A good week for all the Biggest Loser contestants!
Hi Everybody!
It’s week two on the Biggest Loser. Julio was saved last week even though his weight loss showed he didn’t put in 100%. I don’t understand why the contestants voted that way.
After the vote, Allison explains a special challenge for week two. If all 15 contestants lose a total of 150 pounds, no one will be voted off. All the contestants will get to stay for week three. However, if they fail, two people will go home this week. If you remember from previous seasons, week two is notoriously the hardest week to lose weight. This means that all the contestants should work together and encourage each other to succeed. Although, I think they do that anyway. Coach Mo volunteers to be the motivator. I love Coach Mo, he’s such a great guy.
At the first workout, Jillian and Bob are surprised to see that Julio is still on the ranch. The contestants tell Jillian and Bob about the 150 pound challenge. They aren’t very optimistic about that much weight loss in week two.
Tracy returns to the Biggest Loser ranch. The doctor hasn’t given her clearance to workout so she is going to have to pay special attention to her nutrition.
Curtis Stone comes to the ranch to teach the contestants how to cook and eat healthy. Some of the things he teaches them:
1. Portion size is very important. He teaches them that weighing their food is important to make sure they get the right portion size.
2. The method of cooking is very important. Baking, broiling, steaming, poaching and grilling are, of course, way better than frying.
3. Just because you eat a salad doesn’t mean it isn’t fattening. You need to watch what is in your salad. Dressing, cheese, etc. add tons of calories to your salad.
4. Replace 50% of your pasta with vegetables to lessen the amount of calories and also add some nutrition.
5. Soda has tons and tons of sugar. This wasn’t really a surprise was it?
6. Eat snacks with protein. Protein gives you fuel and also makes you feel full.
After the nutrition talk, Allison comes back in to quiz the contestants. If they answer 5 out of 8 questions, they win a 15 pound advantage at the weigh in. The questions are a bit tricky because most have calorie numbers. But, the contestants manage to do it and so now they need to lose 135 pounds at the weigh in.
This week’s challenge emphasizes the team effort. It involves balancing across a beam and making it onto a raft. There are four beams and four rafts. But if one player falls, the challenge is over. This won’t be an easy one! They make it to the next raft which gives them another 5 pound advantage. They make it to the second raft resulting in another 5 pound advantage. They all want to make it to the third raft because it means calls from home. They make it across. Phone calls from home are great to keep you going in this game. They also make it across to the fourth raft which gives them another 10 pound advantage at the weigh in. So now they only need to lose 115 pounds to get to all stay on the ranch this week.
The phone calls from home bring the expected tears from both the contestants and of course me. When Abby said that there were two little butterflies following her on her hike up the mountain, I started crying. Danny says that his daughter told him that she wanted to have a belly just like him. If that’s not motivation to lose weight I don’t know what is! Sean finds out his wife is going to have a baby girl.
The contestants tell Bob and Jillian that they now have to lose 115 pounds instead of 150 pounds. This doesn’t impress the coaches, they know that a lot of contestants gain in the second week. They talk strategy about how to get the contestants to their goal.
Last chance workout is tough, but the contestants are tougher. Shay has a talk with Bob about her mother and her goals. As we all know, most of the time losing weight isn’t just about eating less and working out. The contestants have to work through all that emotional baggage too.
First up at the weigh-in are Amanda and Rebecca. Amanda lost 4 pounds and Rebecca lost 6. The contestants are concerned. This kind of weight loss isn’t going to keep them safe this week. Next up is the purple team. Coach Mo lost 9 pounds and Tracy lost 10 pounds. This is a great number for Tracy because she hasn’t been able to work out like everyone else. For the red team, Sean lost 11 pounds and Antoine lost 8 pounds. The green team’s Allen lost 10 pounds and Abby lost 11. The brown team is next. Danny lost 12 pounds and Liz lost 10. Rudy on the blue team lost 14 pounds and Dina lost 8. Julio, the single member of the black team is next and he only needs to lose 2 pounds for everyone to stay on the ranch. Not all the contestants have the confidence in him. They think he doesn’t put in as much effort as he should. He’s determined to prove them wrong. He does by losing 19 pounds! Everyone gets to stay on the ranch, but the orange team still needs to be weighed. Shay loses 16 pounds and Daniel lost 7 pounds. This means that the contestants would have succeeded at losing the entire 150 pounds. An amazing week for all the contestants with a total weight loss of 155 pounds. They are really excited about conquering week two, but if I were them I’d be really concerned about week three!
Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
Biggest Loser Week Two
Hi Everybody,
Are you ready for the second episode of this season’s Biggest Loser? There’s a lot of TV out there to choose from–thank goodness for DVR’s! This week features celebrity chef Curtis Stone. He’ll teach the contestants about healthy eating and also give them a pop quiz. Perhaps this is their first temptation? I’m not sure what happened to Rocco, but Curtis is cute too so I don’t really mind switching it up!
There is always so much emotional baggage on this show, I don’t know why they don’t hire a therapist to help out. Jillian yelling at them to get their heads outta their butts just doesn’t seem like a good enough solution to me. Some of these contestants need some serious help.
Have a great Monday. See you with a recap on Wednesday. Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
Biggest Loser is all about Second Chances
Hi Everybody!
Welcome to the 8th season of Biggest Loser. This season’s theme is “Second Chances”. I started crying at the beginning of the show and didn’t stop until it ended. I feel so much empathy for this group of 16. I want them all to do really well and once again I know I’m going to feel bad that they can’t all stay on the ranch.
The show starts with the first Biggest Loser challenge. The contestant’s have to walk/race one mile. The person who finishes first has immunity this week and also gets to pick their partner first. The partner will also have immunity. Coming back this year for his “second chance” is Daniel from season 7. In case you don’t remember, he was the heaviest contestant ever. Now, he’s still heavy but he has lost a lot of weight (142 pounds!) and works out regularly. What I’m leading up to is that he was in the best condition and that helped him win the race. Two of the contestant’s, Mo and Tracey ended up having to go to the hospital at the end of the mile. Tracey was close to the finish line when she collapsed. All the contestant’s encouraged her and helped her finish the race. It was very special and heartening. You know, we hear so many negative things about people in the newspapers, on the Internet and on TV, it’s nice to see positive things. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear positive things everyday?
This season, the contestants get to choose who to partner up with. They will pick in the order of their finishes in the one mile race. Here’s a breakdown of this year’s contestants.
Allen is a 44 year-old firefighter/EMT who wants to be able to help people without his weight interfering.
Antoinne’s father died of heart disease at age 30 and he doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps.
Daniel is returning to the ranch for his second chance after being eliminated early during season 7.
Tracey gained a lot of weight because her husband is a Marine and she would eat to deal with the stress of his deployments.
Rudy played football both in high school and college. As a lineman, it was important for him to be big and his coaches encouraged him to eat.
Rebecca has suffered from childhood obesity. She weighed 235 pounds when she was 14 years-old.
Shay comes from a volatile homeho. Her and her mom were homeless for two years. Her mom had a heroin addiction. She was removed from her mom and placed into foster care from 5 years old to age 18. She has taken the place of Daniel as the heaviest contestant on Biggest Loser.
Danny is about to turn 40 years old and he and his wife have made a promise to change their lives for their own sake and that of their children.
Amanda is only 19 years old and doesn’t want to live her life in her current condition.
Liz wants to lose weight so that she can enjoy her grandchildren.
Mo or Coach Mo as he’s called is very active with youth and wants to set a good example.
Sean is a Youth Pastor that is also a very talented musician and singer. His weight keep him from performing and success.
Julio says that growing up eating Cuban food has made him gain weight.
Dina is devastated that her doctor says she can’t have any more children unless she loses the weight.
Abbey’s husband, her 5 1/2 year old daughter and her 2 1/2 week old son were killed in a car accident. She was the only one in her family to not be in the car when the accident happened. I can’t even imagine what she’s gone through in the last two years. I don’t know how she does it.
Alexandra is a 20 year-old college student looking to change her life.
Daniel was first up to pick his partner and he chose Shay. The other partners are Allen and Abbey, Rebecca and Amanda, Rudy and Dana, Sean and Antoinne, Liz and Danny, Alexandra and Julio, Mo and Tracey.
