The Biggest Loser

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by svenskamae

I recently read some books by psychologists who study eating habits, and how what and how much people eat are affected by things like the size of the serving bowl and the original container, where food is placed, variation in color of foods (such as M&Ms), how many steps away the candy dish is, etc. Most people studied in experiments think that they are just guided by hunger in eating, but in fact almost everyone's intake is affected by other cues. To grab a bite of something as you walk by or open the fridge isn't just an oddity of a few people; it's what almost everyone does unless they are following a careful plan and (almost obsessively) writing everything down and/or tracking everything. So it doesn't surprise me a bit that these "secret eaters" are "caught" eating what they don't record; the vast majority of people tend to eat what they see, from what I've read. That may be part of the reason why intermittent fasting works well for many people (some hours of the day, you just don't eat anything, period). One can imagine that this habit of "see food, eat it" served our species well during most of human evolution, but could be a problem when food is plentiful everywhere.

Man, that sounds fascinating! I would LOVE to read that (when exams are done...2 days to go...*sigh*). Very, very interesting stuff. It reminds me of a friend of mine whose family has a saying 'we are on a seafood diet. We see food and we eat it'.

Personally I have very strict control of my eating habits, to the point where my husband worries about anorexia (a silly worry in my opinion, given the fact that I think I still have weight to lose, and I DO eat, just in a very controlled and regimented way (no snacks, intermittent fasting, control of both carbs and cals). But I see a contrast to the way I used to be, in that I did not really 'keep track' back then. I was never an overeater by any means, but I am that grazing was a typical thing for me, as it is for pretty much everyone. That and eating the wrong types of food for my body.

[zombiegoat2000]

If I were working out what was equal to working a part time job, miles away from a fastfood joint, and eating nothing (they don't show so how do we know?!) then I too would loose 30#'s in a week! I just wish the show would change its format to real-world scenarios.

[jara]

thanks for tipping me off that it had started up again...i'm watching it on nbc.com right now. i love this show...i've watched every single season on netflix. BUT i have to say...what happened to dolvett?? i personally think he is the hottest guy on tv but i am not a fan of his new body! i don't remember him being so...bulky up top! he looks inflated or something! anyone else notice this??

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by Trigger828

8 hrs in the gym working out per day. limited food. they are very heavy so should drop a ton of weight most times on weigh in.

it isn't reality. it is a controlled environment with unreal hrs. in the gym. told what to eat basically. so for entertainment sure, the real world, uh, most of it wouldn't work in the life of a real person to the level of the contestents.

but it gives HOPE. for many. I also am glad it will focus on kids!!!!!!! parents should be locked up with the neglect in diet on children and their weight! It burns me to now end.
(don't get me started LOL)

I think the show helps in general. it promotes good health, exercise, weight loss and all that so at least if ANYONE gets a heads up from the show it is worth it.

the one who left, I wonder what her problem was? I hope they replace her spot with a person who wants to succeed! terrible she took a spot for someone who really needs it and wants it.

I agree the show is not realistic in the sense that the average person can't work out 6 hrs a day and can't drop weight that fast, but I do think the show is good because it shows that the weight CAN be lost. The show just shows a speed up version for the sake of entertainment. But I love how it does show that even heavy people can work out and can be more active and do things they previously thought they couldn't do. A lot of heavy people thought they were too heavy to exercise this show shows how even big people can exercise. I believe the show has a lot of positive points, but I do wish all eliminations were with a red line all the time and for the person with the lowest percentage that week instead of the voting someone out drama. That just leads to drama and back stabbing and high school popularity type of rivalry stuff. If the red line determined who left no one would be trying to manipulate people into liking them so they won't vote them off and all that drama. That way those who work hard won't get voted off because they are not the most popular. Then the show and contestants can focus more on the weight loss and working through their inner conflicts within themselves to help heal psychologically as well as physically. I hated the drama of that previous season.

