When a new season of Biggest Loser comes to air I know i’m in for two things. 1. Lot’s of questions from clients 2. Some new clients

Now I’m not one for controversy, this post is not to slam the show at all. I think there are both positives and negatives to the show and hopefully viewers are affected by the positives. I just want to discuss a few things that usually get asked and hopefully clear up any confusions or misconceptions.

I used to watch the Biggest Loser when it first started, I oohed and ahhed at the weight loss each week and even though watching the show usually made me hungry I was still inspired. I think motivation is probably the best thing to come out of that show. Without fail during every season I would get asked lots of questions by clients and gym goers and the gym would always see an influx of new clientele inspired by the show.

But then reality set in. Clients who were disgruntled they werent achieving the same results as contestants got demotivated and those new clientele quickly dropped off as they realised the work involved.

Here are my issues… The show is built for entertainment. They only show the big dramatic and often dangerous workouts or challenges that impress and amaze audiences. I look at these people who are in heart attack territory pulling a plane and I wonder how on earth they are not exploding from the strain. The show would not draw in the same audiences if you saw the trainers giving them safe boring workouts and all the stablising and structural integrity work contestants would need and i’m sure the trainers give them. It just doesn’t make for good TV.

Viewers see the contestants in a half hour show and at the end of the week dropping significant and dare I say sometimes ridiculous amounts of weight. Well here’s the thing, these people are in a 24 hour facility, I don’t know about you but most people don’t have 8 hours a day to exercise. Another thing, the weigh ins aren’t weekly, contestants have a bit more than a week to drop that weight.

The weight loss being represented is dramatic and unrealistic. The weigh in I just watched showed a man (given he was 240 odd kilos) shed 12.4kgs in a ‘week’.  It worries me that people see that and think it’s ok. This is not ok people and does not represent a realistic achievment for the average viewer.

When you lose weight too fast your body can’t handle it, in fact it releases toxins into the body. This can lead to problems. Anyone hear of the past contestants who have had kidney failure, needed gall bladders out? Not to mention the injuries sustained during training? Losing a great deal of weight too quickly, although desireable, is not safe for the body.

I have to say I actually miss the old version of the Biggest Loser, where we saw what contestants were eating and we learnt with them what foods were good and ideas of how to make lifestyle changes. Now sadly it seems that format has been replaced by pure ‘game’ playing and bigger than big fitness challenges.

Ok that seems like a bit of a rant, so here is something positive. I like the fact that The Biggest Loser is a motivator. It reaches people who look at themselves and think they could never change, it shows them it is possible (dramatic, but possible). Trainers on the show like Michelle Bridges have also been able to use the show as their platform and really expand. Along with books Michelle Bridges offers the 12 week Body Transformation 12wbt. Which has helped thousands achieve their goals, you only have to have a look at Twitter to see the kind of following and success stories she has created.

Not to jump the fence entirely, I recently watched the new weight loss show Excess Baggage. I am keeping my opinions close guarded as I have only watched the very first episode. But I would like to share the positives I found from that first episode. I am intrigued that there are no diets or calorie counting, and contestants CHOOSE to participate in workouts. The idea being that it is all up to them and they are the ones who have to choose to change their lives and act upon it. I was also impressed at the dinner when contestants chose their own dinner and their nutritionist/judge Dr Joanna explained what good quality food was. One of the very first things she said was when you lose a lot of weight too quickly you’re losing muscle as well as fat. Thank you Joanna! She insisted on no calorie counting or eating bland boring foods, she explained the benefits of protein, low gi foods and fibre. I was impressed at the educating approach. Finally I was impressed when they met their Physical trainer and Coach Christian and he explained that it’s not about how much weight you lose but the lfiestyle changes you make. I am interested to see how this show pans out.

For people out there who are watching these shows, please remember that these contestants are doing this full time and have expert help at hand. Don’t put pressure on yourself to lose the same amount of weight as them. This is your life and everyone is different. I hope, if you are watching these shows, that you use them as motivation to help yourself.