1200 for gals 1600 for guys

1. Have you ever noticed how week two they hardly lose anything. Now think of BL as a fasted paced version of real life - it's like a plateau that never ends and makes people give up!

2. Look at how many BL contestants gain the weight back!!!!

3. That few calories makes me binge like crazy ever couple of days leaving me guilty and emotionally worn out, leading to me giving up.

4. Slow and steady has been shown to be the best for long term weight-loss.

I don't know, when I watch what I eat (like now) and not just snack on crap or eat super high fat meals, I am between 1600 and 2000 a day, and any more than that I start to feel bloated. I am not going to eat until I am stuffed, or eat when I am not actually hungry either. The truth is that is the volume of food my body says I need. I even include high calorie foods like tuna melts as well, so it is not like I am just eating air. I burn between 2400 and 3000 calories a week right now and lose 3ish pounds on average. The site says I should be eating like 2270 without cardio. Somebody is wrong, either the calorie counter of the BMR algorythym.

Do I "binge"? I guess, but it isn't that I go and eat everything in sight (expect SuperBowl Sunday), it is more that I just allow myself to consume things that I normally do not, like beer. Sure on those days I get a calorie spike, but they are few and far between and I am still generally inside the limit of daily calories.

The reason most BL contestants gain the weight back? I think it is obvious. Most of them just don't give a crap about themselves which is how they got that big to begin with. When I was pushing 335 I know I could care less what I looked like, felt like, or what I could do.

As soon as the BL people get home they go right back to eating a 1/2 a pizza and making excuses as to why they can't stay healthy. But they are given the tools on the show (how to make healthy choices for foods and how to work out, and the fact they can do both) to succeed, but mentally they simply can't. The bottom line is these people a mentally weak, as we all are or were. Hopefully the difference for us all is that through the long slow process we toughen up. But constant vigilance is key. We need to treat food like an addiction. When I got a little down last year I reverted back to my old ways and gained 40 pounds back. I am back on track and will have that gone soon enough.

I don't know, when I watch what I eat (like now) and not just snack on crap or eat super high fat meals, I am between 1600 and 2000 a day, and any more than that I start to feel bloated. I am not going to eat until I am stuffed, or eat when I am not actually hungry either. The truth is that is the volume of food my body says I need. I even include high calorie foods like tuna melts as well, so it is not like I am just eating air. I burn between 2400 and 3000 calories a week right now and lose 3ish pounds on average. The site says I should be eating like 2270 without cardio. Somebody is wrong, either the calorie counter of the BMR algorythym.

Do I "binge"? I guess, but it isn't that I go and eat everything in sight (expect SuperBowl Sunday), it is more that I just allow myself to consume things that I normally do not, like beer. Sure on those days I get a calorie spike, but they are few and far between and I am still generally inside the limit of daily calories.

The reason most BL contestants gain the weight back? I think it is obvious. Most of them just don't give a crap about themselves which is how they got that big to begin with. When I was pushing 335 I know I could care less what I looked like, felt like, or what I could do.

As soon as the BL people get home they go right back to eating a 1/2 a pizza and making excuses as to why they can't stay healthy. But they are given the tools on the show (how to make healthy choices for foods and how to work out, and the fact they can do both) to succeed, but mentally they simply can't. The bottom line is these people a mentally weak, as we all are or were. Hopefully the difference for us all is that through the long slow process we toughen up. But constant vigilance is key. We need to treat food like an addiction. When I got a little down last year I reverted back to my old ways and gained 40 pounds back. I am back on track and will have that gone soon enough.

I do understand everything you're saying, but to be fair you've only been here a month. Your losses have been great so far but at any moment you could plateau. You're burning more from exercise than you are eating in a day. That means your body is getting negative calories, simply to function (breathe, heartbeat, walk, think, talk, digest etc). What tends to happen in a situation like this is you start out losing very well, then it slows down and eventually stops completely because these eating habits cause your metabolism to slow down to a crawl in an attempt to conserve your energy reserves (ie- your fat).

