"The Biggest Loser" says WHAT???

I don't know how many people here have read the book that goes with the television program but I am stunned to read this calculation for daily calorie intake:

"Your present weight X 7 = your daily calorie needs for weight loss"

in my case 152 X 7 = 1064

quoting directly from the book:

"If you weigh more than 300 pounds start by eating 2,100 calories a day. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, plan to eat around 1,050 calories a day."

I am confused about why the theory here is to never go below 1200 but this book, based on a VERY popular show staffed with doctors and nutritionists says something completely different.

I guess its up to you to decide whether to believe a TV show dedicated to making money, or a site dedicated to healthy weight loss.

Because crash dieting is loads of fun?

I get a lot of entertainment from that show (and I think it can really help people see that they CAN change their bodies), but the high expectations it sets (for weight loss speed) and the inaccurate nutritional advice drive me batty.

And no - I don't have to eat 950 calories to lose weight. Thank God.

Your answer is contained in, "a VERY popular show staffed with doctors and nutritionists..."

On our own, it simply ain't a safe idea! Also-- there-in lies the regain problem, too. It is too restrictive and, especially on long-term diets, is lacking serious nutritional needs! Long term deficiencies are serious, and the show is working for FAST results-- not safe in long practice under normal conditions.

If you see a Normal Nutritionist, as I did, you'll find they agree with CC's guidelines...

You must be supervised by a Dr. to go below 1200, and he'll want your health to be so serious that the real risk of lower calorie intake is less important than the extreme need to lose weight-- if he's a good Doctor, and not wanting a fat income, etc!

Trust CC's guidelines-- you'll Succeed, and KEEP the weight off, too!

P.S.-- I bought the book, too-- and I was just as surprised as you are!!!

it completely and utterly confuses me when people crash diet to lose wieght, a)you regain it b) it must be utter misery

They don't advocate crash dieting, just making much lower calories choices in food...lots of veggies and fruits. I am certain that a 1000 calories a day diet would make me completely miserable and is not at all do-able if I am not having to get on a scale weekly in front of millions of viewers, I am just trying to understand why what they are saying is so different than what I have seen elsewhere. I don't watch the show but from what I understand, most of the contestants walk away with a re-vamped attitude towards food and healthy living...it certainly wouldn't be in the best interests of the show if they all ballooned out as soon as the season ends, right?

thanks 2beittybitty...i think we were posting at the same time. ;)... I am not considering attempting it, I was just trying to understand the contradiction.

Original Post by nicolecovert:

I don't know how many people here have read the book that goes with the television program but I am stunned to read this calculation for daily calorie intake:

"Your present weight X 7 = your daily calorie needs for weight loss"

in my case 152 X 7 = 1064

quoting directly from the book:

"If you weigh more than 300 pounds start by eating 2,100 calories a day. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, plan to eat around 1,050 calories a day."

I am confused about why the theory here is to never go below 1200 but this book, based on a VERY popular show staffed with doctors and nutritionists says something completely different.

 

 

This site is used by so many people with so many eating disorders, that the site guidelines tend to err on the side of caution.  1200 calories a day is a pretty generous minimum to help those with tendencies toward anorexia.  Use your head.  Exercise, take your vitamins, and eat clean.  You'll do fine.

Before coming upon this site, I tried it. Here's my results:

I followed it religiously, did the 4-3-2-1, and 30 mins cardio daily. I lost 7 lbs the first week and plateaued for almost 2 months.

I found this site and was advised to raise my calories to 1300 and dropped 10lbs in a month. I'm currently within 5 lbs of my goal and I'm healthy, energetic, and strong.

'Nuff said.

Original Post by nicolecovert:

it certainly wouldn't be in the best interests of the show if they all ballooned out as soon as the season ends, right?

The vast majority of Biggest Loser contestants do regain at least some of the weight they lost on the show.  The show doesn't really care because the audience has moved on to the next season's contestants and they have a couple who've kept it off that they can trot out for PR purposes.

