Did anyone watch "Extreme Weight Loss" last night.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

I think that you learn nutrition in culinary school, as a prerequisite. You also learn restaurant management