Biggest Loser Finale

I know. I bad mouth the show and then I watch it religiously. What can I say. Watching the contestants lose weight doesn't actually motivate me (obviously!) but their successes gives me hope--not so much for myself, you understand. But I think they show us that weight loss is possible without surgery as Dr. H said last night. Yes, the way the contestants lose weight is unrealistic. Most people don't have the time or the resources to do what they have done in the time they've accomplished it. But if people are willing to take it a bit slower, the results seem to indicate that eating and exercise can make it possible.
So, back to the show. How many times did my eyes well up? A lot. A marriage proposal. The two mothers rushing into each others' arms. Seeing Shay. Daniel. Well, everyone. Amazing. Pish tosh. I know they all starved and dehydrated themselves for the finale. But if they can hold on to most of the loss, they've got it made.
Because this group of contestants were so big, their weight losses were even more amazing. Over 200 pounds! What!
So, when the contestants are home, eating well and exercising, why don't the spouses also lose weight? Just curious.
And, hello, Jillian looked fabulous last night. I'm just saying. She was strangely subdued, I thought. Bob? He doesn't look well. He doesn't look fabulous. I sure hope he's okay. Because, honestly, he looks kind of frail and sickly. I wonder why they don't plaster make up all over him the way they do the other people on the show. Because whoever the make up person is for the show has a heavy hand.
Thankful that Tracey (is that her name?) didn't win. She looked gaunt. Not healthy. She lost too much weight. Which is what I would have expected from a very obsessive angry woman. Last season I thought Helen had lost too much weight for the finale. But it's what they do for the bucks.
So the show is unrealistic. The contestants lose weight way too quickly. Some of them do it in an unhealthy way. Jillian bugs the hell out of me. I hate that the dietitian on the show, Cheryl Forberg, is never mentioned and that it's Jillian and Bob who do all the nutrition stuff. I am annoyed at all the product placement. But, in the end, I watch. I love the success the contestants have. I hope they're happier. And I hope they're healthier.

Fear of regaining weight

Just read a post on a list serv from another dietitian about some clients who have lost and regained weight so many times that they are "afraid" to try again. Very interesting. I think I understand their fear. How many times can you try? How many times can you do the same thing, even if it's a different regimen, and end up gaining the weight back? It's discouraging. It's frustrating. It's disheartening. And it's embarrassing.
It might feel great when people start noticing that you've lost weight. But they're also going to notice when you've regained. That's when I want to put a bag over my head or hide in the house. Failed again. When it's happened enough times, you sort of expect it. So why try again?
There are some who say that eventually, if you keep trying, you will succeed. That is, they say that the statistics for "failure" (losing and regaining) are not as dire as they seem. It may take many tries before success (meaning, maintaining weight loss) but the belief is that eventually if you keep trying, you will lose and maintain the loss.
Then there's the research that says that each time you regain, you are "fatter" (meaning you've lost some muscle each time you diet but when you regain, you regain only fat making you "fatter" than before even if your weight is the same as your starting weight). Well, that's pretty scary. Why would I want to keep trying to lose weight when the cards are stacked against me for maintaining and then ending up fatter than when I started?
Let's not think about losing weight. Let's think about living a healthier life. Let's think about eating more vegetables (not so sure right now about eating more fruits.....), more whole grains, less fat. Let's keep moving as much as we can as vigorously as we can. Let's get enough sleep. Let's find ways to relax and enjoy life whether it's reading a book, contemplating the clouds or taking a yoga class.
Because eating better, exercising and relaxing will surely improve health even if weight loss is not realized. And that just might be enough.

More on The Biggest Loser

Thanks for the comments. Looks like we're all in agreement. I've been reading other dietitian blogs as well as articles online and it seems like everyone is wondering why the tough Marine tactics. Are you listening, Biggest Loser?
Each season, the contestants get bigger and bigger and reveal more of their personal stories. It was easier for me to relate at the beginning than it is now. I was crying, actually crying, when they revealed their trials and tribulations. I'm thinking that it's no wonder they turned to food for solace and I sure hope that heavy psychotherapy is included in the behind the scenes for these contestants because no amount of weight loss is going to erase the sadness the contestants have lived through.
I'll keep watching-it's a train wreck I cannot ignore. And maybe blogging about it will affect some changes in the show. Who knows. Maybe we'll learn more about the program than just the footage we get to see each week. They must shoot hundreds of hours each week but "treat" us to what they think America wants to see. I, for one, want to see them meeting with the dietitian. And how many hours (?) do they spend in the gym each day? What is a typical day? And I do want to know what happens to these people after they leave the show? Is there support from the show? Or are they abandoned?
Give me more realism in the reality show.

Time Magazine article: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

The buzz at the gym: "Did you read that article about exercise? It hardly burns any calories. Why are we doing this?"
Let me start with "duh". What did they think, my exercising buddies at the gym? Did no one know how few calories are used up in exercise? Let's be realistic. If exercise really did burn that many calories, I'd be a waif. For all the effort and time I put into exercise, I wouldn't be able to eat enough calories to maintain my weight if exercise did such a good job using up calories.
So, no. Exercise will not make you thin. But it will help make you more flexible. Exercise will make your heart stronger. It will make your bones stronger. Exercise will make your body use insulin more efficiently. Exercise may help to prevent breast cancer and colon cancer. I don't know why. But that's what the research shows. People who exercise sleep better. Exercise helps to reduce stress. So it doesn't help people lose weight. Oh, goodness me. Does that mean we should be giving it up?
Are we so obsessed with weight that we'll only choose lifestyle activities that result in weight loss?