[LoriAS]

I agree with you on the voting and the drama surrounding it. But consider that two people below the yellow line consisted of one person who just had a bad weight loss week and one person who actually didn't put everything into thei work out and cheated on their eating. Wouldn't you want the ability to get rid of the person that wasn't working like everyone else?

[thurms]

Originally Posted by dansamy

Trigger, the parents don't know any better either. Locking them up won't help their children.

Agreed - I get your passion Trigger, but that was a touch harsh. They need education not punishment.

[goldgirl24]

I honestly can't stand Biggest Loser.

Every week they stand on the scale and cry because they ONLY lost 4-10 lbs. It's the same every week: "I should have worked harder, I didn't do enough, I'm a fail..."

I feel so empathetic towards the contestants. They kill themselves at the gym each day, endure cameras everywhere 24/7, and eat nothing substantial.

The whole show promotes low-cal, low-fat, high workouts. And I mean I guess it works for a few lucky few, although the minute they leave the Ranch they're exposed to temptations beyond their comfort zones.

It's obvious that one size doesn't fit all.

The show is an hour of product placement, sweat, and an occasional sad story. It's well-intentioned entertainment but instead comes off as unrealistic and cruel.

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by LoriAS

I agree with you on the voting and the drama surrounding it. But consider that two people below the yellow line consisted of one person who just had a bad weight loss week and one person who actually didn't put everything into thei work out and cheated on their eating. Wouldn't you want the ability to get rid of the person that wasn't working like everyone else?

In theory that sounds right, except that it doesn't work that way. I wouldn't mind it if it actually worked that way. Instead, they end up getting rid of the ones who are the "biggest threat" meaning the ones who work hard and lose a lot of weight and really want to be there, they get rid of that person if he/she is not "popular enough" or "back stabbing enough". Then they keep the weaker ones who rarely drop any large amount because they are "less of a threat". I got tired of seeing people who really worked hard and wanted to be there and who was losing a lot of weight and had a long way to go end up being sent home for being a "threat". That's why I say I would rather let the scale decide, even at the risk of someone going because of a bad week. I would rather see a hard worker who really wants to be there get sent home for a bad week rather than to see him/her get sent home after dropping a huge amount simply because he/she was deemed a "threat" and wasn't popular enough. I feel like the scale will be more fair. Plus I don't like the way some of them judge others and say he or she is not working out enough or not working out as hard as I am, and I work out harder than so and so and that so and so and doesn't really want to be there and stuff like that. Each person should just focus on what they are doing and not worry about how hard or not hard someone else is working out. Let the scale be the judge and determine who goes home, then they won't have to worry about who's not working out hard enough and who's just skating by on people pity etc or who someone is keeping around just because they are not a threat.

I remember one season where a couple of team members conspired together to drink a lot of water so they would not lose any weight on the scale, so their team would lose the weigh in and then vote off someone who was working hard because he was a "threat" or because he said something someone didn't like etc. I don't like stuff like that. They are all there to lose weight and they are all in the same boat. I don't like back stabbing stuff like that.

[creseis]

Interesting experiments, while I am sure they work over this very short period, I wonder if there is a long-term effect. Also, if you are given low carb snacks vs. high carb snacks.

[LoriAS]

Originally Posted by ~PaperMoon~

In theory that sounds right, except that it doesn't work that way. I wouldn't mind it if it actually worked that way. Instead, they end up getting rid of the ones who are the "biggest threat" meaning the ones who work hard and lose a lot of weight and really want to be there, they get rid of that person if he/she is not "popular enough" or "back stabbing enough". Then they keep the weaker ones who rarely drop any large amount because they are "less of a threat". I got tired of seeing people who really worked hard and wanted to be there and who was losing a lot of weight and had a long way to go end up being sent home for being a "threat". That's why I say I would rather let the scale decide, even at the risk of someone going because of a bad week. I would rather see a hard worker who really wants to be there get sent home for a bad week rather than to see him/her get sent home after dropping a huge amount simply because he/she was deemed a "threat" and wasn't popular enough. I feel like the scale will be more fair. Plus I don't like the way some of them judge others and say he or she is not working out enough or not working out as hard as I am, and I work out harder than so and so and that so and so and doesn't really want to be there and stuff like that. Each person should just focus on what they are doing and not worry about how hard or not hard someone else is working out. Let the scale be the judge and determine who goes home, then they won't have to worry about who's not working out hard enough and who's just skating by on people pity etc or who someone is keeping around just because they are not a threat.