The contestants go to their first workout and find out that they will be sharing coaches this season. So they won’t be split up between Bob and Jillian. I think this is better. The focus should be to lose weight and not worry about what the other team is doing.
Since I need to get going, I’ll get right to the weigh-ins: Daniel lost 12 pounds and Shay lost 17 pounds. Rebecca lost 18 and Amanda lost 6 pounds. Rudy lost 18 pounds and Dina lost 8. Antoine lost 18 and Sean lost 22 pounds. Liz lost 10 and Danny lost 24 pounds. Allen lost 19 pounds and Abbey lost 15 pounds. Julio lost 13 and Alexandra lost 13 pounds. Coach Mo lost 19 pounds. Tracey still isn’t back on the ranch. This puts the black team Julio and Alexandra up for elimination. Only one of the two will be eliminated tonight. The vote was very tight between the teams, but Alexandra ends up going home. This really wasn’t fair to her since she lost 13 pounds at the weigh-in. The teams say they voted her off because she will have a better chance succeeding at home.
Welcome back everyone. Let’s get those comments going and make this blog an interactive site! Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
Looking For Your Opinion!!!
Hi Everyone,
Now that another season of Biggest Loser is “in the can”, I have a question for you. Would you like to see this blog remain open in the off-season, giving us all a chance to talk about weight-loss, fitness and our overall health? We need your support, encouragement AND participation! Comment and let us know!
Once again, thanks for spending your Biggest Loser season with us! Love Bloggergal1
And The Biggest Loser Is…
Hi Everybody,
Okay I could lie and tell you that I saw the first hour of the Biggest Loser finale…but I didn’t! I watched the semi-final of American Idol. Now usually I watch Biggest Loser early the next morning but I can’t tomorrow because I have to leave the house by 8:15 a.m.
So when I changed the station, Jerry was in the lead for the “at home” Biggest Loser. He is soooo skinny–almost too skinny. However, some of the “at home” contestants didn’t lose as much as I expected. I guess this is because they have somuch to lose. Well, when all was said and done, no one could beat Jerry and he won the At Home Biggest Loser title.
When I wasn’t watching, it was announced that Mike was voted by America to join Helen and Tara in the top three. Helen is first up to weigh in. She lost a lot of weight–140 pounds to be exact! She lost a whole person–me actually! Mike is second. He lost 207 pounds! But he can’t catch Helen. This leaves the title of Biggest Loser between Helen and Tara. Tara is last to weigh-in. She lost a total of 155 pounds, but she needed to lose 160 to beat Helen. So this season’s Biggest Loser is…drum roll please…Helen Phillips. Huh? Helen Phillips won? Yep, she sure did.
I know this doesn’t make everyone happy. Tara kicked butt throughout the whole season and ended up with…well she did win some nice prizes–didn’t she? Helen’s daughter Shannon sacrificed herself for her mom. Her current weight shows that she really did sacrifice herself. Hopefully, Helen will make it worth her while! Helen’s husband is employed at a Chrysler plant and isn’t sure of his future. At least now, they won’t have to worry as much as the rest of us, right?
So, congratulations to Helen and Jerry! Thanks for reading and commenting with me this season! I can’t do this without you! Love Bloggergal1
My vote for the most changed contestant is Kristin. Wow, the hair style and weight loss have made her amazing looking! Good for her!!!!
Who will be the 2009 Biggest Loser?
Hi Everybody!
Are you ready for the Biggest Loser finale? Tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m., we’ll find out who America has chosen to join Helen and Tara in the final three. Will they pick Ron, thinking that he doesn’t have a chance against Tara? Or will they choose Mike, hoping that he can beat Tara in the end? Don’t forget that Helen is in this mix too. Can she pull off an upset and beat Tara and Mike/Ron to claim the title of Biggest Loser? I know a lot of you don’t want to see that happen. Many feel that Helen was extremely selfish by promoting herself and staying on the ranch instead of pushing to save her daughter. Maybe we should all be like Helen. Do we put our children before ourselves many times to our own detriment? I know…we can go back and forth about this one for a long, long time. Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
Biggest Loser Contestants Head Toward the Finish Line
The Biggest Loser starts with the contestants’ “Oh my God!” reunions with their families. Remember they will all be home for thirty days and then return to the ranch for their final weigh-in before the finale.
