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Contestants desperate to stay on the show sometimes resorted to extreme and dangerous measures to lose a few last-minute pounds. Former contestants have said the cast would often refuse to drink water or eat any solid food the day before weigh-ins to make it seem like they had lost more weight.

Season 1 winner Ryan Benson (above left) wrote on his blog (via Breaking Muscle) that he was so desperate to win that he abstained from eating solid food for the last ten days before the final weigh-in, consuming only a "Master Cleanse" diet of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Then for an entire day ahead of the final weigh-in, Benson claims he consumed absolutely nothing, even water. "I started using some old high school wrestling tricks," Benson wrote, adding, "I wore a rubber suit while jogging on the treadmill, and then spent a lot of time in the steam room. In the final 24 hours I probably dropped 10-13 lbs. in just pure water weight. By the time of the final weigh-in I was peeing blood." 

Benson went on to write that he "gained about 32lbs" in just "the five days after the show was over," which he attributed "mostly [to] re-hydrating [himself]." Trainer Jillian Michaels later told The New York Times that Benson's story illustrates the "dark side" of the show, but is not representative of what every contestant goes through.

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