A health farm in Malibu promises weight loss starting at $9k/ per week: hiking, fitness classes, minimal food

[Anonymous]

https://theranchlife.com/
The prices are very hidden, but they start at $9000 for six nights at double occupancy, including a mysterious 16% "fee" that they charge.

The participants spend the mornings hiking, and the afternoons with fitness classes and massages.
Photos show people hiking on not shaded paths without sunhats or sunglasses, and gym classes where they face and have to stare at each other.

Food is minimal. Some earlier reviews said that breakfast consisted of nine almonds, lunch of a small salad. Newer photos show some fruit and cooked food, too.

The organizers promise that participants lose "3%-6% of their body weight." Mostly water, I guess.

I can definitely do this at home at no cost. I just need to find a week to only focus on this and not have to do anything else.

I think the real luxury for the participants is to be able to disconnect from their regular lives (jobs, kids, households, husbands).

[Anonymous]

Where are the earlier reviews?

[Anonymous]

Crazy

[Anonymous]

I looked it up, and I saw there's a Hudson Valley (NY) option. The place actually looks gorgeous, and it's a luxury spa retreat complete with all sorts of fancy extras, not just almonds and forced labor. And the rate for a couple would be $6,000 for the week, including the 16% tax, from Dec-March. That's incredibly reasonable for lodging, all the extras, food, and a beautiful setting.

[Anonymous]

The breakfast snack is a few almonds but its more than that but still minimal.

https://theranchlife.com/menu/

[Anonymous]

I did something similar to this a few years ago with a friend (they paid for her and a guest to come ). It was really great. I was a little worried about the food/exercise component at first as I'm not a vegan and definitely could have used to lose 15 pounds at the time. They give you the option to add in a protein smoothie or similar if you don't feel like you're eating enough. The food was small, but oddly filling. The hiking was gorgeous and they gave you a map, trail and set time. It meant we could go at our pace.

It was really fun and nice to disconnect. In total, I kept off about 6 pounds of the 8 I lost. My friend didn't lose much weight, but the menu and working out wasn't that different from how she normally lived

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did something similar to this a few years ago with a friend (they paid for her and a guest to come ). It was really great. I was a little worried about the food/exercise component at first as I'm not a vegan and definitely could have used to lose 15 pounds at the time. They give you the option to add in a protein smoothie or similar if you don't feel like you're eating enough. The food was small, but oddly filling. The hiking was gorgeous and they gave you a map, trail and set time. It meant we could go at our pace.

It was really fun and nice to disconnect. In total, I kept off about 6 pounds of the 8 I lost. My friend didn't lose much weight, but the menu and working out wasn't that different from how she normally lived

So if you only had 15 pounds to lose and your friend was an avid hiker... was that representative of the clientele? No actually overweight people?

[Anonymous]

OP here. The photos of the Malibu place make it look a lot nicer than it is in real life.

[Anonymous]

Come to my house. I can starve you and put you up on the couch and make you run laps and do yard work, all for the low price of $4000.00 a week.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Here are some photos posted by participants. The rooms have IKEA dressers. Not luxurious at all.

https://www.google.com/search?q=the+ranch+malibu+cost&sca_esv=1b3eff12a321d9fe&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWII6l1LpRwXLCe3grLq7qoH8TbLaFQ%3A1714929396407&source=hp&ei=9L43ZvngFp25kPIPrrKGmAU&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZjfNBKrIznIFfBQYfxWEDRAN3TYbohPx&ved=0ahUKEwj5qvHrgfeFAxWdHEQIHS6ZAVMQ4dUDCBc&uact=5&oq=the+ranch+malibu+cost&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhV0aGUgcmFuY2ggbWFsaWJ1IGNvc3QyBRAAGIAEMgYQABgWGB4yAhAmMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogRIlCNQAFjWGnAAeACQAQGYAfcBoAHDEKoBBjEzLjcuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCFKACyQ_CAhAQLhiABBjRAxjHARgnGIoFwgIUEC4YgAQYkQIYxwEYigUYjgUYrwHCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIaEC4YgAQYkQIYxwEYmAUYmQUYigUYjgUYrwHCAg4QLhiABBixAxiDARiKBcICChAuGIAEGEMYigXCAhEQLhiABBixAxiDARjUAhiKBcICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgITEC4YgAQYQxjHARiKBRiOBRivAcICCxAuGIAEGLEDGIMBwgINEC4YgAQYQxjJAxiKBcICCxAAGIAEGJIDGIoFwgINEAAYgAQYsQMYQxiKBcICDhAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGIoFwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBixAxjUAsICCxAuGIAEGLEDGMkDwgIREC4YgAQYxwEYmAUYmgUYrwHCAhEQLhiABBjUAhjHARiOBRivAcICERAuGIAEGLEDGIMBGMcBGK8BwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEY1ALCAhYQLhiABBixAxhDGMcBGIoFGI4FGK8BwgITEC4YgAQYFBjHARiHAhiOBRivAcICCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFwgIOEC4YgAQYxwEYjgUYrwHCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BwgIWEC4YgAQYsQMYFBjHARiHAhiOBRivAcICChAAGIAEGBQYhwLCAgUQLhiABMICERAuGIAEGLEDGMcBGI4FGK8BwgIOEC4YgAQYxwEYmAUYrwHCAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBZgDAJIHBDExLjmgB469Ag&sclient=gws-wiz

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come to my house. I can starve you and put you up on the couch and make you run laps and do yard work, all for the low price of $4000.00 a week.

I'll only charge $2k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come to my house. I can starve you and put you up on the couch and make you run laps and do yard work, all for the low price of $4000.00 a week.

I'll only charge $2k.

I would participate. Sign me up.

[Anonymous]

So don’t go. What an odd post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did something similar to this a few years ago with a friend (they paid for her and a guest to come ). It was really great. I was a little worried about the food/exercise component at first as I'm not a vegan and definitely could have used to lose 15 pounds at the time. They give you the option to add in a protein smoothie or similar if you don't feel like you're eating enough. The food was small, but oddly filling. The hiking was gorgeous and they gave you a map, trail and set time. It meant we could go at our pace.

It was really fun and nice to disconnect. In total, I kept off about 6 pounds of the 8 I lost. My friend didn't lose much weight, but the menu and working out wasn't that different from how she normally lived

So if you only had 15 pounds to lose and your friend was an avid hiker... was that representative of the clientele? No actually overweight people?

There were some overweight people, but it was obvious they worked out because they kept up with hikes and yoga. Definitely no one that looked like they were more than 50 pounds overweight. But this place was marketed as a wellness retreat, not a weight loss one.

[Anonymous]

If I wanted to do something like this, I would do Canyon Ranch where the food would actually be good.