There are no two ways about it: The contestants on "The Biggest Loser" know -- or rather, come to find out -- that their weight-loss journey and the path to health is not a result of a "diet" or fad, but a medically sound lifestyle modification program that includes exercise and a sensible, healthy eating plan. Diets are temporary. This is not.
There is no "magic bullet" you can take to help you reach your weight and fitness goals. You must eat less and move more. But eating smarter is key. It is hard work, but it's well worth it on many levels. And it's the only healthy path. For 12 seasons, I've instructed every Biggest Loser contestant on the same eating plan -- it works!
The plan has helped hundreds of contestants (and viewers as well) reach their weight loss goals. But it's not only a great way to eat for weight loss, it's an excellent eating plan for ANYONE and EVERYONE in the family. It promotes a strong immune system, healthy blood sugar levels (and increased energy!) along with regularity and cardiac health. The bare basics of the eating plan are this: strive to get 45 percent of your calories from smart carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits), 30 percent of your calories from lean proteins and 25 percent of your calories from good fat (especially unsaturated fat like olive oil).
Did you know that one out of every four Biggest Loser contestants has diabetes when they arrive on the Ranch? They ALL leave without it! You may also have heard on this season's premiere episode when Joe Mitchell reported that he'd been taking blood pressure medication for two-and-half years and was able to stop taking his meds after only three days at the Ranch! It has everything to do with the BL eating and fitness plan.
The key is to divide and conquer ... on this plan, you try to have three meals and two to three snacks each day. And an important factor is to pair protein with each meal and snack. This helps level out blood sugar and helps you stay full longer.
So, how do you do this? Here is an example of how to structure your meals according to the BL eating plan:
Day One of a (sample) 1,500 calorie menu
Breakfast
1/2 cup (3 ) egg whites scrambled with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon chopped basil, 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan and ½ cup cherry tomatoes
1 slice Ezekiel or whole grain toast
1 cup non fat milk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup decaf iced tea with lemon
Mid-morning snack
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla Greek style yogurt (or frozen yogurt) sprinkled with 2 tablespoons sliced strawberries
Lunch
Southwestern Bulgur Salad with 3/4 cup cooked bulgur, 4 ounces chopped grilled chicken breast, 1 cup diced grilled veggies (2 tablespoons onion, ¼ cup diced zucchini, ½ cup Bell pepper)
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro with 1 serving (1 tablespoon) light Caesar vinaigrette and 1 tablespoon shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Ice water with lime
Mid-afternoon snack
2 tablespoons hummus and 1/2 cup jicama slices
Dinner
1 cup wild rice with toasted almonds
4 ounces grilled salmon filet
1 cup wilted baby spinach w/ 1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup diced cantaloupe
Decaf coffee or green tea
Evening Snack
1/2 cup raspberry sorbet with 1 teaspoon chopped pecans
This is a sample based on a 1,500 calorie goal. I've written about guidelines on how to roughly calculate your own calorie goals here.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of keeping a detailed food journal, recording everything you eat over the course of a day. When done vigilantly the journal becomes invaluable in spotting trouble areas, and eventually becomes a grocery list and menu-planning tool. You can find a video where I explain food journaling in more detail (and get a peek at what goes on behind-the-scenes of The Biggest Loser) here.
Food journaling is one of the biggest weight loss secrets. We all eat more than we think we do, and keeping a running tally of every sip and nibble really heightens our awareness of how often we do this. But the first step in food journaling is to figure out -- how big is a serving size?
Weighing and measuring food is really important when you're trying to divide your daily calories between three meals and two snacks.
For this, you will need:
• A liquid measuring cup (2 cup capacity)
• A set of dry measuring cups (includes 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup and ¼ cup sizes)
• Measuring spoons (1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 1/4 teaspoon)
• Food scale
• Calculator
Be sure that the food scale measures grams. (A gram is very small, about 1/28th of an ounce.) Most of your weight measurements will be in ounces, but certain foods, such as nuts, are very concentrated in calories, so a portion size will be much smaller. Food scales range in price from a few dollars to $30 dollars or more. Some of them are digital and a little more expensive. Fancy versions may even have an internal database of foods to calculate the number of calories in the food you're weighing. In the long run, you'll be much better off familiarizing yourself with what different amounts look like and relying on a simple conversion guide, as any scale isn't nearly as portable and you probably won't have an extra scale at work or in your car.
Getting Started
If you like having your cereal in your favorite bowl each morning, measure 1/2 cup (or your designated serving size) into the bowl tomorrow morning. Then measure the milk in the liquid measuring cup and pour it on your cereal. Take a mental note of how this looks and you won't have to measure each time. No more quart-size bowls of cereal or panfuls of buttered popcorn. Your food portions are now smaller, and soon, your clothes will be too.
For consistency, your food should be weighed and/or measured after cooking. Four ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast has around 140 calories when raw. When it's cooked, it'll weigh closer to 3 ounces. That is because it loses water during the cooking process and the calories are now more concentrated. The same holds true for vegetables and other cooked foods. Dry cereals or grains on the other hand may start off with a couple tablespoons per serving. Add water and cook and the volume or measured amount may double or triple.
