Hi to all ,
I love watching the biggest loser. My question to them or all is that why are the women who are on there not larger than 300lbs?(amy was close )
We have men all the way up to 400lbs and giving them a fighting chance- is it because they lose faster than women and have better results for tv? How unfair is that to a lot of very obese people out there in today world. Wouldnt that be inspirational to see a REALLY large women on there to see she can do it( if men 400lbs why not put larger ladies ) so what, she might not be the winner of the $$ but at least it will show she was able to do it with out resorting to have major surgery after many many years of yo yo dieting. I would so much like to see this happen.
I am glad Ali won any women would of been great to win finally. I am sure for ali and the other ladies there starting weight was tough for them but for us at home larger ladies look at that wow wish i was down to their start weight ..for some that could be 100-150-200lbs to get there and to see it happen or get close to it would be great to see..
I would love to hear from others out there so post away.. would like to see NBC change it up a bit...

Welcome to the forum Poptart, there are many of us who thought that this would be one of the best ways to guarantee a woman had a fighting chance at the big prize. Although Ali proved it could be done at a smaller weight, I do believe to make things more even with who wins the BL crown more attention needs to be given to having larger ladies that can drop the 50% number that seems to be the end target.

I have wondered the same thing. Wondering if I weighed too much to get on the show. You can rack your brains over and over wondering am I too big, am I NOT pretty enough. What is it that makes them not pick you. I auditioned and had high hopes for Season 6 but I think I am finally going to give up this time!!

I've only watched one full season of this show, this season. So I can base most of this on jus tthat.

We had one man over 400, and a few others between 350 and 385. The heaviest women were in the 240 to 280 range.

Seems to me that's a pretty fair range for both sexes considering the fact that thin men, moderate men, heavy men and obese men in each group is a similar larger person than the same grouping in women, thin, moderate, heavy, obese.

Putting a 325 pound woman on the show is a lot like putting a 500 pond man. I'm not too sure either would be able to make it through the rigors of this show.

I weight 365-370 and am 52. I was an athlete and at the same height I was 180 a third of a century ago. If it were not for a foot problem I have, I think I could do as well on this show as a Roger did, because of my athetic background. However, if I weighed 430 to 450, I am not too sure then I could do it, as that is a LOT more weight.

Now, Kelly was 281 to start. Imagine if she was 50 to 60 heavier to start, at say 341. I also am not too sure she could have made it through the rigors of the show the first few weeks.


That said, I am thinking that if one day the show gets a female applicant that is 320 to 350 AND has a good athletic background (that obviously fell aprt sometime in her life), is taller than the type Kelly is and if they think she can make a go of it, we might just see her on the show.

Mike

One thing that make this possible is to actually have the people cast all within 10 lbs of one another. I mean there are so many people auditioning that I think this could easily be done. I am a woman that weighs over 300 lbs. Actually hitting my all time high of 400 lbs in January. Through the Million Pound Matchup I lost 30 lbs within one month. I am still dropping those big numbers and not working out like they do on the show. I do agree that a woman my size may have a more difficult time in some of the strength competitions. However where that is lacking, one could pull LARGE numbers week after week. Again, I really do like the idea of picking people all within that 10 lbs weight difference of one another. I think this would put EVERYONE on the same playing field. This way you wouldnt have someone that was the biggest POUND loser and they not win.

Thats IS an interesting concept, but I think it would need some tweaking. Let's say it was The Biggest Loser 250, where each person had to be within 10 pounds either side (240 to 260). After seasons where the male was seeming at an advantage, I think TBL 250 would give women an advantage, as I think typical overweight men at 250 have less percentage to lose than overweight women at 250 would (based on stats from the previous seasons). The only tweak I can see would be The Biggest Loser 250/335 or something like that, where all the females were 250 +/- ten pounds and the males 335 +/- ten pounds. None the less, having TBL 250 might work just fine too.