^ yep. Last season, the at-home winner from the previous season (Heba) came back to join one of the contestants in the last laps of a marathon, and was noticeably larger. She was not featured much in the episode, and I can't imagine that she'll be back again in the upcoming season.

Original Post by fitmom4life:

This site is used by so many people with so many eating disorders, that the site guidelines tend to err on the side of caution.  1200 calories a day is a pretty generous minimum to help those with tendencies toward anorexia.  Use your head.  Exercise, take your vitamins, and eat clean.  You'll do fine.

I'd say 1200 calories is a pretty conservative minimum.  For many - the taller and/or heavier among us - it is still far too low.  And the whole point is that you shouldn't need to take vitamins if you have a good clean healthy diet containing enough food.  After all, it takes about half a carrot to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin A and about three quarters of a kiwi to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin C - and those aren't the only nutrients you get from those foods.  If you're eating clean and not getting all your vitamins from your food, something's wrong.

I like the show and i agree with it some what.


For all those that say people gain it back faster when tehy lose it fast i dont agree.


I think people gain it back because they fallk back into there old life style.


I lost 100 pounds in 6 months and have been maintaining easy for over a month now.

Original Post by susiecue:

Original Post by fitmom4life:

This site is used by so many people with so many eating disorders, that the site guidelines tend to err on the side of caution.  1200 calories a day is a pretty generous minimum to help those with tendencies toward anorexia.  Use your head.  Exercise, take your vitamins, and eat clean.  You'll do fine.

I'd say 1200 calories is a pretty conservative minimum.  For many - the taller and/or heavier among us - it is still far too low.  And the whole point is that you shouldn't need to take vitamins if you have a good clean healthy diet containing enough food.  After all, it takes about half a carrot to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin A and about three quarters of a kiwi to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin C - and those aren't the only nutrients you get from those foods.  If you're eating clean and not getting all your vitamins from your food, something's wrong.

Actually MOST people do NOT receive the daily vitamins they need through their diet, and it is in fact not easy to do for most of us.  If you do, that is terrific and more power to  you.  I will continue to take my vitamins, as is recommended by most health professionals.  

I agree for larger heavier people, still trying to lose weight, 1200 might on the light side.  I don't fall into that category, and have maintained my same healthy weight for many years. 

Original Post by res0kkw:

I think people gain it back because they fallk back into there old life style.

 You are exactly right, of course.

fitmom4life, If you are suggesting you or others should eat less than 1200 calories a day be aware that Calorie Count is all about healthy and sustainable weight management and starvation diets are not supported here ... Eating a diet less than 1200 is considered, in our eyes and that of the nutritionist for this website, to be a starvation diet.

Also, if you are maintaining on that few calories a day I suggest you see a doctor. Unless you are extremely short in height I cannot imagine anyone who should maintain on that amount of calories.

Here is some info for everyone on why you should never go below 1200 calories from Ask Mary:

The 1200 calorie a day minimum recommendation for women has nothing to do with the “starvation effect”. Rather, it is virtually impossible to consume a nutritionally adequate diet with fewer than 1200 calories, and even with 1200 calories, older women need to take calcium supplements to meet their requirements and many younger menstruating women need iron supplements too. Women who are taller and younger should eat more than 1200 calories because there is no advantage in following a restrictive diet that creates feelings of deprivation. In fact, everyone should eat meet the Calorie Target recommendations for safe weight loss.

Why eating only 1200 calories or undereating doesn't work

In the long run, you won’t lose weight faster by eating 1200 calories a day. Under-eating deprives your body of essential nutrients and leads to muscle breakdown to provide energy. With less muscle, you require fewer calories and you reach a weight low plateau more quickly. Restrictive dieting also places you at risk for binge-eating which can lead to weigh gain and a life of yo-yo dieting. Use the Calorie Target calculator in the Tools section to figure out how many calories a day you need and set yourself up for lasting weight loss success.

Why must I eat at least 1,500 calories a day when I want to eat less?

In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day (1500 for teenage females, 1800 for teenage males). With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling, which will take you further from your weight loss goal. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight.

