seen as realistic for a normal person. There is a reason we never have a 'where are they now' episode for past contestants, the shows are only focussed on the short term for entertainment purposes, not anything long term to promote fitness and health.

    It seems in the UK we don't have any of the extreme weight loss shows running for any length of time (that is the UK versions), I don't know if that is anything to do with the law and potential repercussions from unhappy contestants or just due to declining interest in the shows. About the only realistic weight loss show I've seen is Fat Families which even did a series catching up with people who had been on the show. This highlighted as much the ease with which people can fall back in to old habits as it did the success of some of the families.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited September 2015
    elkhunter7x6 wrote: »
    I have never watched any of these shows until last nights episode of "Extreme Weight Loss". The lady started at 296lbs and after 3 months she was down to 215. Three months later she weighed 161lbs! That's 135lbs lost in 6 months. She went on to lose another 13lbs in the next 6 months to finish at 148lbs! She did end up having skin removal surgeries but she looked so much healthier and happier after a year.

    So anyways based on the info that I see tossed around here, how is it even possible to loose a 135lbs in 6 months? That is an average of 5.625lbs a week. So based on 3500cals being close to 1 lb that would mean that she was eating at a 19687 calorie deficit. She had two trainers and a nutritionist working with her. Surely they did not push her at an unsafe pace?

    Your fist mistake is assuming they lost 100% fat instead of lots of muscle.

    Muscle is ~600 calories/lb. If we assumed they lost 50% fat and 50% muscle, then it works out to 2050 calories/lb instead of the often quoted 3500 calories/lb. So, throw in a decent amount of water weight off the start and a chunk of muscle and lean body mass, and you can start to see why they are able to lose so much weight so fast.

    The second mistake is assuming it is safe in any way. If this link - http://nypost.com/2015/01/18/contestant-reveals-the-brutal-secrets-of-the-biggest-loser/ - is to be believe, it is unsafe across the board.
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