TBL...It's a touchy subject.

I’ve read several negative reviews of “The Biggest Loser” as of late. A couple years ago, when the show was more popular, I’d catch it while I was working out at the YMCA in my old city of residence. At that time, I’d watch it and either feel mild motivation from the contestants’ success or a general feeling of irritation toward the trainers. I’m sure a lot of others feel the same. At that point in my life, I bought into a lot of the standard advice given on the show. I ran a lot (usually 25-30 miles per week), ate what I would consider a healthy diet, counted my calories and really bought the calories in/calories out theory…and ate a number of processed “soyfoods.” I didn’t read into strength training, unconventional nutrition, Crossfit, evolutionary nutrition, or the metabolic effect of food. I was not the “eat real foods” psycho that I am today. I just assumed the more exercise I did, the better off I was, simple as that. I was slightly addicted to it. There’s some danger inherent in that, but I’ll get to that…

A couple years later and I decided to catch a couple episodes of TBL (Season 8) online along with several clips of the trainers giving tips, shouting at the top of their lungs, what have you, because hey, I was curious. It made me angry. Now, when I say angry, I’m not angry that the contestants are trying to lead better lives. Gosh, no. That’s the one remaining motivational factor present…I understand much of the hype of the show is scripted to some extent. I also understand the trainers and hosts have to write in cheesy product endorsements here and there. And more importantly, I understand the producers’ need to display extreme weight loss for higher ratings. I don’t agree with the majority of that, but in terms of NBC and $$$, I get it very well.

What really makes me angry is that audiences buy into much of the advice given on the show. Advice that borders somewhere between dangerous and stupid. (Now a note to you readers at MFP, I know you’re not stupid…you’re here learning better ways.) Advice given in the name of the show’s two top trainers, who, in much of their own work, don’t acknowledge the same form of advice for the majority of dieters.

I take issue with the forms of “success” on the show. The weigh in based on poundage. The constant Jillian mantra of calories in, calories out. Eating high sugar yogurt and processed foods because they’re “low calorie.” Let’s forget the fact most working out at a 6000 calorie burn would be hungry about 5 minutes after finishing that Yoplait light. Cutting much of one’s dietary fat out of their diet, again, in the name of low calorie eating and the “OMG FAT IS BAD paradox.” More fiber and complex carbs mantras. The substitution of processed industrial food in the name of low calories.

Now, before you go tell me to go eat my grass fed butter, clog my arteries, and STFU…I realize the methods depicted on the show DO work at making the contestants lose weight. I do realize that zapping calories, overtraining, and eating margarine can also produce weight loss. I did this for quite a chunk of my adult life, folks. I get it. I’ve filled in quite a few mathematical equations to determine my exact caloric needs and how to meet them with low calorie foods, and blah blah blah. What concerns me, though, is if the contestants are prone to developing the same internal fear and psychological problems that tend to accompany such strict diets and lifestyles? A fear of foods and a love of all things low calorie? Sacrificing true nutrient needs in the body of meeting a calorie goal isn’t necessarily the path to health. I watched the contestants (some over 400 pounds) chug away on treadmills to meet a daily calorie burn all the meanwhile thinking…Why? Does this not set up an unrealistic goal of what a healthful workout actually is? How many people secretly end up obsessing over the amount of calories they must burn on the treadmill to burn off that snack pack they ate before dinner? Hmm. Is that obsessive or normal behavior? I vote obsessive, but the audience may differ in opinion.

I’m a big believer in true quality over quantity of movement. I’ve tried various programs, I’ve read a lot of books regarding lifting and nutrition. I’ve seen some positive aspects on the show re: lifting – training with rope, functional movement – squats, deadlifts, presses, etc. But then there’s also the stupid stuff that the average person will probably pull away…running on the treadmill or running in general. I don’t agree with plunking a 400 pound person on a treadmill and telling them to run for their life for 30 seconds. It makes for good drama – an angry Bob yelling at a contestant to run her fat@$$ off, but I digress. Running is not kind on one’s joints if you don’t ease your way into it. Nor is jumping or plyometric activity. Nevermind that it’s a fantastic tool for those who are closer to their goal weight. I’m looking at this solely in terms of someone far from goal weight. In a mere 3 episodes, we’ve seen one woman pass the eff out and another has a stress fracture. Running! A good idea, right?

An even better idea is to focus much more on the quality of what each contestant eats. If there’s one thing that gave me a smug, snarky satisfaction from this season’s episodes, it’s that those who worked out LESS lost MORE weight. These contestants were told to really hone in on their nutrition, which, as many of us know is much more the key to sustainable weight loss. It’s not obsessing over burning calories from a Blizzard. No, it’s not eating the Blizzard in the first place. What bothers me is that the contestants still continue to assume they will not achieve great success without killing themselves in the workouts. As noted by the contestants who slammed Julio for his "poor workout behavior" and lo and behold, he lost more weight than any of them at the weigh-in. It’s simply not true and I don’t see any emphasis of this in the three episodes I viewed.

Now, I know, I know, we have to make things interesting for quality TV. I think there’s a balance that could be struck on the show with better advice and a heavier focus on nutrition versus “let’s watch the trainers make the fatties run on the treadmill.” The contestants aren’t dumb. They show a tremendous amount of gumption to complete the challenges and learn about being healthier. Most are at the end of their rope for weight loss. Could NBC not do them a favor and improve the advice?

(Alas, probably not, because Yoplait and Nabisco wouldn't be makin' Benjamins.)