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By Travis Smith
The Biggest Loser 2 Review is Here! 
"The Biggest Loser" TV show has taken America by storm. We have witnessed the amazing transformations of two teams of overweight people over the past few months. Total weight losses of both teams is more than 750 lbs to date! How'd they do that? With good old fashioned hard work! They've been pushed to the edge with extreme exercise regimens while being constantly tempted with their favorite foods.
They started out as two teams, Red and Blue, pitted against each other. The team with the least weight loss had to vote off one of their members. Each team has been led by a fitness expert/"life coach". The Red Team, led by Jillian Michaels managed some amazing progress while under her direction. The teams have now been dissolved and it's down to the final three.
Jillian has been there, done that. She was more than 50 lbs. over weight at one time. Losing the weight inspired her to become a personal trainer. Now, she's helping others feel better and look better. One thing that Jillian is really good at is helping people eliminate negative thinking patterns. On the show, Ryan was always referring to himself as the funny fat guy," says Jillian. "I forced him to stop thinking of being fat as a personality trait."
Jillian's diet plan, the "Eat Less Diet" has been an integral part of the contestants weight loss success. We'll review the diet, how it works and why it works!
The goal of the "Eat Less Diet" is to "eat less than you're burning," says Jillian who outlines the diet as:
| Eat
Less Diet |  |
| Burn
more calories than you take inHigh protein,
high fiber, low carbPortion
control |
The "Eat Less Diet" is based on the axiom that maintaining a daily caloric deficit will result in overall weight loss. To calculate the appropriate number of calories you should eat for healthy weight loss, you must first calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the basic amount of calories your body requires to supply energy needs to your organs and cells throughout the day.
Then, the number of calories burned through exercise is added to the BMR to get your total daily caloric expenditure. Once you have your total, you know how many calories to consume to elicit weight loss. Weight loss should be gradual over time for best results that last. Avoid crash dieting through severe caloric restriction because it typically leads gaining the weight back plus some. Healthy weight loss should be about 1-2% of your body weight per week.
What is a good daily caloric deficit? First you set a goal to reach your healthy weight. To determine how much you should weigh, a number of popular measurement tools have been developed. One of the most well-known is the Body Mass Index (BMI). Once you have your BMI, you know your healthy weight range.
 For example, let's say a person is a 200 lbs. female with a height of 5' 3". Her BMI is 35.4 (obese). Ideally, her BMI should be 18.5 to 24.9. She can then calculate what weight will give her a BMI within that range. A good goal for this person would be to achieve a weight of 140 lbs. This would give her a BMI within the health weight range! So she must lose 60 lbs. to achieve her goal.
It sounds like a lot, but with the right diet and exercise program and a little determination, it can be done! How long will it take? Let's use a realistic average (based on the 1% weight loss/week model) of 1 lb. per week of weight loss. At that rate, it will take just 60 weeks to achieve her goal. However, initially dieting and exercise will produce faster results. It's well within the realm of possibility for this person to lose 60 lbs. in less than a year. That's not too bad!
How does this translate to calories? One pound is equal to approximately 3500 calories. So, to achieve this loss, each day must have a caloric deficit of 500 calories. The "Eat Less Diet" is custom tailored to your specific weight loss needs and that is why it works so well.
To customize your own "Eat Less Diet", you will need to create a daily meal plan in conjunction with your exercise regimen. Based on your total caloric expenditure (BMR + Physical Activity) you have a starting place for daily calories. Subtract 500 and then divide the result into 3-6 meals throughout the day.
Pick foods that are nutrient dense (high in vitamins and minerals), like fresh vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, mixed greens, apples, etc. Try to avoid foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition, such as processed foods and fast foods. Also, dietary supplements can greatly assist you in your fat loss endevours by providing quality nutrition and affordable convenience.
Jillian's Food Tips:
NO Foods: Alcohol Sugar Rice Flour (very limited quantities), Bread, Juice, Potato, Pasta, Soda's (unless they are diet), Tropical Fruit, Bananas, Melon, Coconut, Mango.
YES Foods: Chicken, Fish, Beef, All Seafood Fats are okay, Great Fats are avocado, nuts and salmon (in limited portions), Dairy is fine - low fat or non fat Green Veggies, Unlimited Fruit only before 5:00 PM - Apples, grapefruits and berries, Soy - (for vegetarians).
Check out the sample meal plans and training here.
Here is a sample one-week diet that was used by the contestant Ryan:
Day 1
Breakfast: cereal, yogurt, one cup berries
Lunch: BBQ chicken breast, BBQ baked beans, big salad with sliced chicken
Dinner: 3 Gatorades
Day 2
Breakfast: cereal, milk, berries
Lunch: large chicken breast with roma tomatoes
Dinner: 6 oz steak, huge salad with dressing.
Day 3
Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 2 oz steak, 1 oz. cheese
Lunch: yogurt, 2 portions Laughing Cow cheese, large chicken breast, tomato, Jell-O, popsicle
Dinner: 4 eggs, 2 pieces turkey bacon, 1 oz cheese, 2 Jell-Os with cool whip
Day 4
Breakfast: 3 egg whites, yogurt, cereal
Lunch: huge salad with 30 shrimp, Jell-O with cool whip
Dinner: 2 turkey burgers, green beans, 2 Jell-Os with cool whip
Day 5
Breakfast: 4 egg whites, yogurt, toast with jam
Lunch: 6 pieces of ham, 2 pieces of bread, Jell-O with cool whip
Dinner: large chicken breast, tomato, BBQ sauce, 2 popsicles, 2 glasses Crystal Light
Day 6
Breakfast: 4 egg whites, 1 slice cheese, salsa
Lunch: 2 chicken breasts, green beans, tomatoes, black beans
Dinner: 2 turkey burgers with cheese
Day 7
Breakfast: 4 eggs, salsa, toast with jam
Lunch: 6 oz. turkey, dressing and salad
Dinner: 2 turkey burgers, zucchini, green beans, 2 Jell-Os with cool whip.
Contestants were supervised by doctors while participating in the show, and their diet and exercise regimen was tailored to their medical status and their specific needs. Consult with your own doctor before embarking on any diet or exercise program.
The road to weight loss is not a straight one," Jillian reminds us. "You're going to have setbacks. If you fall off the wagon, get back on it. Don't waste energy beating yourself up about it."
Good luck in reaching your weight loss goals and remember, you can do it!
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BMI Calculator - Are you considered overweight? Find out if your weight in relation to your height is too low, too high or just right.
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