BiggestLoser-related stories
Street Strider:The Biggest Loser's Next Great Workout?
Fans of The Biggest Loser may have noticed an exotic addition to the show recently: The 2010 StreetStrider.
Like a cross between an elongated tricycle, a Razor scooter and a gym elliptical trainer, the StreetStider consists of a light frame with two small wheels in front and one large wheel in back. Riders stand on the ski-like platforms and stride their legs in a stretched out oval motion. The movement is part jogging, part cycling -- and part something completely new for an outdoor exercise machine.
If the Biggest Loser contestants are any indication, StreetStriding will be the next big fitness craze. They tested the machine behind the scenes for over two seasons, zipping around obstacle courses and pumping up hills. Although contestants had usually lost a good deal of weight before climbing aboard, most of them were still on the heftier side so Dave Kraus, the inventor and president of StreetStrider International, thinks their feedback was especially useful in helping in working out the kinks and perfecting the motion for the average person.
"We're really hoping to re-energize people of all shapes and sizes by providing them with a cutting edge product that's safe, rigorous and low impact," he says.
The Biggest Loser - Salad in the White House
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Photo: NBC
No More Seat Extenders. On the flight out to D.C., Rudy realized he didn't need a seat belt extender anymore. Contestants were taking up one seat, not two. Daniel had seat belt tail to spare. Fitting comfortably on an airplane was a liberating and joyful moment for contestants. Their bodies are becoming noticeably slimmer, and just think how many more celebrations are ahead -- sliding behind the wheel of a car, sitting on a bus, buying clothes off the rack, tossing meds.
Best Politician Wins. In a creative pop challenge, contestants ran around D.C. attempting to convince the most people to join them for a workout with Bob and Jillian at the Washington Monument. Of course Allen ran to the firehouse, but he was beaten by one thanks to Liz's southern charm. Liz won an advantage in a later challenge for immunity and a healthy lunch -- yup, Subway -- for her supporters. The group workout was fantastic, with Bob loving the stage as Jillian mingled among the crowd picking on total strangers.
Regis and Kelly Halloween Costumes: Hosts Dress Up As Biggest Loser Trainers
The Biggest Loser: Abby Rike is Amazing
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
Photo: NBC
Jillian's Emotional Core Workout. Whether you've forgiven her for those early-season f-bombs or not, Jillian has an uncanny way of slicing to the core of contestant weight gain. She had her own face-off counseling sessions to address Amanda's fear of failure, Shay's battle to finally fight for herself and Abby's discovery that she truly wants to live again. What can you ask Abby Rike, the mother who lost her husband, daughter and newborn son in a tragic car crash two-and-a-half years ago? In a powerful moment, Jillian found Abby is ready to live and not just exist anymore. Abby continues to leave us speechless with a collective lump in our throat, which is why her picture sits on my treadmill. Who doesn't have the strength to walk or run faster and farther in her honor -- are you on the couch during this show or burning calories?
Halfway Point Pop Challenge. Short contestants loved this one -- shuttle back and forth under a bar to tag a swinging marker 500 times to win the right to pick the face-off match-ups at final weigh-in. Each team member was required to take a turn, and in a tight finish, Blue beat Black 500 to 496. Within a corny boxing ring, Blue picked Rebecca vs. Amanda, Tracy vs. Abby, Allen vs. Danny, Rudy vs. Shay and Liz vs. Daniel. Win three face-offs, and no one goes home. In return for Blue's win, Bob beat 'em up good with a creative pool workout -- try holding the pool wall and kicking furiously straight-legged for-Bob-ever. Grueling. Anyone else notice Rudy's sweet crawl stroke?
Derek Jeter Surprise. At this week's challenge, players were greeted by life-size photos of their first-day selves positioned on a gorgeous baseball field. Everyone wore jerseys with numbers representing weight loss to date. Then the Yankees' Derek Jeter pops up on the big screen to explain the 2,535 balls scattered in the outfield (his career hits) needed to be scooped up and tossed at opponents' photos. Once a contestant's photo was beaned 316 times (Jeter's career batting average), they're out. Last team with a member standing won lunch with our favorite Aussie chef, Curtis Stone, and a two-pound advantage at the weigh-in. A solid team strategy buffeted by Danny's smooth arm gave Black the win.
Biggest Loser Contestant Goes Under the Knife Before His Wedding
Corbis
Impressively, Tejwani has maintained a healthy weight of 230 pounds by working out five days a week, bypassing white bread and drinking less soda. But losing all that weight left Tejwani with a bunch of excess skin. So last spring, he sought a final tuxedo-tweak in preparation for his October 24, 2009 wedding -- six-hours of plastic surgery. Tejwani's plastic surgeon removed 15 pounds of excess skin and fatty tissue for a serious shape transformation.