Tara gives her $25,000 kitchen makeover prize to her mom. Her kitchen looks beautiful and she was supplied with all the Biggest Loser products that she will need to keep her weight in line.
The contestants receive a tape from Allison. Allison tells them that they will be running a marathon–a 26.2 mile marathon. Tara doesn’t seem as frightened as the others, does she? Ron…well you know. They have 26 days to train.
Jillian takes a trip to visit her players. She meets Mike at the gym. He’s feeling very stressed about everything. He’s worried about the marathon, he’s worried about his weigh-ins and he’s worried about his brother Max. She works with Mike to get him to refocus. Watching Mike make this transition on the Biggest Loser this season has been incredible for me. Wouldn’t it be great if Biggest Loser took a whole group of teenagers to work with next season? Come on Biggest Loser!
Next, Jillian goes to see Tara. Tara’s bedroom is a total wreck and Jillian tells her that the room reflects what is going inside her head. She doesn’t seem to be finding a balance in her life. They work out together and then go out for lunch and a drink. Yes, a drink! Jillian teaches her that she can have a drink as long as she is working out and taking care of herself.
Bob goes to visit Ron. He works out with Ron and his son Max. Bob works Max out to the…well…max! Teehee. He works him out until he vomits. A joy to watch. He teaches Max how to eat nutritiously and Biggest Loser squeezes in another Subway commercial.
Jillian meets with Helen. Helen is feeling the stress of being home too. She is trying way too hard and she’s exhausted from it. She’s doing what a lot of us do…she’s trying to please everyone, all the time. Sound familiar to anyone? Jillian talks some sense into her. As one of our blog commenters asked, where is Helen’s daughter in all this?
The contestant’s are training for the marathon. Mike is running and ends up going to the hospital due to excrutiating pain. He doesn’t know if he’s going to be able to run the marathon.
Marathon time! Whoever finishes the marathon will be able to give $10,000 to their favorite charity. Helen and Tara are jogging side by side. Mike and Ron are walking side by side. Helen’s husband meets her and runs along side her. Tara’s friend runs along with her. Max joins Mike on the race. Helen’s husband drops out and she keeps on going. Max is suffering and stops. Mike keeps going. Ron makes it to mile five before he has to stop for some Doctor care. They wrap him up and he’s determined to keep going. Tara is met by Allie (Season Five winner) and she encourages her. Helen is met by Michelle (Season Six winner) for encouragement. Mike is disappointed that he is only able to walk the marathon. He is met by Bernie (Season Five at home winner). Tara, of course, finishes first. She finishes in less than 5 hours. Helen finishes in 5 hours and 48 minutes. Mike finishes in a little less than 8 hours. Ron is at mile 16 and the medical team are worried over him. His blood pressure if really high, but Dr. H. tells him he can still keep going if he wants to continue. He keeps walking. At mile 17, he’s met with all the prior winners to encourage him and walk with him. At mile 21, he’s met by Bob. Ron is determined to finish this race. It’s dark and he’s at mile 22. Ron keeps walking. Watching Ron finish this marathon was so inspiring. Yep…the tears are flowing again. My tears, Mike’s tears, Max’s tears and pretty much everyone who’s watching I bet. It took him a little over 13 hours to finish.
At tonight’s weigh-in, Allison tells Ron and Helen that they are the two oldest contestants to ever make it this far on Biggest Loser. The top two guarantee themselves a spot in the final three. The two who fall below the yellow line will face elimination. America votes for who stays and who goes. First up tonight is Ron. He lost 10 pounds at home. Mike lost 10 pounds at home also. He isn’t happy with his total. However, it’s enough to put him above his father. Helen is next. She lost 7 pounds at home. This puts her above Ron and Mike and guarantees her a place in the final three. Tara lost 10 pounds at home. She is also in the final three. This means that either Ron or Mike will be voted by America to that final spot. They seem upset, but I think that this is good, because Mike has a really great chance of being in the finale–at least I hope he does!
