The Biggest Loser TV Show Has Created Unrealistic Expectations

Hey Rusty,

Long time reader, first time commenter. Great Blog. Anyway, I'm a big fan of Lyle McDonald and his work and I was wondering if you knew anything about the diet these folks follow - is it similar to his rapid-fat loss crash type diet?

Well yeah if you have bunch of money and time, you can participate in this program, along with proper nutrition and rest. But for average guys who still have to work, it's literally impossible.

Though I never watch *even heard about the show, well at least it's better than any other reality show, kinda like motivating us into healthy lifestyle eh?

Or you still prefer American Idol, don't you Rusty? lol.

I loved this show. Watch almost every season. Sometimes I get frustrated that they lose so much weight and I'm not, but you're right. I have about 12 lbs to lose and they have about 120, of course they will lose so fast.
But in general I just used it as a motivator…if these very overweight people can get their butt to the gym…so can I!!!
=)

Another great one Rusty!!!

Thanks for the eye candy. Question Rusty after I get finished a hard cardio session I can see abs without flexing but any other time I would have to flex. I remember an article you wrote and wanted to know if it is just water retention or i need to shed a few more pounds so they are always visible?

Thanks

I agree with you Rusty. That show is unrealistic for most people to lose that amount of weight in such a short period of time. I am overweight probably greater than most of the people who read your blog but I have a quest for knowledge and your forum provides that.

I e-mailed John Fit and he also suggest that I incorporate cardio 5x week using the intervals for 30 to 45 min. Most guys at the gym emphasize weight over cardio 95% of the time.

I heard that most of the contestants after the show just put the weight back on, and then some.

It doesn't really promote realistic long-term goals - its just rather a big race see who can lose the most, the quickest.

Rusty,
I see TV shows like this as more of a business and less of a practical way to get in shape.. The first goal of these shows is to get ratings and the rest takes a back seat.. Most people with a life do not have time for the committment it takes to achieve these results, but its nice to see when committment reaches its highest peak, great things can be accomplished.. I think the biggest lesson learned from this show is ANYONE can drop weight and get in shape.. I've seen some extraordinary results from the show, but I think it just comes down to discipline, which is the lesson most should take from the show.. When you do go hard at your workout, and take it seriously and commit to it 100%, you will improve.. Most people think its "too tough" to workout and don't make it priority, which is fine, but don't get bent out of shape (no pun intended) when you don't lose weight and don't fit into the dress of the old slacks.. Just my opinion.. Most of us know what we need to do, but just lack the disclipline to execute.. Interesting show..
John Fit..

Hey Rusty, good point most off these shows are dedicated to fast mind boggling results or else it wouldn't be fun to watch. For someone who is actually close to their goals at 6'2, how much would you suggest I weigh for the hollywood look? Keep in mind I have an ecto-mesomorphic frame.

Hey Rusty, as always very informative and thought-provoking. Through you, I have re-embraced cardio. I did something really stupid last year, U bulked up 30 pounds, most of which was fat. I was leaning down and looking better every week, but had recently hit a plateau. I did minimal cardio and hit the weights hard while consuming copious amounts of carbohydrates. Then I came across the Warrior Diet and then your site and realized the error o my ways. From September I have lost all the weight. I now regularly do cardio and am doing less and less resistance training. Funny enough I actually gained a little bit of muscular weight in the past gew weeks, while also lowering my bodyfat, meaning that I never needed to bulk up in the first place. Anyway I was wondering what you think of this routine to lean me down during the summer.
Monday: 30 minutes dance, 15 minutes stretching, 20 minutes swimming, 15 minute jog, 8 100-metre sprints.
Tues: Same as above except 15 minute plyometrics and HIIT stationary bike workout.
Wednesday: Steady State Cardio 45-60 minutes.
Thurs: Same as Monday
Friday: Same as Tuesday.

Too heavy? There is very little resistance since I already rather strong and bulky to begin with. If anything I work on my pullups usually before bed.

I don't understand why you think they were trying to hide the info regarding the amt of time they workout. This is old news to me. I've been watching the show since season one and knew it then. If you search YouTube, you will find videos of Jillian saying saying they work out 4hrs a day with 3 of that being cardio. She also says that they are able to do this amt of working out because they are pulled from their lives and suggests that regular everyday working people workout 4-5 hrs a week.

As for the strict regiment…don't you believe they need that. The contestants on that show have control issues in that they can't control how much they eat and get to the bottom of what is causing the problem. Therefore, they need to be watched and monitored. I chat with a past contestant of the show via myspace and he said that once you understand where you have been going wrong, comforming to a healthy way of doing things is easy.

The approach to weight loss presented by this show isn't for everyone. If you have a small amt of weight to lose, this plan isn't for you. If you have large amt of weight to lose….you should consider it.

