What do we think of The Biggest Loser?
jelleigh
Posts: 743 Member
So I'm indulging in my guilty pleasure of watching The Biggest Loser (while eating a bowl of chips and salsa. Lol) and we all know this isn't real life. Few people can work out for at least 2 hrs per day with crazy good trainer and a controlled diet that's handed to you. And they have a lot to lose so pulling big numbers is doable. But seriously - people are creating over losing ONLY 6 lbs for the 6th week in a row. What do you think of this all? I love seeing the before/after of these folks - it makes it seem like drastic changes are possible for anyone. But at the same time it seems pretty realistic with such big losses being posted. What so you think - is the show inspiring or part of the problem of setting unrealistic expectations for people on their weight loss journey?
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Replies
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It's totally unrealistic and sets people up for disappointment when they come on mfp and 'only' use 2lbs a week...
That being said, I love watching it!11 -
i would have to say it is probably an individual issue on opinions. i personally think it is crazy to lose it so fast and so much, then most if not all gain it back, because they are not exercising 8 hours a day and have food prepared for them. they are not taught the skills to make it life long. jmo4
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It's not real life. There's been reports (from the Australian version at least) that the contestants train for hours a day (a whole lot more than 2), on extremely minimal calories (1200 would be generous) and "weekly" weigh ins are more than a week apart.
It's sensationalised to the max - anything sensible would not make for good TV would it?
It's not inspiring at all to me, especially considering the number who regain most of their weight after the show, and the lack of support they have to develop healthy relationships with food and exercise to help them long term.8 -
Australia is doing currently doing a Biggest Loser - transformed. They have chosen people who do not necessarily have a lot of weight to lose in comparison to prior year contestants. For instance one of the contestant's start weight was 78kgs. This contestant was allowing her weight to ruin her life...no swimwear on beach, her husband hadn't seen her naked in some time, her confidence terribly low etc.
I don't mind it, but it is frustrating to watch relatively low weight people (when compared to prior year contestants) lamenting their 'low' weight losses.
They are eliminating people at a rate of two a week I think, because they will be focusing/televising on the final six when they go for a period of time before the final. There are weigh in eliminations where the losing team's three lowest weight losers have to battle it out...the loser gets to go home. There are other eliminations that are based on voting by the losing team of a challenge for instance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/ten-questions-the-biggest-loser-transformed-shannon-ponton/news-story/10f7a37037f58b497324065c43d92653
It’s a while since we saw The Biggest Loser. What has changed?
The entire series has been overhauled. This is The Biggest Loser Transformed and right from the outset you’ll notice a massive change in the series. Contestants are much smaller in size and weight and this creates a more engaging series. There are lessons on physiology, nutrition and cooking, which empower people at home.
How are the contestants different?
They are a lot smaller both in weight and in size. Being uncomfortable in your own skin is not done pro rata. If you’re 5kg overweight and uncomfortable, it’s the same as being 50kg overweight and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, a lot of our contestants have deep-seated physiological issues associated with their weight.0 -
tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »Australia is doing currently doing a Biggest Loser - transformed. They have chosen people who do not necessarily have a lot of weight to lose in comparison to prior year contestants. For instance one of the contestant's start weight was 78kgs. This contestant was allowing her weight to ruin her life...no swimwear on beach, her husband hadn't seen her naked in some time, her confidence terribly low etc.
I don't mind it, but it is frustrating to watch relatively low weight people (when compared to prior year contestants) lamenting their 'low' weight losses.
They are eliminating people at a rate of two a week I think, because they will be focusing/televising on the final six when they go for a period of time before the final. There are weigh in eliminations where the losing team's three lowest weight losers have to battle it out...the loser gets to go home. There are other eliminations that are based on voting by the losing team of a challenge for instance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/ten-questions-the-biggest-loser-transformed-shannon-ponton/news-story/10f7a37037f58b497324065c43d92653
It’s a while since we saw The Biggest Loser. What has changed?
The entire series has been overhauled. This is The Biggest Loser Transformed and right from the outset you’ll notice a massive change in the series. Contestants are much smaller in size and weight and this creates a more engaging series. There are lessons on physiology, nutrition and cooking, which empower people at home.
How are the contestants different?
They are a lot smaller both in weight and in size. Being uncomfortable in your own skin is not done pro rata. If you’re 5kg overweight and uncomfortable, it’s the same as being 50kg overweight and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, a lot of our contestants have deep-seated physiological issues associated with their weight.
