The Biggest Loser on NBC

[WeirdEyes]

Who watched The Biggest Loser on NBC last night? I have to tell you, I ran through several emotions while watching this show. I felt happy, sad, and sorry for those people competing. I can't decide if this show is good for them or not. I mean, is it healthy to lose 20 lbs in one week? I know these people have a lot of weight to lose, but 20 lbs? At the end, they did show that all of the contestants are under a physicians care during the taping. The girl that got voted off was 21 and only needed to lose 30 lbs. The team felt that she could do this on her own. I felt so bad for some of them...especially "Mo" who weighs over 400 lbs. and was raised on Southern fried foods. One thing is for sure, while watching it, I didn't want to cheat. Anybody else have any thoughts about this show? I'm just curious.

[BuilderMan]

I wanted to watch it but was overruled. Is it on every week like the other reality shows? If so, I'll sneak into the other room and watch it on the small tv.

 

20 lbs in one week sounds excessive to me too even if you have several hundred pounds to lose. Are these people exercising too? What kind of program are they on? What kind of WOE are they on?

 

Details please for those of us that couldn't watch the first show! :)

 

Lynn

[mellow]

I caught the last 1/2 hour of it after NCIS (I do have my priorities). I agree with all you said Shelia. My other thought was that if you were doing it for the prize $$, the smaller people better give it up. Obviously, the more overweight you are, the more you can lose a week. And the vote at the end, showed most of the people there understood that. The only way a larger person would get voted off is if it became obvious that they were "cheating" and so not losing the big pounds that they could and should if they were being "good". Reality TV does continue to amaze me even as I, too, sit there watching some of it like a train wreck! :o

[adoptmom]

I only got to watch about 2 minutes of it but I did DVR it for today. To me it looked like a cross between survivor and the National Body Challenge. I'd rather see the NBC where, yes, it was a contest, but not based on popularity or how much weight was lost. Also no one got kicked off.

 

For me to watch a show like that there has to be someone who is pretty similiar in weight to identify with. I'm sure many people are that way. I don't think it's fair to kick off someone who doesn't have as much to lose unless they aren't participating. If you only have 30 pounds to lose obviously you aren't going to lose as fast as someone with 300 to lose but if she could have done it on her own she sure as heck wouldn't have put herself on national TV, IMHO.

 

Shows like this should build people up to succeed not tear them down even further.

 

Tami

[skiiergirl]

Shelia...You pretty much took the words out of my mouth. I also had a range of emotions. I had expected it to somehow be a % of weight lost rather than actual lbs. because I would think the larger ones should have lost more than the smaller ones. We also watch NCIS and I would have gotten "overruled" too had hubby not been out of town. I skipped NCIS (boohoo) to watch this. I wanted to watch the first night to get a feel for it so I would know whether I wanted to go to another room or not to watch in future weeks. Hubby has never had an ounce of fat on him so he doesn't understand how I can relate to these people. I could see myself there easily (except for the humiliation of national tv). Unless I missed part of the show (even though I tried to only do bathroom/laundry room trips during commercials) they didn't tell as much about the food/diet as I would have liked to have seen. One team is the "Eat Less Team" (I think the red team...I think based on calories) and the other team is the "Eat More Team" (the blue team I think....based on low carb/high protein...I think). I agree that 20 lbs is a lot to loose in a week but as to whether it is healthy or not I don't know. I know we always hear that to lose it slowly is healthier but from the looks of it, these guys went from massive calories/carbs & being couch potatos to low cal/low carb diets and exercising almost all of their waking hours. (Again...unless I missed something). In that case, the 20 lbs. in one week might not be too "unhealthy". I can relate to many of them but I think I am "cheering" for the blue team. Don't know why....I just seemed to pick them last night early on. I was sorry to see Dana go. I really like MO though! I hope he hangs in there and does well.

[WeirdEyes]

Skiiergirl, for some reason, I'm pulling for the blue team also. I think I related more to those people. I don't know why.

 

I was surprised that ANY of them would be voted off. To me, that is not a good idea due to self-esteem issues. I would rather see all of them compete until the end and then decide who wins by who made the most progress and enriched their lives by becoming healthy. I just find it very sad that these people are going through all this and then face rejection in the end....cause you know a lot of them face rejection every day. I just feel for these people.

 

I'm going to keep watching it just to see how they all do. I was sitting there cheering for them last night during their competition.

[Jem4life]

Well now you have me interested! I remember seeing the show advertised for a couple weeks, but forgot that it was even on. Tuesday night here is pretty much a "do nothing" night. No running on Tuesdays.... so I'll have to tune in next week and see what all the hype is! So what's the "catch" with this show? Seems they all have some sort of twist to them.

Jean

[WeirdEyes]

Jean, I don't know what the "catch" is. I hope their isn't one. That would really tick me off. These people are going through enough. I just hope that the producers of the show are doing this to make these people healthy, not to show their weaknesses on TV. They interviewed several overweight people on Entertainment Tonight last night and they were saying that the show is bad because fat people should embrace being fat and people should accept them for how they are. That is all fine and good, but what about the health issue? Hello! I decided to lose weight when my favorite grandmother died of a stroke due to heart disease. My other grandmother that is still alive at 85 was just diagnosed with heart disease. My grandfather dropped dead of a massive heart attack. I don't want to have heart disease so that is why I decided to make the change early....age 38.

