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What are they doing on The Biggest Loser to lose so quickly?



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I googled sample diets and it looks pretty similar to what I'm doing- despite the fact I don't have a personal trainer 7 days a week.

What is their secret? How are women dropping 7- 10 lbs a week?

Edited by Just Banded

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I am an avid watcher of The Biggest Loser and you said "besides having a personal trainer 7 days a week" as if that was small...That's exactly how they're losing weight. The are working out or doing something active 6-7 hours per day. Understand that they aren't working and have no responsibilities or distractions other than their bodies and taking care of themselves. It will require an incredible amount of discipline to maintain the weight loss once they get "off the ranch" because their lives will resume...ie kids, having babies, working, etc...

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Remember the one episode earlier this year where they were walking up and down a hill for 14 hours. They agreed not to do it and all took a nap when the temperature got above 100 degrees for a few hours then resumed their walking. That is not a realistic lifestyle. It is an extreme diet and exercise regimine. I love the show. I really do because I love to see people's lives change. I just wish they would do a reunion show and let us see how people have maintained. I can't believe the majority have maintained the weight they ended with at the end of the show. Maybe I am too cynical.

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Well Oprah did a show (a just saw a clip not the whole show) bringing back some of the past contestants including season 2's BL Matt. He had gained back almost all his weight. His runner-up Sussie (who he married) was not as buff as she was when she left the ranch.

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Well Oprah did a show (a just saw a clip not the whole show) bringing back some of the past contestants including season 2's BL Matt. He had gained back almost all his weight. His runner-up Sussie (who he married) was not as buff as she was when she left the ranch.
But I love that show I never miss a beat!!

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I read an article about Matt & Susie.. He did gain back about half his weight. Susie gained some back too, but also had a baby. I'm sure once you leave the ranch it's hard to dedicate as much time to exercise. It would be nice.. but... not exactly realistic! I love the show too, but I get annoyed sometimes when they get on that scale and act like 3-4 lbs isn't enough of a weight loss.

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On that Oprah, it wasn't just a couple of people who'd regained, a very large part of that show was dedicated to how people regain and even the trainers said "Life happens after the show" and it is next to impossible to keep all of the weight off. in fact, only the winner from LAST SEASON was still at the same weight; all others had regained at least SOME of the weight back. 98% of diets fail... follow up with the contestants 5 years from now, and they will all be back where they started... basically.

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One of their challenges was to walk or run up and down a hill for what 14 hours?? I do a little jogging and walking 40 minutes a day. 14 hours in one day??? OMG I cant even think of it.

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Yeah the american biggest loser is the same as the aus one here, the fact that they don't have to go to work, look after children or have any other responsibilities and can work out all day every day so that they loose the weight, well no wonder they loose the huge amount, here in aus the only one that I have seen that has kept the weight off and everything is the guy that won the first season (think we're up to season 3 or 4 now) and he had plastic surgery and everything, and then you see the others that are now the spokespeople for the weight loss things like jenny craig, weight watchers etc. Also I dunno if any of you know this but I was told by my dietician and from everything I've encountered is true - those that do loose the weight on their own only about 3% will keep the weight off long term - and then the others gain it back, thats why i decided with the band, i didnt wanna be that 90%+ that was I lost 50 kgs and gained 100 back

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Not only that but they do all sorts of really unhealthy stuff to stay there too - like if they're safe one week and know it, they'll Water and salt load - absolutely drown themselves in salty foods and Water to have a big gain and then starve and dehydrate the following week when they may NOT be safe for a massive loss - fat plus all that water their bodies were retaining.

Very few constestants maintain the results of their time on the show, not to mention such massive, fast weight loss is not very healthy for you. They overexercise, exercise through injury (which may just mean that they wreck a knee so much they will never be able to run for exercise again aftr the show) and generally predispose themselves to things like gallstones, kidney stones, osteoporosis and hair loss.

Great entertainment, I love it as much as the next person but when you wonder why they're all SO ridiculously emotional and sooky on that show, they're placing themselves under extreme mental and physical pressure.

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I also love the show, I watch it every week and use it as a way to motivate myself to try and work harder with my workout. I know the more I try to workout the more quicker the weight will come off. the day after they walked that hill for 14 hrs. I tried to walk some smaller hills near my home. I tried to increase my miles just a little more. I always seem to have a better workout on wednesday because of the show.

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I lost weight like them once as well. I lost about 50lbs in 9 weeks--in boot camp for the Navy. What they do in that reality show is not what a normal person can or afford to do. What makes me laugh is that I used to watch the show while eating a bag of cookies!

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I lost weight like them once as well. I lost about 50lbs in 9 weeks--in boot camp for the Navy. What they do in that reality show is not what a normal person can or afford to do. What makes me laugh is that I used to watch the show while eating a bag of cookies!

Hah, I used to watch it while eating an entire container of Ben and Jerry's! :sad_smile: Now it's really hard to watch that show without munching on something, but I do it!

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