After measuring all of your foods for a week or so, you'll be able to make fairly accurate estimates by eye without having to measure everything, each time you eat. Of course you'll always need to weigh and measure when trying a new food for the first time, so keep you measuring tools in a handy location. Over time, you'll know what's just right for you, whether you're plating a meal in your own kitchen, or deciding how much of your entrée to eat in a restaurant (and how much of it to wrap up and take home!) But in the beginning, you'll need a few tools until you get it just right.
If you're not accustomed to spending time in the kitchen, here is a conversion table that may be helpful to you.
Remember that an ounce of DRY weight is not the same as a fluid ounce. You cannot convert the two without knowing the density of the ingredient you are measuring.
It is imperative to keep track of the number of calories you take in (and burn off through exercise) each day, especially when you're just getting started. Buy a notebook and a pen just for this purpose. Keep it in your desk, your handbag, your backpack or wherever is handy or most convenient for you. Take notes throughout the day, because it's easy to forget an unplanned snack or tasting. Find a routine, a favorite place and a time to record your journal. This is one of the biggest keys to your success. If your prefer, you can record this on your computer, too -- whatever is easiest and most convenient for you.
If you want to keep track of how many of your calories come from carbohydrate, protein or fat, remember that a gram of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories. One gram of fat has 9 calories.
When we inform the contestants on The Biggest Loser of their calorie budgets at the beginning of each season, we tell them to let us know if they're tired or hungry, in which case, we will raise their calorie level (until they're not tired or hungry!). Below is a sample journal from BL12's Boston Johnny Forger. His daily calorie goal of 1,670 is lower than most of our men, largely due to Johnny's age (65), activity level (low), muscle mass and lower metabolic rate.
Keep reading this season and I'll give you MORE menus, MORE recipes, MORE weight loss secrets and all the things you need to be a "Biggest Loser" at home!
Cheryl Forberg RD is a James Beard award-winning chef, Nutritionist for NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and New York Times bestselling author. Her latest book is "Flavor First" (Rodale). She lives on a farm in Napa, California. For more nutrition and cooking tips, visit Cheryl's website.
Follow Cheryl Forberg, RD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CherylForbergRD
there was an earlier question about excess skin, the recommendations i've seen say 2-3 pounds a week give the best chance of skin responding/shrinking to minimize the problem. outside of a competition environment what would your recommendation be for weight loss per week with regard to the excess skin problem?
We have a scarcity of nutritious food and an overabundance of cheap unhealthy food.
My daughter struggled to maintain her weight loss for a while and was depressed and bulemic. She has now gone low-carb and paleo and is losing even more weight and has cured her insomnia, eating disorders, and depression, by the way.
"You must eat less and move more."
These statements contradict each other.
"Eating less and moving more" has never been anything other than a temporary solution to overweight or obesity, and there is every reason to believe that it never will.
Almost all of the contestants on "The Biggest Loser" will return to their starting weight in five years or less, and most of them will exceed their starting weight.
No these are very different statements. Eat less move more pertains to those eating too much and not moving enough : ) Many Americans can readily identify with that. It's not a temporary solution - it's a lifestyle change. If most Americans did this, we would not be experiencing the obesity pandemic that we are.
Yes I've responded to another comment about recividism. The show has been on the air for 12 seasons so we don't have far reaching historical data to review. We do know that our recividism rate is about 50%. Far from perfect but much better than most "diets" out there. We try to support our cast after they leave the show to maintain their losses. We hope everyone continues to make healthy decisions, but at the end of the day, those are individual choices. thanks Sam!
When I want to drop a few pounds, I cut out red wine and dark chocolate.
For decades I worked out three or four hours a day, while holding down a high powered job. It can be done. I needed exercise for stress relief. Now that I run my own company, I do 30 minutes of yoga.
I think this type of eating is normal. You don't need a scale. You need a butter plate. The stomach is the size of an egg, so if it can't fit on a butter plate, it's too much food.
Also, they work out several hours a day, at least. Once, one of the contestants mentioned a food journal of 1200 calories a day. At least it gave me some insight into how they lose the weight so fast. 1200 calories is very low for the amount of activity they do.
Keeping weight off is much harder than losing it. I took 100 pounds off 10 years ago and have maintained. It is very difficult, but doable. I also think that 50% of your diet from carbs is to high. I stay with about 25%. I once tried using an online food calculator to make a menu, and the calculator would not let me put less than 60% of my daily food total from carbohydrates.
I am also in agreement that what may for one may not work for another. I have been doing a Different Diet Weekly and blogging about it (www.therevolvingdiet.com). Since I am doing different diets, I have been able to determine what works for me as an individual, while providing hands-on information on what I am going through.
Many that have tried a diet and failed and given up without looking for something else that might work better for them - do themselves an injustice. The bottom line is getting healthy. Losing weight and exercise - even in small amounts will help tremendously. For many just losing a few pounds and seeing their success can change their attitude, outlook and increase self esteem and confidence.
My own blog is to provide Positive information without making anyone feel bad about their struggles. I am struggling right along with any other dieter - I am just providing info on each diet I do and hopefully some humor to help guide a sometimes tedious part of dieting.
