Topic: The Biggest Loser Season 6

[marigold]

Ali's Blog:

How much did you love Bob ripping up that ‘yellow line’ in the middle of the gym. Seriously. He’s awesome. And I have so much admiration for Jerry – sticking it out, given everything he’s up against, medically, he is so dedicated.
And didn’t those water slides seem like so much fun??!! 200 feet?!



The hike up was so brutal, but the ride down a total blast. I’m so into challenges like that. But man, it was so physically challenging on everyone. Doubly so for Coleen and LT who had to go twice as often on behalf of their dads. It was so intense to see them go at it.

I loved Rocco’s cooking challenge.



It was so incredible the way he transformed all those recipes to make them low cal and healthy. And I love that all the team members who don’t like to cook were the ones doing the cooking! I am so trying those recipes! (I swear, my pregnancy cravings are so weird. It seems when people bring up certain foods, all of a sudden I HAVE to have it. Like a camera guy at Days yesterday was talking about how he home-makes hot sauce. Literally, my mouth started watering. He promised to bring me some!!)
LT ‘s comments after the elimination were cracking me up. He is such a cool guy. It’s so great to see how awesome they look now.
Yup – next week we’re going to the Grand Canyon. Can’t wait for you to see how that went

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Keeping Up With Alison

Alison Sweeney, host of "The Biggest Loser",

talks to Better TV about life, work and her own weight loss struggles.

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The Biggest Loser Season 6

On this weeks episode Coleen will be celebrating her birthday on the ranch,

check out some of the celebration and tune in for the full thing tomorrow night 

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An interesting article:

Nutritionist from 'The Biggest Loser' dishes straight talk on weight loss

When it comes to weight loss, Cheryl Forberg knows how to do it big.

As the nutritionist who co-wrote "The Biggest Loser" diet plan, Forberg has helped contestants lose thousands of pounds and transform their bodies and lives on the NBC-TV show. This season's special "Families" edition features two local contestants: the mother and daughter team of Amy and Shellay Cremen of Auburn Hills and Royal Oak, respectively.

A registered dietitian and chef, Forberg, 52, stresses the importance of focusing as much on the quality as the quantity of calories.

Here's Forberg's take on healthy eating and "Loser."

How did you get involved with "The Biggest Loser"?

"Loser" was the first weight-loss show on TV; they had no idea how it would go over. A colleague at UCLA did the first season and happened to be working on another project and couldn't (continue). I've done all except the first season.

What are three simple changes people can make to be more healthful?

Give up the white stuff (sugar, flour, etc.) if you want to get the scales moving. It's an invaluable step to take. Keep a food journal -- food journaling is a very powerful tool. Make time for exercise that you love. It can be dancing, hula hooping, whatever, as long as you burn calories.

Why do you use agave nectar, not sugar, in your recipes?

Agave nectar is similar to honey but a little thinner and with a lighter taste. It has a relatively low glycemic index and has some antioxidants.

Were you ever overweight?

I gained about 25 to 30 pounds in college. I signed up for some crazy weight-loss plan. I was spending a lot of money on a very low-calorie diet, but the high cost motivated me to stick with it. I was 19 at the time, and I learned that for the rest of my life, I can't eat what I want.

Losing weight is one thing; maintaining is another. How is that done?

Once you reach your weight, you can slowly reintroduce foods and see what happens. At the same time (you reach your goal weight), you're probably slowing down on the exercise. If weight starts to creep up again, never let it go more than 3, 4, 5 pounds tops.

What are some good snack foods?

An apple or orange sounds like a healthy snack but it's not. You need to have a little protein, carbohydrate and healthy fat at each meal and snack.

Have an apple with a mozzarella stick or almonds; apple slices with peanut butter; a carton of yogurt (Forberg recommends Greek yogurt because of its higher protein count); edamame; half of a sandwich made with whole-grain bread, mustard and turkey; a smoothie.

You mentioned, with the exception of dairy, calories should come from food, not beverages. Besides water, what else is good?

Drinking three to four cups of green tea a day can kick up your metabolism by 80 calories. Green tea also has lots of anti-aging compounds.

What kind of diet plan are contestants on?

They eat four cups of fruit and vegetables, mostly vegetables, lots of lean protein like turkey, chicken without skin, egg whites, red meat occasionally, lots of dairy. It's a modified low-carb -- a little higher in protein because we're doing a lot of exercise. The first couple of weeks, it's literally detox -- no sugar. All of a sudden (contestants) are eating all this healthy stuff. They sleep well, think clearly, their hair shines. They don't remember the last time they felt this good.

How many calories does a woman contestant eat per day on the show?

About 1,200. Three hundred calories for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 150-calorie snacks twice a day. They can have snacks at different times of their choice. We like them to have a little complex carbohydrate, protein and healthy fat at each meal and snack. The biggest man -- we have some football players -- might get 2,400.

What about water?

I recommend eight glasses of water. Probably on the show they drink gallons because they exercise so much.

What do you do if you're dieting and hungry?

Eat more. If you get too hungry, you'll eat too much the next meal, too fast and the wrong things. We want them to be satisfied. If you feel calories are not enough, let's kick it up another 200 calories, considering you're eating the proper balance (45 percent complex carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 25 percent healthy fats). If you're eating 75 percent carbohydrates, we're not going to (increase calories).

How many days a week should you exercise?

Five, maybe six.

Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/LIFESTYLE03/809300345

[marigold]

  Darn show all that crying it's hard to watch

[marigold]

  An interesting article: thanks Sarah for thinking the same thing  

'The Biggest Loser: Families': Why are you crying?

And now, a (completely fictional) message from the makers of The Biggest Loser: Families: "Hello, friends. As you probably know, we here at BL Central find nothing so delicious and invigorating as the sweet, sweet tears of an innocent and unwilling public. The tears collected from out contestants are a satisfying appetizer, but we want more. That's why we're doing everything in our power to make you, the viewing audience, get all sniffly this episode. Did it work? Did it? You better say it did! Because if we don't collect enough of your luscious lachrymal nectar, next weeks challenge will involve sad clowns holding dead puppies. Thank you, and keep crying!"

