America's biggest loser...Larry King last night...2 gained back...what do ya think?

Hi guys, Well, ever since this show has been on, I wondered HOW much these folks had to work out, did they gain back ect.. Last nite on Larry King, there was 3 of the past winners on.  Matt gained 57lbs. back, Eric gained 30lbs. back, and the lady just had a baby, needs/wants to lose 40lbs.   While on the show, they work out 6-8 hrs. per day! Holy moly...Losing wt. is fantastic, but the maintaining... wowzers, seems like that IS the real battle.  Your thoughts?

ANYONE can lose huge amounts of weight in such a controlled environment.  Of course keeping it off is the trick.  That said... if a man weighs 400+ and gets down to 250 on the show then, after returning to a normal life gains only 50 lbs... but manages to keep 100 off in the long term... but we know that MOST folks who lose weight will fail to make the long term changes necessary to keep it off.

Holy wow, 6-8 hrs/day!!!!  I struggle to get in my 2 hours and most days, its only my hour-long hike in the morning! No wonder they gain back - that is a heckuva pace to keep up! I always wondered how in the heck they could only work out a few hours and lose so much. That's insane! That pace would make me nuts!

I like the general message the show puts out, and it definitely motivates people to be more active, but there is a whole part of the show that is seriously unrealistic and well, kind of seems unhealthy to me.  There is such a small chance for anyone to be able to keep the weight off.  Last I remember, the stats were that an obese person has a less than 5% chance of losing weight and keeping it off when dieting and exercising.  Also, it's becoming more and more known that contestants are encouraged to dehydrate themselves before weigh ins so that they are able to pull larger numbers on the scales.  I read an article that some finalists gained back 20lbs within days of the final weigh in because they were so dehydrated and it took them that much water to rehydrate themselves.  That just doesn't sound healthy to me.  Not at all.

doesn't surprise me in the least. That environment at the ranch was unrealistic...no temptations, nothing to do but exercise, no stress, give me a break. 

I hate that we only have a 5% chance of losing weight and keeping it off without surgery. It scares me every day. Does anyone else feel kinda hopeless when they see this statistic? It's a shame that they gained back weight. I hope Eric can stop the regain, I liked him. I also think that some of them get below a healthy weight even for competition's sake, to get the money, and then gain some back. I think even at 30 lbs. up he is still better off he lost a LOT of weight. I don't remember how much Matt or his wife lost specifically. I hope they are following a healthy lifestyle and not continuing with some of the more extreme methods of the show. I would imagine though that the majority of contestants would gain most of the weight back, but I could be wrong.

Amen, Sonora! Yes, bridg, it does concern me a lot...but I am trying hard to use that stat to be one of the 5%...and to remember that this IS HARD.  There is a lot against a person who is fat.  And if you're pushing 40, there is little left to do but seriously consider wls...chances are very slim after that age. I just try to get up, for the 1 MILLIONth thime, dust myselfoff and keep on trucking. I will not fall back into complacency and just be fat. I will try as hard as I can against all odds.

Bridget, that statistic does not make me feel hopeless at all. It used to. Truth is, though it is HARD AS HELL to lose weight, and equally hard (if not harder?) to keep it off, there's no supernatural power that drops the pounds at our door once we're done losing. If we make the best choices possible every day -- whether that means angelic eating and exercise or just the best damage control we can manage -- nothing is stopping us. I do not appreciate news outlets treating me like a piece of graph paper as opposed to a person! It is SO much more than that.

Time magazine had an article on the show earlier this summer -- the original winner gained back everything except about 30 lbs.  These people were obviously not told -- or haven't remembered -- that what you do to take it off, you have to do to keep it off.  Obviously, most of us don't have six to eight hours a day to devote to exercise.  If we did, we would have achieved their numbers! Kelly M. from the first season really took this to heart and has done quite well. (Edited to add show's transcript)