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The Biggest Loser Season 7

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marigold:
An interesting article an interview with Jerry:

Biggest Loser’s Jerry Loses 96 Lbs.

In a heart-wrenching elimination that even had host Ali Sweeney wiping away tears, the show’s oldest contestants, Jerry and Estella Hayes, were sent home. The lovable 63-year-old grandparents of Team White were off to a scary start when Jerry collapsed in the gym on the first day. After bouncing back with an incredible 25-lb. weight loss in the first week, Jerry hit a roadblock in the dreaded second week and fell below the yellow line with Daniel Wright, 19, his good friend and the heaviest contestant in Biggest Loser history. In the end, Jerry was sent home to reunite with his wife and partner, Estella. With the support of his family and those emails from Jillian, he has lost 96 lbs. so far! Jerry spoke with reporters recently about his collapse on the show, how he’s getting fit and why Bob the trainer blew up at another contestant.

How much do you think your age factored into your physical fitness?
I don’t think it’s so much my age as much as it’s the fact that I was on a couch for 25 years not doing anything. As far as being old, I think I’m okay. I’m not going to be as fast or as strong as a 27-year-old, I know that. I’m not going burn the calories they burn or lose as fast. I’m getting my metabolism up and everything is working.

What’s the main difference in your life after being on the show?
I was a diabetic; I’m not a diabetic anymore. It’s gone — there’s no evidence of diabetes anymore. My blood pressure is well under control. My cholesterol is, I believe, lower than an 18-year-old. It’s unbelievable!

How did you feel about them keeping Daniel when you were voted off?
I love Daniel. I wanted him there. I actually talked to them and said they had to choose me. I had my wife and kids at home who were all very supportive. Daniel is very young and has his whole life ahead of him. They came to the right conclusion. I didn’t want to leave, don’t get me wrong. Daniel is a very special person, he’s going to be a Baptist minister and he’s just a kind and nice man. We are friends and talk all the time.

What is your favorite healthy thing to eat now and what is your biggest temptation?
I like yogurt with fruit in it. Besides the yogurt, my favorite foods are the same as before, we just modify them. I eat an omelet for breakfast like I did before, but the omelet I eat now is made out of egg whites and the calories are about a third of what it was, but it tastes the same to me. And I love spaghetti and I still have it but it’s wheat spaghetti with turkey meatballs and it’s much more healthy. The temptation is there but I haven’t fallen off the wagon.

What is your advice for other grandparents who are discouraged about exercising?
You need help and I have a trainer here. You just have to start slow but you got to get your mind on it and keep trying and trying. You’ll get faster; you’ll get stronger. You got to challenge yourself and you need support whether it is a spouse or friend. The health center we go to has a community of older people who feed off of each other. You just got to believe.

What did learn at the ranch that you were able to bring home with you and incorporate in your regimen to be so successful and drop 96 pounds?
[The doctor] recommended a 2 ½ hour cardio program and on top of that, I do another hour either with my trainer or I do weights that my trainer has laid out for me. I found that I cannot get into a weight room by myself without directions because I have the tendency to over-lift and I’ve always screwed up a muscle or something in my years of experience. But it’s essentially 3 ½ hours a day. The diet is the same as the diet they laid out for us up there … We follow the program and journal everything we eat. Me and Stella measure and we weigh everything. I’ve never read so many food packages in my life.

Did your trip to the hospital in the first week put any limitations on your exercise program that may have led to your disappointment on the scale in week two?
No. The first week I lost 25 pounds. But I was walking a lot for exercise and trying to make it up there. And by walking a lot I got these blisters on my foot and it made me do the bike more. But I think I lost so much weight the first week that the second week I didn’t recover from it. Once they found out my heart was okay, that took three days, I wasn’t limited in what I could do except for the blisters on my foot.

Was there something that happened in the second week that we didn’t see, which led to Bob’s big blow-up in the gym other than Joelle’s inability to stay on the treadmill for 30 seconds?
No, you saw it. Sometimes she just wouldn’t do the workouts. In the gym, there would be homework where for three or four hours we’d have to do our own program because they wouldn’t always be there but they’d tell us what to do and we’d do it. And she wouldn’t always follow that; she was doing her own thing at times. It just led up to it. But what you saw, I saw too, and I just couldn’t believe it. I guess he just got frustrated.

Link to the article: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/01/15/photo-biggest-losers-jerry-loses-96-lbs/

RealityFreakWill:
From etonline.com

"The Biggest Loser" will continue to help Americans shed unwanted pounds -- at least for one more year -- as NBC today announced that the show has been given a pickup through the 2009-2010 season.

