The Biggest Loser Netflix Doc: 3 Takeaways
- Darek Kowal
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Oh ... dear.
I recently watched the new Netflix documentary 'Fit For TV: The Reality Of The Biggest Loser'. It's a three episode doc that goes behind the scenes of the popular NBC weight loss competition 'The Biggest Loser' and checks in on previous contestants years later.
And it is a fucking nightmare.
People are ridiculed, abused, pushed well beyond any safe/healthy limit and more or less ritually humiliated on network TV. Worst of all, many contestants have either returned to their starting weights or even exceeded them.
Whether or not you watch is up to you but, as someone who works in and general loathes the fitness industry, I wanted to discuss a few key takeaways from the series that I see elsewhere in the world of Personal Training and online Fitness Influences, hopefully to help you avoid their mistakes.
Let's Go.
A CALORIE DEFICIT VS. STARVATION
According to the documentary, the on-set doctor encouraged contestants to limit their caloric intake to roughly 1500 calories per day. Meanwhile, the Personal Trainers (allegedly; I'm not getting sued ...) were telling contestants not to eat above 800 calories ... all while working out 6-8 hours every single day.
I often have clients propose eating 800-1000 calories per day to lose weight and quite frankly, I never recommend it. As a general rule, 1200-1500 calories is the absolute limit I ever recommend. Anything less than that borders on malnourishment.
As we've discussed previously, weight loss is about calories in vs. calories out. You need to burn more than you are consuming to lose weight. Here's a healthy example.
If I weigh 150 pounds and it takes 15 calories to sustain 1 pound of body weight, I multiply 150 x 15 to get 2250 calories needed per day to maintain my weight.
If I want to lose 1 pound per week, I need a daily deficit of 500 calories.
2250 - 500 = 1750. See how close I already am to 1500? And that's just 1 pound per week.
The contestants on the show were losing 10-12 pounds per week while denying themselves proper nutrition and working out constantly.
This is 1) not sustainable and 2) not healthy.
If you want to lose weight AND maintain your health, slow and steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week is preferable. Starving yourself is not the answer.
MOTIVATION VS. ABUSE
This is a conversation about philosophy and the role of a Personal Trainer.
On the show, the two featured personal trainers are shown screaming at contestants, using harsh, threatening language to 'motivate' them to finish their workouts. There is also footage of one of the trainers hanging off the back of a contestant to 'add resistance' as they exercise.
Do I really have to say it? This is extremely dangerous. One thing I noticed and found concerning throughout the doc was how little regard the trainers/the workouts had for their contestants joints, often forcing people well above 300 pounds of body weight to run and jump and drop all of that body weight on their knees.
I believe in a 'quality of life' approach to fitness that is rooted in protecting your joints and avoiding injury. In 9 years of Personal Training, I've never had a single client injured because I don't put them in dangerous situations or have them perform exercises where they are like to injury themselves. I do this 1) to keep everyone safe and healthy and 2) because the role of a Personal Trainer is to help a client succeed, to put them on the path to reach their goals, not to abuse their bodies and risk major injury.
This leads into my least favorite Personal Trainer trope: The Trainer as Drill Sergeant. I used to work at a gym where one of the trainers was constantly screaming as clients, barking orders and acting like it was a scene out of Full Metal Jacket.
Guess what? Everyone either quit or demanded a new trainer.
Yeah. It turns out most people don't want to be screamed at while trying to better themselves.
There is no yelling allowed in my workouts. I don't degrade or insult or threaten. My job is to help you reach your goals and the best way I can do that is by encouraging you, keeping your accountable and safe, and providing an environment that you look forward to entering.
No yelling. Sorry Jilly.
Oh by the way ...
CAFFEINE SUPPLEMENTS TO SUPPRESS APPETITE
It is absolutely NOT the job of a Personal Trainer to sell you supplements, especially appetite suppressors.
On the doc, one of the trainers admits on camera to giving their team Caffeine Supplements to suppress appetite and increase energy.
That's right. They gave people weighing 300+ pounds supplements that would rapidly increase their heart rate then made them exercise for 8 hours. You'll be shocked to learn that the doc also shows several contestants passing out or expressing that they're about to black out.
If you have a Personal Trainer who is encouraging anything like this ... RUN!
I've been exercising for 20+ years and the only supplements I've ever taken were Whey Protein Powder and Creatine Monohydrate. I still take the protein as part of my breakfast shake but only did the Creatine for one month in 2021 because ... well, I'm cheap and it's really expensive!
I never recommend supplements to my clients because you can get every nutrient you need from a balanced diet of whole foods.
I also never recommend pre-workout powders or energy drinks that will increase your heart rate and create a dependency. The best natural stimulants are water and black coffee, and the best way to increase energy naturally is by working out, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep.
CONCLUSION
I honestly walked away from the series feeling horrible for contestants and disgusted by the Trainers and Producers. Every story has multiple sides, but it seems fairly clear that 'The Biggest Loser' had very little to do with helping people and much more to do with embarrassing them for ratings.
My goal is to make people feel comfortable in the gym and provide a path for them to reach their health/fitness goals. If you're looking for someone to yell, push supplements, or force you to do dangerous exercises, I'm not your guy.
If you want a Personal Trainer who can help you reach your goals AND give you the confidence you need to feel in control of your body, click the link below to Book A Free Consultation Call.
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