This spoiler is glad to check something off the life list.

That's as good a scenario as I can come up with for why this episode was so heavy on the maudlin and tear-jerking scenarios. Let's put good people in impossible positions, and then verbally poke them with a sharp stick! Gah!

Ahem. Now that I've got that out of my system...

The Road Trip
The competitors participate in the American rite of passage known as the Road Trip -- they're off to the Grand Canyon! Along the way, they stop off at a convenience store for a temptation challenge, where teams got to guess on the calorie content of snack foods. The team that came closest to the calorie count without going over won a product placement. Collect three product placements, and they got to stay in a plus, product-placed RV. Everyone else would be camping. As in, in tents. Oh, and the teams that DON'T have the correct guess have to eat the treat in question.

Team Orange takes an early lead in the challenge, winning two rounds back-to-back. The rest of the teams basically cede the prize to them, declining to even play the last round. Ed and Heba celebrate, and immediately stretch out in the relative luxury of a gas-guzzling behemoth.

At the campsite, the teams find a stack of exercise equipment -- resistance bands, yoga mats, medicine balls -- and are completely clueless as to how to use it. They try throwing the medicine balls at each other, but after Renee gets a bloody nose from an ill-caught ball, that gets put aside. Still -- they're in the Grand Canyon. Just hiking some of the steeper trails will beat the heck out of the Stairmaster or treadmill. But the campers would rather be happy than sweaty, so it looked like they took a couple of gentle walks on flat terrain. Oooh, they're going to be in big trouble when Bob and Jillian find out...

The Challenge
The competitors meet Alison down by the Colorado river, where kayaks and ropes are waiting. One team member gets in a kayak and rows like hell. After 90 seconds, the team member left at the dock gets to try to haul back other teams' kayaks. The last boat to hit to dock wins the product placement RV.

Most teams leave their strongest member on the dock to pull, and send their weaker member out rowing. The only exception: Team Orange. Ed rows like crazy and gets much further out than anyone else. Team Purple screws up royally when Shellay decides to toss the entire wad of rope into the water instead of playing it out gradually. The rope becomes a tangled anchor, and Amy can't get far from the dock at all.

When it comes time to pull, most boats are brought back easily. Ed and Red Amy are the last two out there, and Ed's rowing is stronger, so he's able to hold off the hauling longer. Team Orange wins the Product Placement they're sleeping in. Team Red's Phil has a moderate snit fit -- I really wanted this for my kids! --but he seems to get over it pretty quickly.

Tearjerking, part one
The camping trip coincides with Coleen's 24th birthday. Ed brings out a cake, and then everyone takes turns going around the circle and talking about how great and inspiring and amazing and fabulous and saintly and wonderful Coleen is. When they get to Jerry, he's too overcome with emotion to speak. Coleen tells him he doesn't need to say anything -- she knows what's in his heart. The entire campsite (and maybe, just maybe, a recapper or two) is conspicuously moist-eyed.

At this point, after all the accolades, I decided that Team Yellow was doomed.

Back at the Ranch
Bob and Jillian are, predictably, most put out that their charges didn't take advantage of their vacation to work their asses off. The spend the first part of the last-chance workout showing them what they SHOULD have been doing -- basically, lots of calisthenics and strength moves using basic or no equipment -- and then bring them into the gym. there is much grunting and squealing and hurting and ow.

Michelle is having a particularly hard time of things, so Dr. Jillian and Drill Sergeant Jillian tag-team her psyche. Do you ever stand up for yourself? Dr. Jillian asks. :Ike, say, by telling me to stop hitting you? Drill Sergeant Jillian adds. This goes on for a while, and Michelle finally stops being polite and starts being... well, slightly less polite. Baby steps.

Jerry starts limping during the sprints,  and his right leg is swelling alarmingly. Jillian eventually sends him in to the medical guys, who send him to the hospital to check for blood clots or infection. The good news: It's not either of those, which can be deadly. The bad news: He's torn his hamstring, and he won't be able to work out much, if at all, until it heals in two or three weeks.

The Weigh In
Alison announces yet another twist -- this week, only one team will fall below the yellow line, and the members of that team -- that family -- will have to decide among themselves who is going home. Everyone starts freaking out. Michelle is particularly terrified -- she and Renee just started talking again, and now they might have to talk about which one should get booted? Oy.

Team Red
Amy:  209 to 204, -5 pounds
Phil: 300 to 290, -10 pounds.
Together they lost 15 pounds, or 2.95 percent.

Team Orange
Heba: 280 to 275, -6 pounds
Ed: 309 to 299, -10 pounds
Together they lost 16 pounds, or 2.72 percent.

Team Purple
Amy: 219 to 213, -6 pounds
Shellay: 201 to 198, -3 pounds
Together they lost 9 pounds, or 2.14 percent.

Team Pink
Michelle: 223 to 220, -3 pounds
Renee: 248 to 242, -6 pounds
Together they lost 9 pounds, or 1.91 percent.

Team Brown
Vicky: 223 to 220, -3 pounds
Brady 306 to 301 -5 pounds
Together they lost 8 pounds, or 1.51 percent.

Team Yellow
Coleen: 202 to 195, -7 pounds
Jerry: 358 to 360, +2 pounds
Together they lost 5 pounds, or 0.89 percent.

Coleen and Jerry are devastated, and Alison (at the producers' behest I know, but that makes it no less galling) asks the usual questions about are they disappointed and don't they feel horrible and shouldn't they just curl up and die, etc.

But that's not even the galling part. The absolute worst is Team Brown's reaction. Vicky just starts grinning when she sees Jerry's weight. I know, I know, Team Brown wants to stay on campus as much as anyone else. But still, reveling in Jerry's misfortune, after you spent the camping trip talking about how awesome Coleen was and how special Coleen and Jerry's relationship was? Tacky is the least of it. At least pretend to be concerned about someone else, ok, Team Brown?