Each contestant is able to speak to America and plead their case. Of course, Ron begs America to vote for his son Mike. Mike tells America that he’s happy either way. So who will become the Biggest Loser? I’d be very surprised if it’s not Tara. But, I can’t help hoping it’s Mike. I always cheer for the underdog. I just can’t help it. See you next Tuesday night for the Biggest Loser finale! Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
This Week’s Biggest Loser Is Last Before the Finale
Hi Everyone,
This week’s Biggest Loser is the last one before the May 12th finale. Who do you think will be in the final three? It’s amazing that Ron and Helen are still on the ranch. The contest seems to be between Mike and Tara. Don’t forget this week will all depend on who has the most will power because the contestants are home for 30 days prior to this weigh-in.
Past contestants will return to the show this week to cheer on the Final Four. The Final Four will compete in a full marathon. Hmm, who is the best runner of those four? Hmm, does anyone else stand a chance again Tara? Couldn’t the producers pick something for the contestants to do that would even up the odds?
Anyway…stay tuned…Bloggergal1
Biggest Loser Final Four
Hi Everybody,
Biggest Loser begins with Mike and Ron talking (gloating?) about their positions on the ranch. Remember saying “Two against one..you lose”? Bob is bummed that Kristin is gone home.
The contestants take a trip down memory lane to their first days in the gym. Allison surprises the contestants and tells them that this is their last week on campus. After this week they will be going home. Everyone is a bit afraid.
How much the contestants have changed seems to be the theme of the night. The trainers have them do exercises that they did during their first week to compare their fitness. Helen, Tara and Mike fit into their “goal clothes”. They meet with the Doctor and he shows them how healthier they are now.
This weeks’ challenge is a tough one. Each contestant has to carry their weight through 16 hills (representing each week on campus) in a sand quarry. At each hill, they are able to drop the weight they lost during that week. The winner has the choice between $10,000 and a 1-pound advantage at the weigh-in. However, there’s a slight twist. Second place gets whatever prize first place does not take. This pretty much assures that the first place winner will take the 1 pound advantage because they won’t want to give an advantage to a competitor.
Mike and Filipe start out very strong. Tara is struggling along with Helen. Ron is last as usual. As Tara drops some of the weight she begins to catch up and soon passes Filipe (again?). Now she’s running through the quarry and once again she wins the challenge. Mike comes in second. It’s surprising to me that a boy that young can’t beat Tara in a competition. Mike goes back to help his dad. He’s such a great kid. Filipe sees them and also goes to help. Ron is one lucky dad.
At the weigh-in, Tara takes the 1-pound advantage. Mike gets $10,000. First to weigh-in this week is Ron. He lost 9 pounds this week. The amazing thing is Ron still weights 289 pounds after losing all that weight (141 pounds). Wow. Filipe lost 10 pounds this week. He’s lost 130 pounds since coming to Biggest Loser. Helen lost 7 pounds this week. She’s lost 103 pounds so far. Mike needs to lose more than 9 pounds to secure his place in the final four. He does it losing 11 pounds! Thank goodness because I love this kid. Tara lost 8 pounds this week, plus the 1 pound advantage keeps her above the yellow line. She’s lost 125 pounds so far. This puts Ron and Filipe below the yellow line.
At the eliminations, Mike, of course votes to eliminate Filipe. Helen is next and she votes to eliminate Filipe. She feels he is the bigger threat. I think she’s wrong because Ron has Mike’s back. He is eliminated and his speech is inspiring and brings tears to everyone.
Then Allison tells the remaining four that they will spend the next 30 days at home. They are on their own now!
So what happened to the segment where the contestants train their trainers? I have no idea! Probably didn’t make for good TV. Have a great week all! Stay tuned…Bloggergal1
This Week on Biggest Loser
Hi Everybody,
We are getting closer and closer to the finale of Biggest Loser. This week the tables are turned and the contestants get to train their trainer. That might be fun but it won’t help the contestants lose more weight will it? The producers have a tendency to undermine the contestants’ progress.
Also, did Allison seal Mike’s fate at the end of last week’s episode when she commented that he was going to win? I’m sure it didn’t help him any that he agreed with her. Tara and Filipe practically had whiplash turning towards him when he said that. He better not fall below the yellow line this week!
Stay tuned…Bloggergal1