I knew I should have picked up In Touch this week. If it hadn’t been for Jen’s weekly live tweet recap, I would have completely missed this story about yet another new romance on the Biggest Loser set.
Sam and Stephanie. SAM AND STEPHANIE!!! A great pairing. Cupcake away, you two!
His cape should be Black. As in TEAM BLACK. Yes, I’m officially on board, in spite of my Bob crush.
Michael’s personality is starting to grate on me. I started feeling ambivalent about him during the last two episodes, but this one put me over the edge. Is it the humor? I used to love his fun expressions, especially the “I can see my abs” after the first weigh in. The in-your-face jumping around after each win? Not so much. Looking out for yourself is much, much different then trying to SCREW the rest of the players. Isn’t there a happy medium somewhere?
CLIFFHANGER: LAST WEEK’S ELIMINATION
When we last left our Dynamic Duo, Cheryl and Darrell were balancing the faux Olympic torches on their heads. Cheryl pulled a Tara. Supreme confidence and focus. After more than 10 minutes, Darrell’s torch tumbled, sending him home immediately.
HOW THE ELMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
Broke my heart to see Drea so sad about her dad’s departure. But when you meet Darrell’s wife, it’s clear that he has the support team at home to continue dropping the weight.
TEMPTATION CHALLENGE
Cookies! And lots of ‘em, in addition to other calorie-laden treats! It’s the time we deliciously anticipate all season: Blue vs. Black. Before announcing the actual challenge, Alison explains the prize – the winner will choose the teams AND the person who gets immunity this week. Alison asks who will participate. Some players don’t want the power because they know it will cause drama in the house. Others, put off by the sheer volume and smell of the cookies, don’t see the wisdom in potentially eating thousands of calories. Drea and Michael are the only two who decide to play. The game is a big old Concentration board. They’ll pick two boxes at a time, hoping to match the items behind the cards. No match = picking player has to eat a cookie. Match = opponent eats whatever’s inside the box. They’re looking for the Golden Tickets.
Drea’s on an early roll, racking up matches while Michael stacks up the calories. But as luck would have it, Michael ends up matching the Golden Tickets after eating over 2000 calories!!! Michael takes the power very seriously, saying it’s the first time he’s put his own well-being ahead of others. What that really means? He wants to stay in the game as long as possible. And boy does he stack the deck! The smaller women (Cheryl, Stephanie, Drea, Ashley, Sherry) and Sam end up with Jillian on the Black Team; the larger men (Lance, Koli, Daris, Michael) join Miggy and Sunshine with Bob’s Blue Team. Michael selects O’Neal for immunity and because there’s an uneven number of players, he’ll train alone this week. After the weigh in, he’ll join the losing team the next week.
The Black Team players are really pissed. They don’t like the perception that they are the weaker team. They know Michael is playing the game. He asked them who they wanted to train with, then did the opposite in most cases. Stephanie feels betrayed, as seen in this confrontation that didn’t make it to air. No one’s more angry than Jillian. She calls Michael’s actions completely unfair and unprecedented, then apologizes, saying it resurrects her inner “fat kid” pain. But remember: no one does underdog like Jillian.
TRAINER TIP
Time to get out that Brita! Bob reminds us that clean water is instrumental in weight loss. Filter with the Brita pitcher to improve water quality, then put the water in a washable, reusable container to reduce waste.
TEAM CHALLENGE
The teams have to hoist their team banners up the side of a Burbank building. The prize – letters from home! With the exception of Sunshine and O’Neal, the players haven’t heard from home in almost two months. The Black Team gives it their all, working handily as teammates but they are easily outmatched by the pulling strength of the Blue Team.
LAST CHANCE WORKOUT
Bob warns the Blue Team not to take anything for granted. Yes, they have sheer size on their sides. However, Bob knows that without complete mental and physical focus, anything can happen at the weigh in. Meanwhile, Jillian is on edge. She’s got to get the most out of her team to prevent disaster on the scale. And a funny thing happens as her team starts working out. They are completely in sync. They seem to be channeling their anger at Michael into impressing Jillian with their determination. It works. Although she’s beating them up, she’s dishing out the praise after every workout segment.
WEIGH IN
O’Neal has immunity, so he’s the first to weigh in, followed by the Blue and Black Teams.
Blue loses 2.7% and 48 lbs. Black needs more than 39 lbs. Is it possible for them to pull the upset?
