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:
Jillian and Bob are in the “good cop/bad cop” groove. I like the joint training approach.
Worried that Jillian’s going to push one of these contestants so hard emotionally they will lash out at her physically. Not a character or personality flaw in the contestants, just the reality of releasing that anger/energy on the nearest thing they can. Jill’s right up in their faces and they are big in comparison. Sheer physics.
Michael’s lucky his mother cares more about him than he does, or he would have gone home. Unattractive slacker attitude. Good for Gray Team for calling him on the mat.
Melissa. You’re not fooling anyone, least of all Bob and Jillian. And Lance either knows the score, or he doesn’t know his wife at all.
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 amazingscribes have filled in the blanks!
Random thoughts on Week 2:
It’s a sobering experience when Dr. Huizenga gives the contestants the results of their medical testing. Quite a wakeup call to see decades tacked onto your chronological age.
Why is anyone with a fear of water applying to be on the show? You’re going to be in the drink within the first three weeks. Poor Maria.
Red is the new Purple. Tracey passes the crazy game play hat to Melissa.
Highs and lows – Patti sets the weight loss record for women during week 1, ends up going home.
Week 2 curse – now officially a myth?
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!
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!
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?! We got another 30 Day Challenge going on…details here.
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.
Miggy, 13 lbs
Migdalia, 16 lbs
Koli, 29 lbs
Sam, 18 lbs
Daris, 29 lbs
Cheryl, 14 lbs
Darrell, 30 lbs
Drea, 14 lbs
James, 23 lbs
John, 23 lbs
Melissa, 19 lbs
Lance, 21 lbs
Patti, 23 lbs (highest % of any female competitor 1st week on ranch)
Stephanie, 16 lbs
Ashley, 17 lbs
Sherry, 21 lbs
Maria, 13 lbs
Michael, 34 lbs (most amount lost by any contestant 1st week on ranch)
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!
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.
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.
This family lives in Minneapolis, MN. O’Neal, 51 works as a USPS station manager. He loves sports, especially football, having been both a player and a coach. His brother’s recent death at 57 shocked O’Neal. It also forced him to realize that his extra pounds could get in the way of living a long, healthy life.
O’Neal’s daughter Sunshine is 24 and is a restaurant server. Like her dad, Sunshine is a former athlete, having competed in synchronized swimming. She’s always been on the heavier side and has never made weight loss a priority. Surrounded by unhealthy food at work and at home, Sunshine is unable to resist the temptations and has continued to gain weight. She hopes that by teaming up with her dad, they’ll be able to tap into the competitive spirit that brought them success as athletes – and dump the unwanted pounds for good.
GREEN TEAM – Mother and Daughter
Mother Miggy is 48 and a chef from Pemberton, NJ. She moved from NYC to Puerto Rico in her teens and was married, then divorced by 17. She tries hard not to feel sorry for herself or her kids. Her weight has fluctuated as many times as her careers. Heaviness is prominent in her culture, but Miggy wants to prove to the Hispanic community that it’s possible to be lean and healthy.
Her daughter Migdalia is 28 and a homemaker living in Sanford, NC. She says what’s on her mind, even when it causes disagreements with her mother. Her family lacked the basic essentials when she was growing up and continued to struggle when they moved back to the U.S. from Puerto Rico. She attributes most of her weight gain to overeating as result of stress and the birth of her second child. Her husband, a soldier, returned from Iraq and may be redeployed shortly. Migdalia worries that her medical problems will continue to worsen if she doesn’t lose the extra pounds.
BLUE TEAM – Mother and Daughter
Cherita is 50 and is a homemaker in Houston, TX. She feels great on the inside, but her body doesn’t show it. Focused on her marriage, children and career for many years, she now realizes that it’s time to take care of herself. She’s beaten cancer and wants to improve her health by losing weight. Her goal: to spend the next 50 years fulfilling the dreams she set aside in her first 50 years.
Daughter Victoria “Vicky” is a 22 year old student in Houston. Always encouraged to dream big and achieve, the goal of a thinner body eludes her. Vicky wants her outside to finally match her inside, so that she can impress the world with her beauty and brains. In addition to cancer, her family has a history of diabetes, obsesity, stroke and heart disease. Vicky and Cherita want to change their family’s medical legacy by embracing a life of fitness.
