Fitness atrocity 101: Biggest Loser

Here it is. It finally happened. Last night’s Biggest Loser finale has again reinforced that losing the most pounds makes you a winner, no matter what the cost.
Contestant Rachel Frederickson, formerly 260lbs, weighed in at 105 lbs. She’d won by losing 60% of her body weight. This was to date, the highest percentage of bodyweight lost on the show.

The web burst into flames as the worlds toughest trainers looked on in disbelief at their accomplishment.  Way to go, guys!!

WTH?

I’ve mentioned this before, I really hate this show. As a fitness professional I watch in horror and disbelief that our industry doesn’t speak louder to the fact that this mess of ‘reality’ TV in no way reflects a real persons journey to being fit.   I’m now again mortified that the final product of this season doesn’t even look fit.

Alison Sweeny is a fine example of what a fit girl looks like.  She’s rocking Shape magazine with her own fit tips.  Jillian Michaels has muscle and looks fit.  But  this contestant looks like she has muscle atrophy.  Look here

Alison with muscles and the Fredrickson.. not so much.
You can bet that Alison eats a healthy diet, because she looks healthy. Her muscles are full.  She is wearing a white dress on national TV. Hello.

Alison May 2013 looks like a fit girl!

And this from the show.. What??

I’m stepping outside this mess because we all have read the stories from behind the scenes. I’m not even going to blast the network now. That’s a total lost cause.  I want to talk about you, me and anyone else who wants to be thin.

Being thin, weighing the least, losing the most pounds, being reality TV skinny, thigh gaps, bikini bridges are not healthy.

It’s simple. It’s science.

When you are overweight, you need to lose body fat.  Yes, you will lose pounds. But the scale is NOT the main feedback that
determines your success.  The scale is “information”. The appropriate feedback is
1. body fat measurement.
2. inches lost
3.how your clothes fit you.
4.how you look!

I can look at her and tell you that for the training she did, she didn’t eat enough.
I can look at my clients and know they need more carbs. You need to eat to lose body fat. When you starve and do cardio for hours on end, you WILL lose  valuable muscle mass.
Muscle and body fat are vital to your everyday bodily function.  Starving off your muscle leaves the fat. If you are motivated to lose weight like this woman, Google “metabolic damage”.   Or simply read past entries in my blog. I cover this  a lot!

The sad fact is that when you starve/diet this way, you are going to gain your weight back. Your body cannot sustain.
As a trainer, I work very hard to reinforce  this to my clients. We all want the scale to move. It will.  With the proper macronutrients and the right training you can be lean, tight and healthy.