The Elimination (aka, Tearjerking, part two)
Coleen and Jerry retreat to their room and OH! the PAIN! Coleen wants Jerry to stay -- if he doesn't lose weight, he'll DIE! Jerry wants Coleen to stay -- it was her idea, it's her opportunity, he doesn't want her to grow up like him, he's injured, it's a far, far better thing I do, etc. Coleen fights the logic for as long as she can, but eventually, she gives in. Jerry is going home.

But not before Alison brings on Tearjerking, part three: Hey, everybody, why don't you all go around the table and talk about how utterly awesome and touching and inspiring Coleen and Jerry are! Oh, and here, why don't you chop this onion while you're doing so? And do you mind if I spray a little Mace in your general direction? You get the picture. Tears all around.

Realistically, Jerry had to be the one who went home. The ranch isn't the right place for him -- it's too intense for someone with as many physical problems as he had. His body just couldn't take the strain. But back at home, he's exercising sanely, eating well, and has dropped 70 pounds. Dr. H even comes to visit to tell Jerry how much healthier he is. "This is what The Biggest Loser is all about," Dr. H says. Wrong, Dr. H -- it's about collecting tears, remember? Keep up!

Link: http://blog.zap2it.com/ithappenedlastnight/2008/09/the-biggest-l-1.html

[Texan]

Thanks for the recap.... I missed the show.

[marigold]

Thanks for the recap.... I missed the show.

No problem Texan lol it was a tough one to watch

[marigold]

An interesting article an interview with Jerry:

Exclusive Interview: Jerry Skeabeck of 'The Biggest Loser'

On last night's episode of The Biggest Loser, host Alison Sweeney was just full of surprises for the contestants.  First, she took them on a road trip to The Grand Canyon, where they had to camp out for a few days without their trainers.  Then, at the weigh in, she informed them that only one team would fall below the yellow line and that would be the only team up for elimination.  Whoever had the lowest percentage of weight loss would have to decide which team member would head home and which one would continue on in the competition.  That was a decision no one wanted to make but unfortunately, one that the yellow team was faced with.  In an emotional elimination ceremony, Jerry Skeabeck said goodbye his daughter, Coleen, and headed home.  Today, he spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview.

Coming on the show was not necessarily Jerry’s idea but he had a hard time turning down his daughter when she suggested that they try out for The Biggest Loser together. “This was all Coleen's idea,” Jerry told Buddy TV today. “She's a huge Biggest Loser junkie and, as a dad, how could I say no to improving our lives?” The two had barely arrived before Jerry took a trip to the hospital and found out that he was the least healthy contestant the show had ever seen. Instead of scaring him, it only motivated him to get his life on track. “I promised myself I would do whatever needed to be done to keep all my kids in the game when it came to being healthy,” he said.

The experience of being on The Biggest Loser was one that Jerry is happy he shared with his daughter but these two didn’t come into the competition with any issues that needed addressing or healing. “Coleen and I were always close as I believe I am with all four of my tax deductions,” he joked. On last night’s episode, Jerry was forced to say goodbye to his daughter, a move that was very difficult for him. “It, truly for a lack of a better choice, sucked,” he admitted. “I felt like I let her down “

Since heading home, Jerry has made some serious changes to his life and is 70 pounds lighter. “I have changed some bad habits into a positive lifestyle with at least 12 hours a week in the gym,” he told BuddyTV. “I also make better choices when it comes to nutrition.”

Link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-biggest-loser/exclusive-interview-jerry-skea-23253.aspx

[marigold]

  Next week 2 Episodes on The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST

FAMILY TEAMS FACE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET

In part one of this two-part episode, one team gets to go home and surprise their loved ones, while another team cashes in on a prize to spend 24 hours with their trainer for a day they'll never forget! Then the contestants face their toughest challenge yet - a water tower competition that tests their endurance like never before. Later, one group of contestants incurs the wrath of their trainer when it seems they aren't working out as hard as they need to to stay on the ranch.


The Biggest Loser
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST

SURPRISING WEIGH-IN FORCES ONE TEAM TO SEND FAMILY MEMBER HOME

In part two of this two-part episode, one group of contestants tries to convince their trainer that they are committed to stepping up their workouts. Later, one of the contestants has a heart-to-heart talk with her trainer about relationship issues with their family member. And a surprising weigh-in forces one team to send a family member home when they fall below the yellow line.

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Jerry is really looking good ---- very proud of him.

[marigold]

Jerry is really looking good ---- very proud of him.

He did wow he lost 70 pounds so glad he changed his lifestyle

I believe this show saved him from mostly likely a premature dealth incredible!!

[marigold]

Another interesting article:

Jerry Skeabeck talks about his 'The Biggest Loser' elimination

According to Jerry Skeabeck, his body was in so much pain during his The Biggest Loser: Families stay that he can't even pinpoint when he suffered the torn hamstring injury that led to his ouster from reality competition.

"I was in so much pain from being so rusty and out of shape I believe it [happened] a few days before [it got so bad the medics looked at it,]" Skeabeck told Reality TV World during a media conference call on Wednesday.

The injury -- which caused swelling in his leg and initial fears that he may be suffering from a blood clot -- prevented the 51-year-old police sergeant from Cleveland from continuing his workout. But Skeabeck told reporters that the injury ended up having more than he had initially thought to do with the weight gain he experienced during his final The Biggest Loser ranch weigh-in.

"Basically when I tore my hamstring, a lot of blood excessed upon the muscle from my hamstring and ran down into my leg, which caused me to retain water weight," he told reporters. "I think [my right leg] was actually swollen up a full three, or [maybe] three and a half inches larger than my left leg. It took quite a while for it to heal and quite a while for it to rehabilitate to the point where I'm running today.

Skeabeck told reporters that after being "the chubby kid" in school, his obesity had gotten worse after a series of wrestling injuries had led to him exercise less over the years.

"I just got out of the gym and didn't do [anything]," he told reporters. "I became sedentary and ate terribly!"

