“Survivor” contestants’ weight loss: What a severe calorie deficit does to your body

For more than two decades and 50 seasons, the hit CBS reality show Survivor has challenged contestants to outwit, outplay and outlast for the chance to take home $1 million. 

But becoming the “Sole Survivor” isn’t only about strategy and choosing a good alliance.

Survivor thrusts folks into an environment that, over 26 days, dramatically tests their physical endurance. Unless they’re able to win reward challenges, which have prizes of burgers and other filling items, castaways typically run on water and the occasional coconut or fish that they scavenge from the island. Though they’re awarded a bag of rice later in the season, portions tend to be tiny when split amongst a tribe.

On top of being under fed, castaways also exert tons of energy as they build shelter from scratch, compete in difficult challenges and navigate the mental stress of the game’s social aspect.

This combination of starvation and activity causes most Survivor players to drop weight extremely fast. While some may lose about 10 pounds over the course of a season, others—like Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: All-Stars icon Rupert Boneham, who played when the game was a whopping 39 days—shed upwards of 60 pounds.

With the show’s 51st season officially underway, Sophia Friedeborn, MS, RDN, LDN, a clinical dietician and Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle coach at Saint Francis Hospital, explores the health implications of Survivor weight loss, the breakdown that happens in the body when it’s under fueled and overperforming, and the metabolic side effects contestants may face upon returning home.

Is Survivor weight loss unhealthy?

In general, according to Friedeborn, losing between a quarter of a pound to 2 pounds a week is considered healthy. However, many Survivor contestants lose weight at a much more rapid pace.

A prime example is Rizo Velovic, who recently made it to the end on back-to-back seasons. He’s been candid about shedding 25 pounds on Survivor 49 and only having a little over a week to carbo-load before heading into Survivor 50 as a “shell” of himself. He lost another 25 pounds during his second round, leaving Fiji at 128 pounds.

“Unless you’re in a life-or-death situation, this type of weight loss isn’t good for you. There’s never going to be a 100 percent safe way to do this. But your body’s going to adapt to it,” says Friedeborn. “It knows you’re in this starvation mode, so it’s going to use the few calories you’re getting as efficiently as possible. Our bodies are really amazing and can adapt to these crazy kinds of environments.”

What happens inside the body during a season of Survivor?

Most people require a minimum of 1,000 to 1,300 calories daily to maintain basic organ function. So, when caloric intake is significantly less, the body shifts into a multi-tiered starvation state within a day or two. That’s why it’s not uncommon to notice a physical difference in contestants only a few episodes into a season.

First, when there’s a severe lack of carbohydrates—a vital macronutrient and the body’s preferred fuel source—we shift into ketosis. Fat, instead of carbs, is converted into usable energy, causing a quick decline on the scale.

“People want to do this for weight loss and it’s why the keto diet is so popular, but it’s unsustainable long-term. There aren’t many benefits, and it’s really inefficient to pull energy from fat,” says Friedeborn. “Weight loss isn’t sustainable through a strict diet. It’s through smaller changes that happen over time.”

Once the body uses available energy from fat, it begins to break down muscle. Specifically, it pulls from our muscles’ sugar stores in a process known as glycogenolysis.

“The last thing we ever want to pull from is muscle because that’s when muscle breakdown starts to happen. Sugar provides that muscle with some density and helps you stay healthy. If that sugar leaves, when we engage in activity, our muscles don’t have the energy to support us anymore. We start to see more muscle fatigue and just unhealthy stores of muscle mass. You’re more likely to feel sore and cramp up much sooner,” says Friedeborn.

The body may then enter another process called gluconeogenesis. In an extreme calorie deficit, lactic acid in the muscles moves to the liver, where it’s converted into energy to keep the heart, kidneys and brain running smoothly.

“If your organs aren’t getting enough energy, that’s much more catastrophic than you not having muscle mass. Your body is smart and knows that you need fuel for proper organ function. But neither process is great for the body,” says Friedeborn.

What are the impacts of Survivor weight loss after the show?

After 26 days of living in a state of starvation, Survivor contestants may find it difficult to return to normal dietary habits once they’re off the island. Though the instinct is to eat as much as possible, the body is likely to reject large quantities of food due to lower body mass and slower metabolism.

“Your stomach will be much smaller. You’ll probably have a good appetite when you’re around food again, especially because you don’t have to ration it anymore. So, you’ll tend to overdo it and eat a ton,” says Friedeborn. “But you’re stretching your stomach out. You might vomit or have some GI discomfort, bloating or gassiness. Some may even have bouts of diarrhea after a period like this.”

Some contestants, such as Survivor 49 winner Savannah Louie, developed an eating disorder after competing. Louie, who also went straight into filming Survivor 50 alongside Velovic, experienced a binge and restrict cycle. Following weeks of starvation, she’d consume food until she was in severe physical pain, causing her to gain approximately 30 pounds in two months. Therapy, in addition to support from CBS and fellow Survivor castaways, helped her return to a healthy relationship with food.

“In any experience where there’s been a large amount of restriction around food, it’s going to be hard to just go back to eating normally. It’s best to reintroduce foods slowly and mindfully. If you’ve been dying for pizza, then have pizza. But make sure that you’re giving yourself a limit. Stop at once slice and see how you’re feeling. Wait 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re still hungry, then have another slice. You need to readjust your body slowly,” says Friedeborn. “Bringing yourself back to your normal eating patterns takes time.”

Friedeborn also recommends the following for Survivor contestants and anyone looking to build healthier eating patterns after a period of restriction:

• Start with five or six smaller meals each day instead of three large ones
• Fuel with protein, fat and carbs
• Engage in strength training activities, which will help boost metabolism and rebuild muscle stores

“It doesn’t mean you have to be a body builder. It doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym constantly,” says Friedeborn. “But two times a week, putting resistance on your muscles, moving some weights around, doing body weight exercises is really important for overall metabolic health, blood glucose regulation and osteoporosis prevention.”

Visit Nutrition Counseling for more information on nutrition services at Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and to make an appointment.