It's a TV show, so I'm sure they do everything they can to manipulate the person's environment so that the individual is very likely to be very successful. I mean, the success of the show (and their profits) depend on it, right? I try to see at for what it is- it doesn't represent the average, but instead a best-case-scenario for weight loss. It's amazing what these people accomplish- if it were something easily achievable it wouldn't be a TV show. I try to learn from it, draw inspiration from their hard work and then go back to doing what I can with what I have. I do think there is some truth in the if-you-want-it-bad-enough statement. If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it work in your life.

The hardest part of losing weight is the gumption to do it. We are own worst enemies. We're afraid to try and fail or to really do what we need to do to lose the weight and keep it off. We're lazy and scared.

I do have a bike, gym membership, Wii Fit, videos and the money to buy whatever food I want.

However, all my videos are used - either given to me or purchased at Goodwill for a buck (all VHS tapes). The Wii Fit was a Christmas present to the family. The bike is new and has been ridden twice. The gym membership we've had for two years and i've gone ONCE. Yet, I've lost 53 pounds in less than 6 months. Why? I've been walking and doing those $1 aerobic videos - mostly walking. I usually walk 2.7 miles a day and I just work on getting faster and faster. That's a 40 minute workout for me now and it's getting the job done.

For food. I prepare the same foods as I always did, I just eat less of it and skip the starchy carbs. Instead of the couple of bags of chips I would eat a week, I now buy a couple boxes of protein bars for snacks and so on.

You do not need almost ANY of that stuff they were given to lose weight - what you need is for your head to be in the right place and to want to do it. To REALLY want to do it and to keep doing it for the rest of your life. Until then, no money and things thrown at it will solve the problem of being fat.

I don't watch these tv shows, but when I have seen them, I think the worst part is that their pace is unattainable for most people. Most people can't devote their entire days to losing weight and there's no reason for it! We didn't get fat in 6 months or a year, so why do we have to get thin that fast? This is a lifestyle change and so, to be more successful, we have to do it at a pace we can live with. Pure and simple. Thank goodness my husband understands that and supports that.

Then look to those on here who have done anything from small to dramatic transformations without trainers, chefs, equipment.

The drive to do it is one part - the education to do it is the other part. No, will power/drive/motivation isn't 100% (although it is required) - you can be the most motivated person in the world but if you are uneducated on how to do it properly, you will still spin your wheels.

Luckily, that education is free here on 3FC too! Yes, there conflicts as to what is the magical solution to "X", but at the end of the day, every plan is about eating less and moving more. The details are that, the details, which may apply to you or may not. Again, that requires your motivation to educate yourself.

I spent thousands of dollars in the past on gyms, equipment, books and I still didn't lose the weight.

What finally made me lose the weight was the decision that all the other excuses and lack of information were not going to hold me back this time around. Something snapped in my head that said, "Okay, we're really doing this now, no more excuses."

I spend less on food today than I did when I was 200 lbs and going out to eat all the time. I don't have a gym, but I do pay a monthly fee to attend as many spinning and pilates classes as I can manage in one month (and I go every day!). I also took the time to educate myself about my PCOS, my overall medical work up, and what that means to me, specifically.

I may have a million reasons to be fat, but I didn't want to stay fat anymore. I still have a bunch to lose, but I also know that it's not money or time that are preventing me from finishing this story........... it's all on my shoulders on the choices that I make every time I put food in my mouth or decide to exercise (or not!!!!).

I do see your point. Although I think weight loss is difficult [but doable] regardless of what one has, having access to what those on these shows have access to has to make it easier. I haven't watched the shows you mention and I don't watch reality shows at all, but the one or two occasions when I have been flipping through channels and paused on The Biggest Loser, I've realized that they're in an artifical environment that has been tailored for weight loss. It's a bit more difficult here in the "real world."

Okay.. i think you are missing the point people..Im not complaining because i dont think i can do it...

MY POINT IS: They should make shows that show how people take nothing in there life and lose there weight. The point is: we dont need fancy equipment or personal trainers ..My point is: These shows seem to show or show ordinary people losing weight with all there fancy gimmicks..Why not show a person at home that its possible to do it with little? Why not inspire and show success to people out there who think they cant do it cause they cant afford this or that.....

I myself have no problem just walking or whatever it may be...I know people can lose weight..but how much more inspiring would it be to see someone with nothing be able to do it? and yes i know we have each other here for support and w are lucky...cause a lot of people dont have that..and i think its better than a trainer in my opinion!

Issue # 1 - "anyone can do it". Nothing irks me more than having a friend or loved one spout off that weight loss is a matter they seem to know so much about, yet they have no weight issue themselves. You didn't mention your BF size or weight, so I assume he is coming from a completely different perspective. He is also a male and I have yet to meet a man that truly understands the differences in male and female weight loss and gains. Even my dear husband thinks weight loss is a matter of exercise and cutting back....but he is heavier than I am and doesn't do it himself, just tells me what I need to do. People WATCHING TV tend to have an armchair philosophy.

Issue #2 - Reality TV....is not real. It is hyped, it is manipulated and you are right, they are given far more tools than the average person can afford to accomplish their loss with. Remember, that the show is called EXTREME and there's a clue right there. Extreme changes can produce extreme results, but how extreme does one have to be to maintain those results? Something to think about.

Issue #3 - It costs nothing to lose weight. Absolutely not a dime. Eating less and moving more beholds the truth. Each person has to figure out how much of each to do for themselves, their lifestyle, their age, their goals and this is an ongoing process for life. It's isn't a temporary thing to do to accomplish a goal. It takes just as much work to stay at the goal as it does to get there. Daunting and as frustrating as it can be, it is the reality, which is far removed from any reality TV program one can get.