Skeabeck added that while his daughter Coleen Skeabeck, a 23-year-old receptionist from Cleveland,OH, had previously applied to appear on The Biggest Loser, she had convinced him to add his name to her application after hearing of The Biggest Loser: Families.

He added that it was only after being accepted onto the show and arriving at The Biggest Loser ranch that he truly realized that he needed to significantly change his lifestyle or suffer the consequences.

"You know things are no good when you get a doctor who's such an authority such as [The Biggest Loser doctor Dr. Wayne Huizenga] giving you the cold hard facts and then giving you visual data [about yourself]," Skeabeck told Reality TV World. "This is a guy who knows what he's talking about, and [he said] 'You need to wake up. you need to wake up or die.'"

After hearing Dr. Huizenga's dire warnings, Skeabeck has continued to work on his weight since leaving the competition and now weighs 298 lbs. -- a sharp drop from the 380 lbs. he weighed at The Biggest Loser's initial weigh-in.

"I went out [to The Biggest Loser ranch] with four blood pressure medicines. I don't have any blood pressure medicines now," he told reporters before adding that both his sleep apnea and heart arrhythmia had also disappeared since his weight loss.

"I just wake up and look at this good looking guy every day and smile," he said with a laugh.

Skeabeck credited much of his weight loss to Coleen, who continually impressed him with her hard work and determination on the ranch.

"I think every [parent] knows that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink, and I got pretty lucky," Skeabeck told reporters. "Being out there with Coleen and seeing what she did on the challenges and how intense she was with her workout... It [showed] the tenacity I always knew she had."

However it was that admiration for his daughter and desire to remain close to her that made the decision-making process that resulted in sending him home during Tuesday's episode even more difficult for Skeabeck.

"It just breaks your heart when one of your kids is away from you," he told reporters. To go out there and have to leave your kid again in California... you know, we're 'Buckeyes.' We're from Cleveland. We go to work every day and pay the bills and we hear about all the 'Tinseltown stuff.' So to leave my kid there... knowing that she was going to be fending for herself. As a Dad, yeah it was real tough."

He added that while he could not speak to Coleen while she remained on the show, Dr. Huizenga had acted as an intermediary of sorts between the two so they could continually encourage each other.

While Skeabeck wouldn't say who he favored to win the competition, he told reporters that he had never looked at The Biggest Loser as an individual competition. Instead, he said he had only joined the show as a means to change his family's life and had noticed nothing but the same mind set from the other competitors on the show.

"I didn't actually listen to one person who said 'hey this is The Biggest Loser.' I just said to myself  'everyone's a big winner here because we all go through the same problems,'" Skeabeck said. "Some are more [and] some are less and we're all making corrections here in our life."

Link: http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/jerry-skeabeck-talks-about-his-the-biggest-loser-elimination-7815.php

[marigold]

An interesting article:

The Biggest Loser Roundup: Jerry Dropped, Was In Shock Over Weight Gain

Jerry Skeabeck made The Biggest Loser history books when he joined the show as the most unfit person they had ever seen. Thanks to some ingenuity by his daughter Coleen and the support of fellow contestants, Jerry made it through to week three. His physical limitations kept him out of many challenges, and most recently, his leg injury prevented him from working out. Jerry and Coleen were the ones to fall below the yellow line, and Jerry bit the bullet and sent himself home. So, does he regret his decision? Fancast.com got the chance to chat with Jerry about his weight-loss techniques, his current mindset, and his plans to become a runner.

What were your initial thoughts when you found out only one team member was going home?
We concentrate so hard on just making a team effort so when that popped up it was a little surprise. It gave every something more to think about. It was highly stressful to make that decision.

After dropping so much weight, what’s the major difference in your body?
I felt it when I got on my motorcycle. It didn’t say “one at a time!” Basically, appearance was a big issue. How you look and feel is a big issue with everybody. When it comes to the physical capabilities I have now that I haven’t had for 20 years.

Did you have any doubts that you could do this home alone?
It’s like a war and you got to win it. That was always on my mind. I got to do this, I’m going to do this, and it’s going to be done. Failure was not an option.

What was the biggest change you faced going back home?
The biggest change was breaking habits. I had some really bad habits that I created. At Biggest Loser I changed my habits; I changed my lifestyle for the positive. The results are overwhelming when it comes to health and nutrition. I feel so good.

Your bio said that you were the most unfit person ever on the show. How do you feel about that?
It is what it is. This is not a show that is creating something that didn’t happen. It’s something that I created with the lifestyle that I created for myself. It led to obesity and high blood pressure and all that other crazy stuff. This is why we have so many problems in this fast food society, this life of convenience because we don’t want to get up off the couch and exercise and eat healthy. I felt that they were telling the truth and what you see is what you get.

How is it now going back to your job on the police force?
The support has been overwhelming. The police here are more than supportive. They’ve really come together and we talk about health, nutrition, and working out. If you would have told me that I would have done this a year ago, much less 6 months ago, I would have said you were crazy.

Was the decision to go home as hard for you to make as it was to watch?
Absolutely. We went in there as a team. The crazy thing is this, I have a son who’s a Marine and is overseas. It just breaks your heart when one of your kids is away from you. To leave my kid there… as a dad it was really tough. I was in the mindset that she needed to stay more than I did. She was living her dream. She was a BL junkie. Dad was just involved with this. I knew how unhealthy I was. She was hell-bent on me staying there. We had some discussion big-time.

You guys weren’t doing a lot of working out at the Grand Canyon. They were making a lot of excuses about the lack the gym. Do you think people just wanted to take the week off?
For me, being there I was looking for an excuse not to do anything. My back was hurting, even my ears were hurting! I don’t think it was an excuse, but speaking for myself, it was human nature. I was looking for something to slack and I slacked that week.

How has your health improved since you lost weight?
I went out there with four blood pressure medicines and I don’t have any now. I’m medicine free! My sleep apnea caused a heart arrhythmia over the years and I don’t have any of that anymore. I just wake up and look at that good looking guy in the mirror and smile!

