The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program to Transform Your Body, Health, and Life--Adapted from NBC's Hit Show! (Paperback)

~ Maggie Greenwood-Robinson (Author), Cheryl Forberg (Author), Michael Dansinger MD (Author), Bob Harper (Foreword) "Of course it would..." (more)
Key Phrases: nutrient analysis, midmorning snack, midafternoon snack, Evening Snack, Choose These, Jeff Levine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Biggest Loser was NBC+s surprise hit of the Fall 2004 television season, drawing a passionate audience and prompting people nationwide to start their own Biggest Loser competitions. This unscripted weight-loss drama was based on overweight contestants competing to lose weight and win a quarter of a million dollars with the help of a team of doctors, dietitians, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.On the evening that the first season+s finale aired, legions of fans went to the NBC Web site to look for the diet and fitness plan that the contestants used. It wasn+t available to the public-until now. With this book, people looking for change can accomplish the same type of radical makeover of their bodies, their health, and their lives that they saw on The Biggest Loser.The book features the food and fitness plans from Bob and Jillian, health advice from the show+s medical experts, and motivational tips from the contestants themselves. The contestants+ compelling stories and reasons for losing weight, dramatic before-and-after photos, and real-life advice provide the inspiration and upbeat attitude that made this show a smash hit.

About the Author

BOB HARPER, trainer on The Biggest Loser, is known as the go-to trainer for Hollywood’s elite and counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, and Laura Dern among his past and present clients. He lives in Los Angeles.

MAGGIE GREENWOOD-ROBINSON, PhD, is a leading health and medical writer. She has authored or coauthored more than 30 books, including Good Carbs versus Bad Carbs and The Bikini Diet. She has a doctorate in nutritional counseling.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; 1 edition (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594863849
• ISBN-13: 978-1594863844
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,390 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

247 of 253 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Loved it but it may or may not be what YOU are looking for, October 29, 2005

By	K. Corn "reviewer" (Indianapolis,, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

If you really like the show and can't wait for each new segment to air, you'll also want a copy of the book. It reveals more about the contestents and their struggles.
If you want a specific diet and exercise program that reflects what the contestents went through, you may or may not find that here. I say "may" because it wasn't uncommon for those on the show to do 3 hours of exercise a day (sometimes more) to achieve the kind of weight loss that showed on the scale each week.
Are YOU up to that kind of challenge? If you are, you can take the info in this book and go for the burn. If not, you can still follow the plan and lose weight - but be aware that you may not see the same dramatic weight loss as the contestents on the show without exerting maximum effort.
I really enjoyed reading this book and actually like it BETTER than the show (and I confess I really didn't like the show much with its humiliating climax, where one contestent would be voted off the show per week). Within the context of a book, the personal stories are engaging and much of the book is inspirational, just the type of material that might compel you to stick to your exercise and diet plan.
There is plenty of useful info here although I can't say it hasn't been covered in other books. What sets this one apart are the personal accounts and I can never get enough of those. When someone starts at 300 pounds plus and manages to get to goal weight, it becomes pretty clear that nearly anyone can get there, with enough willpower and motivation. This book could be one more motivational aid.

155 of 160 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'The Biggest Loser' A Big Winner For Weight Loss, October 5, 2005

By	Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man "Jimmy Moore" (Spartanburg, SC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

'The Biggest Loser' book is filled with stimulating stories of personal triumph over weight from the popular television show's contestants.

If you're one of the millions of fans of the hit NBC television reality weight loss show "The Biggest Loser," then undoubtedly you have become personally acquainted with names like Ryan, Kelly, Mo, Dave, and Drea from Season One as well as Matt, Dr. Jeff, Suzanne, and Suzy from Season Two, just to name a few.

You probably feel like you know these people intimately because you have watched them work so very hard on your television sets each week to tackle a commond problem -- what to do about their obesity. Their commitment to doing something positive and permanent about their weight is indeed inspiring and educational for a home viewing audience, two-thirds of whom have a weight problem of their own that they need to deal with and don't know what to do about it.

That's where The Biggest Loser book steps in. This book is based on the popular television show and allows you to read more about the contestants from the show to learn how they have been able to be victorious over their battle of the bulge while also communicating important principles to apply in your own life to help get that fat monkey off your own back for good.

The Biggest Loser is a beautifully crafted book full of colorful pictures, personal stories from cast members, advice from the show's trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, a thorough explanation of "The Biggest Loser" diet plan, a 12-week exercise routine, scrumptuous recipes including personal favorites from the contestants, motivational remarks from those who went through the most dramatic weight loss change, and the secret tips about how to make weight loss and healthy eating a permanent part of your life.