The former "Loser" looked sharp in a Wilke-Rodriguez tuxedo on one of the biggest days of his life. But dropping those additional 15 pounds does not mean calorie-counting is over. "We did however make sure to bank up a few extra calories for our big day, so we don't feel too guilty indulging a bit or enjoying the open bar!" Tejwani told PEOPLE magazine. Seems Tejwani is dedicated to a forever-healthy lifestyle, and he's got the body to show for it.
Keeping the weight off after "The Biggest Loser" is no guarantee, but former contestants like Erik Chopin are not giving up the fight.
The Biggest Loser: Black and Blue Tears
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
Photo: NBC
Supernatural Silver Platters. The show opened with a temptation wheel of 36 silver platters containing either the golden ticket to pick teams and trainers, $1,000 or a calorie-packed pastry. Abby chose to sit this one out, claiming nothing on the wheel played a part in where she wants to go. You could just imagine Bob and Jillian's off-camera high-fives. But in a villain-to-remember moment, Tracy scored the golden ticket after a few players spun and stuffed down pastries. Rudy's large slice of chocolate-frosted yellow cake was a surprising 1,000 calories. Mo says Tracy's win was the supernatural at work. Oh c'mon, she spun and won.
The Villain's Picks. Tracy chose a Blue t-shirt to be with Bob, then split every team apart except Daniel and Shay and partner Mo. Blue team is stacked with strength: Tracy, Mo, Allen, Liz, Rudy and Rebecca. Jillian's underdog Black team consists of Daniel, Shay, fractured-tibia Abby, Danny, Amanda and Dina. But this is a game of the scale, not the bench press. Read on to see who wins.
What Fitness Move Has You Unglued? Dina's scared of doing a plyo jump, but Jillian told her facing her fear and completing a plyo could change her life. Has a fitness challenge ever left you unglued? Maybe you eventually conquered it, maybe not. But if Dina continues to lose weight and gain strength, she will nail that plyo. Keep that frame of mind and re-dedicate yourself to hurdling your personal fitness challenge. Make an accommodation if you need to -- if only my high school uneven bars were positioned over a pool of water.
Treadmill Sprinting: "Biggest Loser" Style
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Photo: jupiterimages
So how do we mere mortals pull off this exercise without a TV crew? Is it even worth it to do treadmill sprints?
Sure, and here's an easy way to start:
- Practice jumping onto the metal runners on either side of the treadmill. Use your arms to support your weight as you open your legs to each side of the moving belt. Be sure you can do this quickly and easily, in case you need to perform this movement during the sprint.
- Increase your speed by 25 percent of your normal pace, so if you usually walk at 4 mph, jump it up to 5. If you normally run a 10-minute mile (6 mph), try running at an eight-minute mile pace (7.5 mph). Try to stay on the treadmill for 20 seconds. If you feel like you're going to fall, or if you feel dizzy, stop immediately.
- If you're successful at the increased speed, try to keep it up for 30 seconds the next time. Do two or three of these sprints during your first 30-minute treadmill workout. Over the course of the next month, attempt to increase the amount of time you continuously sprint to two minutes.
- Once you are regularly sprinting for two minutes at a time, do three or four sprints per workout.
If you're just getting started, try this beginner running plan.
The Biggest Loser: Kitchen-Free Weight Loss
The Villain Can't Swim. Tracey's decision to put Shay on the scale Week 3 had tears flowing and revenge brewing. But after a meeting with Dr. Huizenga, Tracey was the one crying. Dr. H. put her workouts on hold after disappointing lab work revealed high CPK enzyme levels related to muscle injury. Now she can't even stick her toe in the pool alongside stress-fractured Abby.
Which is Healthier? In a pop challenge to win a coveted year of healthy groceries, contestants had to guess which meal is healthiest. Let's give it a spin:
- Meal A: one-quarter roasted chicken breast without the skin; one-half cup low-fat creamed spinach; 2.75 ounces sweet potatoes; one-half cup non-fat peach frozen yogurt; two cups unsweetened iced tea.
- Meal B: one-half rotisserie chicken with skin; one-half cup creamed spinach; one-half cup vanilla frozen yogurt; one-half cup blueberries; two cups green tea
- Meal C: one-quarter BBQ chicken breast with skin; one cup peas/carrots; one cup mango slices; one cup skim milk
Biggest Loser Trainers Go Too Far
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
The generally uplifting nature of past seasons deserved better than what we got this time around. No doubt, seven seasons of Biggest Loser inspiration has prompted many viewers to dig deep, change their habits and lose weight. The show shines a bright light on the bleak reality of our nation's skyrocketing obesity rates by modeling positive, life-lengthening journeys of 300-plus pound contestants shedding the pounds non-surgically. Yet after priming fans with Season 8 promos filled with hugging, crying and inspired contestants, viewers were greeted with an overload of swearing and humiliation. This has left some questioning whether "The Biggest Loser" is really a family-friendly show anymore.