What went through your mind at the last weigh in when you realized you had gained two pounds?
It actually was complete shock. A lot of things were explained to me afterward how the weight gain occurred. Basically when I tore my hamstring a lot of blood ran down into my leg which caused me to retain water weight. I think it had actually swollen up 3 ½ inches larger than my other leg. It took a while to heal and rehabilitate to the point where I’m running today.

You got to participate in the challenge last night where you had to sit out. How did it feel to finally be a part of your team?
It was good. When you’re with your family and you have to participate in some kind of challenge and you cannot participate you don’t know how that tears you up. To be out there, I was having a good time.

Did you feel like you were picked on by Jillian because you were the underdogs of her team?
That’s what you call hard love. Jillian is probably one of the most knowledgeable people and her record speaks for herself. Sometimes people get their points across in different ways and she definitely got her point across! She’s a fantastic human being.

Any plans for a 5K or anything?
Absolutely. We’re training right now. I’m trying to get a 5K in before the finale.

What your favorite guilty pleasure?
Pasta and lots of it! I’m pasta freak. I can eat in now in limited portions. I eat wheat pasta and I’m careful with my servings… and do some serious burning after I eat it!

Link: http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/10/the_biggest_loser_roundup_jerr.html

[marigold]

An episode recap:

The Biggest Loser: Episode 6.4 Recap

Tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser, which is normally 2 hours, was cut in half due to the presidential debate.  The contestants are still reeling from the new twist this season, where only one family will fall below the yellow line.  The losing family will have to decide which one of them will go home, instead of being voted out by the other contestants.  Jillian helps Coleen with the loss of her father, who eliminated himself after the yellow team lost the last weigh in.  Coleen is now the only contestant without a family member to support her and get her through this process but all that will change after the next weigh in.

Amy and Phil get a 24 hour trip home, after receiving that as a prize on last week's episode.  They share an emotional reunion with their kids, who can't believe how much weight they've lost.  The family heads out on a hike through the woods, where Amy and Phil can really show how their lives have changed since starting on The Biggest Loser.  Back in California, Amy and Shellay also use their prize from week 1, which was 24 hours alone with Jillian, their trainer.  The day together isn't exactly what the purple team had hoped for.  They spend the day at 24 Hour Fitness, where Jillian works them to the point of exhaustion and tears.

For tonight's challenge, each contestant will stand on a bar, holding onto handlebars, as water leaves the giant tank they're in.  The winners will get a package from home, to cure their homesickness, as well as a 3 day VIP pass to Universal Studios Hollywood which includes airfare.  Coleen was the first to drop and, as the only yellow team member, had the odds stacked against her.  The last two on the bars were Vicky and Amy (purple).  Vicky is able to hang on the longest and wins the challenge.  She gets to pick another team to give the package to and Vicky chooses the purple team.

In their workout with Jillian, the parent-child teams face her wrath when she finds out that they haven't been doing their cardio.  She screams at them, telling them she'll watch them go home, one by one, and count the days until the next season, when she can get people who actually care.  When Amy smiles during her rant, Jillian sends her inside and say she's had it with her team.

Link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-biggest-loser/the-biggest-loser-episode-64-r-23430.aspx

[marigold]

An update on last years winner Ali:

Ali was recently named a spokesperson for 24 hour Fitness.

Keep an eye out for her commercial and print ads out now in several U.S. markets.

Link to Ali's site: http://www.alivincent.com/

[marigold]

A recap for tonights episode:

The Biggest Loser: Families - Episode 5 Recap

Tonight’s episode of The Biggest Loser where last night’s left off – with Jillian freaking out on her team for being lazy and not doing the homework that they were assigned. Bob puts the competition aside for a minute to find out what happened from Jillian and agreed with her reaction and emotion in this situation. After being kicked out of the gym, Amy returns to continue working out, a move that Jillian calls a “good choice”.  She reels her team back in, gets them back into a good workout mode, and counsels them through the issues that brought them to the show in the first place.

Tonight's episode takes us right to the weigh in and here are tonight's numbers from the scale:

Coleen: 3 pound loss (1.54%)
Michelle and Renee: 4 + 5 = 9 pound loss (1.95%)
Amy and Shellay: 5 + 4 = 9 pound loss (2.19%)
Amy and Phil: 5 + 3 = 8 pound loss (1.62%)
Heba and Ed: 8 + 0 = 8 pound loss (1.40%)
Vicky and Brady: 3 + 9 = 12 pound loss (2.30%)

Heba was excited that she lost 8 pounds, until she saw that Ed didn't lose anything this week.  That means that one of them will have to go home while the other stays to continue their weight loss journey.  At the elimination ceremony, the orange team reveals that Ed will be the one going home.  Heba breaks down at the thought of having to go on without him but he feels that they've made the right decision. 

Since leaving the show, Ed has lost 85 pounds.  His ultimate goal is to weigh 180 pounds.

Link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-biggest-loser/the-biggest-loser-families-epi-23457.aspx

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Next week on The Biggest Loser:

Tuesday October 14, 2008 8:00 PM-10:00 PM EST

Episode 5

CONTESTANTS FACE LONGEST CHALLENGE EVER - FROM SUN UP TO SUNDOWN

This week, the contestants are left in the dark - literally - during a wild baked goods temptation, with the winner gaining considerable power that could completely change the competition. Later, host Alison Sweeney wakes the contestants up to gather them for the challenge, which will last from sun up to sundown - the longest challenge in Biggest Loser history. One contestant struggles with a decision about whether to stay at the ranch or go home, and then an elimination round sends another contestant packing.

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An interesting article an interview with Ed:

Exclusive Interview: Ed Brantley of 'The Biggest Loser: Families'

This week, on The Biggest Loser: Families, the contestants and trainers were shocked when orange team member Ed Brantley failed to drop any pounds at the weigh in.  His wife, Heba, lost 8 and started to celebrate until she noticed the zero on his side of the scale.  Heba immediately started crying, saying that she couldn't be happy because she knew what the meant for their team: one of them was going home.  In a new twist this season, the team with the lowest percentage of weight must decide which of them will go home and which of them will stay.  Ed made the decision to remove himself from the competition so that Heba could soldier on but saying goodbye proved to be difficult for the husband and wife.  Today, Ed spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview about his decision and his weight loss - or lack there of.

