I think the reason they don't show more about the food, is that everyone is not following the same diet. The're being given diet advice and counseling (at least they imply so - I haven't watched the last two seasons, so this may have changed), but it's very possible that the contestants are not following a diet resembling anything they should be doing (and the show isn't really wanting to advertise that fact).
If you've ever read Kai Hubbard's Blog, she alludes to the fact that behind the scenes the show is a very different Biggest Loser, than the one televised.
She has criticised the show's staff for giving very little real nutrition and diet advice (stressing the weight loss numbers, and overlooking the crazy ways that the contestants really lost the weight - like dehydrating themselves in order to prepare for weigh-ins, and having "weeks" that were much, much longer than 7 days).
She talks of the show's medical staff giving contestants very vague advice, and "unwritten rules" for example, advising contestants to follow a sensible diet (wink, wink) but not really going into any detail as to what sensible means, yet being encouraged to eat (or rather don't eat) whatever it takes to pull down the really, really big weight loss numbers (so many of the contestants were crash dieting or not eating anything at all).
There've been rumors that the show cleaned up it's act, somewhat in future seasons - but apparently they also wrote much tighter "non-disclosure" agreements, so that contestants who talk about their experiences on the show will face stiff penalties and lawsuits (even Kai has pushed the boundaries of her own contract - if not actually breaking them. For example, she's talked about wanting to write a book about her experiences, but her contract with TBL forbids it (so she'd have to write it as fiction). I believe future contracts include a prohibition against fictionalized accounts and blogging as well - to prevent future contestants from talking about their experiences on the show. Not just preventing them from profiting from a tell-all book (as Kai signed) but preventing them from telling at all.
It's hard to verify Kai's version of events, because the other contestants are NOT talking - but I do find it highly suspicious that so little time is spent on the food portion (again, I can only speak to all seasons but the last two).
Regardless of whether you're talking about the "official" TBL diet, or the "actual" diet(s) that TBL contestants follow, all are going to be at least as restrictive as South Beach (that's just dieting physics - to lose weight rapidly - you must severely restrict calories and food intake).
South Beach does not strictly restrict portions. You are supposed to follow some portion and appetite/hunger guidelines, but it also doesn't promise rapid weight loss (at least past the first two weeks).
Because TBL does promise fairly rapid weight loss, the diet is more likely than not (in fact, much more likely than not) going to be a much more restrictive plan.
I'm not trying to be negative, but I would think that anyone who finds South Beach too restrictive to follow for life - would not find TBL plans any easier.
|
