First, I just want to say that I'm so glad this show is back on, and I'm loving the slick new video-effects... very fun! I spent the summer watching the Biggest Loser Australia series, and I'm jealous that they get to have so many more episodes than we do. You really get to know the "characters" better in that series.

Last night as I was watching the end-of-show weigh ins and seeing the huge numbers people were pulling after only a week of working out and dieting, I wondered if contestants were encouraged to (or just did it on their own) drink a lot of water or eat a big meal before the very first weigh in. Of course, any dieter who starts off loses a lot of water weight up front, but these numbers seemed especially huge. Very dramatic! And of course, that's what reality TV likes.

Anyway, just thought I'd toss this out there. What do you think?

Thats a given in my book.

Most of the regular posters here have acknowledged that it is certainly going on, and that unfortunately anyone who does not do it puts themselves at a huge competitive disadvantage. Week 2 is where you really see true results.

The brown team had to have water loaded. I just don't believe the numbers they got were honest.

It has to be water. There is absolutly, positively, no way someone can really lose 35 pounds of fat in one week. 35 x 3500. That is 122k calories extra burned. They would have to burn 17500 calories a day.....impossible. I would have to run 5 marathons or 125 miles to burn that.

I'm pretty sure one of the previous contestants said in her myspace blog that the first week's results were not only the result of drinking excess water prior to the initial weigh in, but also because of the water weight a person naturally loses when they first begin a diet PLUS (and this is gross) when you go from eating terribly to eating nearly perfectly and working out, your intestines clean themselves out really good. All of that equates to the huge numbers in week 1.

Like Ryan said, next week will give you their real numbers.

Water loading has been in existence since episode one.....it's part of the game/strategy......most of us are use to it. Yes, the 2nd week is when everything comes to light.

Both Brown and Yellow to be honest. 24 pounds at 30 minutes of exercise a day is IMPOSSIBLE. From a purely physics/mathematics standpoint he had to have cheated. It is sad that we are resigned to accepting cheating, or at the very least manipulating, to be the standard of the competition.

Well, first, if manipulating the scale is cheating, everyone does it, consciously or otherwise.

You weigh less during certain times of the day, and other times you weigh more. You can water load or food load before weighing in that first time. God knows I did it for BL here at work. So did my other coworkers.

Another thing to remember is that the weeks on Biggest Loser aren't really weeks. I've heard they are anything from ten days to fifteen days. I'd wager this time around, they are ten days.

So.. it's not cheating to drink water and weigh in. Sorry. It's just the way it works.

Just like later in the game, when we see people who get immunity water up so they can get the big loss the following week, that's not cheating either.

It's playing the game with the rules that are set.

Personally, I'd be all for a random weigh in.

Who, from NBC, said that water loading is cheating? If someone can link me up with that rule, please do so.

I will stand my ground and say that TBL is a program with "contestants" there to lose weight and win the "game" water loading has been part of this game from day one, it does contribute to the contestants final weigh in....after all is said and done, they are there not only to lose weight but to win the game, a large amount of money is on the line. I've yet to see a millionaire on the program.

If a contestant is truly cheating, why wouldn't NBC disqualify them?

After that whole debacle with Neil in season 4(??) didn't they make a rule that if you have immunity and gain weight you lose your immunity? I think that's about as close as they have come to saying that water loading is cheating. And for the first weigh in, I'm not sure that you could make the argument that water loading is cheating.

Well when it comes to week one it is definitely hard to be certain someone was definitely water loading. Of course last season it was caught on film the discussion of water loading, but still how do you prove it?

I think that Ryan and many of us use the word cheat even if it is allowed in the game. We see it as an integrity issue. I guess one can deal with it in week 1 because it has become so common, but when it happens in the middle of the season that is definitely when I find it to be wrong game or no game. The elimination of Team Pink last season was one of the worst episodes of TBL I had ever seen.

Why?

Any game.. biggest loser.. boxing.. what not .. that is weight dependent or that uses weight to regulate or judge will have people messing around with their body and their water concentration.

In boxing, you see boxers water up to fight in a higher weight class, or literally dehydrate to get to a lower weight class. In Biggest loser, you have the watering up before the first week and the gaming to gain during the program, and I promise you you also have people going into their last chance workouts without TOUCHING water. I wouldn't be surprised if they go back to the Ranch and turn on the showers to hot and try to sauna as well. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if there was even some purging going on.

When you use weight as your motivating factor / judging item.. you will always get people using water to game the system. Your weight is made of between 45 and 75% water. It's the easiest thing to game, and it's zero caloried, so it's easy to get rid of.

HERE HERE!