Like the idea NurseMissy! Having some limiting starting range for each sex or both together could yield the most fair season.

Mike

If they were to do this, they'd have to keep the number a secret. I think it would inspire people who might be under the required weight to put on weight just to make the show! I know we've read here on the boards where people don't want to start losing on their own because they might be too small to make the cut.

I don't really know if it would put everybody in the same playing field though. I agree that you'd have to have a higher number for men. But, numbers on a scale mean so little. So many factors have to be considered before actually leveling the playing field. But I think the idea is a good one and with some tweaking, as Duck suggested.

I would like to see larger women on the show too and while I'm sure there are some that apply, there may be difficulties finding women that large that would be physically able to handle the stress Bob and Jillian dish out. There are certainly larger men than 430 that you would think would be prime candidates but their knees and ankles wouldn't hold up. Even the those on the show have had knee problems. The extrememly large need a more cautious approach to weight loss to avoid serious injury on the way to their goal. The problem there though is that isn't as exiting to watch and doesn't make for WOW tv.

I also have thought that getting women large enough to drop 50% of the weight would be difficult..(Ali has been an exception) Of course we know women's weight is distributed differently and our muscle mass is naturally different percentage wise.. That could further hinder the shows ability to find women fit enough to undergo the rigors of the show.

One problem with trying to get everyone within a 10 lbs. starting point even if it's men having a different range from women.. is that you still have alot of other varying components to the contest.. Height is definitely a factor.. Would they have to narrow contestants to be within a few inches of one another height wise? Then there is the build/genetic component.. Sometimes people can be the same height and size..but be drastically different weight wise.. Of course we know people lose at different rates.. and those who have natural ability to lose easier will quickly be apparent..and they will dominate..

I personally like having the variety of shapes and sizes, ages and heights.. It allows us to find someone with whom we can identify with.. whether it's their size, gender, occupation, age, personality or whatever.. Usually I find something I can identifiy with them through their own personal stories of weight struggles.. Isn't that what unites many of us in the first place? I like having the diverse palette of contestants.. Just like the general population of people who struggle in the real world.

I think most of us have agreed that they are all ultimately winners when they have substantial success and have morphed before our very eyes.. even if they don't place in the money... I think it would take away from the show alot if you had a bunch of chubby 'clones' all similarly sized and ability. The show needs the variety to add interest and as a way to reach a wider variety of audience as a means to help motivate.

I do have to agree with this wholeheartedly. Although I know Trent to a degree, the one on TBL-Couples that I could identify most with was Roger, as he an I are virtual body-clones. So your point that the diversity is good for the viewing audience is 100% on the mark, as it certainly gives us all either someone to relate to, and/or to root for. If all of the men or women contestants were body-clones (same height range, same weight-range), it might just be a ratings fiasco for NBC. It would be interesting on another regard as presented in the original post and some replies (including mine) on the topic, but after reading kpw1956's post, I have to side with kpw1956.

So with Roger, I was rooting for Trent, but Roger too (even if he were not Trents partner), as he is me to a strong degree. Our heights are the same, I now weigh what he started at and his end weight (199, on the show) is just a wee bit more than my "high school football weight" (I believe Roger said his high school football weight was 219?? Mine was 185). The only real difference between me and him is that I have him by a dozen years, and I would be much more strikingly handsome at 199 than he is ;-)

Mike

Well of course! We all assumed such!

I agree with you guys regarding the diversity. I love it. I usually relate most to the women closest to my age, although I relate to the younger folks too, because I remember being those ages and the trials and tribulations that go with that. It is nice to be able to relate to different people for different reasons.

I don't think that the playing field could ever be equal when it comes to weight loss. Can you imagine? It is so much more than numbers on a scale. Height, bone density and size, age, metabolism history, starting fat percentages, (to some degree) genetics, etc, etc.

It might be interesting sometime to do a show of just identical twins, but maybe that would be too gimmicky. But, it might be interesting. We've already seen last year one set of twins become the winner at home and at the ranch. A whole show of them might be neat.

