I just recently finished reading “Where Did All The Fat Go”, by Dr. Huizenga of the Biggest Loser fame.  He’s based his weight loss program on the results he’s seen from the 36-at home contestants on Season 3 of the show.  His program stresses mass quantities of jogging daily – and follows a strict balanced eating plan.

I’m not 100% sold on Dr. H’s methods. He’s assuming that each person has a metabolic rate that is similar. When in reality – each person burns calories very differently than everyone else. Studies have shown that there are some people who will never be able to lose weight and keep it off – and it is best for those individuals to concentrate on establishing healthy habits and become as fit as possible – without watching the scale. Also – you have to remember that the majority of BL contestants who have followed his plan have gained some if not all of their weight back.

Studies have indicated that former-obese individuals must always work a little harder than those who have never been obese in order to maintain the same weight. It’s why people are prone to yo-yo dieting. So even when you reach your goal weight – you have to maintain an active lifestyle. Setting up a realistic exercise program you can maintain for a lifetime is much better than trying to lose as much as you can – as fast as you can – at all costs. I do like the idea of two hours of exercise a day – I will give him that. But I don’t agree that only walking or jogging will work.

Dr. H – while he mentions those with leg injuries should not walk – he does not include any sort of variation to his walk-jog exercise regime. He does briefly show how someone riding a stationary bike should progress to a standing position – but even then those persons with knee and ankle injuries would not be able to perform that maneuver. I would have liked to have seen additional studies on the other exercises as alternatives to walking/jogging.

Pushing yourself 120% all the time – while it sounds really fantastic on paper – you’re going to eventually wear your body out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a day off of exercise if your body is sending you cues – like a pinched nerve, swollen joints, extreme pain. To continue pushing at that level when you’re injured could lead to a lifelong injury that you can’t recover from. It is better to take one day now to heal.

Dr. H also recommends several different medical test be performed prior to starting his regime.  For most people a few of those tests are next to impossible to perform.   For example – not everyone has access to a DEXA, a Bod Pod or to a hydrostatic weighing facility.  While it is true – some doctors offices now have BIS scales that determine intracellular &  extracellular water – these are still hard to come by and very difficult to calibrate to give off the same results office to office – scale to scale.  Also – how many people do you know that will measure their water output {ie:  potty breaks}  after exercising to determine exactly how much sodium they expelled while exercising?

Dr. H may believe that the work you do directly correlates to the weight you lose. I know that is not always the case – we’re as unique as our fingerprints – and what works for one person isn’t always going to work for others. That’s why it’s so important for each of us to track our own progress – to fully understand the foods we’re putting in to our bodies – the balance of nutrients that works best for us as individuals. And then really know what exercises we not only like – but we see results from. I’m all for individualized weight-loss programs that are designed specifically for YOU. Not one that might work for the masses.. because it was made popular on a reality show.