I however, don't see a problem with eating NET calories of 1200 for a girl and 1600 for a guy (that means eating back all exercise cals to acheive a healthy deficit. Best of luck :flowerforyou:

Regarding Jillian's numbers, she recommends something somewhat similar (though not AS drastic) for people who aren't Biggest Loser contestants as well. The other day I was listening to one of her older podcasts and a person phoned in who was exercising 90 minutes a day doing a combination of Jillian's Making the Cut workouts and training for a half marathon. This lady was also eating 1500 calories a day. Jillian thought that was plenty of calories to sustain that level of exercise. MFP, of course, would indicate differently.

While I agree it is crucial to eat enough calories to sustain not only your body's functions but your workouts, I don't agree with the approach that people need to eat ALL of their exercise calories IF that isn't what works best for them. It may work best for some people and, of course, that is what those people should do. But it may not work best for ALL people. And I think it is important for people to get as much information and as many alternatives as possible to figure out what WILL work best for them. For this caller Jillian was talking to, they pretty much determined that her problem was in over-training (not giving her body rest days), not in inadequate calorie consumption. In other words, there are a variety of things that can cause plateaus as well, one of which, of course, is the body going into starvation mode. But that may not be the only reason for a plateau.

That being said, I think it is important to note that NBC and The Biggest Loser itself don't seem to like to advertise how long these contestants are in the gym or how much they are eating. Jillian and Bob seem to be more willing to share that information, but I understand why the show itself doesn't really focus on that. It is incredibly important to note that these contestants are under constant medical supervision and get nutritional information on a daily basis. They are also given supplements to support these workouts and the dietary lifestyle. So I don't think anybody in their right mind would think it smart for a person without the same level of supervision (medical, physical and nutritional) to implement a similar routine as these contestants.

On a side note, regarding the weight loss on the first week of The Biggest Loser, it has been indicated by past contestants that they actually load in the food, including a huge amount of salty products, before they establish their 'starting weight'. I have a tendency to think that is the main reason why week 1 sees such huge losses compared to week 2. And has been noted here, when starting out an exercise routine (especially with weights), the body actually retains fluids (for 1-3 weeks from my experience), and I think that accounts for the difficulties in week 2 as well. Since the contestants, by and large, are able to continue losing weight at a relatively even pace from there on out (with some fluctuations, of course), I don't think there is any evidence that the poor weight loss in week 2 is indicative of the contestants going into starvation mode.

And I agree that the reason contestants put the weight back on (if they do) is because they haven't really changed their lifestyles. At least that's what those who will talk about it have admitted (from what I've heard, of course).

Again, I'm not advocating nobody eat their exercise calories. But that is one approach to weight loss, and has been a successful one for many. But if that doesn't work best for somebody (and I don't think there is any ONE weight loss method that works best for everybody), then I think other safe alternatives can and should be explored.

BL is a TV show. They care about ratings just like any other show. How many people would tune in to watch Average Joes eat sensibly with 500 calorie deficits, exercise 30-60 minutes 3-5 days per week, and lose 1-2 lbs per week? How many people would be interested in watching them plateau? How many people would tune in each week for repeated episodes of your normal life?

The reason Jillian and everyone else use extreme tactics is to keep ratings up and make money. The contestants are obese enough, and the show is short enough, that it doesn't cause irreversible damage. But it doesn't cause lasting results either. I have to say that most nutritional advice available from the mainstream media is complete crap because it's sensationalized and bastardized into something totally unrecognizable.

