Biggest Loser Fans?

[Mei Mei]

I really do like this show. I just want to jump through the tv and tell these people about 1pd! If you watched tonight, did you notice the recipes? Cauliflower, mango, lean chicken and turkey...they almost have the cohen idea.
I wish we could help them. We do have Joy! Joy, can you leak back and get these people on 1pd?
I've decided that I don' like Jillian as much as I thought I did. I don't think it's necessary to scream at people like that. But hey, I'm not a trainer. Maybe I could use someone yelling at me telling me to quit procrastinating and get my backside to the gym! (Actually, I will when I finish refeed, then I'll have to start an exercise thread.)

Mary

[Big Pun]

I love the biggest loser...my wife hates Jilloan...I love her. tonight I did think while watching it...if they only knew about 1pd. Of course I would still go on it for a shot to win the money!!!!

Big Pun

[UnspeakableJoy]

**** SPOILER ALERT ****

I'm gonna spill some behind-the-scenes things about the show, so don't read if you don't want to be spoiled!

I LOVE THE BIGGEST LOSER! I love Jillian and Bob equally. I have noticed however, this season that the trainers and the show in general have gotten edgier - if that's a word. There's cussing this season, which there never was anymore, and since last season, Bob has gotten tougher/meaner (he used to be so full of sunshine and rainbows and yoga). Now he's got that spikey hair do and all the new tattoos lol

I also like that on this season, regardless of what "team" you are on, the bottom two teams are up for elimination (instead of it being Bob vs. Jillian). And it's interesting to see that they are voting strategically - getting rid of future competition vs. getting rid of people who annoy you. lol

From what I've heard from past contestants (Marty, Amy, Kai and Pam from BL3, Kae and Jerry from BL4, and Jenny and Brittany from BL5) is that there is so much more going on at the ranch than what is crammed into 2 hours of tv viewing each week. I mean, the show is now 2 hrs each week, but the weigh-ins and vote-off are 45 mins long. There is a TON of things left cut on the editing room floor that we never get to see.

There were stories from Season 3 that Marty and Amy had an affair on the ranch, Marty was already married and his reason for going on the show was to lose weight so he and his wife could have babies. Of course, now he's left his wife, and he's now MARRIED to Amy, so we'll see how that goes. So thanks to Marty and Amy, on the normal non-couples seasons, they have dormitory style bunks so the boys and girls don't do any hanky panky lol Kai from Season 3 also had a bad rap on the show, but they needed someone to be the witch and cause controversy, so they manipulated everything she said to make her look crazy. Season 4 also had the controversy of water loading - deliberately drinking gallons of water just before a weigh-in to show a large weight, then have a huge weight loss for the next week.

I think as with all reality shows, the producers have a storyline in mind, and will manipulate conversations, facial gestures, etc to twist a situation to what they had in mind. Each contestant was picked to play a certain "character" if you know what I mean. Bottom line, the producers want to get high ratings and have millions of people tune in to see the strategic product placement (Brita, Subway, and Wrigleys Sugarfree Gum to name a few).

I see positives and negatives to the show - people get inspired by watching the show and go on to change their lives. But there are those that watch the show and get discouraged because they don't see the huge results that the contestants get. You have to remember that these people are working out 6 - 8 hours a day and have NO responsibilities. And of course, the contestants have this huge carrot dangling in front of them - $250,000 (or $100,000 if you're the at home winner). Money is a good motivator, but what happens after you win (or lose)? Sadly, they said like 4 out of 5 contestants go home and put the weight back on. They didn't really learn what they need to learn. In fact, Seasons 1 - 3 winners put the weight right back on!

I don't like the temptations or challenges - they're not helpful to the contestants. It's like why tempt a recovering alcoholic with an open (free) bar? Not cool ... and to have 14 obese people doing a water slide down the mountain is just plain humiliating (last night's challenge).

Some other stories - a week on the show isn't really a real week on the ranch. So when we see them losing 27 lbs in a "week", it's really like 10 days. Also, immediately after a weigh-in, Bob and Jillian let the contestants eat anything they want for that one meal. Jillian has been known to order pizza, subs and burgers and have it delivered for her team. Neil from BL4 apparently drank a 6-pack of soda after each weigh-in, and some girls from BL4 would go crazy on chocolate.

There was a time that I thought the show was my last hope. Thankfully I came to my senses, and THANK GOD I've found Dr. Cohen's 1st Personal Diet! But with all that said, I still do enjoy the show, and will watch it faithfully this season :)

[Big Pun]

Next you are going to tell me there is no Santa Claus!!!!


Pun

[jenniab]

Wow Joy!

Thanks for the insight. I love that show, too, but I feel so sorry for these people who literally work their butts off and at the end they are just sent off back to real life. I have learned that "reality" shows are not really that at all. Congrats on finding 1pd! You will be your own biggest loser when you finish here!!!

Jen

[UnspeakableJoy]

Big Pun - don't worry! Santa Claus DOES exist! Not too sure about the Easter Bunny, tho :)

Jen - You're welcome! I was totally obsessed with Biggest Loser last year, and know now waaaay too much about the show. I also feel sorry for them - if they don't go in with the right intentions, they will fail when they get home! That's why I like Kae from BL4 so much - I had the pleasure of meeting her and hanging out with her earlier this year, and she said about 3 weeks into filming the show, her entire mindset changed. At first she was all about the money, but it hit her one day that this is her life, and her life is NOT a game. That's when she got really serious and is why she is still so successful, almost 9 months after coming home. We'll all be big losers soon!!

[Mama Lake]

I just caught a quick read at this article, but even though she is with Biggest Loser, there were a couple of good points for us to take to heart.

1.) DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION.
... bringing my own high-fiber bread to brunch--stirred some controversy on the blog. "Why?" she asked. "Why should we apologize for the practices that help us manage the symptoms while we deal with the real reasons we eat? "Not wanting to 'waste food' is a poor excuse for ending up far worse off later on, dealing with all the health problems that come with obesity."

5.) JUST SAY THANK YOU.
When I told Jillian how much weight I've lost, she congratulated me. And then (as I always do), I added, "But I still have a long way to go." "Stop," she said. "What does that do," she said, "apart from negate everything you've already accomplished? You're being self-deprecating and disempowering, and that doesn't serve anyone-and especially not you. Be proud of what you've done for yourself."

I like these two statements. Some of us have made the decision to take our food along with us to outings/events/etc., have stuck to our plan. Do not be ashamed of what we are doing in our trek to health and wellness. The "just say thank you" is the best I have seen for a while. Cohen's is a mental battle at times for a lot of us. The self-defeating words, "I have so much more to go", "I have only lost..." have to be out of our vocabulary. Wherever you are on this journey is a success from where you started. Just think that even if nothing ever happened again to your weight loss, but you could stay at where you are now, how much better off are you. Every pound makes a difference, every day makes a difference.

Stay focused my friends and we can all make the journey together. :party5:

[PhyllisRis]

wow....great advice.....I'm going to try really hard not to add that "but I have a lot more to lose" phrase at the end of my "Thank You"!!!
Phyllis

[UnspeakableJoy]

Hey everyone - not sure if you're an Oprah fan, but Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper will be on Oprah this Thursday, October 30th with about a dozen former contestants. I heard from BL5 Jay that it's going to be a good one!

[PosterGal]

Hey UnspeakableJoy -

Any insights to this season's BL? We watch it every week - oh, the drama!

Do you know when they weigh in - is it early morning or late night? It seems weird to me to weigh in at night (after dinner?) but odd that they'd be up that early just for that.

Just curious.
Gianna