[skiiergirl]

I don't know what the twist is either but I'm sure there will be one (or more) as the season develops. These people are really brave to go on national tv and do this.

[adoptmom]

Did anyone besides me think that the red team trainer needs serious therapy? She was just vicious.

 

Tami

[skiiergirl]

Tami...I agree. That may be why I "cheered" for the blue team. I liked their trainer much better and I guess putting myself in their shoes that would be the team I would want to be on (exercise wise).

[WeirdEyes]

Yes, the red teams trainer was vicious! However, her team lost more weight due to her viciousness. I felt so bad for that one lady who kept crying. It must have been horrible going through all of that with the "Ice Queen."

[skiiergirl]

Just went over to nbc.com and read about all of the contestants and what they ate etc. They all ate different things (sort of) at differing times of the day. (Lunch 11 am or lunch 4 pm...dinner 6 pm or dinner 11:30 pm, etc.) I didn't see where they told much about the exercise. It tells a little bit about each contestant. Talks about the trainers and Caroline. Looks like they are still developing what they are putting on the site so maybe we'll get more info.

[WeirdEyes]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to visit nbc.com.

[indiaksue]

I finally took the time to watch the first show. I have mixed feelings about it. My first thought is, that Jillian (the female trainer, is a really mean

person. It seems to me that different people respond to different things. I am very sensitive and would not be encouraged or inspired by her approach at all. I also like the eat more diet. Weight loss needs to be a lifestyle change gradually.

 

I think that 20 lbs in one week is way too much. But if you have a lot of water and have been totally sedentary for too long, I suppose it is possible.

I bet they will not lose nearly as much from now on.

 

I also don't agree with the way they are voted off. If they were going to do it this way they should have chosen only male or female (since men lose faster and more than women) and they should have chosen people who all have the same weight, height and percentages of body fat. Otherwise it is totally unfair. I think they should have a medical professional take all things into consideration and vote the person off.

 

Well even though I do not agree with this show, I will watch it anyway. Any weight loss show gives me inspiration.

[adoptmom]

Yeah, I'm crabby when it comes to people like Jillian getting in my face. She probably works them to death so they don't have the strength to knock her on her can. :D With either trainer though, I would have serious issues with anyone who pushes someone until they puke. That's too hard on a body that hasn't worked out in a long time.

 

Tami

[WeirdEyes]

I totally agree with everything y'all are saying.

[skiiergirl]

NBC should have hired us as the producers for the show. lol

[WeirdEyes]

That would be cool. One of the contestants said that nobody knows how to diet like a fat person because we've lost and gained weight many times over. We're professionals. ;)

[shipknotshore]

I am cheering for the blue team also. Like the trainer better, seems more personable than the other. I would like to see at the end of the show where every one that has been voted off has gone to another house/spa location where they continue with the program and at the very end they all come together showing that they have all been successful regardless of the $$ payoff at the end. It's not about the money - it's totally about health and a healthy self-image.

[dog]

I watched it too and am back on the SB again because of my reaction to it. Lady trainer was mean but really showed the desire to get the weight off of them and help them experience a victory at the start.

[skiiergirl]

Show is on again tonight (7 central time). Hubby will be home though so he will want me to watch NCIS with him. I'll either have to tape BL or just get the "low down" from you guys tomorrow.

 

Shelia....This is off topic but I figured I'd catch you on this thread. I read (on a thread from several months back) where you were considering the BCH in Nassau. Did you go there? If so, how was it? Any hints or suggestions? If not, why not? (What did you do instead & was it just that you preferred the "somehthing else" or did you find out something negative about BCH?)

Thanks.

[WeirdEyes]

Skiiergirl, we didn't go to BCH, but just walked around downtown Nassau. The only reason we decided not to go was because we were only in Nassau for about 4 hours. If we ever go back to Nassau, I think we'll try to go to Atlantis or Paradise Island's Blue Lagoon. We could see the BCH from the ship and the actual beach of the hotel was in the harbor...not facing the Atlantic.

 

I'll be watching TBL tonight and will post what I think tomorrow.

[skiiergirl]

Shelia...Thanks for the info on BCH. We may try it . I'm not sure yet. We are there only 5 1/2 hours so don't want to get too far from ship. Beach in the harbor wouldn't bother us. (Especially if the pool is nice.) It sounds like it would have a good view of the ships too. We may just walk around...shop a little...and then head back to the ship. (Hubby and I would be ok just staying on ship but everyone else will probably want to get off as they have never been to Nassau before.) Thanks again.

 

I'll check in tomorrow to hear about tonight's BL episode.

[BuilderMan]

I just looked at tonight's description for this show and it said that the contestants are holding a bake sale to possibly win a visit to a luxury spa?! I'm going to have to check this show out!

 

Lynn