Cheering you on to become the "biggest loser" that you can possibly be, The Biggest Loser book asks the simple question, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have the body you want -- slender, toned, fit, and healthy -- and have it for life?" Who among us who has struggled with weight loss would respond back with anything but a thunderous YEAH BABY?!!! This dream can become a reality when the steps outlined in The Biggest Loser book are applied.

Read about the struggles that each contestant had with weight prior to their television experience and how "The Biggest Loser" show literally changed their lives forever. As someone who has lost over 180 pounds, I can certainly relate with their stories of heartache and frustration about what to do about being overweight. It's not a fun experience and you just feel so hopeless. But once you read The Biggest Loser, you will find that while it won't be an easy road to restore your health, there is definitely a way to rise to the occasion and gain victory over weight problems once and for all!

There's a unique section in The Biggest Loser book called "From Reasons to Resolutions" which will get you to visualize and think about why you want to lose weight and what will happen if and when weight loss occurs. Getting your mind in the right frame of reference will get you started off right and make your eventual success that much more likely to happen.

In a nutshell, "The Biggest Loser" diet consists of limiting your caloric intake to seven times your body weight. For example, when I weighed 410 pounds in January 2004, I could eat 2,870 calories according to this plan. At my current body weight of 225, that number of calories per day drops down to 1,575, which is probably a little bit less than what I consume on my low-carb lifestyle but not too far off. There's a creative "4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser Pyramid" which shows you which foods you should eat and in what quanties, including fruits and vegetables, proteins, whole grains, and "extras." Guess which one you eat the least of?

You also are encouraged to drink lots of water, use artificial sweeteners sparingly, eat 4-6 planned meals, portion-size your foods to avoid overeating, read labels like a hawk (there even a neat "translation" guide to help you figure out what certain terms mean on a nutrition label), and steer clear from certain appetite-stimulating foods. It's all explained in great detail in The Biggest Loser book.

I really enjoyed the "Take A Cue" blurbs at the bottom of the pages which feature one- or two-sentence words of wisdom from the cast of "The Biggest Loser." You really feel like they're talking directly to you and rooting for you as you turn page after page of The Biggest Loser book. I also was attracted to the recipes section towards the back of the book, which included some excellent low-carb ones including Dave's chicken salad, Ryan's portabello pizza, Suzanne's grilled salmon burgers, and Drea's turkey wrap. My mouth is watering just thinking about all these delicious recipes.

As a 180+ pound low-carb weight loss success story I don't personally adhere to all of the advice provided in The Biggest Loser book, but I am encouraged to see many of the contestants giving superb advice to would-be losers: stay away from sugar, get more water consumption, eat often enough to ward off hunger, skip the dinner bread and eat a salad first at a restaurant, replace television watching with exercise (except to watch "The Biggest Loser," of course!), eat healthy carbs found in fruits and vegetables, and much more. You can really learn a lot about good basic habits that you can incorporate to make weight control a long-term part of your life.

There is also a section in the book which urges local communities to conduct their own "Biggest Loser" challenges to help people deal with this very real problem. They include step-by-step instructions about how to organize it and replicate what so many have seen on television, including stunts and races to give the contestants an incentive to continue on. Applying these recommendations will make your local "Biggest Loser" challenge a huge success.

A special "where are they now" section gives an update on all 26 contestants who became winners by becoming big losers thanks to "The Biggest Loser." You will be amazed by how far these contestants have come and how their lives have been literally turned upside down for the better. I can relate and hope and pray many will be uplifted and have a fire lit within them to lose weight and keep it off for good after reading The Biggest Loser.

114 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 10, 2005

By	umsami "amazon-junkie since 1996" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I really wanted to love this book... but it seems as if the producers rushed it to print. There are very little before/after photos... and very little in-depth profiles of the contestants. All you get is blurbs from them... and a recipe, which may/may not be their creation. The caloric recommendations... 1050 kcal for people below 150 pounds... are too low...especially for the amount of exercise prescribed. Rarely these days do any experts advise going below 1400 kcal for an active woman, with 1200 be the absolute minimum. Even with such minimal caloric requirements, no mention is made of vitamin supplementation. In the recipe section, they often refer to agave nectar/syrup... yet they do nothing to explain it, its benefits, or where to buy it. (It's a low-GI sweetener from a plant in Mexico.) All-in-all, disappointing.