Welcome back Gooch! You are absolutely right, it may not be against the letter of the law, but I consider it an atrocious breach of personal integrity and consider them all cheaters for that. Unfortunately, it is now the rule and not eh exception, so we just have to wait for week two for the real competition to start. Unfortunately because of the phenomenon the first team eliminated generally gets the shaft. The producers should have pulled a "just kidding" on the contestants and made the weight after the first week their starting weight.

You kidding, the producers likely encourage this.

It makes the premiers seem even bigger and more dramatic.

Like I said, I'd be all for random weigh ins, but it's always been this way in TBL. This is nothing new.

atrocious breach of personal integrity and consider them all cheaters for that

The game is not about a person's integrity......but a game about losing weight and winning that cash prize....and many extra perks that comes with winning.

I can believe that.

I personally think that water loading is against the spirit of the game. Most supposedly come there to change their lives...or so they say. I'm not so sure I like the game play sometimes... even when water loading isn't an issue. I'd hate to be in the shoes of those who have to vote off someone. They have to look at alot of factors. Alliances, (maybe not at this point in this particular game yet).. potential, personalities etc. It's always potentially not going to be fair to someone.

I would be all for random weighins.. Especially that first weigh in..

I sure hope the rule is still in effect.. with regard to gains and penalties. They should reiterate it every couple of weeks.

Maybe challenges should be held nearer to the weigh in day. So that people who win challenges don't have as much of an opportunity to manipulate their weights because of immunity.

Random weigh-ins would be a solution to all that debate the water-loading. Perhaps in the near future.

I think doing a random weigh in after 1-3 days of exercise would solve it. You can't water-load and exercise hard, you will just puke it all up.

Agree!!!

Well 3 teams cheated in order to get rid of the Black Team. Since Black won immunity and spoiled the plan they had to get rid of someone else. Since Pink Team was not part of the alliance and was doing things the honourable way (like the Gray team) they were booted since the cheating alliance had the votes. It was absolutely atrocious that teams purposely cheated and Team Pink was the fall out. Granted the all vs. Yellow challenge was stupid to begin with, but to get booted because you just went out and lost weight with integrity was terrible. I hate the game, the players I cheer for are those that just are there to get healthy like Trent last season.

Thanks Ryan. It is great to see you are still pushing people's buttons after all these months.

As I season three contestant I was never once told to load, drink a lot of water or anything like that before the initial weigh in.

On the other hand, just like everyone, I knew the more weight I had to lose, the better I would do from a competitive aspect. Trust me, when you're gearing up for that first weigh in and the ranch, you are thinking of every possible way to keep yourself there as long as possible.

Ooh Gooch, you are so right, thank you for refreshing my memory!!









Finally.........thanks Matthew!!!

I am hurt

I don't push peoples buttons, I simply expose excuses, BS, and unreasoned thinking to the cleansing light of truth and logic.

Well sometimes pushing their buttons is admitting that they are living a lie.

Nice to be back and talk some weight loss. I have to admit it will be tough this season with both House and Fringe on during the same time. I need to upgrade my tv services to tape some stuff.

Everyone is welcome to live a lie. However they are not welcome to spout off about those lies and then feign indignation when I call BS like we're back on the farm.



Ah House, how do I love thee. Seriously, it is a tough call, but I know house will go into reruns so can catch up on it later. Miss biggest loser and you have to wait till a marathon hits bravo or download all the episodes . VBarkley does not like talk of downloading episodes... I can feel the censor stick coming to thwack me!

Speaking of bravo marathons, those kick arse! It is really something to see the entire transformation over the course of one day.

I think it was Holly from season 4, that said in her blog at some point that they week prior to the ranch when they were sequestered, most everyone was eating the heck out of room service.

While I see that it is a game, I agree that this is a violation of the integrity and spirit of the game.

Were they "eating the heck out of room service" to add for #s on the scale or because they all knew they were going to be beaten to death in the coming weeks? Haven't you ever started a diet (say around the holidays) where you just gorge yourself the day or week before the diet starts.

Frankly, if I wanted to tip the scales, I wouldn't do it with food, I would do it with liquid. You can get rid of that faster.

Hmm...was that me? I don't remember, actually. I know a lot of people DO waterload or have those last few pig outs before the first official weigh in....Unfortunately for those who don't- either because of integrity or it simply never occurs to them (like me!) the game starts early and you just have to go with it! Ideally everyone just wants to be there as long as they can, and whatever they have to do to ensure that....they'll do.

Illegal downloading violates NBC policy.

I guess that means they aren't really available online. And here I thought I was going to be able to figure out how to download a show to watch...(as long as it was free).. (sorry to be Off topic here.. )

Who determines which shows they put up for availability to download? Why some NBC shows are and some aren't? Is it the discretion of the shows producers? Maybe they want to be able to sell the show with syndication rights later..and that is why they aren't available online. I know previous seasons are occasionally shown on Style and the reality channel..

