More thoughts on the Biggest Loser and Weight Loss
I have been thinking about this season’s winner of The Biggest Loser- for lots of reasons. On one hand, I really was rooting for Ali, who was the winner. She was so focused and determined, she believed in herself and rarely let her beliefs become negative or self-defeating- not an easy task on the road to changing a very overweight body to a thinner body. But I read somewhere that her total weight loss basically averaged out to 7 pounds per week. SEVEN POUNDS PER WEEK???!!! I find myself wondering how that is even possible, and what will happen to her body as a result of such fast and extreme weight loss. Don’t get me wrong- I wish her only the best and continued success, she worked incredibly hard and obviously kept her eye on the prize (literally) in every moment. Still- I wonder what the toll will be, either on her physical body, or her mind and emotions. Such extreme change, in such a short period of time, has to have some kind of backlash. Our bodies are wired for homeostasis- trying to keep the status quo.
She is young, and maybe her body will adjust to the extremes that she put it through- but quick weight loss always makes my inner- alarm bells go off, and so I will be curiously watching to see where she is down the road.
We love these kind of success stories- but they are extreme and who knows if they hold up in the long run. For now, try keeping small daily promises to yourself. Big swings in behaviors are uncomfortable and we don’t stick with them.
Let me know what you thought of all this, and what you are doing in your own life to lose excess weight or improve your health and well-being.
Sending love and blessings,
Lisa
2 People have left comments on this post
I definitely agree with you on this. I in fact participated in a “Biggest Loser” weight loss support group slightly over a year ago, and I won. I had been losing weight steadily, and lost 50 pounds in one year. I exercised excessively, and was severely restrictive, but after the competition was over, I allowed myself to have those treats, and things got out of control. I am now in treatment for bulimia, and I have no doubts that if I would not have put so much emphasis on losing the weight so quickly and putting so much pressure on myself, I would not be as obsessed with my body image as I am today, and I would not abuse food, at least not as severely as I do now.
Hi Michelle- thanks for chiming in on this. Women with eating issues tend to not be great at moderation! As you noticed, severe restriction can rebound.
I hope you are finding ways to be gentler with yourself, which will bring more peace and wellbeing overall. It doesn’t have to be extreme- slow and steady wins the race and deprivation will always have a price.
xox
lisa