25 Pounds in One Week?

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE The Biggest Loser but vehemently disagree with how contestants on the show lose weight. One man last night hopped on the scale and lost a total of 25 pounds for one week–good for him, but is it healthy? As an overweight woman who has been battling the bulge since my pre-teens and as someone who has taken off the same pounds over and over again, I can say, “No, this is not healthy!”

Throughout my entire life, I was able to lose weight quickly (for me a big weekly weight loss has been 7-8 pounds) but you know what–it always came back and with more weight to boot. It’s easy, you practically have to starve yourself or go on a fad diet like Atkins (although you lose uber amounts of weight it is not a healthy plan) in which fruits and veggies are restricted.

The Biggest Loser Contestants not only eat a low cal diet but they have personal trainers and workout from six to eight hours a day! This explains why so many Biggest Loser winners end up gaining tons of weight back almost as soon after the finale’–most of their weight loss from loss of water and explains the extreme loose skin factor. Also, the workout program on the show is not something most people can keep up with once they go back to their jobs and family–and there are no trainers or cameras anymore.

Though my weight loss has never been that extreme in the past, it’s the same concept; most of my loss was due to water–not this time. On average, since December of 2008, I’ve steadily lost 1-2 pounds a week. I’ve cut out junk food (except on occasion), workout from 30-50 minutes a day and have upped my intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains and water. I don’t starve myself but I don’t overeat either. This is the first time I’ve made a lifestyle change with eating and exercise that is slowly but surely becoming a habit.

I LOVE working out with my Biggest Loser Cardio and Sculpting dvds EVERYDAY and I LOVE how I feel by eating healthy foods. Yeah, the weight is coming off painfully slow but everything I read says the people who are most successful at keeping weight off do it slowly and by making gradual changes–is it any wonder though? After all, if it takes a year or more to lose 40-100 pounds, you’ll have developed healthy habits that will last a life time versus quick weight loss at the expense of extreme workout and calorie restriction that when finished–most won’t be able to maintain and, therefore, the weight will come back just as fast as it was lost.