Funny that it got shafted to day time TV though as ratings were rubbish!0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »Australia is doing currently doing a Biggest Loser - transformed. They have chosen people who do not necessarily have a lot of weight to lose in comparison to prior year contestants. For instance one of the contestant's start weight was 78kgs. This contestant was allowing her weight to ruin her life...no swimwear on beach, her husband hadn't seen her naked in some time, her confidence terribly low etc.
I don't mind it, but it is frustrating to watch relatively low weight people (when compared to prior year contestants) lamenting their 'low' weight losses.
They are eliminating people at a rate of two a week I think, because they will be focusing/televising on the final six when they go for a period of time before the final. There are weigh in eliminations where the losing team's three lowest weight losers have to battle it out...the loser gets to go home. There are other eliminations that are based on voting by the losing team of a challenge for instance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/ten-questions-the-biggest-loser-transformed-shannon-ponton/news-story/10f7a37037f58b497324065c43d92653
It’s a while since we saw The Biggest Loser. What has changed?
The entire series has been overhauled. This is The Biggest Loser Transformed and right from the outset you’ll notice a massive change in the series. Contestants are much smaller in size and weight and this creates a more engaging series. There are lessons on physiology, nutrition and cooking, which empower people at home.
How are the contestants different?
They are a lot smaller both in weight and in size. Being uncomfortable in your own skin is not done pro rata. If you’re 5kg overweight and uncomfortable, it’s the same as being 50kg overweight and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, a lot of our contestants have deep-seated physiological issues associated with their weight.
Funny that it got shafted to day time TV though as ratings were rubbish!
They used to have UK biggest loser but contestants 'only' lost 2 or 3 lbs a week so it got shelved after a couple of series.1 -
you are right its not realistic for us in the real world and you are also right it is inspiring to some degree. As far as losing large amounts of weight go, I am doing low carb high fat and in the beginning (over a year ago) I was losing 3 to 4 pounds a week without exercise. I had a lot to lose so that may be a factor. My son tried to get us on that show. But at 350 and 375 I dont think we were big enough
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I think it's horrific after reading this: http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1338-5-details-they-cut-from-my-season-the-biggest-loser.html5
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I don't enjoy reality TV. Too much drama for my taste. It's entertainment, like anything else. If only people were not so naive to believe that these extreme measures are how weight loss works, they would probably be less reluctant to do something about their own weight, but hey, sustainable loss with boring advice does not make for a good reality show. I would not blame it on the networks, though. Inspiring realistic change is not their job. Their job is to provide entertainment in exchange for profit. I just wish people would understand that.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »Australia is doing currently doing a Biggest Loser - transformed. They have chosen people who do not necessarily have a lot of weight to lose in comparison to prior year contestants. For instance one of the contestant's start weight was 78kgs. This contestant was allowing her weight to ruin her life...no swimwear on beach, her husband hadn't seen her naked in some time, her confidence terribly low etc.
I don't mind it, but it is frustrating to watch relatively low weight people (when compared to prior year contestants) lamenting their 'low' weight losses.
They are eliminating people at a rate of two a week I think, because they will be focusing/televising on the final six when they go for a period of time before the final. There are weigh in eliminations where the losing team's three lowest weight losers have to battle it out...the loser gets to go home. There are other eliminations that are based on voting by the losing team of a challenge for instance.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/ten-questions-the-biggest-loser-transformed-shannon-ponton/news-story/10f7a37037f58b497324065c43d92653
It’s a while since we saw The Biggest Loser. What has changed?
The entire series has been overhauled. This is The Biggest Loser Transformed and right from the outset you’ll notice a massive change in the series. Contestants are much smaller in size and weight and this creates a more engaging series. There are lessons on physiology, nutrition and cooking, which empower people at home.
How are the contestants different?
They are a lot smaller both in weight and in size. Being uncomfortable in your own skin is not done pro rata. If you’re 5kg overweight and uncomfortable, it’s the same as being 50kg overweight and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, a lot of our contestants have deep-seated physiological issues associated with their weight.
Funny that it got shafted to day time TV though as ratings were rubbish!
Yeap, no 'real' drama, no big losses, people complaining on social media re the size/weight of contestants, etc etc. I am enjoying it, but it is lacking something0 -
It's not a sustainable approach to losing weight the contestants were more than a hundred pounds overweight and they were eating at 1200 calories, working out for 90 minutes a day for 6 days, and were expected to lose a lot of weight in an unhealthy manner. Some people from a blog I once read were given laxatives as well, and the workouts weren't doesn't sound like something that someone at the weight they were in would be good for the joints they had.
