Thread: Biggest Loser

They weigh 300+ pounds, are on 1500 calorie a day diets and are not allowed to leave the compound where they work out all day.

they train with weights
they do cardio
they eat correctly

and I believe it last 3 months, right?

I think it is 3 months. But are they working out ALL day?

It is three months. They have round the clock supervision on their eating habits (except for the little temptations that they air) and they also have round the clock personal training.

I think if I had 24 hour/7 day personal service like that, I'd look like a million bucks in three months too.

no, probably a split session (am/pm) for a total of 2 hours would be my guess.

ForemanRules...Wait, what was the question again?

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

no, probably a split session (am/pm) for a total of 2 hours would be my guess.

Actually, I think I read they are doing 3-4 hours a day

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

ForemanRules...Wait, what was the question again?

How did you know about that?

Originally Posted by ANCAM

I think it is 3 months. But are they working out ALL day?

Yeah it was 3 months.

And sometimes they would workout for HOURS: as in 5-6 hours a day.

But the reason why they got such great results was that they were:
1. previously very non-active
2. they were all very overweight
3. they were all on extremely poor diets

They were then:
1. placed on extremely low cal diets with lots of fibre, lots of protein and little else
2. placed into a situation where they were doing LOTS of activity
3. strictly monitored for their food intake and exercise activity.


Of course they were going to get great results!!

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

And sometimes they would workout for HOURS: as in 5-6 hours a day.

really? that is a bit extreme IMO.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

really? that is a bit extreme IMO.

Judging by the workouts you see them go through on TV I would say that the program they are following is a little extreme for people that are that deconditioned. But, if they didn't fast track them I guess it wouldn't be much of a show. I don't think what they do on that show is really healthy though.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

really? that is a bit extreme IMO.

If it wasn't extreme, it wouldn't make for very good tv.

Some of them were losing 10+ pounds a week for several weeks back to back. That is crazy weight loss. While a lot of it was fat, I am sure they lost muscle too. And on what they were eating they must have been so hungry, tired and weak after all that exercise. I can't imagine how hard that would be especially coming from being 300+ pounds and not being able to walk up stairs.

Originally Posted by P-funk

Judging by the workouts you see them go through on TV I would say that the program they are following is a little extreme for people that are that deconditioned. But, if they didn't fast track them I guess it wouldn't be much of a show. I don't think what they do on that show is really healthy though.

Yeah but they weren't really healthy before they started either... and they had constant medical supervision to make sure their extreme change didn't kill them.

I think it would be interesting to see what the long term effects are, as well as what (if any) support they give these people when they are released into the wild.

(It's possible they show this stuff, but I've never watched, so I don't know. Can't stand reality TV.)

Originally Posted by Pylon

I think it would be interesting to see what the long term effects are, as well as what (if any) support they give these people when they are released into the wild.

(It's possible they show this stuff, but I've never watched, so I don't know. Can't stand reality TV.)

The final episode was several months after their stay at the ranch. Then they went home and did their normal life. When they came back, they weighed everyone and this final weigh in was what determined the overall winner. The finalists did great at home and lost more weight... but then again they knew they had to weigh in on tv and there was a big cash prize attached to it.

It seemed the people that lasted the longest did the best. They showed a couple of the people that got knocked out in the first weeks and they hadn't really lost anything after the show... one guy couldn't make it for the reunion show... hmmm wonder why

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

Yeah but they weren't really healthy before they started either... and they had constant medical supervision to make sure their extreme change didn't kill them.

right, but I think what P-funk meant is they were being put into a more unhealthy state.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

right, but I think what P-funk meant is they were being put into a more unhealthy state.

Right, and not even that though. I wonder about how well they can maintain their weight loss once the show is over and they don't have a trainer for 3hrs a day and they don't have catered meals and they don't have a meal plan set out. they just lost all this weight, probably lost a lot of muscle since thier diet is so low in calories and probably didn't gain a lot of muscle since their resistance training isn't very intense at all and more resembles cardio. I just don't see them keeping a lot of that weight off.

There will be a crash for most of these people.

Yeah they will gain back a good ten/twenty pounds unless they really buy in to the lifestyle, which they might because a change that great would really raise self esteem.

Originally Posted by P-funk

Right, and not even that though. I wonder about how well they can maintain their weight loss once the show is over and they don't have a trainer for 3hrs a day and they don't have catered meals and they don't have a meal plan set out. they just lost all this weight, probably lost a lot of muscle since thier diet is so low in calories and probably didn't gain a lot of muscle since their resistance training isn't very intense at all and more resembles cardio. I just don't see them keeping a lot of that weight off.

The last however many months it was, they were at home without a trainer, without cameras or anything... totally on their own.

All of them (except maybe about 2-3 people eliminated in the first couple weeks) continued to lose weight... even the ones that weren't up for any type of a prize.

Originally Posted by bigss75

Yeah they will gain back a good ten/twenty pounds unless they really buy in to the lifestyle, which they might because a change that great would really raise self esteem.

10-20 pounds would be nothing to them to gain back. You have to remember these people were 300+ pounds and ended up <200. Even if they gain back up to 220, thats a whole lot better than being 380 again.

I am sure they remember what they felt and looked like at their highest weight. I would think that would be enough motivation to not get there again for most people.

Most dieters gain the weight back from their fad diets. These people were put in an extreme lifestyle change. The weight was lost due to hard work and diet. They had a trainer working with them everyday for 3 months - they must have learned something about diet and nutrition in that time. Many people on this site have made big changes in their lives by changing diet and exercise and never gained it back. I don't see why these people should be any different.

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

I am sure they remember what they felt and looked like at their highest weight. I would think that would be enough motivation to not get there again for most people.

not for Oprah Winfrey.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

not for Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah's diets were all the fad diets out there. She did an all liquid diet and other weird diets that always worked great short term. Now this time she is actually doing it correctly with a personal trainer and everything. As far as I know, didn't she start this well over a year ago and still hasn't gained back?

Damn, I never thought I would defend Oprah

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

Oprah's diets were all the fad diets out there. She did an all liquid diet and other weird diets that always worked great short term. Now this time she is actually doing it correctly with a personal trainer and everything. As far as I know, didn't she start this well over a year ago and still hasn't gained back?

Damn, I never thought I would defend Oprah

yes, I believe many years ago that is correct, but she has done it the "right way" before and gained it back too... not that I follow Oprah and her dieting, I just remember hearing it.

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

yes, I believe many years ago that is correct, but she has done it the "right way" before and gained it back too... not that I follow Oprah and her dieting, I just remember hearing it.

I tried to do a little research but ended up finding a diet forum where they talked about how amazing Oprah looks now and how if everyone just had Oprah's will power that there would be no fat people. It made me sick... I was waiting for the post that said Oprah's urine cured cancer

basically everyone needs to just read Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" ebook. I mean, everything is right there!

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

basically everyone needs to just read Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" ebook. I mean, everything is right there!

http://ironmagazine.com/go/burnfat

The winner was super cut. He used to be a huge guy too, I thought he would traverse the buff path, but he was in the single digits.

They said he was at 2.7% or so.

I can believe it if he was like 6 though.