CELEBRATION!!! Wow. Congratulations to the Black Team. Michael laments “It should have been us.” Good realization for him, since he’s got the highest percentage of weight loss on the Blue Team, ensuring his own immunity. When Blue Team gathers to discuss their elimination decision, the obvious choice is Lance or Miggy, simply based on the numbers. Lance can’t vote for himself and most of the others question whether Miggy’s stress level will hurt or help the team in the long run. Survey says, “HURT!” Miggy gets the boot.
HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
Miggy looks refreshed and happy! The power of meditation. And an at home visit from your new Biggest Loser family.
NEXT WEEK
The Black Team may have won the weigh in….but they didn’t make any friends on the Blue Team. Goliath’s out to get them with a vengeance!
And they’re competing as individuals! Wait. No curling?!
Since I’ve been out for a few weeks dealing with a medical issue (no worries, everyone’s on the mend), I’m not quite caught up with my Biggest Loser recaps! Gail, Paula and Season 2’s Pete Thomas aptly fill the void.
Quick thoughts:
HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
She’s done quite well at home. Not at all surprised to see her boxing! But I think Jillian’s initial assessment at the ranch was correct. Something doesn’t add up here.
NEXT WEEK
Who folded under the faux Olympic torch: Cheryl or Darrell? Teams reform…into Blue vs. Black!
What a difference 30 days makes!
Gotta hand it to that crack Biggest Loser editing team. I was convinced that Michael would be the one carted off by ambulance in the middle of the night. But no! Dun da DAH! What I really loved about this episode though? Blue Team and Yellow Team showed the rest of the players what class looks like. Gracious beyond belief! A welcome break from the Red vs. Green drama.
AFTER ELIMINATION
Miggy suddenly realizes she’s all alone. Her daughter’s gone. She cries herself to sleep, only to awaken in a few hours with severe stomach pains. A producer calls 911 and the ambulance arrives to take Miggy to the hospital.
THE RETURN OF BLUE AND YELLOW
Alison gathers the players and reminds them they’ve been free from the challenges of the outside world for 30 days. Reality check! The outside challenges have returned – in the form of the Blue and Yellow Teams who have been training at home for another shot on campus. Since they never got past the first challenge, Blue and Yellow finally get to participate in a Biggest Loser rite-of-passage: a Last Chance Workout with the trainers before their weigh in.
Welcome to the show, people! Jillian smirks with satisfaction as O’Neal pushes the weights across the gym. Cherita, surprised by intensity, partakes in another Biggest Loser tradition – puking. The triple crown is at stake – winning team returns to the ranch, gets immunity AND the only vote at elimination.
PRELIMINARY WEIGH IN: BLUE VS. YELLOW
Proving it can be done at home, the dueling parent-child teams shock the rest of the players.
Yellow Team is back! Given all the sniping between Red and Green this season, it’s refreshing to hear O’Neal and Sunshine praise Cherita and Victoria’s accomplishments. These two teams were worthy opponents. Sad that we didn’t get more time to get to know the Blue Team.
IN THE GYM
Yellow Team has the only vote this week and beyond the first day, they’ve never seen the rest of the players in action. Most of other players know they have to prove themselves. However, Melissa can’t stop whining. Bob knows she’s lost confidence in herself, but insists that she push outside of her comfort zone. He admits that she gained his respect with the previous week’s 11 lbs loss.
Jillian reminds Daris that he can’t afford another week so close to the yellow line. Focus, Daris. FOCUS! But only after Jillian breaks you down and makes you cry.
Bob crams four weeks of nutritional counseling for the Yellow Team in one Jennie O product placement. Every single calorie counts, both going in and out.
CHALLENGE
Another football challenge! The show loves them as much as the water challenges. Each team has a dummy situated between two blocking pads. One person from each team has to hit the dummy 1000 times, and it’s harder than it looks. The pads swivel after each hit. Winning team gets immunity, the losing team gets a 2 lbs penalty.
Red is so concerned with beating Gray, they are completely shocked when Michael ties up with them. Michael pushes past Melissa and Lance, setting his sights on the Gray Team. He goes head to head with Sam and manages to eke out a win! Love that little Rocky moment as he realizes he’s got immunity. Pink Team can’t keep up with the rest of the players, coming in last and locking in the 2 lbs penalty.