"I love that show. I inherited it," Paul Telegdy, executive vice president, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios tells ET exclusively. "I love it when you get a toy that you like. I love it when I talk to people who aren't in the business about that show. It is incredibly inspiring. Every year people make resolutions to be healthier and that show is the No. 1 tool kit available to people to be inspired."

As for the fate of Shannon, this season's "The Biggest Loser" contestant who was charged with domestic violence after an incident in suburban Detroit last month, a spokesperson for the show says that at this time the matter won't effect her participation in the series.


As for the themes for next season, Telegdy adds, "The challenge is to keep the cast and the stories amazing. Some of the transformations we saw in the last season where Michelle [Aguilar] lost 110 pounds was just extraordinary. We have to be careful we don't compromise health. I love the family stuff and the stakes between two competitors."

Telegdy also says that host Alison Sweeney will not miss many episodes following the birth of her daughter Megan Hope Sanov on Monday, January 12. He jokes, "Ali was our biggest loser that day: 6 pounds 7 ounces."

"The Biggest Loser" airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on NBC.

marigold:
An interesting article:

Kristen Steede of Greenville survives second week on NBC's 'The Biggest Loser: Couples'

"The Biggest Loser" Tuesday was chock-full of drama. Even Cathy Skell thought it was entertaining.

"At that point of filming I was at home, so it was kind of like watching it all new for myself as well," said Skell, who can't reveal if she's at home in Shiocton or on the Biggest Loser ranch in California.

The first challenge Tuesday offered contestants $25,000 to walk away. No one took host Allison Sweeney up on the offer.

Kristin Steede, who as of last night has lost 29 pounds (more weight than she's ever lost before), may have been tempted, but participating on the show is not about the money, her mom said.

Trainer Bob Harper was seriously angry last night due to one contestant's lack of focus and 2-pound weight loss.

"He takes his job seriously … and when someone is not giving 110 percent, he gets upset because there's a lot of people that try out to be on that show," Skell said.

Last night's decision was to send contestant grandpa Jerry home.

"That is the hardest part of being there," Skell said. "You get so close. And not only are we motivated by (trainers) Bob and Jillian, we are motivated by each other."

When Skell was one of nine people sent home after the first episode of "The Biggest Loser: Couples," she headed to the gym.

On the recommendation of a friend, Skell, who has hopes of returning to the ranch in 30 days if daughter Steede still is in the game, hooked up with the Appleton-based Ellipse Fitness.

Link to the article: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090115/APC0101/901150470/1004&located=RSS

marigold:
An interesting article:

Mich. 'Biggest Loser' Contestant May Lose More Than Weight

A contestant on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is a South Lyon city councilman, but he may not be for much longer because of a vote that could cause him to lose his position.

Ron Morelli and his son are winning challenges on the weight-losing show, but all his hard work could come with losing his seat on the council for absences.

The South Lyon city charter says a member can be voted off after three unexcused absences. Morelli has been missing meetings since September. He has three unexcused absences and two excused absences, according to city manager David Murphy.

Morelli's friend, Gary Childs, is trying to persuade the city to let him keep his place in City Hall.

"I spoke in support of him and filled out the comment section at the last meeting," said Childs.

Childs said the worst part is nobody has been able to contact Morelli while he's doing the show, so he doesn't even know about the controversy back home.

"South Lyon will go on, and Ron will go on. He can run again. Either way, Ron will be fine," said Childs.

Most city leaders are just learning why Morelli has been absent and told Local 4 they don't believe Morelli will be voted off, but hope he does well in the show.

Morelli has already lost 40 pounds while on the show.

Link to the article: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/18499004/detail.html

marigold:
An interesting article an interview with Jerry and Estella:

Interview With Jerry and Estella of The Biggest Loser: Couples

Last week, on the season premiere of The Biggest Loser: Couples, contestants were shocked when most of their teammates were sent home to continue their weight loss journey while they would be left in the competition alone.  If they were still in the game 30 days later, their partner would come back and compete alongside them.  This week, two of Jillian's teammates, Dan and Jerry, fell below the yellow line.  The players deliberated and decided that 63-year-old contestant Jerry Hayes would be the one heading home, where he would continue to train alongside his wife, Estella.  Today, the couple talked to RealityWanted.com in an exclusive interview.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: How did the two of you end up being part of this season of The Biggest Loser?
A. Jerry: Good question!  We started to get information of weight loss.  We never thought The Biggest Loser would pick a 63-year-old couple who did not exercise for 25 years.   Our kids were 100% behind us and helped all the way.