Married with two young children, Lance and Melissa live in Aspermont, TX. Lance, 38 is a rancher and Melissa, 39 an attorney. Lance loves to eat and has a hard time leaving food on his plate. His increasing weight caused him to lose his job as a commercial diver. Quite active in her teens and twenties, Melissa began to gain weight after she married and had the kids.
Health and fitness have taken a back seat to the stresses of everyday life. Strong in their career lives, Lance and Melissa admit they need help in getting the weight off. They also want to set a better example for their kids, as their nightly routine consists of takeout, lots of television and hours of video games.
PINK TEAM – Mother and Daughter
Sherry and her daughter Ashley hail from Knoxville, TN. Sherry, 51 is an administrator for a non-profit organization. Her most significant weight gain occurred after the sudden death of her husband. Embarrassed to meet new work colleagues and worried that she will not be around to see her grandchildren, Sherry is ready to make immediate changes in her life.
Ashley, 27 has battled weight for most of her life. After having her tonsils and adenoids removed in early childhood, her weight increased quickly. She wore a size 14-16 in high school and has gained more than 100 pounds since her teens. Ashley dreads running into old friends, shocking them with her size. But it’s her manager job at a spa that causes her the most anxiety. She knows her body contradicts the health/wellness image of the spa.
Full of cheer – and determination – mother and daughter hope to change their own lives, as well as impact the lives of friends and family. Reminds me of another Pink Team, Helen Phillips and Shanon Thomas!
ORANGE TEAM – Mother and Son
Cheryl and her son Daris reside in Ardmore, OK. Cheryl, 50 is the owner of Sears Hometown Store. The pounds piled on after she had three kids in three years. Her family loves to socialize frequently around food, another contributing factor to her weight gain. As many mothers are, she’s always the last priority on her list. Is it too late for Cheryl to put herself first?
Daris, 25 is a deliveryman/salesman. Always the biggest member of his athletic teams, Daris’ size was an asset in football, the shot put and discus. His outgoing, humorous demeanor and wild curly hair bring him plenty of attention, but he’s self conscious about his size. Never having had a girlfriend, he wants to lose the weight, fall in love and live a long, happy life.
When you have a hit program on your hand, why waste time between seasons? Or leave those who need to live Tweet the show with idle hands on a Tuesday night?
Just a few short weeks after the Season 8 finale, The Biggest Loser returns to NBC on January 5. Season 9: Couples 3 features 22 contestants, paired off into 11 new teams of loved ones. No random pairings as in the Season 5: Couples Blue Team of Bernie Salazar and Brittany Aberle. Personally, I loved the friendship that developed between those two!
And here’s a shocker – neither of the “Half Ton Twins” is the heaviest player in show history. Given current rates of obesity in this country, you can bet that Season 9 won’t be the last time Bob and Jillian will say “we’ve got the heaviest player ever.”
Early calls on who will be The Biggest Loser of Season 9? A snippet from Tuesday’s premiere…
It was the finale of my dreams, except for two small little incidents. The first occurred promptly at 7:59 and 58 seconds as the Boston NBC affiliate LOST THE FEED!!! Thought I was going to have a heart attack. Missed the beginning three minutes and the live Tweeters got me up to speed quickly. The second snafu…we’ll get to that shortly.
AMERICA VOTES
Alison Sweeney looks unbelievably gorgeous in her red dress. I am still awestruck that she didn’t lose the microphone in her cleavage, what with all the hugging going on! As Amanda and Liz take the stage to hear how America voted, I was stunned by the resemblance between Amanda and Ali. If Days of Our Lives needs Sami flashbacks that don’t fit with the storyline, they should definitely call Amanda. Simply stunning. Liz also looks great, but even with the weight loss, she’s still looking much older than 49. Residual marriage stress? America seconds it’s original choice: Amanda wins the chance to weigh in for the grand prize!
AT HOME PRIZE RESULTS- $100,000
By order of elimination, the first four are Alexandra, Antoine, Sean and Julio. Alexandra dances, saying how lucky she was to share the weight loss journey with Antoine, her boyfriend since they left the show. Antoine is glowing with pride, accomplishment…and a secret! Sean’’s life announces that he’s a proud papa for the third time, a daughter named Jillian! Julio is swoonworthy. Didn’t even recognize him with his new mustache. Very dashing.