Secondly, it didn't help it with their metabolism either in many instances when they returned back to their normal life they ended up gaining the weight back. Some were eating the calories they needed for their height and weight but still kept gaining weight because their body was used to eating 1200 calories a day and I'm not sure if this is the bet calories since they were also working out. It never said if they were eating back the calories they burned off, so t could've been less. Doing this for a lot period of time doesn't help the metabolism. I remember a research article came our about this last year can't find the exact one, but someone did summarize the findings from it if you want to read:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-years-after-the-biggest-loser-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/1 -
So I'm indulging in my guilty pleasure of watching The Biggest Loser (while eating a bowl of chips and salsa. Lol) and we all know this isn't real life. Few people can work out for at least 2 hrs per day with crazy good trainer and a controlled diet that's handed to you. And they have a lot to lose so pulling big numbers is doable. But seriously - people are creating over losing ONLY 6 lbs for the 6th week in a row. What do you think of this all? I love seeing the before/after of these folks - it makes it seem like drastic changes are possible for anyone. But at the same time it seems pretty realistic with such big losses being posted. What so you think - is the show inspiring or part of the problem of setting unrealistic expectations for people on their weight loss journey?
Yes I find it inspiring. At the end of the season/series they bring back all the people that got kicked off and show how they lost weight at home in everyday real life. Plus I find it amazing what the human body/mind can do and how it can change.
The show never said or implies this is what we should be losing it's people themselves setting unrealistic goals for there everyday life.
I do wish they'd post/show their workouts/exercise, because a 6 pound lose in a week is 21000 calorie deficit. That's a lot of work.
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xchocolategirl wrote: »It's not a sustainable approach to losing weight the contestants were more than a hundred pounds overweight and they were eating at 1200 calories, working out for 90 minutes a day for 6 days, and were expected to lose a lot of weight in an unhealthy manner. Some people from a blog I once read were given laxatives as well, and the workouts weren't doesn't sound like something that someone at the weight they were in would be good for the joints they had.
Secondly, it didn't help it with their metabolism either in many instances when they returned back to their normal life they ended up gaining the weight back. Some were eating the calories they needed for their height and weight but still kept gaining weight because their body was used to eating 1200 calories a day and I'm not sure if this is the bet calories since they were also working out. It never said if they were eating back the calories they burned off, so t could've been less. Doing this for a lot period of time doesn't help the metabolism. I remember a research article came our about this last year can't find the exact one, but someone did summarize the findings from it if you want to read:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-years-after-the-biggest-loser-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/
Yeah, that study should make everyone stop and think twice about the show and its tactics.
(Just in case anyone says "but they lost weight, of course they burn fewer calories," - the article specifically says they now burn far fewer calories than a person of the same weight who didn't lose weight the Biggest Loser way).
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It makes weight loss look like torture. I always found it to be discouraging.5
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I agree. I think shows like this cement the perception that successfully losing weight means sustained misery and that if you (general you) aren't prepared to sign up for that, you'll just have to remain your current weight.PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »It makes weight loss look like torture. I always found it to be discouraging.
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I know someone who was on the show and has managed to keep the weight off. She exercises and eats at a deficit.
That being said, I don't watch the show.3 -
Ya they often do follow up shows that are however many weeks or months larger and contestants continue to lose . But I didn't realize the calorie intake was so low!
I do think it's not good to make people think losing like 10 lbs a week is "normal" . But that being said, I do think it highlights the mental and emotional challenges people have to losing weight and understanding what caused them to gain in the first place. The comments about it being "torturous to lose weight" - I think for a lot of people it IS painful and hard facing and overcoming all these things. Only they don't have the benefit of a trained professional to talk them through it all. So from that perspective, I enjoy the show. Plus I do love seeing the transformation people make.
It's the same reason I lurk on the Success Stories board here. 0 -
I was introduced to The Biggest Loser by my high school gym teacher. She was a big lover of Jillian and also lead us on the 30 Day Shred. I loved watching the show because before and after transformations are some of my favorite things to watch (I'm also looking at you, HGTV...).
There was one episode that absolutely killed my love for the show, though. It happened towards the middle-end of the season. They threw all of the contestants in a dark room with different pedestals of treats. One would have cake, one would have cookies, one would have donuts. There was some sort advantage to being the person that ate the most calories out of anyone in the room. The contestants were standing there. Some were shaking. Some were crying. They were legitimately scared of eating the junk. I think there was maybe one contestant (I think an older woman) that had the healthy mindset of "I don't want to eat that" instead of "I can't eat that and I will die if I eat that".
One guy ended up eating half a donut or something like that and everyone crucified him for "caving and giving in". That was the last episode of the show I watched. I know it's sensationalized a lot for ratings and all. Even in my gym class, we went over a lot of the problems with The Biggest Loser. But it just killed me to see so many people that were afraid of moderation. I think that's definitely a big part of why their weight loss isn't sustainable. You shouldn't be afraid of food. Disordered eating and disordered thoughts are still disordered no matter your size.