A. Estella: We began with a call on the internet for interviews at the Lexus car dealership in Schaumberg, IL, followed by an hour interview in Chicago.  We went through more interviews in L.A.  After the first interview, we thought our chances were "a snowball's chance in Hell."  Then, we got a phone call and it's been rolling ever since then!
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: Did you underestimate how difficult the workouts would be and what kind of physical toll it would take on your bodies?
A. Jerry: The workouts are tough and very hard on your body and mind.   I found my mind is more limiting than my body.  Beside the one week health problems, my body has performed well.  I have muscle pains but no joint or other body problems.  Enough sleep was a problem at times.

A. Estella: No, we didn't underestimate the difficulty of the workout and the toll on our bodies but we didn't realize our muscle mass under the fat had decreased so much.  For me, this has been the hard part.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: What was your reaction to the twist that almost every team would have a member sent home this season?
A. Jerry: At first, not good, but once I understood it was to show you can lost weigh at home, it was more acceptable.  I never like the idea of being separated from Estella.

A. Estella: Shock! Panic! Then, intense internal pondering of me staying vs. Jerry.  I talked to Sandy, the medical trainer, to see if Jerry could physically train hard, and he gave me the green light.  He said not to panic and he was right.  I could do this at home.  I could do more than I thought.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: Estella, when Jerry collapsed, did you have a moment where you thought that maybe this was going to be too much for the two of you?
A. Estella: With the initial collapse, it definitely got my attention and reaffirmed we needed to be here to make a change. Jerry had been on too many blood pressure medications and not enough potassium was the result from going to the hospital.  But we didn't want to give up.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: What qualities does Jillian bring to the table as a trainer that you appreciated?
A. Jerry: Jillian is great!!  She pushes you to be the best that you can be.  She also watches you like a hawk to ensure you will not hurt or disable yourself.  I learned from Jillian that my mind was my biggest problem to weight loss and physical exercise, not my body.  She is tough, but kind and fair at the same time.   She is great!

A. Estella: Jillian calls it as she sees it and is not afraid to hold up a mirror in front of you with words to help you see or understand the potential for change.  That week with Jillian was life changing for me.  She challenged me to do the "impossible."  I am grateful everyday to have spent the time with this lady.  She is very competitive, fair and able to challenge you to do things you never considered.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: Last season, there was a lot of gameplay and alliances.  Did you see any of that this season?
A. Jerry: There was no game-playing during the show.  We played, laughed, and ate together as one team
A. Estella: I was there for one week and mostly occupied with concerns for Jerry and survival for me with the intense workouts and getting rid of the toxins in my body and feeling lousy.  But thank goodness that has eased.  Too busy for game playing.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: Which players are working the hardest and have the best work ethic?
A. Jerry: This is tough because most contestants work hard and had a great work ethic.  It is a small list of who did not have a best work ethic but I elect not to discuss that because we were one team and we were trying to do our best.

A. Estella: On Jillian's team: Tara, Aubrey, Mandy, Dane, and Daniel all worked hard.  We all tried to encourage each other.  Jerry couldn't work hard in the gym but walked so hard and so long that he got blisters and kept on going.  Carla, Kristen, Sione, Felipe, Nicole, Damian, Ron, Mike, etc.all worked hard and challenged us to work harder.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted.com: What is your workout routine like at home and how has the show changed your lives?
A. Jerry: We work out three to three and half hours a day at home.  We are focused on changing our lives and we are going to be around a long time.

A. Estella: My workout routine include walking-jogging on indoor track at Wheaton Sport Center.  I take classes such a Zumba, Mixer, total body workout, water aerobics, and Spin.  I work out on the stairmaster, elliptical, and treadmill.  One day of doing a circuit of weights and 3 days with a personal trainer.  I workout 6 days, and rest one for at least 2 ½  hours of cardio daily.  The show has changed our lives by encouraging us to do things we never thought possible.  It has helped us to be around longer with the family we love.  It has given Jerry and I more time together, we appreciate each other more, and we are kinder to each other.  It has helped our children see us in a new light as people who can face challenges, become stronger and be role models.  They don't see us as someone to take care of but people to be proud of.  It's been an incredible ride and we are very grateful.

Link to the article: http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem/1591-interview-with-jerry-and-estella-of-the-biggest-loser-couples

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