After the challenge, the group learns that Miggy’s back! Michael’s been missing his mom, so he’s overjoyed to see Miggy. The stomach pain was appendicitis. She also had a cyst and another mass removed during surgery. She is allowed to walk, no other exercise. And that’s what she does, vowing to walk all the way to Puerto Rico if necessary. When Dr. H visits Miggy, he can’t believe she walked 13 miles the day after surgery. Now that Migdalia’s really gone, Miggy realizes that she wants to stay. Desperately. The doctor also has some news that might affect that desire though – they pumped loads of sodium into her system during surgery. What will that mean for her weigh in?
LAST CHANCE WORKOUT
Stress at the gym! The players are even telling the trainers to shut up. Oooh. No one likes a trash talker at the gym if it’s not Bob or Jillian. Miggy’s wondering if this week will be her last. John’s doing cardio sprints in the gym, working his butt off. Jillian works on Ashley, trying to get her to up her intensity. Ashley’s resistant, but Jillian continues to press, telling Ashley that what she’s been thinking/doing hasn’t worked. Get on that treadmill! Ashley admits a lot of regret over watching her dad die of cancer. Tears start flowing. Jillian’s work is done here, so she rounds up Drea, Stephanie and Sunshine to join Ashley on the treadmills. Sunshine is not sure about a five minute jog at 5.5 mph but Stephanie and Andrea count it down with her…HELL YEAH! Nice energy and attitude coming from these four girls. Loving them more each week.
Decision time for Yellow. O’Neal reminds Sunshine that they have to get serious. If they have to crush the opposition to stay, that’s what they’ll do. While they’re deciding, producers ask the rest of the contestants to finish the sentence “This weigh in is…” Unpredictable, scary, the usual!
WEIGH IN
Alison announces that there will be no vote if one of the single team players falls below the yellow line, so say what you want to say before stepping on the scale. Miggy walked 18 miles 2 days after surgery. Will it be enough to keep her there, in a week when Yellow and White both have immunity?
We don’t get any insight on who Yellow thinks is a threat, because John doesn’t get the 7 lbs he needs to stay. 6 lbs for John and that sends him home immediately.
HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
After a disappointing first week at home, John hit his groove! He discovers he loves doing martial arts. The results? You be the judge.
NEXT WEEK
Going for the Gold! The players head to the U.S Olympics training center in Colorado. They’ll weigh in as individuals and two players will be eliminated. Let the games begin!
Is Melissa looking for a career change? She’s one heck of an actress. After 9 seasons of the show and almost 2 decades working in the field, Jillian and Bob know one thing for certain: the science of weight loss. They can also recognize game play from miles away. The free pass for the Red Team is over. When a team manages to alienate both cast and trainers the during one short week, things are going to get messy.
AFTER THE ELIMINATION
Michael is the first to return to the house after the players send Maria home. The rest of the players roll in and waste little time in reminding Michael how lucky he is to be there, since he wasted a good portion of the previous week.
POP CHALLENGE
The next day, Alison meets the group and announces the next Pop Challenge. Immunity is up for grabs, along with three decisions that will affect the entire game. The players have to run the Presidential Mile, grab a key card from the 100 on the board, and run back to Alison to try the key in the machine. If it’s a green check, the team gets one point. If it’s a red x, they have to try again. First team to get three checks wins.
Stephanie’s working hard to win the challenge, lapping players in her quest to to get the three checks. But the first player to get a green check is Melissa. Orange and Pink Teams are nipping at the Red Team’s heels. The momentum sticks and Red Team is the first to get the three green checks. In addition to immunity, Melissa and Lance have three envelopes with penalties to distribute to the players of their choice. They must decide: game play or try and curry favor?
They opt for game play for two of the three decisions. John receives the “no gym for a week” envelope. Works in his favor as his knee injury keeps him in the pool for most of the time. Red Team gives “no vote at elimination” to Michael, since the players were pretty harsh with him after the previous week’s elimination. The 2 lbs penalty at the weigh in goes to Green Team. Miggy and Migdalia are pissed.
CONFRONTATION WITH RED TEAM
Heads are about to explode! The trainers are not happy when they learn about the results of the day’s Pop Challenge. Bob notes how crazy it’s been in the house. Jillian knows Miggy’s at the breaking point. Time to confront Red Team, and again the trainers opt for the “tag team” approach.
Bob takes Melissa and Lance aside. He doesn’t make any headway with them. Melissa is upset that Bob called her a liar on national television. Lance says he lost a lot of respect for Bob during the last weigh ins. They insist Melissa is telling the truth. Bob hesitates, then decides to let Jillian call the Red Team’s bluff.