Yet again, like I said, it might be too gimmicky and that's not something this show needs. It stands very well on its own.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that I remember that season four had women over 300 lbs. It stuck out to me because I thought for sure it would be the season to have a woman winner because with those kind of starting weights, they could easily rival the percentage of weight loss of the big guys.

On the other hand, women like Poppi and Ali have shown that the starting weight doesn't have to be in the 300's. Poppi lost over 50% in season three with a starting weight of 232. Ali lost 47%, higher than anyone else her season, with a starting weight of 236 (or was it 234?). It doesn't have to be over 300 lbs for a woman to break the 50% barrier.

I think you might have been thinking of Amber. I had to go back to check the show data.. as I mentioned in an earlier post .. (I think it was in the Kelly thread) that she started out a few lbs. less than Isabeau but was 4 inches shorter. She definitely carried her weight differently and could have looked significantly heavier. She was an apple shape and Isabeau was more of a pear shaped woman.

Amber had a really tough time with the workouts.. I felt bad for her because of the criticisms launched in here.. We see so many of them physically getting ill (at least in the initial workout regimens). Even Bernie was ill in the first episode or 2... and worried that he would let Brittney down or perhaps he was worried about being perceived as a 'weenie'.. for not being able to handle it. Of course Amber was the first one out because she couldn't tough it out..

I seriously don't think I could make the grade either.. I'd prefer to lose it and be able to maintain it in a realistic 'lifestyle' manner. The contestants deserve all the accolades for sharing their journey with us..and baring their all.. (or almost their all... at least they keep their shorts on.. and the skimpy sports bras!) That goes for the past, present and future participants.

I'm a woman and over 300 lbs (embarrassing to admit). I was just at the doctor last week and found out I weigh 312 lbs which is the heaviest I have ever been.I'm 26 years old and have been over weight most of my life, since about 8 or 9. I would love love love love to do the show. I know I could do the challenges. They would be hard but I'm pretty sure I could do it.

Have yall seen Amber now? She is so beautiful. And she lost most of her weight at HOME on her own without the trainers. We really all have to remember that this is TV and it is edited in ways that it may not have really happend. Either way all of the contestants have done great.

I will volunteer to be the first woman over 350 lbs!!!!


Any takers for me to be on the show??? LOL

Well, I am a large woman, have weighed well over 300 pounds all of my adult life, and I am here to tell you that I work out quite a bit, but especially did so before my back was broken. I worked out hard core 3 hours a day/6 days a week, and i don't think i would have had any difficulties achieving the same exercise demands that they put on the contestants. I might now that I have a spinal cord injury, but then, i am not the type of person that has to do excessive amounts of exercise to drop massive quantities. i drop a lot of weight with 30 minutes of walking 4 times a week or so. i would lose too much weight if i went on and did what they do.

I remember seeing her at the finale in Dec. She did pretty well at home but that was only a few months ago.. (December...) I'm sure it's still a process but incredible that she has managed to be so successful. Goes to show you, that you don't have to work out 6-8 hours a day.. Or maybe she does!

I'm sure her work as a paramedic is physical..and she has probably been able to be much more active since taking off a large chunk of her weight.

I'll have to go back and refresh my memory about how much she lost at home between the time she left and the finale..

I do sincerely hope that she is doing well... and that all the contestants have maximized their experience by keeping their weight off. That is probably the hardest part! We know not all of them have been able to master that.. That to me, is the greater success! I meant absolutely no disrespect by my comments... I know I could not endure the wringer they are put through! I thought it was a general opinion from what we saw on one week.. It is tough.. and I think I recall her saying she wanted to go home..or something to that effect.. I'm sure it may have been an emotional decision... But so glad she did so well on her own!

Wait--I'm not getting this. Have you yo-yoed "massive quantities" over the years with just walking? How could you lose "too much weight" if you've weighed over 300 pounds all your adult life?