I remember one season where a couple of team members conspired together to drink a lot of water so they would not lose any weight on the scale, so their team would lose the weigh in and then vote off someone who was working hard because he was a "threat" or because he said something someone didn't like etc. I don't like stuff like that. They are all there to lose weight and they are all in the same boat. I don't like back stabbing stuff like that.

PaperMoon - very good points. Serves to make the mind wonder if there could truly be any objectivity in a setting like this with a monetary reward.

[Throwback]

I hate that people get voted out-I think they should all be a team that stays together for the duration and then maybe people get voted as a winner, or the audience votes, or the team with the best loss wins and then there is a viewer's favorite. I just hate the added emotional drama that it gives to people that are already emotional about their weight. I hated to see the first two guys get voted out on this latest season!

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by Throwback

I hate that people get voted out-I think they should all be a team that stays together for the duration and then maybe people get voted as a winner, or the audience votes, or the team with the best loss wins and then there is a viewer's favorite. I just hate the added emotional drama that it gives to people that are already emotional about their weight. I hated to see the first two guys get voted out on this latest season!

Reminds me too much of the nastiness that people typically exhibit towards the overweight. Just like getting picked last in gym class. Again, back to my point that it pretty much reenforces the idea that it is OK to treat fat people badly.

[Throwback]

Agreed-I hate that it's based on numbers on the scale when everyone knows that it's about what you're DOING, you can't make the scale do what you want but you can control what you do...

There's just something very mean-spirited about it to me. I love to see the successes and definitely the before/after but the entire premise is frustrating to me.

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by Throwback

Agreed-I hate that it's based on numbers on the scale when everyone knows that it's about what you're DOING, you can't make the scale do what you want but you can control what you do...

There's just something very mean-spirited about it to me. I love to see the successes and definitely the before/after but the entire premise is frustrating to me.

Exactly! The body does mysterious things...I stalled for a year, despite trying EVERYTHING and eating on plan. I sometimes also see a gain before a whoosh-loss! Sadly, so much of our entertainment these days has a mean-spirited feel.

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by LoriAS

PaperMoon - very good points. Serves to make the mind wonder if there could truly be any objectivity in a setting like this with a monetary reward.

Thanks!

[~PaperMoon~]

Originally Posted by Throwback

I hate that people get voted out-I think they should all be a team that stays together for the duration and then maybe people get voted as a winner, or the audience votes, or the team with the best loss wins and then there is a viewer's favorite. I just hate the added emotional drama that it gives to people that are already emotional about their weight. I hated to see the first two guys get voted out on this latest season!

Yeah that's a good idea.

Originally Posted by Throwback

Agreed-I hate that it's based on numbers on the scale when everyone knows that it's about what you're DOING, you can't make the scale do what you want but you can control what you do...

There's just something very mean-spirited about it to me. I love to see the successes and definitely the before/after but the entire premise is frustrating to me.

I totally agree! I love watching to see the weight loss and how people work out and conquer the weight issue and I love watching them shrink each week but I hate to see the mean spiritedness and some of the things they do and how some who should not get voted off get voted off anyway and stuff like that. I think it would be better to see them all work together and support each other without the cliques and high school drama type stuff. I wish they could all just focus on the weightloss and the weekly challenges
and not the other drama. It's the best weight loss show on TV and watching the people lose the weight is always inspiring, but the other parts are frustrating to me too, the negative parts. I'm glad Jillian's back though, the show needs her.