Jillian asks Lance to come clean about the game play. Lance refuses and says he’s not going to work with Jillian. “Okay,” she says. “Such is life.” She trots over to tell Bob what happened – in front of everyone. The teams split off, one of each pair goes to box with Jillian. First up, Melissa. She looks Jillian straight in the face and repeats that she’s not involved in game play. Ridiculous! Jillian’s only been doing this for 18 years and 8 seasons on the show. No fooling the one who knows the science. Jilllian looks straight at the camera and says, “She’s lying!”
Later, Melissa asks Lance to continue to work with Jillian. He agrees. She smiles, noting that she gets what she wants. I hope it’s a good kick in the rear.
CHALLENGE
Hardhats on deck! Each team has to hoist themselves one hundred feet in the air to the top of a crane. And the prize is good – phone calls home for the winning team and the three other teams the winners choose. Koli and Sam are channeling some kind of super human strength. We hear a few catty remarks about steroids. Jealous, Red Team? It’s a photo finish, but the boys hold off Melissa and Lance for the win. Koli and Sam’s hearts match their size. They share the phone calls from home with Melissa and Lance (second place), Migdalia and Miggy (family birthday) and John (because he’s without family on campus).
TRAINER TIP
Jillian has a lo-cal treat to curb your sweet tooth. Microwave an apple in a small bowl of water for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!
REWARD PHONE CALLS HOME
Gray Team is delighted to talk with family! It’s the first time that Sam’s Dad has ever said how proud he is of his son. Koli’s mom tells him she loves him and his aunt promises that she’ll never make fun of either guy for eating organic.
John’s wife tells him that their son is talking! She puts baby Nicholas on to say hi to Dad.
Lance and Melissa are both excited and sad to speak with their kids. They really miss them!
Both members of the Green feel like they want to go home. Miggy speaks to her fiance who’s lost 20 lbs! Migdalia’s daughter says, “Where are you Mommy?” Her husband tells her to hang in there.
LAST CHANCE WORKOUT
It’s plug time! Fill the Brita and head over to Subway. Bob coaches the players on how to fill up with lean protein and healthy carbs. Good thing they replenished their energy reserves. Last Chance Workout moves out of the gym into the great outdoors!
Bob has hill duty. The teams hike up the mountain, alternating walking with running intervals. That hill is steep! It’s John’s first official Last Chance Workout and he’s glad to be with the group. Daris is running like a machine! Just when the players reach the top and think they’re done for the day, Jillian’s waiting for them. With kettlebells. Wheelbarrows. And rocks! Jillian’s gleeful as she pounds the calories out of the players. She taunts Koli and Sam as they try to push themselves up the hill in the wheelbarrow. “It can’t be done,” she says. The Gray Team proves her wrong.
WEIGH IN
Ali reviews the Red Team’s escapades for the week: John couldn’t go to the gym, Michael can’t vote at elmination and the Green Team has a 2 lbs disadvantage. Melissa and Lance stand by their decisions as Green Team fumes over the game play strategy. With immunity, Red Team kicks off the weigh in. Jillian is absolutely sure that “peer pressure” will cure Melissa’s amazing struggle to lose weight on campus. And what have we learned thus far? Don’t. Doubt. Miss Jill!
The high points: Michael, Sam, Koli and John lose double digits; Cheryl and Daris hit milestones, dropping below 200 and 300 respectively.
The low point: Melissa’s smirking response to Green’s less than impressive weight loss. She actually says out loud, “Ali, just so we’re clear, 2 lbs wouldn’t have made a difference here.”
Migdalia starts to cry and Miggy instantly admonishes her, telling her to stop. Jillian points out the inherent sadness in this command. The Green Team is constantly swallowing their emotions, refusing to show stress to anyone.
The pre-elimination conference rapidly goes downhill. Migdalia flat out says she’ll make it easy for the group. Someone has to go home. Pick her. Melissa, not content to let it play out without drama, cautions the group to remember that the majority of attitude has come from Miggy.
ELIMINATION
The group is clearly conflicted. I can’t remember another elimination like this one. The two up for elimination are ARGUING and talking trash before the voting is complete. Last season, Rebecca and Rudy went at it but that was after she had been eliminated. The players refuse to honor Green’s request to go lockstep for Migdalia, with Red, Gray and Brown voting for Miggy. Ultimately, the majority of votes go to Migdalia.
HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
Startling to hear Migdalia say she’s opened up and learned to deal with her emotions during the final interview at the ranch! After a brief period of uncertainty at home, Migdalia gets back on track.
NEXT WEEK
They’re baaaaaaack! After battling it out at home for 30 days, who will get to return to the ranch – the Blue or Yellow team?
I live for Tuesdays. After all, I am The Biggest Loser Lover. It’s. My. DAY! I think about the show all day long, hop online at 7:59, load up TweetDeck and fire up the television. 2 bliss-filled hours of live tweeting with my Biggest Loser friends about the week’s episode.
Now imagine how my world was turned upside down this week as I was forced to watch the show on the DVR. By myself. On a Friday! Avoiding Twitter for three days so I wouldn’t see any spoilers. Never again.
What I learned during my solo viewing: Emotions get in the way. Where to start with Migdalia? Whether it was dealing with the student/teacher pairings or responding to Jillian’s attempt to “knock the chip off her shoulder,” she’s clearly unwilling or unable to express her feelings. It’s easier for her to squelch them with self-sabotaging behavior. Feel sorry for her, but also extremely frustrated with her attitude. Why did she come on the show if she doesn’t want to do ALL of the work – physical and emotional?
Fantastic round ups from Paula and Ali this week. Quick thoughts:
After the White Team loses the weigh in, Maria makes an impassioned plea for the group to send her home. Most of them honor the request, except for John and Stephanie who vote for Michael. What a joy to see Maria at home, changing the way she cooks for her family and getting into that swimming pool!
Yes. I’ve been mighty lax about the weekly recaps! Doing a lot of juggling on the home front these past three weeks and just haven’t had the time to update. Lucky for me, these amazing scribes have filled in the blanks!
Random thoughts on Week 2:
Understandable for Patti to sacrifice her time on the ranch for Stephanie, but I was sad to see her go. She’s doing well at home though, aided by her strong family support system. Daily workouts with her daughter, dancing with her husband and family running sessions have helped her lose 43 lbs. Patti’s also made huge progress in her battle against diabetes. Looking good Momma!
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Why I laughed: this group has spunk, especially Cheryl. Whoa mama!
Why I cried: the season 9 premiere gives us not one, not two but the three heaviest players in Biggest Loser history. The 11 couples are also the sickest bunch to date. At this rate, we’re bound to see a 600 lbs player on Season 10.
MEET THE TEAMS
Bob and Jillian phone each team at home to tell them they’ve made the cut for Season 9! Team colors are selected for each pair, then the trainers throw the first curve. The teams have to do the first weigh in before their family and friends, in public! I am personally horrified. It takes a lot of courage to strip down in front of EVERYONE you know. I don’t even like getting on the scale in front of myself!
More info on Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black, Gray and White Teams.
Starting weights:
Speculation that the one of the “Half-Ton” twins was the heaviest player – completely shattered by 40 lbs! Mamma Mia Michael! The son of Chicago’s Italian-American duo takes the top honor.
CHALLENGE
The players arrive at the ranch to meet Alison. (”Smoking hot!” according to Lance. Who said it in front of his wife! Oh Lance. But he’s right, Alison looked fantastic!) Hugs all around, then Alison brings the contestants up to the gym. All the equipment is gone! We know it’s the first of many season surprises. Alison reveals 22 stationary bikes and announces the first challenge – 26.2 miles on the bike. Immunity’s at stake, with another twist…the bottom two teams must leave the ranch immediately. Without even meeting the trainers?!
No product placement yet, another surprise and probably a Biggest Loser first. The teams hop on the bikes and the feet start flying. Green Team mother Miggy gets out in front and never lets up. She is fiercely determined to stay on the ranch. The Gray Team cousins are a close second. Neither Koli or Sam can believe how quickly Miggy is cycling. Everyone’s covered in sweat as Miggy and Migdalia are first to 13 miles. They rocket all the way to the finish, guaranteeing themselves immunity. Gray Team finishes second.
The other teams roll through the finish, one by one. Blue Team mom Cherita suffers extreme stomach pain forcing Dr. H to take her off the bike. This leaves daughter Victoria biking alone against the other two remaining teams, Yellow and Purple. The mother/daughter team of Patti and Stephanie squeak out ahead, assuring the Purple Team will stay on the ranch another week.