Just curious.. If someone can oblidge me if they are in the know, I'd appreciate it.

Now back to the topic of water loading..

Who said it was illegal? The show is still broadcast across the airwaves free of charge. It is only illegal if you try to make money by selling recordings of it. Freely downloading is perfectly legit

She was talking about peer to peer downloads. You know, the bittorrent files. Its a grey area. Some stuff is legal and other stuff is illegal.

P2P and bittorrent is legal, some content that is transferred by that process is not.

water loading is very dangerous physically. Some have actually died from drinking too much fluids too quickly. Another thing, how do they drink so much without having to sit on the toilet alot. First week is easiest to lose cause you are shocking the system, plus incredibly intense workouts for 6 hours a day leads up to the weight loss, not to mention what they do on their own. Take out the pop and sugar and see how much alone that results in, then take away the fast food. Main concerns with them I think is dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Yes, as a fan from day #1 we are use to the differant ways to 'manipulate' your weight from 1 wk to the next.
We know they all put ALOT of hard work in thru each and every week(which as someone said earlier, are rarely a 7 day wk. due to editing, setting up challenges ect..) & that
Hard Work is key to their inspiring me personally every wk.

Jillian has talked many times on her Sunday radio talk, about contestants being
highly encouraged by trainers, nutritionests & others, not to "cut' Big time. But as Life, & a reality show goes, people make their own choices.

So, whether it's water loading, drastic carb cutting, eating foods that'll really 'flush it out', no salt intake etc... They are trying to prolong their lives in staying on the show and sometimes use more drastic measures.
We all have our takes on it, And that's great, but you Have to just enjoy it for what it is. I love it no matter what. lol

Go, Hollie!

I guess week 2 pretty much laid the ground work for the theory of waterloading by the contestents.

I never thought it was a theory

rather than laying the ground work I think most of us just consider it further supporting evidence in an already well established fact.

Anyone else remember the Australian BL episode where the brown-haired woman (who became one of the finalists) had all the water bottles set out in front of her, and was using a calculator and table of computations to make sure drank just enough?

I had thought she was waterloading, but maybe she was just really, really thirsty.

Um, they don't workout for only 30 minutes. Try like 2 hours.

Of course large people lose weight faster than thin people and yes it is at first only water weight. But in general, guys lose more weight faster than women.

Jerry was disallowed from working out more than 30 minutes a day.

In week one, he lost 17 pounds. 17 pounds equals 59,500 calories, spread over 10 days is 5,950 calories a day deficient.

I don't care who you are, if you're only working out 30 minutes a day, even eating nothing would not allow you to lose THAT much.

Jerry waterloaded on week one.

Jerry is limited to 30 minutes of exercise... the board in general is still trying to sort out whether that is per day, or continuous. Additionally, 17 pounds of Fat loss would be equivalent to a caloric deficit of almost 60,000 Calories/kcal. Even with a full 6 hours of exercise, not possible. Lets say for arguments sake though that he lost 5 pounds of fat (high, but more reasonable). That would mean the rest of the weight loss came from a gallon and a half of water... Not an obscene amount of water loading, but I'm sure he went from a very over hydrated state to a slightly under-hydrated state. Brady on the other hand... 28 pounds... well that number is about as suspect as they come.

I think it was implied by a couple of posters that he was limited to 30 minutes a day based on what they heard or thought they heard that night.. The shows recap info indicated that he was restricted to 30 minutes 'at a time'. Which could still be good considering how sedentary he probably had been. (Not to Jillians standard of course)but at least he would be able to build up his endurance by having 2-4 or more mini workouts a day. He was probably restricted with the type of workouts he was doing too. We could see him the other night on the treadmill with oxygen tubing and he looked like he was going at a very moderate pace..

I wonder if the green team didn't resort to water loading prior to their initial weigh ins.. If that is the case, then it wound up doing them in! Sad, that it's become status quo to water load. I do like the idea of random weigh ins.. Who cares about the last chance workouts. They should be working everyday is if they are last chance workouts. Random weighins would thwart some of the game play..

I have always thought that there was a certain degree of sandbagging going on in the context of this show. I do not expect that some contestants don't work as hard during the week, but more likely they control their water weight leading up to the weigh in so that they either come off heavier or lighter than then they actually are. This was made crystal clear when Brady "mysteriously" didn't lose much weight in a week when he was for sure to be safe, and then "mysteriously" crushed it the next week.

I expect that he just drank a gallon of water before the weigh in, reducing his real loss by 5 lbs. It was so flagrant that Bob actually confronted them about what was going on.

How often, and to what degree, do you think the weigh ins are manipulated like this? And is it cheating?