Diet & Life Style Info

The last episode of the Biggest Loser shown on Tuesday Jan 19 was one of the better shows that we have watched. They tried a new experiment on the show to see how it would turn out and I think it was a really big success. Biggest Loser training took a different turn on this particular show. What they did was split the contestants into two groups. The first group became the trainers and the second group were the ones to weigh in at the end of the hour. Based on their weight, the person going home would be decided by the person losing the least weight on a percentage basis.

Everyone had to work out as usual and watch their diet the same as usual, but now it was their partners that were doing the training and the motivating. While there was lots of shirt term buzz around this change, I think it had a lot of long term benefits for the contestants.

Bob and Jillian or is it Gillian, had to teach the training side of the group what they should run their partners through each day as well as the last chance workout.  The training group also got to do a last chance workout as well and then these trainers walked their team members through the same last chance workout. Although this is just a short term experiment, and they could never replace the professional trainers, the contestants now have some experience setting up a training program and also motivating their partners. This will be extremely useful over the long term when all of these people head home for real and have to face the real world.

When they go back to their home towns and their gyms, they will now have a much better idea of what to do to take more weight off or maintain their weights.  You might argue that they already know this, however it is much different when you have to lead vs. just follow instructions. I think this was a great thing to do and it will pay dividends for the contestants over the long run.

Twists to the Biggest Loser

Of course each Biggest Loser show will introduce some side issues for every segment and last night was no different. One couple apparently are gaming the show. He lost the required 12 pounds to avoid going below the yellow line while his partner who was doing the training only lost 1 pound. The previous week she had gained a pound. She was accused by the professional trainers, Bob in particular, of gaming the show and not really trying to lose weight. When she made some lame excuse and would not admit it, Bob lost it  accusing her of lying and not being honest with him or the other contestants. There was a huge yelling match which was embarrassing for everyone. No one came to her defense including her husband.

I think that is exactly what she was doing and just will not admit it. We have to wait till next week to see how this will be handled by the trainers and the contestants.

The other twist was that the couple ( two guys) who won immunity got to choose which team would switch at the last minute for the weigh in. Turns out it was a good thing they did not choose the couple who was gaming it. Each week the show gets more and more interesting as these people who weigh over 500 pounds at the start take more and more weight off.

Biggest Loser Energy Deficit

One of the comments that the professional trainers, Bob and Jillian, made to the lady who lost one pound only was that based on her work outs she had to have consumed 7000 calories every day to not loose more weight.

They were referring to energy deficits. If you work out for 12 hours and burn 7000 calories, then consume 7000 calories you are not going to lose weight. If you consume say 4000 calories, in this scenario you will lose weight. Remember the average person burns approximately 1500 to 2500 calories each day without working out, just from normal activity ( not couch potato activity).

She either did not work out that much and therefore did not burn the calories or she ate as many calories as she was burning. She obviously knows what she is doing, but not fooling anyone, especially the trainers. They do not like this type of game play especially when they get so personally involved with the people on the show. Bob’s point was, don’t lie to me, we know what you are doing so you may as well admit it.

I am sure there is more scandal and excitement to come next week on the Biggest Loser.

Biggest Loser Training

There are other elements to the training that is done at the Biggest Loser. They recognize that there is some underlying reason that these people gain weight. If they do not deal with this issue, then even if they do lose all of the weight at the Biggest Loser ranch, they will just gain it all back when they go home.

Both Bob and Gillian are really good at getting under the skin of the contestants to get them to own up to their underlying issues, deal with them and become a much better stronger person as a result. Only once they have owned up to their issues will they lose weight at the Biggest Loser ranch and also keep it off. You have to give them credit. They deal with the weight issues, the deal with the health issues and they deal with the personal issues that have caused these people to gain the weight they have.

We all have to search deep to gain the level of commitment they build up on the Biggest Loser show. As I said we really admire the trainers and the show, Biggest Loser.

Both my wife and I are fans of the biggest loser. We watch this show religiously and even look forward to the night it is on. Maybe we cannot believe that some people can get so big. Maybe we cannot believe what they look like when they lose all of the weight. Maybe we cannot imaging Bob or Jillian yelling at us the way they do to motivate some of these people  into working out. Whatever it is , we find it entertaining and motivating at the same time.

The biggest loser is a reality show and it is watched by millions of people every week. The biggest loser is also an intensely personal journey by up to 20 people who have to bear everything to get on the show and to lose weight. There is no privacy left. These people are prepared to show the world what they look like with all of the weight they have gained and also to talk about their fears and their issues that helped to get them were they are. I think the audience is silently cheering for all of these people to be successful and get their lives back.

Could You Take the Heat

My wife and I watch the show and wonder if we could take the heat so to speak of Bob or Jillian getting on our case and making us go that extra mile. Let’s face it , it is pretty intense with one of the coaches screaming in their faces and the contestants giving it their all, up to the point were they get physically sick. Could you do that, I am not sure I could, yet these people are motivated beyond belief with some of them losing up to half of their body weight.

Of course the program shows the most intense episodes with the trainers yelling at them and making them work very hard. This is made for TV situations to make it more exciting and also at the same time make us really feel for these people. What we do not see is all of the hours of training that they actually go through. Every once and a while one of the contestants will let slip a remark that they worked out 11 or 12 hours per day in order to lose the huge weight numbers they achieve each week. No one wants to go home so they put the extra effort in to meet their goals and stay at the biggest loser ranch.

Is It Healthy

The contestants are closely monitored by medical staff and we noticed that when someone does faint or is having difficulty, the medical team is not far away. After all these people are putting an incredible strain on thier hearts and someone had better monitor them. So far no one has been seriously hurt on the biggest loser and we hope it does not happen.

What is good is that they not only exercise, they are also taught about the calories they eat, what they need each day and how to maintain an energy deficit. Jillian Michaels made a statement on HLN that fundamentally you need to create an energy deficit if you are going to lose weight. You can exercise all you want and you will get stronger , but if you do not also manage your caloric intake, you will not always lose weight.

On the biggest loser, they teach them about good diets and eating properly. They give them hints about eating out and how to avoid the high calorie foods. They also work with the contestants to help them overcome their private issues that may have contributed to their weight gain in the first place. Let’s face it the biggest loser has a good thing going and is helping many families lose weight across the US and Canada and maybe around the world.

How to Become the Biggest Loser at Home

With out all of the support, the medical team, a bad ass trainer like Jillian on your case and the time to train like they do while at camp, how does someone become their own biggest loser at home? Everyone is different and has their own problems however there are a few things we have noticed from watching the biggest loser that we all need to focus on.

Decide that you really want to lose weight

Decide that you are going to commit to making it happen

Surround yourself with like minded people and supportive people

Get to the Gym

Get checked out by a doctor

Manage your caloric intake

Create an energy deficit

Stick with the program, don’t give up even if you get discouraged

The above eight steps are pretty tough and the most difficult of the eight are the first two. You need to decide for yourself and make the commitment to yourself that you are going to lose weight. No one else is going to be able to do it for you and they certainly cannot talk you into it. This is a big commitment and you have to be ready to make that commitment and become your own biggest loser.

Find a buddy to work out with and also to help with diet planning. It is so much easier when you have someone who can work with you and motivate each other. When you are down and having a bad day that is when your buddy needs to step in and push you back on track.

There will be bad days. Let’s face it on the biggest loser they have them all of the time. The second week weigh in is notorious for low weight loss and even in some cases weight gain. This is when a supporting team mate can help you out to keep you going.

We would love to hear your comments on the biggest loser and other diet and weight loss ideas.