Damon

Hey Rusty, it's true that that is unrealistic.. I was thinking of you this past week because someone had a copy of Bill Phillips' book Body for Life, and (I'm guessing you've heard of it?) while he does recommend eating 5-6x/day in small portions, part of his approach is HIIT for 20 minutes in the mornings on an empty stomach and waiting for an hour before you eat your first meal, and alternating HIIT days with weight training to exhaustion as well. I saw some of the transformations and they are definitely incredible, but some of those girls are so muscular it's not aesthetically pleasing in my opinion. I was wondering if you thought doing HIIT plus some bodyweight exercises like planks, crunches, pushups, etc., would help achieve a more 'feminine' look. I don't really have much weight to lose but it's summer, I have more time, and there is always room for improvement!!

Great post! Thanks a ton, Rusty! You motivate us all so much!

is it worth trying this out, because wont it lead to overtraining?…and also…like i mentioned before, i play soccer about 3-5 times a week, every time i play, i do 3 hours or more any way, so is this pretty much the same or not? the only reason i do so much is because i love the sport soo much id be willing to play day and night!! lol..but on top of this, when can workout, before or after?

Hi Rusty,

I know this has not much to do with this topic right here but I wanted to know your opinion about this.
The other day I was waching a program called "Work Out" where personal trainers train different clients.
Now there is this new trainer called Greg Plitt which seems to have the perfect physique although a bit muscular.
Do you think this psysique is achievable by eating right, getting enough sleep and doing your weight training with cardio.
Or do you believe he is using steroids to stay like that?
Please give me your opinion about this.
Keep up the good work like always with your website!

Greetings,

J.L

From The Netherlands

will be doing them workouts, but should i do before footbll or after?..and what kind of diet, can you help me compile a simple but effective one?

Great post again! You recommend running as the best exercise for looking good and being in shape. I've always had a hard time with running and tend to go for the stairmasters, but I want to give it another shot. What do you recommend for beginning? Should I find an expert to look at my form, get great shoes, that sort of thing?

Hey Rusty! Ive been out of pocket for awhile. I missed reading your blog. This is a great one as always. I 100% agree with you. The show has caused some people to have realistic expections for weight loss. There's no way a person could devote that much time to exercise unless they dont have to work for a living. That sounds like a job in itself LOL!

Hey Rusty!!!

I only have a little bit more weight to lose. Im 22 yrs old 5'8 and 135 lbs. My main focus right now is getting as lean as I can. I have started doing HIIT and planks and have def. noticed how effective they can be….

Anyway my question is how many days a week should I strength train and how many days should I do HIIT (every time I do intervals I do 20 min of steady cardio immediately after.) And also how many calories should I be eating?? I want to get the best results I possibly can and am very willing to put the effort into it, I just need to know HOW! =]

Thank you again for your very addictive site!!!!

hey rusty i got a question totally off topic here. i want to increase my strength in my upper body without adding size. i am quite big in my upper body for only weighing 145 pounds so i am looking to aviod gaining any more size. i got my body fat down to 10% and am just looking to increase strength/muscle definition. i recently ordered and read pavel's "power to the people". i see where he recommends doing one set of 5 with a heavy weight then drop the weight by 10% and doing another set of 5 and then that's it for that exercise for strength increase. he also recommends training like this everyday as long as you never train to failure. my question to you is-do you think i could train each bodypart everyday as long as i dont train to failure to increase my strength using 2×5 and changing the weight for the second set? For example, do 2 sets of 5 for chest, back, shoulders, bi's, and tri's everday in this fashion? or do you think this would lead to overtraining and burnout? or do you have another suggestion for helping me improve my strenght/muscle tone? thanks as always for your help rusty!

i think jillian likes girls better then boys,

JL,

He looks like a mesomorph who is in tremendous shape. He is a good example of someone of a naturally bigger guy who doesn't have excessive muscle. A good role model for sure.

Hassan,

Go low carb before football and eat protein right after. Then again an hour later. You need more nutrients because you are extremely active.

Mark,

If running kills your joints, then avoid it…or at least limit it. If I was in your position, I would do 15 minutes HIIT on the exercise bike (the "old school regular bike…not the ones where you are close to the ground)…I would followup that HIIT with 30-40 minutes moderate paced cardio on the elliptical. Doing the HIIT before the elliptical, will turn the elliptical into a much more efficient fat burning exercise.

Heather,

Quick Answers…
Calories…1,000-1,300
HIIT mixed with steady state…3 times per week
Steady state only…2 times per week 60 minutes
Do weight training before HIIT on that same day
total workout days 5 (add in an extra steady state only day if you want to do six).

Benjie,

You certainly could do that for part of the year. I would do that for 3-4 months…alternated with a 2-day split for 3-4 months. When you do the two day split, you could do more sets. Power to the People is one of the best books ever written on the subject of strength training. Did you enjoy it? I love this book!

shane#1,

You are bad!

