Three things I really don’t like about ‘The Biggest Loser’

The fifth UK series of ‘The Biggest Loser’ started last night on ITV. From my perspective as a personal trainer, there are so many things wrong with this programme, I barely know where to begin, but here are just three of my major concerns:

1. Inappropriate, potentially harmful workout and exercise selection

The whole show is riddled with this, but was quite spectacularly demonstrated by last night’s opening task for the participants; a 5km run.

Running and even jogging are high impact, demanding activities which are not the best first choice activity for people who are morbidly obese and haven’t exercised in years. The best beginner’s running programmes advocate slow starts - getting people to walk before they run - before gradually increasing the intensity and duration of the effort.

For someone who is severely overweight, merely walking even a short distance can be a huge challenge to the cardiovascular and the musculoskeletal systems - if you’re not overweight and doubt this, try walking with 50-100% of your bodyweight in weights/sand/bricks/gravel placed in a rucksack.

In addition, the long-term effects of suddenly introduced, high impact exercise on the joints of obese individuals was clearly not taken into account, but the series only lasts 8 weeks, so that isn’t important, eh?

Which leads me on to:

2. All for the show, all go!

It’s fairly obvious that the production demands far outweigh the professional standards usually expected of the trainers.

I get it. I have to confess that I used to work in production on TV reality shows in a former existence and I know pretty much exactly what goes on behind the scenes.

Shows like this, while purporting to be in the interests of the contestants being ‘helped’, are actually all about the ratings and what better way to boost ratings than by broadcasting what amounts to a freak show.

As ITV proudly declare on the programme’s webpage, ‘this series tough challenges see them [the contestants] race up a mountain in the Brecon Beacons; pulling a red Routemaster bus 200m; an excruciating challenge involving sand mountains; a gruelling stadium challenge in the U.S.A. and much more’.

Stunts like these are easily defended by TV press officers and production staff by saying that:
a) they’re helping the participants to lose weight, gain confidence, make the most of their incredible journey back to health and increased longevity.
b) they have a team of experts, doctors, trainers, dieticians and others on hand to advise and help out at all times.
c) Look at the results! These people lose a ton of weight, don’t they? They’re very happy with what they achieved, aren’t they?
d) the programme helps to raise awareness of obesity and related medical issues. It’s educational.

OK, but the bottom line is that there are safer alternatives to sensational activities such as ‘pulling a red Routemaster bus’ - I’m sure that all three trainers could come up with some good ones.

Sadly, they might not be as watchable…

3. Morally dubious psychology

The show suggests:
This is the last chance for these people.
I say:
No, it isn’t.

The show suggests:
The only way to train effectively is to get constantly beasted (sorry ‘trained’) and bawled at (sorry ‘encouraged’).
I say:
No, it isn’t. There is a place for the drill sergeant attitude in the world of personal training, but there are plenty of alternatives which, while nowhere near as traumatic, are nonetheless effective.
It worries me greatly that viewers of the show may come to the very wrong conclusion that all exercise must be miserable, painful, tough and vomit-inducing and therefore never take that vital first step to moving more, losing weight and getting fitter themselves.

The show suggests:
These people may have only a short time left to live (see next week’s episode).
I say:
Possibly true, but is telling them that on camera really for their benefit, or is it rather for the entertainment of the Great British viewing public?

The show suggests:
By making the contestants take part in ‘Food Dilemma Challenges’, ‘they must have the willpower to resist the dietary choices that previously helped them pile on the pounds’.
I say:
I wonder if Ofcom would allow producers to do similar things to alcoholics or drug addicts? For example, ‘The Carlsberg Special Brew Can Dangle Challenge’ sponsored by, erm, Carlsberg?!