I agree with you. Would you all be interested in watching me curse my scale one day, and then smile the next. We could call it "The Schitzophrenic late night Binge Show". I think everybody listens to Gillian like she know absolutley EVERYTHING. Personally, I've heard her say so much contradictory advice in comparison to what I've read from other Trainers, who produce more long term results with education, exercise variation methods and instruction. Do you ever here them talking about form and other things that truly matter besides what's in Cheerios? Gillian is making the $$$$ like nothing else and people have to realize, she's not the only "expert" out there. Eat your calories? You have to feed your body- this is a life change not a quick fix diet like BL does. When she was giving the lady heck for losing 2 pounds last week. Well, my weight is higher than before I started this journey, and I'm way more toned and definitely smaller. With her big yap, she's going to totally wreck what's good about the show, and already, I've lost a ton of faith in her.:frown: Remember-be openminded and don't take her word as Gospel!:drinker:

I do understand everything you're saying, but to be fair you've only been here a month. Your losses have been great so far but at any moment you could plateau. You're burning more from exercise than you are eating in a day. That means your body is getting negative calories, simply to function (breathe, heartbeat, walk, think, talk, digest etc). What tends to happen in a situation like this is you start out losing very well, then it slows down and eventually stops completely because these eating habits cause your metabolism to slow down to a crawl in an attempt to conserve your energy reserves (ie- your fat).

I however, don't see a problem with eating NET calories of 1200 for a girl and 1600 for a guy (that means eating back all exercise cals to acheive a healthy deficit. Best of luck :flowerforyou:

I could plateau, but I would be surprised. I am not really following the plans that this web site runs but other training plans I have read or modified since I started working out in 2005. I may only have been here for a month but I have been involved in losing weight and working out for a while, and lost more than 100 pounds and kept it off. What I say and what I do is what has worked for me in the past and I understand not all things work for all people so I don't push my philosphy on anyone esle. I found this place while looking for a log as I like to keep records when I start a training regimine.

However, that said, it MUST be pointed out that this site is using a basic formula to figure your BMR, and all the other numbers like max HR and whatnot are not wholly accurate for everybody, or even most people. It is just a basic starting point but the reality is that your BMR may be many calories away from what that formula says.

Something else I have noticed on this site is the idea that you should eat all those calories everyday, even if it amounts to eating a chocolate bar at 10 pm to fill in the last 250. That honestly is a horrible idea. People should eat a balanced diet without junk like candy (expect on rare occasions as a treat) and listen to their bodies. If you are not eating enough than you will know it. Many people have expressed difficulty in eating the amount of calories this site says they need. I would have to add a bowl of Ben and Jerrys most every day to eat all mine. Or triple the amount of sandwiches and take seconds or thirds at dinner to reach 2200. And that is simply not healthy, no matter what MFP says. It is a great site with awesome tools, but it is not gospel by any means, any more than anything else out there.

Anyone listen to Jillian on her radio show here her telling for maximum weight loss 1200 for gals and 1600 for guys regardless of how much exercise she says that is what biggest loser contestants have and they workout out 6 hours a day. I know for 2 lb a week you need a deficit of 1000 and I am not about to go and do this as I am following her guide for fixing my metabolism and so far so good. She says this is totally safe and is great for maximising results and seeing pounds drop. Anyone doing this or done this just wondering what everybody elses take os on the subject as the biggest loser contestants do keep their weight of and all seem healthy after??????

I stick to 1200-1400 no matter how much I excercise...everyone just has to do what works for them and what they are comfortable with.

What was the original question? I sort of thought it was about the BL. :huh:

I personally have never eaten 1200 calories a day. It's always been 1400+. I think I'm in great shape and now I just want to get my body fat down enough to get really cut. I don't think it's necessary to eat a very low calorie diet unless you're morbidly obese like the contestants on BL. Their weight is such a health risk that it's more important to drop that than maintain any muscle mass or worry much about undernutrition.

I started at 154 lbs and 34% bodyfat. I'm now at 130lbs and haven't had my body fat tested in a while, but I know it's between 20-25%. I have never tried to starve myself or lose more than 2 lbs per week. What's the rush? If I had eaten 1200 calories a day regardless of exercise, I wouldn't have any muscle to show for it.