It's all about ratings and not really about changing lifestyle. Even the biggest losers are going to have a tough time after their time is finished.
It'll be very hard to stay motivated to continue that lifstyle when all the pressure's off.

I personally don't find it very inspirational.

I don't like the 'voting off' aspect of the show, but I love the fact that these people are losing weight and feeling good about themselves. Some people gain the weight back, but others keep it off. Some people lose weight by eating celery and walking on the treadmill...I happen to lose weight by eating bacon and cheese. Whatever works!

I have read everyones post and I can agree with some points but not with others.

First "its unhealthy to work out that much"

Well in the modern western world YES. But lets not forget that not to many years ago people worked all day long! HECK in some parts of the world all members of the family STILL work HARD from sun up to sundown. Before all our modern conveniences life was HARD people!

So yes I will give you that its not "normal" for anyone to work out 4-7 hours a day..... its a show and they want to see results fast...take it with a grain of salt. The voted off players do have to go home and work out for the final weigh in. They do have to learn how to balance real life with the gym. Some do fail and you can see that in the final numbers.

"Past contestants have all gained the weight back on"

Like any group of people, some will fail to keep it of true. But how many have made life changes and kept it off? I really have not looked into it that much but I can tell you that most of the players from season 1 have their own websites....and guess what....they HAVE kept it off. A few have turned into personal trainers themsleves and a few tour the lecture circuit( I guess selling their weightloss stories).

"Its all about the ratings / I hate the product placement"

I would agree, it is a show in prime time on a major network. It has to be entertaining to attract veiwers. So yes they throw in drama and force people to get voted off. As for the product placement....well it is a show and they have to make money. So yes they mention Extra gum or the Quaker Oats Oatmeal. I have watched plenty of TV to look past all those built in ads by now. Have you ever seen a NASCAR race...talk about ads!!!

Well I guess its like any show, some will enjoy it and others will not, thats fine. Lets just not get carried away and bring up rumors or false statements into the mix. I know we all hate reading post by people busting on the LC diets with inaccurate news posts or rumors.

Peace,
Al

I don't care whether someone loses weight running a treadmill or drinking slimfast. It's not my business, and as long as they're healthy, good luck to them.

The whole "working from dusk to dawn thing" kind of bugs me when people bring it up. Life can be hard, but not for everyone. I doubt very much that there was a time on Earth where most people physically laboured 16 hours a day at gruelling jobs and that kept them slim. Just my opinion though. The dusk til dawn thing really didn't happen for a lot of people until we went agricultural and even more so when we went industrial. Hunting and gathering your own food takes tremendous effort, as does maintaining shelter and sustenance from the fruits of what was hunted and gathered. It wasn't the type of things people did all day every day. Sure we might physically labour less than we did a century ago, but who says that is what we were meant to be doing? High sustained periods of stress aren't really what's natural and aren't that great for weight loss, whether it's behind a plough or in a cubicle. I remember the Eades touching on this briefly in the orginal PP book.

The reason I dislike the show is because I think it's like "LET'S ALL WATCH THE FAT PEOPLE WORK OUT TIL THEY THROW UP AND GET WEIGHED IN THEIR UNDERWEAR!" Granted, I've only seen one episode, but I just see it as another way for people to make money on obesity and for others to delight in Schadenfreude. I admit that I've watched some pretty bad reality TV, but I guess this cut a little too close to home. It was, for me like watching the diet Olympics.

No offence to anyone who likes this show. Just saying how I felt when I watched it.

moggsy, I just looked up Schadenfreude - thank you for helping me learn a new word today.

I totally agree with you, by the way...
Chris

Citruskiss, that's exactly why I don't watch, I find it demoralizing. It always surprises me the folks around here who say they love the show and find it motivating.

Those folks are on a starvation diet. That's what low calorie, low fat, excessive exercise is. It's no wonder they put the weight right back on. Our bodies will just not allow us to "maintain" starvation. Our very physiological hard-wiring will eventually drive us to eat.

And being dissapointed or labeled a cheat or failure because you "only" lost 3 pounds this week? I think the show sets up very unrealistic expectations for viewers uneducated in how real weight loss occurs.

Exactly. It is unhealthy, unsustainable, not based on the reasons people are fat to begin with and give people an unrealistic idea of how people should lose weight.

Once again if you keep posting it .... wont make it ture. They are not on starvation diets. And if you watched the show you would see that once they leave the show, they go home and do manage to continue to lose weight...and not by working out for 7 hours a day. Sure the weight loss is not as fast as while on the show.

No one saying you have to watch or even like the show. But if anyone overweight person watching gets up off the sofa and gets to work.....how bad can it be. ITS A TV SHOW PEOPLE.... its not real life. Yes in real life most people will not lose weight that fast. But then again whens the last time you have all day to work out with your own trainer?

I like the show. I mean sometimes it's hugely frustrating that they don't address the differences in losses between men and women (and God FORBID a woman has her period during a weigh-in) but all in all I think it's great for people to watch and to participate in.

I couldn't lose weight eating what they do, but that's because I am excessively carb sensitive. I mean, I can eat two steaks and lose weight... But eat a half a baked potato and I'm trying to recover from that for days. I do think these people participating in the shows have EXTREME psychological issues that even ENABLE them to get as fat as they do, and if being on the show and having the coaching helps them through it, I think it is wonderful.

I will say that I'd love to see a low carb version done, but it wouldn't exactly be profitable. I mean, who "manufactures" the meats, eggs, and cheeses along with fresh veggies that would be consumed? And what companies (considering that 75% of all advertising is food-related) would pay to advertise their high-carb junk during the episode?

I do think that on a low carb plan the participants could lose lots of weight while still eating satisfying quantities of tasty foods. That's the benefit of LC. But it isn't the ONLY thing that works.

Low carb isn't the only thing that works, but based on the research cited in "Good Calories, Bad Calories", I do think it is the ONLY weight loss method that addresses the main cause of obesity.

i had to chuckle at this... when i started back on low-carb almost 2 years ago, i started the day i saw the opening episode of "celebrity fit club", i think it was season 4... whichever one had erika eleniak and tina yost on it. for as much as i actually hate the show, something about it gave my brain the kick in the ass i needed. it was "start now, start today, and this time it's for keeps." despite a few stumbles, i've stuck with it.

I contend they are. A low fat, VLC diet's means of causing weight loss is thru starvation. You are always hungry because you are not getting the proper nutrients needed, so the body is constantly cueing you to eat. Does it work for rapid weight loss? Yes, it can, (especially if you don't mind losing just as much muscle as fat). But how long is it sustainable?

BTW, not sure why you said I keep posting this, that was my one and only post in this thread.

Chastity Bono looks like she gained it all back plus an extra 50 lbs since she lost weight following that sort of diet & exercise protocol. The same thing happened to most of us here when we tried to maintain after low-fat high-carb diets.

I would venture to say Big Al has a vested interest in The Biggest Loser.

gotta say, I am done with it, too. the product placement, the ridiculous temptation challenges, the idea that it's a race is just STUPID.

I loved a show we had here Taking it Off. Followed groups of dieters who had to choose their own plans and go it at home.
Now that was closer to reality than anything the biggest loser producers litter our airwaves with.

BTW, Atkins dieters kicked ass on that show

I actually found a show just this week that is more motivating. How To Look Good Naked with Carson from Queer Eye as the host.

He is so nice to the guests and the show really helps build their self esteem instead of putting them through degrading, judgemental, weigh-ins and banishing...

I think the finale was this week but if you can catch any re-runs, give it a look. It's a cute show.