Ed told BuddyTV that trying out for The Biggest Loser was all his wife's idea.  "We drove to an open casting call," he said.  "I was a little skeptical at first!"  It didn't take long for Ed to get on board, especially with Bob Harper as his trainer.  This week, rival trainer Jillian Michaels flipped out on her team when no one was doing the workouts of the homework she assigned.  Jillian brought several of her team members to tears, a move Ed didn't agree with.  "I feel like Jillian didn't motivate them the proper way," he admitted. "I don't think her reaction was justified."

When host Alison Sweeney asked Ed why he didn't lose any weight, he had no answer for him.  All this time later, he still isn't sure what went wrong.  "The body can betray you sometimes," he said.   "I probably lost fat, but gained a lot of muscle that canceled it out."  Ultimately, he did decide that he would be the one to leave but it was very difficult for him to walk out that door without his wife.  "It was the hardest thing I have ever done- leaving Heba behind," he told BuddyTV.  However, he said that he was glad he wasn't voted out of the game.  "I was glad we got to make the decision to eliminate ourselves."

Since leaving the show, Ed has lost 85 pounds. His ultimate goal is to weigh 180 pounds.  Ed says that he learned many things from Bob and The Biggest Loser, mainly that "social calendar is less important.  The temptation to eat nice dinners all the time is easier to resist," he said.

Link: http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-biggest-loser/exclusive-interview-ed-brantle-23496.aspx

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A sneak peek for next week:

Things are continuing to take a twist on Season 6 of The Biggest Loser,

here's a little preview of Tuesday, October 14th's episode.

What is going on? Who is Amy talking about? And why is she wearin...

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An interesting article an interview with Ed:

Biggest Loser: Families “I wish I had gone with my heart”

Did you learn anything new about your wife, Heba, from sharing this experience with her?
Ed: We’ve always been really close. We had an instant connection when we met. We know each other really well, but I think our experience together has just solidified our belief in that. You just know that we were meant to be together. If I lived in Scandinavia and she lived here, I probably would have found her somehow.

What was the biggest misconception you had about the show before you were on it?
Ed: I would see these guys crying and huffing and puffing, but what they show isn’t even a fraction of what really goes on as far as working out. I thought I was going to be able to waltz up in there and blow everybody out, which totally was not the case.

Why did you vote for the gray team?
Ed: Everybody else had voted for them anyway, even the people on their own team. So instead of ostracizing ourselves from the rest of the group, we went with them to save face. Don’t get me wrong: I love LT and Tom to death. Our vote wouldn’t have mattered anyway. It wouldn’t have helped other than maybe making us look good. But in retrospect, I wish I had gone with my heart.

You didn’t lose anything at the last weigh-in. Do you think you could have done more?
Ed: All I needed was that one pound — what a kick to the chest! It was upsetting, but at the same time, I knew how hard I worked that week. I just really gave it everything. The body does betray you sometimes. I may have lost a lot of fat weight that week, but I probably also gained a lot of muscle weight that cancelled out my weight loss. It’s kind of the same thing that happened to LT a couple of weeks ago. That next week that I got back, I dropped 10 pounds, so it was really just a fluke.

How hard was the decision to go and let your wife, Heba, stay?
Ed: I hated to leave. I felt like we really needed to be there for each other. We were relying on each other for a lot of things, but I just knew in my heart that this was the best thing. This was the best format for her to lose the weight. I knew it would be easier for me to do it at home. Not that it was easy — there were times at home when I wished I was at the ranch. So I had to bring the ranch to home, in my mind.

Were you able to get any updates on her after you left?
Ed: No. Every week that I didn’t see her, I was like “Yes! She’s still there!” Not to sound terrible, but I was really hoping that I didn’t get to see her for two more months.

What’s the biggest thing you learned from your time at the ranch?
Ed: The ranch taught me about being out of a comfort zone. My biggest problem was that I was in a comfort zone. You go to work for 8, 10, 12 hours a day and it feels really comfortable to come home and eat and watch TV. But I would take the comfort zone to work as well because I would be tasting things and snacking. It’s a hardwired thing. You have to constantly taste the food to make sure things are right and I might have taken it to the extreme. I was basically eating meals while I was working without realizing it or accepting the fact that that was what I was doing. On the ranch, I got on a real schedule of eating.

How did your job as a chef change as a result of being on the show?
Ed: Basically, if there’s something that someone has specially requested that is not a normal menu item, I will taste it but spit it into a napkin. My classics are all standardized, written-down recipes that I don’t have to taste. On some of my menus, there are a lot of healthier things, but the reality is that the people still want the mashed potatoes, the macaroni and cheese, the barbecued chicken. It’s difficult to be around it all the time, but it’s also really good therapy. Anything worth working for is worth keeping for the rest of your life, and I’m just going to have to deal with it. I just remember that it’s just food.

Do you ever splurge?
Ed: I’ll try to save it up 10 or 13 days and then have a day, not where I’ll blow it out and do anything crazy like eat a dozen donuts, but I might have a hot dog at the fairgrounds — just something to tame the demons. If that means I have to run an extra mile to do that, I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll run two just to make it really right. As long as you’re putting the right things in your body the other days of the week and you feel like having something that you love, if you’re willing to pay the consequences for it and do the work, then by all means do it.

How much have you lost in total?
Ed: When I got to the ranch, I weighed 335 pounds and today, I weigh 245 pounds.

What was your reunion with Heba like?
Ed: When you see it, you’re just probably not even going to believe it. You’re going to be doing back flips, or up in a chair screaming. That’s all I can say about it. We continue to work hard every day and we know that so many people are counting on us and looking to us for support just like we have looked to them for support. We’re obligated to ourselves and to so many people to do the right thing, to lose the weight and be the healthy people that we want to be.