Not to be rude but I was thinking the same thing...how could you loose to much if you went on the show? if your 300 plus you could lose over 200 and be ok

I kind of thought the same thing G, but then again, I almost know what they mean. Well, for me anyway. I may be wrong but, I'm one of those people as well that when I even make 1/2 an effort to lose weight, it does come off quickly and fairly easily. I can barely exercise and yet just by making an effort to move a little more and change some of my eating habits, I've lost 75 lbs. Don't hate me though, because it comes on just as fast. (I binged on some donuts and a few candy bars last week, and gained 4 lbs. in three days.) So maybe they just mean they're one of those people that are like that. I don't know, just trying to find a reasonable explaination.

p.s. (OT) btw, I responded to your post the other day re: veebs get well sign, and to brookeann and when I went to hit post it disappeared. And I just didn't have the energy to redo it right then. Sorry!

I guess you don't get it, I would lose too much weight TOO FAST. and where did i say i yo-yoed?

it's dangerous to lose too much weight too fast...get it now?

I think gizzie and bigG just got your post mixed up with the original post from pop-tart. I don't think they meant any harm.

Don't feel bad hun, I binged on some fried tatoes, and i also went to Del Taco today (a fast food joint here) and got a taco and burrito..but I am still holding at 240 ...so I dont feel bad really, just need to be more on top of my diet...Im still looking for work which is stressing me right now, but Ill find one soon...

I do understand what she is saying i think....kinda like she may need to be kept on a tight rope to keep on her diet and exercise..I don't know...

Sorry i guess i didnt understand what you were saying....Now don't take this wrong ok..on the show a couple of those peeps lost well over 100 lbs in what 15-16 weeks.......they were fine, under a doc care the whole time....so how is it dangerous? I understand if your alone and doing it with out doc supervision and proper diet and stuff....but I bet if you had your Doc monitor you the whole time anyone could do this just as fast....it be hard with most of our life ..with work,kids and everyday stuff....but couldnt it be done?

It IS dangerous to lose too much weight too fast. just because they do it on the show does not make it healthy. and in all honesty, the contestants are not broadcasting their health records, so it's hard to say all of them are ok, and this is tv, you have to keep that in mind. sometimes things seem like something but are actually something else. it's for entertainment, and it a great show, no doubt. What I was trying to say that when I follow a healthy diet and walk just a little, I drop a lot of weight very fast. I mean, heck, I've lost 84 since january 4th, when I started on the million pound match up, and that was very little exercise because of my injuries and because I had a life threatening illness during it and had some other issues to contend with. so i could not really exercise until it was almost over. on top of that, i had a lot of steroids due to that illness, and yet, I still have lost a lot of weight. So, if I went on the show and exercised 6-10 hours a day like they do, heck yeah, I would drop all off before I even left the campus. period. yes, it's good to lose it, but no, it is NOT healthy nor is it really safe for your heart to lose that much that fast...and please keep in mind that I DO have a medical background. I'm not just saying stuff for the fun of it or to see my own words on a board. it is recommended by the medical community to lose no more than 2 pounds a week. Now I have certainly lost more than that, but I was not aiming to. I just lose it really fast when I maintain a healthy diet and do a little exercise. I realize it's much harder than that for some folks, but on the same token, I gain it a lot more easily than most folks do as well. I'm not complaining about it, but you do need to be safe and wise. I'm not going to go into what all they do as well to get those amazing numbers, that's for me to say.

sorry, I meant that's NOT for me to say

I do understand what your saying, and i dont want to get into really........but Im pretty sure NBC and there partners are not allowing anything unhealthy for the contestants, they would be held way to liable if anything did go worng....yes your right for MOST it is unhealthy to lose that much that fast...but there doing this all over the country and to my knowledge no one has died or gotten sick from being on the show (shows) I to have some medical background and alone I would not try to loose that much that fast...I figure 2-5 lbs a week is safe...even if I just lose 2 lbs a week I am happy...Im healthy as far as blood pressure and all goes....just need to drop some lbs....I'm 5'7 240 (started at 255 on march 25th) I havent been able to do much for exercise due to a shoulder injury, now that I am better I plan on doing much more...I hope to drop a bit faster but I dont look to drop as fast as the peeps on the show have, just cause I dont wanna dissapoint my self...

