Rant - Biggest Loser Say What?

Hey Everyone 

As most of you know, I am not a professional trainer.  Never advocated to be one and never will be.  That being said I am just like most of you.  Fat my entire life, the most exercise I got was doing the couch shuffle from the couch to the fridge.  Health was in the toilet and I was going to die if I didn't do something.  Had surgery, lost over 200 pounds, kept it off, battled weight gain recently and getting back on track.  The one thing I have experienced and believe is that exercise is the key to losing, keeping it off and getting back on track if  you fall off the wagon.

I watch The Biggest Loser...  I don't think it's real life as anyone working out 6 hours a day and having their food controlled is going to lose.  Now if they really want to have an impact on peoples lives, take it off the ranch baby.  Work with people that are home, working and living life.  Teach and apply what they (The Biggest Loser); advocates in real life and then you will have a GREAT show and more long term winners (losers).

Why am I babbling?  Because last night something was said by both trainers that really made me mad.    If you watch the show you know that Joelle lost zero pounds because she was not working out like her partner.  She tried to make excuses and it was all BS    But when Bob and Gillian said they are tired of all the BS excuses they stated that one they can't stand is "I am not losing on the scale but I am losing inches".  They also said something to the effect it was an excuse for not losing on the scale when putting on muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.

I understand where they were trying to come from, but I so disagree with that statement.  I and many others have not seen that number on the scale move but have lost inches.  NO EXCUSE, it does happen...  there can be a time frame when you are really hitting the weights hard where the scale is not moving, but does that mean you are a failure and should quit?  NO....

Maybe I need professionals to explain this one, but I am so tired of so called "experts" sending out misinformation that leads to us feeling like failures and losers and I don't mean loser in a good way?

What do you think?  Have you experienced lost of inches when the scale is not moving?  When you started hitting the gym hard with weights did  you notice a considerable slow down and or the scale stop moving?

Please don't let a TV show keep you from doing what you know is right!!!  Now where is my tape measure  and weights 

Take care,
Kathy

Kathy,
beside that they showed a few "moments" when Joelel was not working very hard - it is a boot camp and they just went too hard on her.  In one episode - they actually show the contestants with ice and other "compresses" on their shins and I understand that such a strenuous exercises may and often results in bone fracture, etc.  They work them so hard, and it is a game, but they implying that anybody at home can work out and lose 5-10 lbs a week if they really want to, and if you stay at 0 loss - then you must be a slacker. 

We know better. 
Just recently i started exercising again (much harder than before) and actually I saw weight gain (3 lbs) from the water, swelling, my muscles trying to retain more glycogen to allow me to exercise.   She also may had her monthly - and as we know, some of us gain up to 5-10lbs of water with that. 
The show is just that - a show.

There are no follow up on previous year contestants - is it that interesting?   There was one - I think - and he gain most of his weight back.  We have been there, done that (working hard to lose weight- just to regain it later) 

 

That was Eric, bless his heart he lost over 200 pounds in 6 months and admits he gained over 100 back.  That goes to show you their program is just not real life...  I wish they could come up with something better... 

I don't know how they get them to do what they do without ended up in the hospital? 

I am no fan of Joelle's but I have to agree with you, that format was just not for her.  It was not her speed to kill herself.  But did you see at the end of the show she is losing?  At her own pace, and that is all that counts....

You look awesome 
,
Take care,
Kathy

I giess I'm even more of a rabble rouser than you - I refuse to watch the show at all!!!  Anytime anyone invites another to feel less than OK about themselves (or even someone else) I have no tolerance.  I even hate the Olympics - watch some events but hate them - can you imagine being one of a VERY elite group and then being strongly invited to define yourself as a loser because you came in a 10th of a second (or even less) behind someone else?  SICK!  That's what I love so much about this site - we don't put others down and in offering support to others, we accept it for ourselves.  In my mind there are only OK people - we all choose to do some OK things and some Not OK things (even Ted Bundy didn't murder every young women he met! LOL) and we all can choose to change what we're doing at any time.  For the life of me, I can't see why anyone would go through the sweat, blood and tears to become a psychologist if they didn't believe people can change - that's what it's all about in my opinion. 

How we see it is how it is for us - and how we see it can sure muck up reality.  I believe that one of the reasons re-losing is sometimes more of a struggle for us than losing originally is because we have defined ourselves as failures and doubt (or downright just don't believe) we can do it.  BULL FEATHERS! 

Well, having said that, I'll climb down off my soap box and get on with my day  

                                                                 

I agree with you Kathy, working out for 5 to 6 hours a day is not realistic.  After watching the program one night I was all worked up...said I was going to get up the next morning and try a regiment of exercising like they do on the Biggest Loser.  After two hours I mean of weight training, running on the treadmill and some aerobics...I was DONE.  When the contestants leave the ranch if they have learned weight management and portion control good.  If not, then they will gain there weight back...its not a quick fix.  Matt was one of the first on the program to lose over 100lbs.  he has gained his weight back.

Hey Dreamgirl,

We would be the last to cast stones, but you are right.  I think just about everyone that lost weight on that show has put it back on....  Unless you are a trainer and have access to that 24/7 you are going to have a hard time keeping it off.

I wish them luck...hey maybe we should invite them to our group 


Take are,
Kathy

Cathy
  I am just curious can it work the opposite way too where weight gain does not show up on the scale so much but you can gain inches? I feel like that's what happens to me.  Cause when I gained it seemed like it really showed in inches but I cant back that up because I never measured myself.  Just curious??