Have a great one guys!

Rusty

That kind of shows and other similar stuff are in great part guilty of making lots of people give up on their goals. We all know that it takes a lot of strong will to keep working out, eating right, it's not always easy, and when people get unrealistic expectations it becomes much easier to get frustrated and to to give up. That kind of shows should have an educational purpose with realistic goals to the majority of people. I have never seen it, but for what i'm reading this show might motivate people in the beginning, but then i believe it will probably get them frustrated.

I have to say that Jillian can be a strong motivation

Hey Rusty! Two more quick questions.. sorry to keep bothering you but your advice is so good and I actually trust it!!

Anyway, is it normal for intervals to make your thighs hurt for like 2 days?? I'm not complaining because I know it must be good because even after running for over a year - a couple days of HIIT made me sore!!! And also should I still work my legs when I'm weight training even though they hurt from HIIT?? I feel like I shouldn't but then I feel bad for only working my legs out during cardio lol!! What's going to make them the leanest??? Okay sorry that was 3 questions!!

Thank you thank you thank you! =]

Rusty, what do you think about doing cardio 2 times per day in order to burn off fat fast? I met a female (pretty fit looking) who told me she had been having severe trouble dropping bodyfat recently (she had gotten way out of shape and hadn't been exercising or eating right) and when she went back to training/dieting, nothing that seemed to work for her in the past was working for her recently. She said she had been diagnosed as being hyperinsulinemic (from being out of shape) and then it was recommended to her by a local trainer that she try (for a few weeks only, I think), splitting cardio into 2 separtate sessions: morning (45 minutes) and afternoon (45 minutes), both on an empty stomach, followed by a protein shake immediately afterwards. She claimed it helped her — I only saw her after she lost the weight and she looked pretty good. Any pros or cons about this? BTW, I don't know if she did HIIT. Maybe, she is pretty savvy and she said she was a former trainer herself. Your thoughts? Any other ideas of what could work? Thanks!

Good post Rusty. You always seem to come up with a great read :-). I've not seen The Biggest Loser over here in the UK but we do have a similar show called Fat Camp. These type of shows aren't really my kind of thing but you make a good point about not comparing ourselves to people on TV. Most of us have a limited timescale within which to work out and just have to make the most of it.

Rusty:

Yes, these shows are unrealistic to most people but it's possible to loose that much weight. I posted once before but lurk and read everything on this site (love it by the way).

The day after thanksgiving of 2007 (6 months ago) I weighed in at 305 on my 6 ft frame. Today, I am 200 with a lean weight of 179. I've lost over 100 lbs in 6 months without losing much muslce. The key is lifting hard (1 hr a day/ 4-5 days a week) and cardio. I also was on a SKD diet for the first few months and now am doing a CKD diet.

When you are that heavy it's hard to do cardio. I had to walk at frist because I was too fat to run and now I am up to 20 miles. I am running a marathon next Sunday! One and I'm done. My perfered workout is your spring one min, walk one min. I am doing this working up to 11.0 @1.0 incline and my walk speed in 4.0. Wow, does this work you out and burn the fat!

During the first couple of months on my diet I lost about 1 pound a day for the first 2 months!! It's possible without working out 4 hours a day. Cut the carbs, up the weights, and up the cardio.

I guess all I wanted to say is that yes, these shows are unrealistic but there are "normal" 40+ hour work week people out there doing the same thing.

Paul,

You are an animal! Great job buddy. I hope you took some "before" and "after" pictures. That is outstanding progress. I'm really starting to have fun with this site. It is almost a year old, but really started to pick up steam 6-7 months ago. Now I get people telling me how much weight they have lost using a few of the tips from the site. My goal when I started this was to make a difference.

You did all the hard work, but I feel jazzed that I played a small role in helping you get lean and healthy.

You Made My Day!

Rusty

What overweight people need to understand is that its not that complicated! Just excerise. You can jog or run or walk. It isnt rocket science. You don't need "suggestions" or advice. Just excerise more than you eat!!!

Simple, right? Well get on it then!?!?!

great post and I couldn't agree more. The people featured on the Biggest Loser are working their tail ends off. It's not a casual affair they are working hard and fast.

It could be people over eat for many reasons, not just because they have a big appetite. You have to address the phsycological factors as well.

i know it wouldnt work for the show. but they should really measure body fat instead. that way contestants dont have to worry about water weight or building muscle. losing body fat is healthier than just losing weight.

but then i guess they have more control over their weight when they play their mind games with each other. plus the general public relates to body weight better.

im thinking of investing in a body fat scale. do you know of reliable brands? how do you measure yourself?

hey, thanks, your notes on how to loose weight is excellent.I lost 50 pounds from your great notes.I used to weigh 180pounds now i weigh 130 pounds. By the way your awesome.