Any Biggest Loser Fans/Dieters here

I have never really watch the show nor have I read any of the books so I do not know the truth in this...

I was told that one of the trainer's books says that the way you should calculate your calorie intake (how much you should eat) when you are dieting to lose weight is to take your current weight and multiply it by 7 and that is how much you should eat. 

Does anyone know if this is correct or if it works any insight would be helpful?

Thanks.   

That is the formula they reccomend... I understand that contestants actually use a 6x formula... when I do the math, it is darn close to the CC reccomendations for me at 7x...

OK, now what happens when that number drops below 1200.  Do you disregard the all famous rule to never eat less then 1200 cal? 

I dont think that formula would work very well for people who aren't at higher numbers. For example, I'm at 123 so I would only be able to each 870 calories....which is WAY too low.

That is what I was thinking because I am 126 lbs which puts me at 882 cal.  I was thinking about trying it for about 2 weeks but I am not sure if I will be able to stick to it.  Because I am hungry already. 

Please don't try it.  That formula is for very heavy people and does not work AT ALL for those at or close to a healthy weight.  Even the players on the show don't go below 1200 calories/day (1500 for the men) - and they do a lot more unrealistic/unsafe stuff than any normal dieter should.

They recommend that if you are 150 or less, you take in 1050 calories. I was following the diet and lost 7 lbs the first week, then plateaued FOREVER. I recently brought my calories to over 1200 and-BAM- lost 3lbs. So I think their low cal recommendation is too low. Plus, they want you to exercise an hour a day. Who can do that? Their diet is 4-3-2-1---4 veg/fruits at a min, 3 lean proteins, 2 whole grains, and 1 allotment of 200 cals for "extra"-fats, sugars, etc.

 It's an easy diet to remember, but I've learned since then that there is really no reason to limit your lean proteins as long as you stay in your calorie range since they suppress hunger and are needed for muscle building.

Let's just say I've had to modify the diet quite a bit to make it work for me. I don't think it is very realistic outside their little boot camp.

Thank you that is very helpful. 

The fitness/diet/nutrition advice on that show is terrible.

Watch it be feel inspired or be entertained, not to be educated.

yea. some of the stuff is unrealistic. how many people have opportunities to workout for 8 hours a day???? plus as long as you stick to your plan you can eat small portions of dessert!

desserts is stressed spelled backwards ;)

Original Post by tomatotomata:

Plus, they want you to exercise an hour a day. Who can do that?

I don't consider myself as having completed a workout if it isn't at least an hour long.  My regular cardio routine is about 1 hr 45 minutes (30 minutes on the stationary bike, followed by 1 hour elliptical + 5 minute cooldown, and a 4.5 mph walk for 1 mile, which takes me about 13.5 minutes).  And on non-cardio days, between resistance training and "light" cardio (walking at about 4 mph for 30 minutes) I easily spend an hour.  I just don't see the point of what some people I see at the gym call cardio (15 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill).  But I spent 9 years in the Army, where an hour was usually the minimum amount of time spent doing physical training, so my views on fitness are skewed by that experience.

So before I lost weight and was 120 lbs at 4'11", I should have eaten 840 calories a day? That's what I ate when I was a 53 lb anorexic. No thanks.

The biggest loser is a really good entertaining show and it does help people...but some of their nutrition advice is so horrible. Not to mention exercising intensely for six hours a day on 1500 calories.

Just if anyone is interested, there are some good recipes in the biggest loser cookbooks. I've got the first edition, and the family edition. I have enjoyed several of the recipes and snack ideas.

They recommend that if you are 150 or less, you take in 1050 calories

What?!?!  Is that with exercise too??  I am 5'2", 126lbs and for the past week cut my calories dramatically only to completely plateau.  Once I resumed eating 1400-1500 calories I dropped 2lbs almost overnight!  I do exercise quite a bit and 1200 calories per day is super hard for me.

Original Post by tomatotomata:

 Plus, they want you to exercise an hour a day. Who can do that?

Yeah, I usually do 90 mins of exercise a day, plus I walk everywhere. I have fibromyalgia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis so I'm extremely tired and in pain all day and I still manage that much exercise with a 12-1400 diet. If I can do it, then healthy people can too.