Link: http://www.intouchweekly.com/categories/tv_scoops/

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An interesting article an interview with Ed:

Biggest Loser’s Ed: I Thought I Was Going ‘Blow Everybody Out’ at the Ranch

North Carolina couple Ed Brantley and his wife Heba won challenges left and right (winning $5,000 and an RV in the process!) as the formidable Orange Team on this season’s Biggest Loser. But at Wednesday night’s weigh-in, Heba’s excitement at dropping a whopping 8 lbs. was dampened by Ed’s goose egg – yep, the big guy dropped zero pounds. That pushed his team below the yellow line. After an hour of deliberations, the Orange Team made the tough decision to send Ed home. The 31-year-old southern chef, who has gone from 335 lbs. to 245 lbs. and sports a 34-inch waist, spoke about his weigh-loss goal, getting out of his comfort zone and why he and Heba are truly a team.

How hard was it to decide which one of you would leave the Ranch?
It wasn’t an easy thing to do, but I knew I was doing the right thing and I think she knew it as well. It’s always a hard thing to be separated from someone you spend a predominant amount of time with. We were kind of on a stride and it was a little upsetting and depressing. But I use that [emotion] in my workouts at home.

How did you feel when you didn’t lose any weight at the last weigh-in?
All I needed was that one pound. What a kick to the chest, you know? I knew how hard I worked that week, I knew I really gave it everything. And the body does betray you sometimes. I may have lost a lot of fat weight but probably also gained a lot of muscle weight; that probably just canceled out my weight loss this week.

Did you plan to lose weight before having children because of medical advice, or did you make that decision on your own?
Heba and I just came to that conclusion on our own. We could see in our friends’ family how they were starting [families] and they were healthy people, doing things with their kids that, at that point, we would never be able to do. It’s really time to do something about this now before it gets too late.

Was there anything Dr. Huizenga said about your health that surprised you?
I was really shocked that it was that bad. I’m 31 years old and I was basically diabetic. Metabolic disease, high blood pressure. I’m thinking these are kind of old man diseases, old man problems. I was shocked. I was mortified. I think Heba had been trying to tell me and I just kind of ignored it for so long.

What did you learned from your time at the Ranch?
The Ranch taught me about being out of a comfort zone. I think my biggest problem was I was in a comfort zone. You work for 8-12 hours a day, and it’s really comfortable to come home and sit on the couch and eat and watch TV. I would also be eating while I was working, or snacking, and not realizing how much I was putting into my body. That part of it really showed through when I got on a real schedule of eating.

Did you learn anything new about Heba after going through this experience with her?
Heba and I, we’ve always been really close. We had an instant connection when we met. We know each other really well, but I think our experience together has really just solidified that and just reaffirmed our position that, you know what, you guys are meant for each other. You see us together and you just know we’re meant to be together. If I lived in Scandinavia and she lived here, I probably still would have found her somehow.

What was the biggest misconception you had about the show before becoming a contestant?
I would see these guys crying and huffing and puffing, but what they show in workouts and the things you do, isn’t even a fraction of what really goes on as far as working out and strenuous activity. I thought I was going to be able to waltz in there and blow everybody out, and that was not the case.

Link: http://tvwatch.people.com/2008/10/10/biggest-losers-ed-i-thought-i-was-going-blow-everybody-out-at-the-ranch/

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NBC Red Carpet Interview: Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser)

BuddyTV's exclusive interview with Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser

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An interview with Ed:

The Biggest Loser Roundup: Orange Team's Ed Says 'Bob Is A Saint'

Ed Brantley is the latest castoff from The Biggest Loser, despite losing a tremendous amount of weight at the ranch. He had a pretty good week-- he worked out, he ate right. This week, however, the scale wasn't on his side. Ed fell victim to the classic BL predicament of gaining as much muscle weight as fat lost, meaning a zero shows up on the scale. Ed had to leave his wife, Heba, behind to represent the Orange Team without him while he continued his journey at home. Not only did Ed keep losing at home, he also learned how to translate the lessons learned on the ranch into his everyday life. Fancast caught up with Ed and asked him about his job as a chef, his feelings on leaving his wife behind, and his favorite workouts.

How difficult was it to leave your wife behind?

It was a new experience. I think - it was difficult. It wasn’t an easy thing to do. But I knew that I was doing the right thing and I think she knew it as well.And it’s always a hard thing to be separated from someone that you spend, you know, a predominant amount of time with. And to have come so far together, to kind of get I guess, you know, kind of cut short. We were kind of on a stride and it was a little upsetting and depressing. But you know what? I use that in my workouts at home.

How did it feel to see a zero on the scale?

All I needed was that one pound. I mean, what a kick to the chest, you know. And it really was kind of upsetting. But no, at the same time, I knew how hard I worked that week. I knew that I just really gave it everything. The body does betray you sometimes. I may have lost a lot of fat weight that week, but I probably also gained a lot of muscle weight that probably just canceled out my weight loss for the week.

How hard was the decision to make between you and Heba?

Definitely I hated to leave. I felt like I really needed to be there for her - you know, for each other. We were really relying on each other for a lot of things. And it was difficult to leave. But I just knew like in my heart that this was the best thing. She really like needed to be there. This was the best format for her to lose the weight. And I knew that it would be easier for me to do it at home. Not that it was easy to do it at home. There were times when I was at home when I wished I was at the ranch.

What did you think of Bob Harper?

Bob Harper is a saint among men. He should have his own day declared. And he has just really been a true friend to Heba, the rest of the members of our team and I think the world is a much better place with him in it.

What was the toughest part of this whole experience?

The toughest part is really just the shock to the system. You get rebuilt and stronger mentally, physically, emotionally. You’re just able to handle a lot more stressful things now and it feels great.

You’re a chef, so what specifically have you done so that you don’t do that and you’re not eating a meal while you’re working?

I know I don’t have to taste it. They key is having standardized written down recipes that I know somebody else can make. You don’t swallow it. You just spit it out and, you know, wash your hands and go about your business.