The show suggests:
Each week, the eliminated contestant didn’t lose quite as much weight as the others, therefore they obviously didn’t try hard enough, so they must be kicked out. But they do get free gym membership, diet and exercise plans and membership of the BL club, so it’s all good!
I say:
Oh dear. Getting someone to shed blood, sweat and tears, not to mention subjecting them to public humiliation and ridicule, only to be kicked out anyway, is worse than cruel. I can only wonder what the psychological implications of this are.
Why not let all the participants stay the course and see who loses the most overall at the end of the eight weeks? Weekly winners could be rewarded in different, healthy, ’good telly’ ways.
You’re right. Because that wouldn’t be as entertaining.

The show suggests:
Look at these amazing rates of weight loss over the 8 weeks! You too can and should aspire to this rate of loss at home!
I say:
The losses are, of course, impressive, but rates of loss such as these fly in the face of all responsible dietary and medical advice.
You really shouldn’t try this at home - these people are living in controlled conditions, eat only what they’re provided with, take part in daily, multiple exercise sessions and receive regular medical attention during the course of the programme.
Losses like these are unsustainable and unrealistic for most people. A weight loss of a pound or two per week may seem disheartening in comparison, but, in actual fact, a gradual loss such as this is far safer, more sustainable and less likely to result in a rapid rebound weight gain which often occurs after crash dieting.

That’s about it, but, in closing, I’d like to say that I really do hope that broadcasters will one day find an alternative to the all-pervasive ‘freak show’ health programme format.
There is a pressing need for good quality, entertaining and educational programming, focusing on exercise, healthy eating and so on, which does not need to be presented using the same, exploitative methods as those used in 'The Biggest Loser'.

The 10 Step Fat Fighting Fortnight

If you're looking to lose non-lean body mass (i.e. bodyfat), you could try following this simple, but effective approach for two weeks.

If you stick to it - no excuses, no cheating, no clandestine snacking - you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.


Here are the 10 steps:


1) Cut out ALL liquid calories.


This means no alcohol, no squash/fruit juice/fizzy drinks (including zero calorie/diet ones), no milk.


You can drink black coffee and tea, green and herb teas, but water (still or sparkling) should be your main source of hydration.


2) Cut out ALL refined sugar.


This means no sweets, desserts, no chocolate, no table sugar, no biscuits, no sweet sauces (ketchup, cook-in sauces and so on).


3) Cut out ALL white refined carbohydrates.

No white bread, white rice, pasta, crackers, cheese biscuits and so on.


4) Eat unrefined, wholegrain based carbs (wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown or wild rice) only in moderation


- as a guideline, no more than two portions a day (a portion equals one slice of bread, or one cupful of cooked wholemeal pasta or cooked wild/brown rice).


5) Eat starchy and or higher glycaemic vegetables (potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, butternut squash, parsnips) and legumes/pulses (lentils, broad beans, haricot beans, peas) only in moderation


- try eating no more than one cupful (cooked) of one of these per day. This does not include tinned baked beans, by the way, which should be avoided - they contain a lot of sugar.


6) Eat A LOT of fresh raw or cooked vegetables to form the bulk of your meals.


These include lettuce, Chinese leaf, other green salad leaves, peppers, celery, spinach, chard, kale, cabbage, green beans, courgettes, avocado, pak choi, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes (tinned tomatoes are also fine), onion and so on.


You can make salads, stir fry, steam or lightly boil the veg.


Make dressings with a small amount (a tablespoon) of olive oil and vinegar and use spices, garlic, and so on to liven up stir-fry and cooked veg.


7) Eat a portion of LEAN PROTEIN with each meal.


For women this should be a portion of lean meat, fish, dairy, egg or soya protein which is about the size and thickness of the palm of your own hand. 

Men should eat two of these sized portions at each meal.


8) Eat THREE substantial meals per day


- the bulk of these should be vegetables and you can eat a lot of them!


I repeat, you can eat a lot of veg!!


Your breakfast is one of these meals - do not skip it!


No snacking between these meals, except for your fruit allowance (see below) - if you're hungry, you need to eat more veg at mealtimes.


9) Eat three portions of fresh fruit a day


- apples, pears, bananas (limit these to one of your three), a small bowlful of berries and so on.


10) Do some exercise!