Bob and Jillian wow the crowd in their sleek sexy black outfits as the first four contestants change for weigh in. Gorgeous, both of them. I find myself wondering if Bob’s mohawk will return in Season 9. Back to business – the first set of weigh in results:
Alexandra – start 309 lbs, finish 218 lbs, total % lost 29.45
Antoine – start 367 lbs, finish 215 lbs, total % lost 41.42
Sean- start 444 lbs, finish 289 lbs, total % lost 34.91
Julio – start 407 lbs, finish 227, total % lost 44.2
Julio’s in the lead! Coach Mo, Dina, Abby and Tracey stroll out. Coach Mo looks svelte in his purple sweater. If Alison surprises her with a bench, I’m confident Dina could jump onto it. She’s looking strong. It is so good to see Abby smile in her sexy red dress! Tracey is clearly in contention for the 100K but her words of strength don’t match her appearance. She looks like a skeleton among the healthy glow of all the other players. Has to stand out, even in the finale!
Coach Mo – start 355 lbs, finish 263, total % lost 25.92
Dina – start 253 lbs, finish 174, total % lost 31.23
Abby – start 247 lbs, finish 147, total % lost 40.49 (an even 100 lbs, meeting her goal!)
Tracey – start 250 lbs, finish 132, total % lost 47.23
Good god. Second stumble of the night occurs. A wave of nausea crashes over me. Tracey has taken the lead from Julio! No, no, NO!!! Is she actually going to win the at home prize?!
Shay, Daniel, Rebecca, Allen and Liz are the final five to weigh in. It’s been such a long journey for Shay as the heaviest player to date. She knows her journey will continue well past the finale. Daniel, rocking the v-neck, looking so handsome with his new muscles! Dr. H tells the Orange Team that they did get their Second Chance. With the pounds they lost, Shay gained 13 years of life, Daniel an astonishing 23! Rebecca’s doing the previous incarnations of the Pink Team proud, flaunting arms that scream “SLEEVELESS!” Not sure about the new blonde hair color though. Loved that glossy dark brown. Allen lives up to the hunky firefighter image – he looks awesome!
Shay – start 476 lbs, finish 304, total % lost 36.12
Daniel – start 312 lbs, finish 201, total % lost 35.58
Rebecca – start 279 lbs, finish 140, total % lost 49.82 (she takes the lead from Tracey!!!)
Allen – start 325 lbs, finish 209, total % lost 35.69
Liz – start 267 lbs, finish 176, total % lost 34.08
And once again, karma come back to bite Tracey in the butt. Rebecca scores the $100,000!
A collective cheer among the live Tweeters! And Bob dishes out the first surprise of the night, inviting Shay to weigh in again at the Season 9 finale in May. Jillian tells her that Subway is going to give her $1,000 dollars for every pound she loses. That is AWESOME! Finally, a product plug we can be proud of!
THE FINAL THREE GRAND PRIZE
The second surprise of the evening – Antoine whips out a ring and proposes to Alexandra, who is overwhelmed with shock! And of course, she says yes!
Erin, who competed with Amanda to get on Season 8, returns with her at-home weight loss – 76 lbs! Then it’s down to Amanda, Rudy and Danny. It was so strange to see the thin contestants walk side by side down the stage with their heavier doppelgangers. Actually, a little disturbing. But I did like that the contestants got into it, especially Rudy who gave his alter-ego a nice little pat on the ass.
We’ve already seen Amanda, but Rudy and Danny…WOW! The “big boys” look amazing. Who knew how cute Rudy was? Danny’s channeling a younger version of Judge Reinhold. I’ve been a Danny girl since the first week, but seeing Rudy, I know it’s going to be close. Very close. No way Amanda’s even in the running.
Danny picks the order since he lost the most weight on the ranch. And finally, what we’ve all been waiting for:
Amanda – start 250 lbs, finish 163, total % lost 34.80
Rudy – start 442 lbs, finish 208, total % lost 52.9 (gulp!)
Danny – start 430 lbs, finish 191, total % lost 55.5
AND IT’S DANNY!!! What a finish! Rudy’s a warrior, coming THAT close to snagging a cool $250K. Season 4’s Hollie Self is back to interview Danny after the finale:
The Biggest Loser Season 9: Couples III returns to NBC on January 5. Can’t wait!
We got another 30 Day Challenge going on…details 