Blue and Yellow are going home. Cherita and Victoria knew it would be an uphill battle with mom’s injury, but O’Neal and daughter Sunshine are devasted! Good thing the limos stuck around. The two teams load up and prepare to go home, but surprise! Ninja Jillian and Bob leap out of the bushes. The teams go home for 30 days. Yellow gets Bob, Blue gets Jillian – the team losing the highest percentage returns to the ranch.
TRAINER TIP
Bob and Jillian show how easy it is to exercise as a team. They demonstrate various strength exercises, including plank/leg lifts and toe-to-toe situps with a weighted ball.
FIRST WORKOUT WITH TRAINERS – FI-YYAAAAAAA!
Bob and Jillian pull the fire alarm to get the players out of bed and to the gym. What a rough wake up call, especially on the first day of certain pain. As they meet the players and Michael nearly squashes Jillian, the trainers point out the obvious. The players get bigger and bigger each season. Bob and Jillian are training together again this season. Pain, puke, snot and tears commence before the trainers even get ramped up! Cheryl quickly becomes the gym standout, pounding the mat, screaming like a bad ass with each push. Everyone’s impressed. As Jillian says “Somebody wound up the mama and let her spin!”
Wow, first product placement comes 55 minutes in – double Brita and WalMart whammy.
AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
As the first week on campus draws to a close, the contestants tell each other how they gained the weight. While the specifics differ, the stories sound oddly similar. Heartbreaking to discover that most of the kids in the parent/child teams have never been in love or even kissed. Maybe we’ll get more love connections at the ranch this season! Maria is stuck in the sandwich generation, caring for elderly relatives and raising her kids. She has little time for herself, another common theme, especially with the mothers. Koli and Sam saw themselves in Season 7’s Tongan cousins Filipe and Sione. Koli cried during the makeover episode when he saw Sione’s wife meet him on stage. He is desperate for love and acceptance. Migdalia’s husband may be deployed to Iraq again; she’s all her kids have and she’s in terrible health.
LAST CHANCE WORKOUT
Last Chance Workout? Did someone say Last Chance Workout?!
Back on the ranch, Jillian smirks, “Welcome to the Biggest Loser gym - family fun for all!” The contestants get down to business. Bob reminds them all to input all of their calories and exercise into their bodybugg every day. Melissa says there’s a lot at stake in the Last Chance Workout. Patti knows she’s put in the effort but worries that it won’t be enough. Bob has the twins walking the pool to compensate for their limited mobility, especially James. He and John are worried about the competition. As Jillian reminds us, every day is the Last Chance Workout at the ranch. You don’t want to end up there, because it’s the last stop, end of the road.
FIRST WEIGH IN
Alison shows off the Biggest Loser scales and reviews the weigh in rules – team that loses the lowest percentage of weight falls below the yellow line. The rest of the teams will choose which player goes home.
Green Team has immunity, thanks to Miggy’s cycling prowess.
Holy crap! Michael gets out of the 500s, yelling “are my abs showing?” Purple Team has the highest percentage of weight loss at 8.09, carried over the top by Patti’s stunning individual loss of 9.4%. Brown Team falls below the yellow line with a combined percentage of 4.75. They look alike, weigh almost the same and each lost 23 lbs. I can’t even tell them apart. Now the rest of the teams have to send one of the twins home?!
ELIMINATION
Each of the twins argues that the other should remain at the ranch. Ultimately for the rest of the teams, it comes down to which twin has the time and ability to do it at home. They choose James.
HOW THE ELIMINATED PLAYER LOOKS NOW
James vows to win the at home prize. He says that John doesn’t understand what a gift this elimination was for both of them. Then he says we’ll finally be able to tell the twins apart because he’ll be the more handsome, skinnier twin. Boy did he make good on that promising, losing 100 lbs in 2 months! Imagine what John will do at the ranch.
NEXT WEEK
A wild first week! A total of 5 players sent home. Public weigh ins before the players even got to the ranch. Season 8’s Abby Rike blogs this week about the courage it takes to get real with yourself (apparently something that Season 3’s winner – or whiner – Erik Chopin hasn’t mastered yet). The stakes remain high, while the yellow line stays low.
Coming up…the dreaded week 2 curse. Which didn’t turn out so bad last season. Just saying!