I do wish i had my wifes motabolism, she can eat all day and not gain wieght, shes taller then me by 1 1/2 in at 5'8 and is at 135 now...lol I tease her cause I tell her i gain just watching her eat.. but she is 100% behind me in my diet...Im doing about 1300-1500 calories a day, taking vitamins and lots of fiber...I drink 8-10 glasses of water each day or more sometimes...I dont eat sweets I stopped fast food (i did cheat today) and I dont fry anything anymore..no sodas (ice tea or diet 7up) is all I drink other then water..of course I have my coffee in the mornings...other then that I think Im doing pretty good...Just gotta stay on top of breakfast..Im still getting into the habbit of eatting that....

thanks for you input however and I hope it all works out for you....and I hope you feel better and or get better from your illness and or injury

thanks! I'm actually pretty healthy other than a spinal cord injury...what I was talking about is that I had pneumonia really bad and had to be on a ventilator for almost 2 weeks back in january. I'm A-OK now though. I envy your wife hahah! what a lucky woman!

I'm sorry but I can't agree. You are not understanding the entire story, medical background or not.

It is dangerous to eat too little and lose weight too fast. If a person is healthy, there is no reason that losing weight too fast would hurt the heart, if they are losing due to a lot of exercise as opposed to starving. If they are eating healthy. Those 1-2 pound guidelines are for the typical person at home, who wants to lose FAT as opposed to water and muscle. Losing too fast while not eating enough robs the body of muscle tissue and can also dehydrate. Definitely hampers the metabolism, among other problems.

If a person is medically checked out and has no heart problems and loses more weight than two pounds a week, due to extensive exercise and healthy eating, it is not going to hurt the heart. If they can exercise at all, the heart can take the stress of losing weight if done in a healthy manner. All bets are off if it is some kind of crash diet or severerly restricted calorie diet.

I'm sure you've seen people who have dieted in an unhealthy way. You see how they look when they reach their desired goals. Do you think any of the BL contestants look unhealthy? Like they have been putting undo stress on their hearts? I seriously doubt that NBC would take such a chance as to be using dangerous and unwise methods. Five seasons now and I've not heard of anybody who hurt their health from being on TBL.

Regarding your yo-yoing comment. I think people assumed you have been yo yoing since you seem to know that you lose weight very fast. I would assume that the heavier you are, the faster you lose weight, which is why you've lose fast so far. You have no idea if you would continue to lose at that rate and be at goal before you left the ranch...unless you've done it before. I would assume someone with a medical background would realize it is not an exact science and is unpredictable. Unless, of course, you've done it before. Hence, the yo yo.

Thank you..........I hope you do feel better, and I wish you luck on your continuing journey to your wieght loss...I am doing my best as well....we can all do it together sorta speak on here and just help keep each others chins up high..

I thought I was paying attention over the seasons but I don't think there has been a woman at 300 or more. Only because I hover around that area and I've looked for someone like me. (can't believe I just admitted that)

Kelly came close but I can't remember if Isabeau was about the same weight as her or not. Now, if all those contestants from the 50 states showed their starting weights, I bet one of them could have been over 300. Did all of them get weighed in the beginning? or was it just at the end?

I also agree with the diversity of bodies out there that are being picked. We all pack it differently and we all lose it differently. Poppy is a shorty and can you imagine her being 300? she would have been a ball. Ali would have been a huge tree trunk at 300. LIke I said, we call carry it different even if we are wearing the same size, density and height really make a difference.

Could not have said this any better Brooke!! My cario doc told me the same thing!!