Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Should you even bother? ... my thoughts on the Biggest Loser Metabolism news


I have struggled with my weight my whole life.

I dont remember being a 'fat kid' - but maybe bigger then most others. I was always tall, I do remember that - being the one in the back of the line during picture day.  I think I remember being bigger in that sense more than fatter.

Then high school... where you have to be itty bitty to be cute, right? Not really - we know this as adults, but all the 'cool kids' seem to be so thin. Stores like 5-7-9 were popular back in my day & my butt ain't ever been in a 5 or 7 in my life.


I will confess something - my wedding dress is the smallest size I ever wore in my life. It was a size 8 & only because it was like the ONLY dress in the world that ran a little big & they thought I may need a 10, so they went down & it fit really well. The only single digit piece of clothing I ever had on my body. Makes my wedding day even better.

But I was also fanatic about my eating then.  Like, Ricky was really concerned about me having an eating disorder. I just wanted to get in a wedding dress.  & if that meant I'd cry if they accidentally put cheese on my salad? So be it.


Anyways - what I was getting to - I've been up & down that scale.

I could go into a long post here about my battle with the scale though the years but I wont... the point? I've been bigger, then lost a lot, then gained it all back ....& then some & ... now, I'm on the path of shedding weight again...

& then this past week - did anyone else see the news about The Biggest Loser contestants & how like 15 out of 16 people put all their weight back on...

LINK TO ARTICLE

& the study was showing that metabolism some how works against you if you loose weight, causing you to gain it back - easily. Like you can't even eat normally without gaining it back.


I dont know about you when you saw this, but if you struggle with weight & trying to loose & keep it off, its like you want to throw your hands in the air & give up.


But then I had to stop & think how they do it on The Biggest Loser.

They limit their foods to such extreme.
They make them work out for HOURS on end.
They loose like 10 lbs a WEEK.

None of this is healthy.

Food should be used as energy & health.  Calories dont have to be the enemy.  Fat doesn't have to be evil.
Exercise for long periods of time can be damaging to your body - especially until you've trained to a point of strength your body can handle.
10 lbs a week?  Just stop.  The healthy way to do it is about an average of 1 lb a week.


Now, granted, I watch the show myself - I find it so intriguing. Mainly because I understand weight & food issues & I am always cheering on the person who is striving to be a better them.

I was so happy to come across THIS ARTICLE that helps explain what the study actually shows & talks about the extreme ways that show handles people loosing weight.  & its written by someone who is in a science field & explains it so well. Take the time to read it if you are interested in this stuff!

I dont know about you - I dont have Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper screaming at me every day (though I would love to have Bob Harper train me) & I am NOT loosing 10 lbs a week. I am happy if I loose a half a pound a week.

The slower, the smarter, the healthier - the better.
It'll stick.
Your body will adjust.

We live in a world of WANT IT NOW... that includes loosing weight.
That's just not the smart way to do it.

It's about a lifestyle change.
SMALL changes in your every day world.
Working out every day - but not running marathons every day.

Be kind to the body & the body will be kind to you.



I just wanted to share this & that article mainly because it is so frustrating when you think there's no point in trying when you'll just gain the weight back...

& that doesn't mean its not hard.
I do believe its harder for some people to loose weight or to keep it off. I mean, I live with a man who fights as hard as I do to loose weight, only for him, its to gain weight.
Our bodies are individual & unique...

But what I wanted to share with you - just don't give up.  Keep pushing at it.  Don't just give up because you think its not possible.

Don't be frustrated.  Take care of your body.  Most importantly, take care of your health.
& never give up on yourself.



__________________________________

& because I'm starting a new work out program,
I'm going to still do some Training Tuesday posts.
Maybe not all the time, but I do like the accountability.
05/02/16-05/08/16


Hc:

Monday - Les Mils Combat 30
Tuesday - Walk 2.10 miles
Wednesday - REST DAY!!!
Thursday - Day 1 Hammer & Chisel!!!! Chisel Balance
Friday - Day 2 - Hammer Plyo
Saturday - Day 3 - ISO Strength Chisel

So Thursday was my Day 1 of 60 days of Hammer & Chisel.
I can't tell you how excited I am to start in this.
All the muscles working - all the weights - all the pain
.. in a good way.

I can tell though - I'm going to miss running.
I already do.
Autumn says not to add in anything with this workout - especially cardio - to just trust the plan.
... but me wants to run :(

& honestly, my legs probably couldnt carry me after some of these workouts,
but that one lonely rest day?  Can I run then?

I just hate loosing my running endurance too. I was building up on it so well
... & was proud of it.

... I'm still not sure where this ball will land on this debate.
But for now, I'm off & 'running' on this new plan!
Here we go - PRESSING ON!!!




18 comments:

  1. I completely agree with your views on this. The reason why those contestants are gaining back their weight is because they lost it in an extreme way. It is all about lifestyle changes and balance and doing things the healthy way.

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  2. PREACH. weight loss isn't a GIVE IT TO ME NOW! thing...it's a lifestyle change. adapt the lifestyle of being healthy, you will never gain it back unless you make a conscious decision to do so. while weight may fluctuate slightly, once you adapt the lifestyle change you won't gain everything back.

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  3. Oh mannn. Your words come at a perfect time. This morning was the first morning (ever) that the husband and I pulled ourselves out of bed at 4:45am and hit the gym from 5-6am. I so badly want to jump on a scale and see immediate results, but I know it doesn't work like that... I'm not a fan of early mornings, but I won't lie, it felt pretty good to get up and moving and be productive :)

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  4. Great post! I love the second article!! And it is so nice to be reminded that the little changes DO matter, especially when the scale seems forever stuck in the same place.