WHITE TEAM – Mother and Son
Maria, 51 is a corporate travel agent based in Chicago, IL. As the primary caretaker for her disabled husband and elderly mother, Maria spends more time taking care of others than herself. The result – significant weight gain over the past 20 years. The pounds have crept up slowly, but have made a sudden impact on Maria’s ability to help her loved ones. She is hoping to show others that good health is essential not only for oneself, but for family.
One of Maria and her son Michael’s biggest issues is food. As Americans of Italian descent, they eat many old world culinary favorites that are loaded with unhealthy ingredients. While they want to keep their cultural traditions alive, they would like to learn how to use healthy alternatives and ditch their bad food habits.
Michael, 30 is a deejay in Chicago. He’s used to being the center of attention, both because of his career and his weight. He’s tried several unhealthy ways to lose pounds quickly but has been unsuccessful. Michael believes the excess pounds will prevent him from meeting the love of his life and having his own family. Losing weight and keeping it off will be a lifelong process.
GRAY TEAM – Cousins
Koli, 29 is a football coach and head of security. He lives in Rohnert Park, CA. The Tongan culture views extra weight positively and until recently Koli has never worried about his size. But he is slowly tiring of the expectations that others have of him because of his weight. He’s always expected to eat the most and be the muscle when anyone needs help moving. Koli, a former high school athlete, loves athletics and wants to be a positive role model as a coach. This means embracing a healthy way of life, something that is compromised due to his shift hours. He often eats irregularly and is unable to commit to an exercise program.
Sam, 24 is a security guard and volunteer youth football coach in Rohnert Park. His Samoan family regards big as normal, so like his cousin, Sam is used to big family gatherings and lots of food. He works overnight and sleeps during the day. This work schedule makes it hard for Sam to establish healthy eating habits. And although his primary focus is to control his weight, Sam is also concerned about the history of diabetes, hypertension and gout in his family. One of over 150 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he believes that changing his life will also set a great example for his relatives.
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PURPLE TEAM – Mother and Daughter
Patti, 55, is a small business owner in Layfayette, CA. Overweight for most of her life, she still remembers the taunts of childhood playmates. But that pain pales in comparison to losing her father unexpectedly at 55, the same age she is now. She fears that if she doesn’t lose the excess weight, her own life will be cut short, leaving her family devasted. Patti doesn’t want to be an overweight, unhealthy companion to her husband. She’s ready to break the cycle and become fit, healthy and energetic.
29 year old Stephanie is a radio sales executive in West Hollywood, CA. Like her mother, she’s been battling extra weight for most of her life. Her job requires long hours and frequent social outings, leaving her little time to hit the gym. Work is also her excuse for not having time to be in a relationship. However, she admits that she is afraid a potential love interest will reject her because of her weight. As a former athlete, the thrill of competition motivated her once. She’s hoping that same spirit will help her kick the pounds, once and for all.
BROWN TEAM – Brothers
James, 30 is a human resources director living in Orlando, FL. As the youngest kids in a large family, he and his identical twin are used to competition. While they used to stand out as scholars and athletes, the twins now gain attention because of their weight. His size makes it difficult for James to do activities he once loved, like dancing with his wife or taking long walks. He wants to have a family and live a long healthy life.
His brother John works in Orlando as a senior marketing manager. A number of John’s relatives have died prematurely and he can no longer deny the obvious. He may suffer the same fate if he doesn’t get his weight under control, which would mean leaving his family without a husband and father. John has lost almost 160 lbs in the past, but couldn’t keep it off. He regained all 160 lbs, plus 40 more. John hopes the competitive nature of the show will be the game-changer for himself and his twin.
BLACK TEAM – Father and Daughter
Darrell, 46 is a machine operator and mechanic from Ann Arbor, MI. Always the largest in his family, Darrell’s love for food started early. Oversized portions plus a lack of exercise has kept him heavy his entire adult life. Darrell’s quality of life has diminished because of his weight. Living a full, healthy, fit life means that he’ll need help sticking to a diet and fitness regimen.
Darrell and his daughter Andrea, 24 are very close. As the 4th and 5th generation to carry on obsesity in their family, they are teaming up to change their family legacy. Andrea works as an executive assistant in Ann Arbor. Although overweight as a child, she was also athletic and didn’t start gaining weight until after high school. Her family equates food with love and eating healthfully has always been a challenge, especially at family events. Andrea is finally ready to break the cycle of weight gain and improve her health. She knows this will change her life – and her dad’s future.
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