Will I go into starvation mode if I eat 1000 – 1200 calories a day?

Your body will not selectively burn stored fat because your central nervous system needs glucose and you can’t make glucose from fat. But protein can be converted to glucose, and so the body breaks down your muscles to provide it. Ultimately, you lose lots of muscle along with fat, and that drives down your calorie requirements because muscle burns calories but fat does not. You then maintain a higher weight on less food making weight gain inevitable.

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just curious what does the book suggest for weight maintenance?

One must remember that THE BIGGEST LOSER people are losing a pound A DAY. These are like olympic athletes of weight loss pushing their bodies to the very limit. Just like very few people should be encouraged to strive for a 3 hour marathon time, people should not be encouraged to this level of weight loss.

Remember also that these people are starting out at morbid obesity, and taking certain risks might be warranted at 400 pounds that are not warranted at 200 pounds.

So I also read that 7 calories x weight with amusement because I weigh 203 pounds as a 6'2 in muscular man and lose weight very slowly by eating  2300 calories per day. The thought of going to 1421 calories is preposterous for me but I also realize that is EXACTLY what I would have to do to play in a game that requires a 7 pound weight loss each week. Remember these people are playing for a $quarter Million.$

For real people, the old standard of never losing more than 2 pounds a week remains valid.

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by susiecue:

Original Post by fitmom4life:

This site is used by so many people with so many eating disorders, that the site guidelines tend to err on the side of caution.  1200 calories a day is a pretty generous minimum to help those with tendencies toward anorexia.  Use your head.  Exercise, take your vitamins, and eat clean.  You'll do fine.

I'd say 1200 calories is a pretty conservative minimum.  For many - the taller and/or heavier among us - it is still far too low.  And the whole point is that you shouldn't need to take vitamins if you have a good clean healthy diet containing enough food.  After all, it takes about half a carrot to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin A and about three quarters of a kiwi to get up to your daily requirement of vitamin C - and those aren't the only nutrients you get from those foods.  If you're eating clean and not getting all your vitamins from your food, something's wrong.

Actually MOST people do NOT receive the daily vitamins they need through their diet, and it is in fact not easy to do for most of us.  If you do, that is terrific and more power to  you.  I will continue to take my vitamins, as is recommended by most health professionals.  

I agree for larger heavier people, still trying to lose weight, 1200 might on the light side.  I don't fall into that category, and have maintained my same healthy weight for many years. 

It seems odd to me that you are saying it's so hard to get your daily vitamins yet you are advocating very low calorie diets. If it's so hard, eat more! That way you get more nutrients into your system.

I don't think daily vitamins are necessary. Eating a balanced diet is not rocket science.

As for 1200 being too little for 'larger heavier people still trying to lose weight' - well of course. But it's also too little for most smaller lighter people too.

I guess the Biggest Loser group could still say that their diet works - when you stick to it. People who can't stick with the restrictions probably think it's their fault, when it is really the fault of the diet for being so unsustainable in the first place.

That is the problem with the Biggest Loser strategy - it is a crash diet, with no long term outlook, no regard for health, no promotion of healthy eating behaviour and mindsets and no emphasis on examing what caused you to overeat in the first place.

This is slightly off topic but...

I remember the Biggest Loser came out around the same time Celebrity Fit Club did. I never watched The Biggest Loser but my friend did while I watched Celebrity Fit Club  and he didn't. He assumed CFC would be about crash dieting but it actually was healthy realistic stuff and the weigh ins were every 2 weeks. Plus after the weigh ins the 'celebs' (term is used loosely, haha) return to their homes/hotel/etc so it's not like they are living there throughout the whole few months.  Now I'm hearing all this bad stuff about The Biggest Loser and it sounds like torture. Apparently in one of the seasons someone was cutting his calories so bad and overworking himself that he pissed blood (correct me if I'm wrong, it's what my friend said) and I know the Celebrity Fit Club team would frown upon that. Hell, they frowned upon diet pills and undereating so pissing blood due to starvation is a triple no-no.