From 265 pounds to 144 pounds, those are unbelievable results. In just a season, equal to four months, of The Biggest Loser the season 3 winner Kai Hibbard lost a lot, and now is telling it all from her point of view inside the show.
Hibbard confesses the show is not what it seems. The trainers and show executives did not really have the contestant’s health and well-being in the forefront. Behind the scenes the contestants were sequestered and worked over ten hours a day leaving very little time for recovery. The mere thought of being sequestered for four months without meaningful human contact is unhealthy mentally. The only contact that the contestants had was with the executives from the show and the trainers. They were even discouraged from talking to the other contestants. Maybe there was fear of the contestants banding together to say how insane it was to go through such an unhealthy and rigorous process.
The weekly weigh-ins were not the least of the contestants problems as the weekly weigh ins did not even happen in 7 days. Hibbard confessed that the weigh ins could happen in 2-3 week increments which would show a more drastic weight loss than what was broadcasted to viewers for a one week weigh in. There was no concern for how deceitful this was for the viewers who were struggling with weight loss. They were watching the show getting inspiration, only to find out that they have not lost the amount of weight being broadcast. In the real world outside The Biggest Loser, people could think that they are just not capable. In reality they cannot really lose that amount of weight in a week without drastic unhealthy lifestyles.
According to WebMD, a healthy weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds per week by burning off 500 more calories than you eat per day through exercise. If you wanted to lose more weight faster, which WebMD places at 3-5 pounds per week safely, you would modify your calorie intake to 1,050-1,200 calories per day and exercise one hour per day. This is a drastic difference from how the contestants on The Biggest Loser participate in a four-month period. If you do the math, Hibbard lost 118 pounds in 3 months. That is equal to around 10 pounds a week, which is double the amount for healthy weight loss. Some contestants have also lost over 200 pounds in one season. A big claim is that most contestants gained a huge amount of weight back after the show because they did not keep up the extreme measures that took place during the show.
Kai Hibbard wanted to come out to let the world know that during The Biggest Loser, she did lose weight but it came at a great price. Not only did she have to exercise up to 10 hours a day with little or no positive reinforcement, she now claims she has an eating disorder that stemmed from the show. This was not the only contestant that reported negative after-effects of the show.
It has been proven through science that in order for healthy weight loss to occur, you have to balance diet and exercise. The recommended exercise regimen by most medical professionals is five days a week at 45 to 60 minutes a day. There is no fast way to weight loss that is healthy and also sustainable. Most if not all “lose weight fast diets” are either fads or gimmicks where you have to continue them in order to maintain success. Once you quit the weight reappears. The only real way for healthy weight loss are lifestyle changes. The Biggest Loser methods may be impressive, but ultimately look like more of a gimmick than a real solution.
By Cameasha Rucker-Muhammad
Image courtesy of Michael B.– Flickr License