At least 15-20 minutes at least 5 days per week - preferably some type of simple resistance circuit, which gets you hot, sweaty and breathing hard.


For example: warm-up for 5 minutes and do as many rounds as you can in ten minutes of 5 press-ups, 10 squats and a 15 second plank hold. Rest when you need to, but work as hard as you can. Keep track of your rounds and try and beat your score each session over the two weeks.


Cooldown and stretch for 5 minutes.


That's it!


Disclaimer:
This blog is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as prescriptive nutritional or medical advice.
Before undertaking any radical change in diet or exercise habits, you should always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.
Please be aware that you are using any information presented here at your own risk.

The Nutrition Nightmare

If you tried to follow every single bit of healthy eating advice you came across, there’s a good chance you'd end up getting thoroughly fed up with it all and becoming a Breatharian, a person who believes that they can thrive on nothing but fresh air and spiritual energy. For the record, I don't recommend this as a dietary choice; breatharianism has often resulted in the less than healthy outcome of a premature death from starvation for many of its proponents.

Who’s responsible for all this confusion about what we should and shouldn’t eat? Here’s an overly simplified list of the primary guilty parties:

First up, we have the food, farming and pharmaceutical industries, backed by their teams of 'sympathetic' nutritionists, food scientists and doctors, who try to maximise their profits by highlighting the healthy aspects of the stuff they produce whilst keeping very quiet about the bad. I'm including the retailers in this category too, by the way, especially the major supermarket chains, who tempt and tease you with their BOGOFs, 3 for 2s and other offers and schemes.

Next, there are the established scientific and medical professions and the government food agencies, all of whom would like to give clear and unambiguous advice about not eating rubbish, but generally can't agree on an official stance which won't bite the hand of the first bunch. This institutionalised reticence, I think, played a big part in allowing, if not causing, major health scares such as the BSE/vCJD crisis in the 1990s - did you have the slightest idea before that story broke that beef cattle were routinely fed on meat and bone meal made from the carcasses of other animals, including other cows? No? Neither did I.

Then there's the fad diet brigade, generally comprising impossibly fit and trim OR ‘were-obese-and-probably-will-be-again’ celebrities and sports personalities, self-appointed food and health experts, as well as good old fashioned quacks and con artists. Oh, and the food and pharmaceutical industries: they often like to have a crack at this themselves - ‘simply replace regular meals with a bowl of our nutritious cereal / our fat-melting energy bar / a can of our wonder drink / a small capsule of something we concocted in the lab’.

Last, but by no means least, there are the popular press and the advertisers who spend inordinate amounts of time, energy and money reporting and sensationalising the mixed messages, the pseudo science, the conflicting guidelines, the latest fads, the blatant marketing spin. There’s a lot of advertising revenue to be gained from such reporting and programming, especially if your show or campaign is fronted by one of the celebs or ‘experts’ I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

It’s no wonder we’re all confused and quite touchy about the subject. I’ve learned - the hard way - that most of us are quite defensive about how and what we eat. Criticising someone’s dietary choices is tantamount to criticising their driving skills and is something you should be careful about doing in a heavy-handed, dogmatic way.

In the follow-up to this article, I’ll outline some guidelines for improving your diet with some tried and tested advice that I’m fairly sure your grandparents would approve of. Your grandma wouldn’t want you living off thin air now, would she?

To be continued…

Boot Camp Successfully Completed!

Congratulations to everybody who completed our Outdoor Fitness Boot Camp!

Everyone - without exception - put a huge amount of effort into the activities, some of which were extremely challenging.


Charlotte and I sincerely hope that you enjoyed taking part in the event as much as we did running it.

I'd like to thank Antony, Denise, Mick and Lynn from Langho FC for allowing us to host the event at the club training grounds. It was the perfect venue and even the weather was kind to us for most of the week.

Special thanks also to Simon Barnes and the team from Bashall Barn, who brought some delicious, carrot and walnut cakes to the last evening session on Friday (sorry you missed out, early birds!)