This isn't the first time we've seen Jillian and Bob get tough on the contestants though. Click through the gallery below to see the trainers' biggest blow-ups and worst put-downs over the past few seasons, then let us know if you think the vulgarity has gone too far.
The F-Bomb Scream-Fest
Nine trainer f-bombs were dropped during the Season 8 premiere's first- and last-chance workouts. Jillian, of course, had eight of them, and that's only what made the final cut. One reader told That's Fit, "I watched it once this season, but quickly decided that I didn't want to listen to all of the cursing." Perhaps this is why Week 2 .
Biggest Loser Blow Outs
By Bev Sklar
The F-Bomb Scream-Fest
Nine trainer f-bombs were dropped during the Season 8 premiere's first- and last-chance workouts. Jillian, of course, had eight of them, and that's only what made the final cut. One reader told That's Fit, "I watched it once this season, but quickly decided that I didn't want to listen to all of the cursing." Perhaps this is why Week 2 .
Dave Bjerke, NBC
Weighty Matters
Bob had Rebecca's heart rate soaring and ego plummeting as he yelled, "Jump Rebecca. How much do you weigh Rebecca? 279 pounds, Rebecca." Is humiliation necessary?
Chris Haston, NBC
Meanness as a Motivator
After 479-pound Shay (right) collapsed off the climbing wall, Jillian yelled, "Shay, get the f*** up!" -- bringing Shay to tears and a short-lived exit out of the gym. Jillian didn't run after her, and ultimately the confrontation strengthened Shay's motivation to return and work harder. But did the swearing garner the result?
Dave Bjerke, NBC
Bob Drops Bombs
When Joelle cut her 30-second team treadmill sprint intervals into a 20-second effort, Bob snapped. He confronted her, screaming curses scattered throughout the message that she wasn't giving it her all, she needed to just do it. We counted 10 f-bombs. Joelle did sprint the full 30 seconds, but young viewers heard an earful.
Trae Patton, NBC
Jillian's Low Blow
Remember when Jillian called Laura the weakest team member? Not only did Jillian embarrass Laura in front of her team by calling her out, she went on to put the entire team on the spot and asked their opinion of Laura, too.
Trae Patton, NBC
Post-Binge Blow Up
After Season 7's Black team turned their day of luxury into a 15,000-plus calorie binge over steaks, drinks, smokes and late night chicken strips, Jillian hit a new level of mad. "The second you leave you smoke? You get wasted?" stormed Jillian. "What the [expletive] am I here for? Why should I care if you don't care?" (Well, she had a valid point here.)
Trae Patton, NBC
Check out the video below to see Bob's Season 7 rant on Joelle, which made our list.
You can also watch Jillian go ballistic on Shay this season in the gym, with hilarious commentary from our friends over at the "The Dish."
Create Your Own Biggest Loser Team
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
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| Photo: NBC |
Family Support
You will not succeed without family support. There, I said it, and it's true! You need to make sure that the loved ones who share your home will help you to achieve your weight-loss goals. You'll need your spouse to handle the kids while you squeeze in a workout. You'll need the kids to agree to eat healthier and not whine about it. You'll need to get your family on board with living a healthier lifestyle, which means more outings in the park and less Mario Kart marathons in the living room. Sit down and negotiate with your family, tell them you're unhappy with your weight and you need their help to get it off. You'll go from having a group of complainers to a group of cheerleaders.
The Biggest Loser - Inspiring or Unrealistic?
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
We've been keeping a close watch on "The Biggest Loser," reporting the good news and the bad This week we headed to Twitter to see what -- if any -- lessons the Tweeps learned from this biggest of all big reality weight-loss shows:
Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
What's It Like for a Heavy Person to Run a Mile?
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
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| Photo: NBC |
So what actually happens when a morbidly-obese person decides to run? The two big things are: 1) the extra weight greatly impacts the joints and 2) the cardiovascular system is put to the ultimate test.
"I told my wife," said Dr. Darrin Bright, a sports medicine physician and Medical Director of the Columbus Marathon, "It's like running in sand carrying me on your back!" Bright cautions, "I'm sure they had medical clearance to participate in the run, but for any event you have to train properly." Bright suggested that a walking routine would have been a much better place to start with these contestants.
Win a Personal-Training Session With Bob Harper
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
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| Timothy Norris, Getty Images |
That's Fit: This season is about second chances and a previous contestant is returning. What advice to you have for people who have lost weight in the past only to gain it back?