And now that you’re getting close to your goal, babies soon?

We’ll see what happens. You know, we’re not in any rush. We promise when we do, you will be the first to know. Well probably Jill will be the first to know and we’ll go from there.

And what would you say very quick is your favorite like calorie burning, intensive workout that you did at home?

My calorie burning intensive workout is the stair climber at the gym. I just jack that thing up real high, like almost like a trot - not trying to run up the steps, but you kind of trot. It’s like level six or seven. And that is a serious calorie burning, kick your butt, sweating workout. And then second best after that is spin bike.

What’s your total weight loss so far?

When I got to the ranch I weighed 335 pounds and today I weigh 245 pounds.

And now that you’re home, what’s the biggest thing that your time at the ranch taught you?

The ranch taught me about being out of a comfort zone. I think my biggest problem was I was in a comfort zone. You go to work for 8, 10, 12 hours a day and it feels really comfortable to come home and sit on the couch, and eat and watch TV. But I would take the comfort zone to work as well because I would also be eating while I was working or, you know, tasting things and snacking, and not realizing how much I was putting into my body. And that part of it really showed through when I was at the ranch, you know. I got on a real schedule of eating and that’s what the biggest part of the ranch experience was for me, I think.

Link: http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/10/the_biggest_loser_roundup_oran.html#more

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The Biggest Loser: Families Episode Recap: Week 5

Say goodbye to your teams! This week the Biggest Loser had one tempting cupcake and brownie filled challenge that changed the course of the game for the season. With husbands and wives and mothers and daughters being split up, the pressure is on and the contestants are getting feisty. Who dropped the pounds and who survived another week on the ranch? Well, let's get to recapping.

Coming off of the emotional loss of her husband and teammate, Heba was more determined than ever to stay on the Biggest Loser ranch. This week's temptation challenge showed just how far she was willing to go. As the contestants walked into the baked goods filled room, they knew they were in trouble. I mean did you see those cupcakes? Mmm. The challenge was about control, with a monumental reward. The person to consume the most calories in ten minutes would be able to choose their new teams and their trainer. That's right, we're back to Blue vs. Black, Bob vs. Jillian. To make it even more tricky, the lights were turned off and no-one could see if another person was partaking. Only Allison in her "night-vision" goggles would know. When the time started the partners immediately started consulting. Heba threw out the idea that she would eat a donut to win and keep the teams the way they are. Sounds like a good idea but Red wasn't having it. While Heba figured she was taking one for the team, Phil felt she was being manipulating. Amy didn't like the idea either because she was currently on an all female team and knew that she needed one of the large guys to pull a big number. As everyone was debating over what to do, Phil started to eat away. It looked pretty amusing on screen since we could see him doing it right in front of everyone but in reality, no-one was the wiser. Finally Heba caught on and also started chowing. Even Amy started to dig in. In the end, Phil came in third, followed by Amy, with Heba winning after eating two 200 calorie filled donuts. Everyone was anxious about her course of action and she wasn't shy about making a point. For Bob she chose herself, Colleen, Vicky, Amy (red), Amy C, and Brady. For Jillian she chose Michelle, Renee, Phil and Shellay. She split up two teams in the process and either made a smart move by doing so, or screwed herself by creating enemies. Bob surely wasn't happy with Heba's choice and reminded his new team that when they make personal choices it backfires. Simply put, she should've kept both boys on her team. But at least it provided for some drama. "That bitch is not going to take me down," Amy (red) told Bob.

Meanwhile, Jillian is happy about gaining Phil on her team but is having to deal with a possible impending loss of someone else. Michelle is debating about leaving. Since her mom divorced her dad and took her two sisters with her she's been living with her father. After being estranged from Renee, they decided to do the Biggest Loser together. Now she's worried that she's betraying her father. She explains to Jillian that she's on the verge of running just to not feel afraid. Our wise Jillian advises Michelle to call her father. During the teary phone call he tells her that it's 100% okay to love both of them and assures her that she won't lose him. Similarly, her mom tells her that no matter what she decides, she'll love her with all her heart and she just wants what's best for her. Looks like she's got a great support system.

Rise and shine. Alison wakes the contestants up bright and early for this week's challenge. They're going to work together for fourteen hours, from sun up to sun down, climbing the mountain up and down. Each time they reached an "end" they had to take a picture and received a bonus point if the entire team was in it. The prize was a two pound pass, which of course was the biggest prize ever, as they all exclaim each week. Blue decides to split the team up to take advantage of Brady's athletic ability but Black sticks together. In the end Black won with 162 points. Although his plan didn't work for the team, Brady was the overall winner, logging 20 miles. Good for him!

After tough as per usual last chance workout, it's time for the first Blue vs. Black weigh-in. After almost leaving the ranch, Michelle decides she's not going anywhere but straight to the scale. She looses 7 pounds. Next up is her mom, Renee, who loses 5. Phil drops 8, Colleen loses 5 and Shellay loses 5. This brings their total loss to 30 pounds with a percentage of 2.66%. And add on their 2 pound pass and they've got 2.84%. First up for the Blue team is Amy C who drops and incredible 9 pounds. Vicky hits 6, Brady follows up with 6, Amy P continues the streak with 6 and Heba loses 8 to put them ahead. They're both shocked and thrilled that they've lost a total of 35 pounds for a percentage of 2.96%.

Ironically, the girl who almost voluntarily left the ranch has gotten immunity for the elimination. During the deliberation it at first seems like Phil may be going. He's the new guy on the team but the all know he's probably their greatest hope for winning weigh-ins. The elimination ceremony was emotional as always. After four votes it's a tie between Shellay and Renee, with Colleen as the deciding factor. She votes off Shellay and I'm a bit sad. I really liked her and the dynamic between her and her daughter Amy. In her exit interview Shellay vows to be the hottest mom on the Biggest Loser and boy was she serious. Today she looks awesome!! Way to go Shellay!

Link: http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/biggest-loser/Biggest-Loser-Recap-26509.aspx