I'll hopefully have news of further events and regular outdoor sessions very soon. Please stay tuned!

One week 'til Boot Camp

I've been preparing a few interesting pieces of equipment in readiness for next week's fun and games. I'll leave it up to you to imagine what you might be expected to do with this assortment of tyres, Japanese Post Office mailbags and army kitbags, PVC pipes, basketballs, marker cones and webbing straps, amongst other things. All I can say is all of it will be used to help get you fitter and stronger during the course of our bootcamp!

There's less than a week to go and places are filling up fast. We still have some places available for the 6am sessions, but if you want to join the 7.30pm sessions, then I'd urge you to get in touch with Charlotte or myself as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Bootcamp!

A full week of fun & fitness:

Magnesium - Your Missing Mineral?

Although most people are aware of the importance of getting enough iron and calcium from their diet, many don't realise that they may well be deficient in another mineral which is almost as essential for good health and physical performance; magnesium.

Magnesium is the fourth most prevalent mineral in the human body and is required in over 300 biochemical reactions. It's necessary for building muscle tissue and bone, creating and storing energy, maintaining healthy circulatory, nervous and immune systems, and countless other biological processes.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include:

• Muscle spasms, tics
• Cramps, muscular pain
• Insomnia
• Restlessness, nervousness
• Constipation
• Low energy, tiredness
• Hormonal imbalances
• Weakened bones, osteoporosis
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Decreased physical / athletic performance, poor recovery

The causes for this widespread deficiency are varied:

• Modern food production techniques have reduced levels of magnesium in the soil and food refining and processing methods strip even more of the mineral out of our diet.
• While hard water contains naturally abundant levels of magnesium, soft water or artificially softened water has a significantly lower content.
• Drinks with diuretic effects, including tea, coffee and alcohol, actively flush magnesium out of the body.
• Overconsumption of dairy products can reduce the amount of magnesium in the body.
• Physical exercise also depletes the body's stores. Charles Poliquin, a leading Canadian strength and conditioning coach states: “Magnesium is the most common deficiency seen in athletes; one reason is that resistance training increases magnesium requirements. In fact, during the last 12 years I have yet to see a first-time trainee I’ve worked with have acceptable magnesium levels.”

How to ensure that you maintain adequate levels of magnesium:

• Natural sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and kale), nuts and seeds, some legumes and whole grains. One of the best sources, you'll be delighted to hear, is dark chocolate – the higher the cacao and the lower the refined sugar content, the better, and don't overindulge. Milk chocolate won't do, though, for reasons I'll outline below.
• Supplementation is a good idea, if you think that you might be deficient, or if you are very physically active.
• Most oral supplements come in tablet form, though you can find liquid forms such as this one. They contain various forms of magnesium (magnesium oxide, hydroxide, stearate, gluconate, citrate and so on) and it's worth noting that the commonest oxide form is the least easily absorbed.
• The UK guideline RDA amount is 300mg. Overconsumption can lead to loose bowel movements – reduce the amount you take or discontinue use if this happens.
• I find that it's best to take magnesium 30-60 minutes before bed on its own, or as a ZMA supplement (a zinc and magnesium combination popular amongst bodybuilders).
• Avoid ingesting it with milk, dairy or any calcium-rich food or supplement: calcium will inhibit the body's uptake of magnesium (that's why the milk chocolate's no good, I'm afraid).
• Also be aware that some cheaper ZMA supplements can make you somewhat malodorous! If people start avoiding you (...more than usual?), change your supplement.
• A great way to absorb magnesium is through the skin. This can be best achieved by having a hot bath containing Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) and this is particularly beneficial after a hard workout. Epsom Salts are not that easy to get hold of nowadays, but if your local chemist doesn't have any in stock, you can buy them online here.
• Taking magnesium can help you sleep better (another good reason to take it just before bed), but some find that they have particularly lucid dreams after taking it.
• Vitamin D is required to maximise the uptake of magnesium, so make sure you get some exposure to sunlight every day (15-20 minutes or so), whilst avoiding overexposure.