Everyone needs a little help sometimes!!
Where 20min on the elliptical at a moderate pace 3x a week doesn't equal active.
I find it odd that you don't mention is that half of the Biggest Loser contestants have regained the weight since leaving the show.
I find it odd that you don't mention that, until this season, contestants were encouraged to exercise between three and four hours a day, something the average American cannot afford.
I find it odd that you don't mention the fact that virtually all of the Biggest Loser contestants have a BMI of over 50, which is an exceedingly rare demographic in this country (0.42% from what I have found), and that the vast majority of those who are classified as "obese" have a BMI between 30-40, which is significantly smaller than most BL contestants. Just 5'7% of the population has a BMI over 40 (aka morbidly obese)>
I find it odd that you don't mention that the contestants on BL are given a weekly stipend of at least $500, not to mention that they are competing for a $250,000 prize, since getting paid to lose weight will surely skew the success rate.
And, finally, I find it odd that you don't mention your show's history of pushing contestants to brink of collapse, with former champions admitting that they took dangerous steps to ensure maximum weight loss which led to peeing blood or severe dehydration.
Your show is not a new paradigm for health. It is a celebration of shame and stigma, which you and your colleagues will never live down.
Peace,
Shannon
One of the things I wrote was that our recividism rate is about 50%, which btw, is much better than most "diets". While 50% is far from perfect and we hope that will improve on that, we can't control whether or not a contestant chooses to maintain healthy decision making once they're back at home. We do try to continue providing support for those who want/need it.
Anyone who watches the show knows there is a cash prize for the Biggest Loser. Once our contestants start dropping pounds, feeling MUCH better, discontinuing most meds, and changing their lives, they readily admit that the REAL prize is getting their health and their life back. The cash prize is no doubt a fabulous bonus.
Most people are not as interested to know about the per diem the show pays contestants as they are in learning about nutrition - and since I am a registered dietitian and a professional chef - nutrition and food is my focus.
I cannot speak to the decisions of what is aired. I am a member of the medical expert team for the show and I'm very proud of my work and what I contribute to the show. Not all viewers agree with what is shown (and what isn't) - neither do I ! You and I are both entitled to our opinions.
Your response raises even more questions than it answers. You claim that the 50% recidivism rate is better than most diets, but maybe you can clarify for me. What is the recidivism rate of those who have been off the show for three years or more? Seasons 7 on aired in 2009, so how many from Seasons 1-6 have kept the weight off? Because those who finished three years are less are more likely to keep the weight off than those between three and five years. The five year rate is the most telling, since the vast majority of weight loss attempts (95% by most measures) end in regaining the weight. The only diets that seem to have improved staying power are Very Low Calorie Diets of 800 calories per day or less (e.g., OptiFast), but the damage this does to your body and metabolism is well-documented and severe.
But every diet program and product makes the same claim: if you succeed, then it's our approach that gets the credit; if you fail, then it's your fault alone. Research on weight loss is consistent across the board: low fat, low carb, balanced nutrition, doesn't matter. The weight loss that is most sustainable is 5-10% of your starting weight. The more weight you lose, the more likely you are to regain it.
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All of those "REAL" prizes are available to people of ALL sizes and they don't need to engage in caloric restriction or excessive exercise to achieve them. Your colleague, Dr. Huzeinga, has been telling people that they need to exercise at *least* 240 minutes per week to stay healthy, when the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association both recommend 150 minutes. Your show sets expectations far too high and promises spectacular results that are not substantiated by ANY peer-reviewed literature.
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My friend just lost a 26 year old son to Obesity. Obesity was the cause of death.
I agree that reality shows are not perfect, yet find your post a bit harsh.
That said, after 12 seasons with the show, I have worked with every single BL contestant and I have identified a "typical" profile for our cast which personifies hundreds of thousands obese Americans. We have found a need for a drastic lifestyle change on many levels which includes many types of "relearning". This includes the components I've identified in my blog - along with many things I didn't have room to mention - changing the relationship with food, understanding our bodies' hunger cues and learning to eat when we're truly hungry (as opposed to bored, lonely, sad, happy - emotional eating - etc.) Our plan is indeed a lot of work but we've found alot of success with it and with changing lifestyle approach. This also means that most of our contestants learn, often for the very first time, that they MUST prioritize themselves overall to get their health back - if they don't do that, they won't be around to care for there spouse/partner, kids, house, education, job etc. The other point of note is that the food journaling and measuring are not forever tools. But they are keys to weight loss success for us. We've seen it every season - it works!
I avoid sugar and flour, and eat high-glycemic fruit and veggies sparingly. I load up on all other veggies, berries, and everything else--including whole eggs & real butter. I allow myself a weekly indulgence. I don't count calories or worry about how much fat I eat. My lipid profile is pristine, my blood pressure beautiful, and my weight and blood sugar are stable.
If I were to try to do what's laid out in this post, my entire life would revolve around food. Not only do I not have time for that, it wouldn't be sustainable for me long-term. It's much easier for me to just know what to avoid & avoid it (with the exception of my weekly indulgence).