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  5. I so agree with this!! The weight they loose - no one is able to maintain in normal life. It's sad that so many of them have reverted back to their previous weights. You look amazing lady! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  6. Yeah, this article was a bit disheartening. I like your take on it. I think where I end up is being active and eating fresh, whole foods is healthy for me. Even if it does not result in weight loss, it is still the right thing to do for my future health. And that is the incentive I'm trying to stick with.

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  7. I totally agree. I feel like reading that news by itself could be very discouraging, but it's kind of like common sense that they are likely to gain it back, because the show has them on such an extreme regimen. Finding your own pace and healthy everyday choices is so much more important. When I left basic training, I ate about three subway cookies on my first day of freedom because deprivation can make you want something so bad. Not saying I won't do that again :). Cookies are delicious. I know lots of people went straight to Popeyes for fried food, because we were told we couldn't have certain things for so long.

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  8. I saw something on this on the news and saw pics of many of the contestants now. I Italy agree with you, it's not natural or healthy how they lose the weight on the show! PS: you look GREAT!!

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  9. My husband shared that article with me and we talked about the fact that those people on the show do not lose weight in the proper way. Eating a healthy diet and with exercise losing about a pound a week is the best plan. I've got the eating healthy part down but my body isn't very willing on the exercise part. You do an amazing job and you should be very proud of yourself. I was a 5-7-9 shopper back in the day!

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  10. I literally finished reading that article & then your blog was next on my list...what a coincidence. But seriously. I believe that article 100%. I've never had a doubt that losing weight so quickly was bad for you. But, so interesting to read the science behind it.

    I would be interested to see a study with leptin levels in different sorts of eaters. Intuitive eating, IIFYM, low carb, paleo, etc, to see if one sort of reigned supreme.

    I don't know a ton about H&C, but, if it were me, I would probably drag out the 60 days & replace 1 per week with some running, or maybe even 2? Yeah, I know she says not to add any, but like you said, I would hate to lose all the hard work I've built up.

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  11. I never thought much about the body fighting back against itself or the metabolism being out of whack with the extreme weight loss vs. gain it back -- I guess I thought that "Real Life" was the enemy. I mean, the contestants go from a sedentary lifestyle and eating whatever, to a trainer with them almost 24/7, cameras on them all the time, the pressure to lose in order to win ... and then they go back to their regular life. Yes they have tools to take back with them (better recipes and grocery lists and hopefully access to a gym) but they also have the pressure to maintain or lose more all while getting back to their job and their family life and "you know, I think I'm just going to watch one episode of Netflix ... " and three seasons later with a bag of chips, I've been there.

    I'm glad you posted the other articles too. I doubt anyone on that show gained their excess weight in however many weeks they were able to drop it all. Healthy eating and moderation plus moving more -- the weight might seem like it'll never go anywhere but if the scale isn't moving, the body is still getting healthier from the inside-out. Of course, I use this excuse for housework too -- the house didn't get this dirty overnight, I can't expect it to get clean in one day ... and then I go back to Netflix. ;)

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  12. I'm going to go read the article. I've gone up and down all my life. Last time on Weight Watchers, I lost 55 pounds in five months. Then put 30 of it right back on. I've been this size for the last 25 years. I have thyroid and medication issues and let's don't even talk about genetics. Geeeshhhh... Keep inspiring us!! Please keep inspiring us!!

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  13. I totally see where you are coming from on this and I'm right there too! I've never been skinny and even if I can get down to a "skinny" weight, I'll always have hips and thighs! I've gotten better about my image but the scale and that number does still have a lot of power over me. I do know that I'm in much better shape, health wise than ever before and it is natural to want to look like every one else or fit into that single digit size.
    I think the thing to take away from this is we are all different and not one thing works for everyone. As much as we want to believe it's all calories in vs calories out, woman are more likely to have issues with weight and hormones have so much to do with what we store and burn. You did a lot of research on this, appreciate the time and effort. It's a great topic!

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  14. it sounds to me like they are doing a crash diet of sorts, since they are losing weight so fast!

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  15. I completely agree with you on this. While I loved watching the Biggest Loser, it is honestly setting them up for failure when they go back home to reality. Anybody can lose weight if they are on as tirct controlled diet and workout 10 hours a day, but when you add a real job and real life to the mix it makes things tricky. Completely agree with you that it's about lifestyle changes and small changes over time. Love this post and you are definitely an inspiration to others around you, I hope you know that! :)

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  16. I did not hear that about the Biggest Loser contestants but I agree that in that controlled environment they are not losing weight in a healthy way.

    I do remember the 5-7-9 store and looking back, that was a horrible name. Way to make a girl feel self conscience if she didn't fall into one of those sizes. No wonder it went out of business (at least in our area).

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  17. Yes I read this article and sent it to my mother who has struggled with her weight since she was born. And it makes sense whenever she lost weight too fast she'd always gain it back but when she did is the right way it was harder for it to come back. Although I didn't take it to heart fully because she also has thyroid issues which work against her as well.

    liz @ j for joiner

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  18. Thanks for pointing me to this post. I missed it! Yeah, as you saw in my post, these findings aren't just restricted to biggest loser contestants, and other studies have shown how hard it us for people to keep off the weight. But it can be done, and just trying to have a healthier lifestyle will yield benefits!

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