Bob Harper: I try to tell people not to be so discouraged when you get yourself in that situation. I've worked with so many people who have lost hundreds of pounds and then put it back on and what I try to get people to focus on is why they need to lose weight in the first place and to get healthy the goal should be to learn better habits and have new tools while you're losing the weight so whenever you have reached your "goal" you have a new lifestyle. So many people are thinking, "Once I lose the weight I can go back to the way it used to be," and that's just not the case.
Biggest Loser Science - What Are Those Black Things on Their Arms?
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products
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| Photo: bodybugg.com |
The software connects with an online food journal so you also keep track of how many calories you've eaten. I've owned one for three years and can attest to the its accuracy. I call it my conscience; it's like having a nutritionist and a trainer sitting on your shoulder 24/7 and flicking you in the back of the head to make sure you keep on track.
I spoke with Kim Slover, the service manager for Apex bodybugg, who gave me the inside scoop about the science behind the device. "There is not another tool on the planet that can track your total calorie expenditure like the bodybugg does. It has greater than 90 percent accuracy," said Slover. She explains the device tracks six different pieces of data: Your heat flux, your core body temperature, your sweat rate, what axis of motion you're tracking on, your physical activity and a your steps. It also syncs up to software that tracks your body's progress, allows you to set weight loss goals and includes a detailed nutritional log.
Biggest Loser Video Game Preview
"The Biggest Loser" kicks off just one week from today. The focus of Season 8 is second chances, including a former Season 7 contestant Daniel, who was the show's heaviest contestant ever at 454 pounds. But second chances aren't just for the contestants. To help fans follow along in their own weight loss journeys, The Biggest Loser Interactive game for Nintendo DSi, DS and Wii hits stores on October 6.
The game features Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels to push you through routines to help you reach your goals, just like on the show. It also offers nutrition tips and challenges. The programs have a range of exercises, from yoga and cardio to full-body circuits to tone your body. "We wanted to give people another tool," Bob says. "You're going to have recipes from the book, you can track your progress, you can put in your calorie intake so when you lost the weight you can go back and see what worked."
There are four, eight and 12-week programs. Once you enter your current weight, you can enter your goals. But unlike the show, which has raised eyebrows for its extreme weight loss that is unsustainable for many people in the real world, the game will actually limit the amount of weight you can lose in a given program. If you're looking to lose 50 pounds in four weeks, the game will set more realistic goals for the first four weeks and then you can enter new goals for the next session.
And what about the workout? At a recent preview of the game, many former Biggest Loser contestants and Bob were on hand to break a sweat with a Wii controller. And everyone did sweat. As you go through the exercises, Bob or Jillian coax you along just as they do on the show. "It's actually their voice and their personality," says Nicole from Season 7. "When you see the avatar you're like 'oh it kind of looks like Bob,' but then you hear him -- and it's totally him."
Click on the gallery below to see who wins when newlyweds Damien and Nicole take each other on in a Biggest Loser Interactive challenge.
Biggest Loser Video Game Preview
Tara, Damien and Nicole from Season 7, along with Jim from Season 4, were on hand with Bob to show off their slimmer bodies and break a sweat with the new Biggest Loser video game for Wii and Nintendo DS and DSi.
Katherine Tweed
The game is broken up into lower-body, upper-body and full-body workouts, which you can choose, or a program will be set up for you based on your goals. Tara offered her tips for me (left) and Kelly Zyskowski from Seventeen magazine as we went through a 30-minute routine.
Katherine Tweed
The key to the workout is to mimic the trainer on screen -- not going slower or faster -- to maintain proper form. Bob and Jillian are just as encouraging (and tough!) in the game as they are in real life, according to Nicole from Season 7.
Katherine Tweed
Floor exercises oddly require you to put your Wii controller in your pocket, although many workout clothes don't have pockets. But we discovered it's just as easy to put it in your waistband so the controller can still register your movements.
Katherine Tweed
Two players, including one who is a member of the Biggest Loser Club, went head to head in a challenge. Like the real game, the challenges eliminate players one by one until there is only one winner left.
Katherine Tweed
Bob came by to cheer on Kelly and I as we go head to head in a challenge that involves doing a "mountain climb" move followed by "ax chops." After a 30-minute full-body routine and two challenges, we both got a (surprisingly) good workout. Even though Bob wasn't standing behind us the entire workout, he was with us on the screen and it kept us moving -- and sweating.
Katherine Tweed
After a technical snafu in round one challenge, where Nicole thought she was winning but the controllers were switched around, the newlyweds went for a rematch. "I don't know anything about video games," Nicole admitted. "It was Atari when I was young."
Katherine Tweed
The mountain climbing movement is meant to mimic your character moving across a pool on a tightrope. Nicole is in the lead, but Damien isn't far behind.
Katherine Tweed
Nicole wins this round definitively with good form on her "ax chops." Damien, however, claims his controller must be broken and they have a rematch to settle the rematch.
Katherine Tweed