It would be wonderfully inspiring but would be a financial failure for the network as there is no sponsor to sell.

Fortunately, the internet is a small fee per month for whatever you want and bloggers usually don't make money, thank goodness for 3FC!

PS Have you seen "Village on a Diet" (it takes place in Taylor near Fort St John). Quite an eye opener and amazing. I'm originally from smaller town BC myself so I know a lot of what you speak of...

a simple gym costs about $25/month, garage sales are GREAT for finding work out equipment because a lot of people buy it, never use it, and sell it. Some gyms even offer free personal trainers and free yoga/zumba/cycling classes. And just think of the money saved buying mostly produce instead of packaged! Produce is dirt cheap and is exactly what makes a great diet.

so gym-check
equipment-check
trainers-check
diet plan-check

I know these shows can be unrealistic, but so is ANY show on television, lets be honest. I like shows like "The Biggest Loser" because it's inspiring to see a 400LB man get on a treadmill and push through all the pain and do it. Granted Jillian yelling at him probably adds to the pressure, but after forcing their way through the work outs, they can go for hours and make it look easy. It's inspiring. I tell myself that if I want to turn off the Zumba DVD or Tae Bo, that if a 300lb woman can handle an entire day with a work out that Bob and Jillian came up with, I can go another 10 or 20 minutes to an at home DVD. That and seeing everyone's transformation is wonderful too. Some contestants lose the amount I am striving for and to see there is a difference, makes me want it that much more.

I think you have to take every show with a grain of salt. It's not realistic for us to have a personal trainer every day, a full gym everyday, and people monitoring what we eat, but we have other things at our disposal (like everyone said above me). All shows are fake, even the sitcoms. I use to think I would have a different date every week if I moved to the city because of watching "Friends" or that a waitress could make enough money to have designer clothes and go out ALL the time. All shows leave us expecting things that just can't happen. Those are only a few examples...

I think you have a point about showing realistic situations for ordinary people. CBC had a show called "Village on a Diet" last season. They did bring in a trainer, an MD, a psychologist, and a chef, and built a gym for the town, but the people stayed in their everyday life and all this was shared by the whole town. It was about people supporting each other rather than competing. The challenge was for the whole town to collectively lose a ton and the "prize" was better health. I didn't like all the artificial drama they think they have to make up to get people to watch, but I liked the show. It showed what people can do when they help each other. And they did a follow-up about what happened when the experts left, and the town continued to lose weight.

I used to get irked by those weight-loss shows too (and still do, really, but for a different reason). But, as others have pointed out before me: you don't need a fancy personalized training program, a personal trainer, or even a gym membership to lose weight. I've been unemployed for a year and cannot even afford to join the local Y, but I've still managed to lose 29 pounds since January just by walking alone. I own a pair of 4 lb weights, but they were $3 apiece at Canadian Tire. That's the most expensive piece of "equipment" I own.

The guy on the weight-loss show and your SO...they're both right: If you put your mind to it, you CAN do it, just like those people on the weight-loss shows. Sure, you might not lose 10+ pounds in a week the way they do (which, I might add, is what irks me about those shows; I think they give unrealistic expectations in terms of "typical" weight loss) but you WILL lose weight if you just eat a little less and move a little more. You need to burn more calories than you take in, it's that simple -- and you don't need any special tools for that, just your two feet!

I agree with what everyone else has said. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get in shape. And if you do want to spend a little money, some 5 pound weights, resistance bands, and a fitness ball will allow you to do a great workout at home for a small amount of money.

I joined a gym when they had a special of $15.00 per month if you committed to a year. That was January 13 of this year. I try to go every day after work. I've drastically changed my eating habits - half portions (or less!) and very little potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread. Lots of salads.

Personal commitment and attitude change is key. Exercise will help speed up the metabolism and tone your muscles. But the way you eat is the key to getting the pounds off. No equipment required to eat sensibly.

Good luck to you.

Lin

I see what you mean. It would be more interesting to see a show where someone wasn't spirited away to a fancy weight loss camp or resort. They could still have a doctor and trainer giving out basic, tried and true advice. You know how they have those design on a budget shows on HGTV? Maybe they could have it as a weight loss on a budget show where the guru helps them find equipment at yard sales and gives tips on exercises that can be done in a small living room. They could show you cheap ways to prepare healthy foods. They could have little segments for interviews with medical professionals and nutrition experts (maybe people could write in questions), but the majority of each episode would focus on one person's journey. They could document it with body measurements, blood lipids, and endurance tests instead of just making it about the scale. And if the person lost 100 lbs or lost no pounds but lost inches or if they only improved their cholesterol any of it would be considered a success instead of the guru saying, "Gee, I'm disappointed in you."

About advertisers: I think there could still be advertisers for that be it from sporting goods stores, low calorie foods, gyms, shortened exercise DVD infomercials, fancy kitcken gadgets, bottled water, cholesterol meds, whatever else is on TV now. Maybe the weight loss pill, Nutrisystem, and Biggest Loser people would lose out, but oh well. I'd still watch it.

There used to be a show on Fit TV called 'house calls' or something similar and there were two personal trainers and they would drop in on someone who wanted to lose weight/get fit, do a fitness assessment, and teach them how to do workouts at home with the stuff they had (I remember them teaching a housewife how to do rows with laundry detergent, for example).
Not as flashy as Biggest Loser or the other ones but very doable and they'd pop back in a few months later and see how they made out. It was interesting.
Also there's 'I used to be fat' on Logo and they are paired with a personal trainer but it is up to the person to work out, stay on the food plan, etc. Some people are very motivated and lose a lot of weight and some aren't.
Just like in real life.