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The show is completely unrealistic and people who are prone to believing everything they see on TV (or read online) shouldn't watch it. However, I believe no one. I love watching BL while I'm doing a long session on my stationary bike or elliptical.0
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It's garbage and they blatantly lie...guess what, a week isn't a week...reality tv isn't reality. They do a ton of unhealthy things because it's a competition...just google what many past contestants have to say and see how it has destroyed their lives and their bodies.3
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freshmama06 wrote: »I know someone who was on the show and has managed to keep the weight off. She exercises and eats at a deficit.
That being said, I don't watch the show.
One should eat at maintenance to keep the weight off...not a deficit...that's actually kinda *kitten* up.3 -
I have always felt that show to be to the detriment of the participants. They strive actively to lose unhealthy amounts of weight in a ridiculously short time period. This show is nothing more than a ringmaster cracking the whip on the backs of the performing animals. I don't know if this show is even still around or if they just show re-runs. I watched the first season and half of the next then I was done. I caught glimpses as my husband watched long after I tired of the horror.1
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I just read something about this show yesterday. How it permanently changes people's metabolism (and not for the better), how some of the trainers were giving their clients caffeine pills to keep them working out longer. Some of the trainers are absolute a**holes when the cameras were off. Sounds like virtually all the contestants gain the weight back. Apparently they have no idea how to keep up their progress when their trainers are no longer around. TV networks shouldn't be airing shows like this. They're dangerous.1
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I have always felt that show to be to the detriment of the participants. They strive actively to lose unhealthy amounts of weight in a ridiculously short time period. This show is nothing more than a ringmaster cracking the whip on the backs of the performing animals. I don't know if this show is even still around or if they just show re-runs. I watched the first season and half of the next then I was done. I caught glimpses as my husband watched long after I tired of the horror.
I liked the early seasons because I liked seeing the weight loss. But even then I found it frustrating that they didn't talk in detail about the process, about the diet changes and how they ate, about something other than the unrealistic work out all the time and be yelled at and cry, that they didn't really get into the "how I gained and how I plan to maintain" vs. the stupid myth that people all get fat because of trauma and lose when they break down on camera and let it out.
I'd enjoy a longer-term show (check in monthly or something) that focused on the more practical things and went on for a year or some such, but of course they don't think (probably correctly) that that would be as good for ratings, and it would be too expensive.4 -
I have enjoyed watching the show - although I am not a regular viewer but I think it gives people completely ridiculous unrealistic expectations. Those people are exercising for many hours a day and cutting calories to an unhealthy level while doing it. I believe I also read they also dehydrate before weighing. Then people come to MFP cut 250 calories from their diet and exercise for 15 minutes and cry that they aren't losing 20lbs a week.0
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yellingkimber wrote: »
There was one episode that absolutely killed my love for the show, though. It happened towards the middle-end of the season. They threw all of the contestants in a dark room with different pedestals of treats. One would have cake, one would have cookies, one would have donuts. There was some sort advantage to being the person that ate the most calories out of anyone in the room. The contestants were standing there. Some were shaking. Some were crying. They were legitimately scared of eating the junk. I think there was maybe one contestant (I think an older woman) that had the healthy mindset of "I don't want to eat that" instead of "I can't eat that and I will die if I eat that".
Yeah, it kind of jumped the shark for me at that point, too. That being said, I don't have a problem with the intensity of their workout schedules or with borderline unhealthy practices they followed while on the show. They're grown-ups, they can choose to participate or not. And I'm sure they were compensated for their time. (Gee, months of one-on-one personal training, access to a 24-hour private gym, with no rent due or work or family commitments? Sign me right up!)
While we're on the subject of reality tv programs showcasing unhealthy weightloss, anyone watch the last season of Alone?
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Ya I haven't been a faithful watcher either. Just a show here or there. I just recently started watching an earlier season called Challenge America. It's where they were trying to fight childhood obesity and had a few kids on the show. I was worried that they were going to break these kids but all in all I've been impressed with the messaging they are giving them. Eat healthier. Move more. Do things you enjoy. Positive body image. Be motivated to be fit for your health, not your looks. They don't weigh the kids ever but they did do a fitness test at the beginning so they could compare their progress.
I haven't heard of Alone @RunningOnWontons . Is it any good? What's the premise?0 -
I always used to watch it when it was on TV in the UK but with horror that anyone would put themselves through such a program. There is no chance I would never put myself through such crazyness. I would have probably punched one of the trainers within the first week if I got treated like the contestants do.0
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