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The Biggest Loser Season 7

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marigold:
An interview with Mandi:

“If anyone is playing the game, it’s Jillan”

As contestants were pitted against each other for one-on-one showdowns at the weigh-in, it was a week of emotional outbursts on The Biggest Loser: Couples, culminating with cousins Filipe and Sione defecting to train with Bob again, partly because Jillian had been ignoring them during workouts. “I think she did it intentionally,” says Mandi Kramer, who had worked with both trainers and was eliminated after losing the weigh-in face-off against Sione. “Jillian’s whole plan was to get rid of Filipe. So I think he heard of that and that’s what made him so mad in the first place. If anyone is playing the game, it’s Jillian the most.”

When it became clear that either you or your sister, Aubrey, would go home, why did you sacrifice yourself?
I realized that Aubrey needed to stay more than I did. I like to work out and exercise, and she doesn’t so much. Even though I wasn’t 100 percent sure about food and whether I would be able to do it, I knew I had the willpower. I didn’t see that from Aubrey yet. I was still getting her out of bed in the mornings and bringing her to the gym and trying to motivate her. She didn’t have that on her own yet, and I thought the longer she could stay there, the more it would develop in her brain that she needs to work out everyday and push herself. At home, with her five kids and her husband, it’s not going to be easy for her. I was hoping she could get that engrained in her before she left.

Was there any discussion of sending Ron home?
We had talked about that during the week with Kristin and Cathy, that that might be a possibility so it was kind of a shocker to me when all of them just decided that it was me who was going to go home. It really just came down to Bob’s old team wanting to stay together.

Was there any other reason they kept Ron?
Honestly, I think that Ron is really good at taking the focus off of himself and making people feel sorry for him. He has done all of these surgeries and things to help him lose weight, and nothing has worked. He’s a good person, but he’s definitely got the “feel sorry for me, I need this for my boys” attitude.

Why do you think you gained two pounds at the weigh-in?
I honestly think I was stressed out. I had done everything exactly the same, I worked out just as hard if not harder, and I think maybe mentally in the back of my head, I thought I was never going to be able to beat Sione and that held my body back a little bit. When you have stress, cortisol levels go up, which holds fat to your body. You bloat up and don’t let your body relax and lose everything that it needs to lose weight. I lost five pounds at home the next week. I think being at home and being de-stressed, it just came off.

It must have been especially disappointing later to see how much Sione indulged when his team got the day of luxury.
I thought, “He did all of this and I still couldn’t beat him!” So I think there’s nothing I could have done because I was stressed out.

After Filipe and Sione left Jillian’s team, what was it like working out with them?
It was good because I knew that they would push me to work even harder, but at the same time, it was difficult because I did want Bob’s whole attention to be on me.

You trained with both Bob and Jillian: Did you understand Filipe and Sione’s feelings?
Definitely. Jillian — I love her to death — but you work hard for her so she doesn’t break your fingers. With Bob, you work hard for him because you want to work hard for yourself.

Why didn’t she want to work with Filipe?
She just has her favorites. I really think she wants Tara to be there for the long haul, and she wants to eliminate anyone who would get in her way.

How has your relationship with Aubrey changed during this experience?
I was the older sister, but she always acted like the older sister. I was shy and didn’t have the self-confidence that she had had and kind of let her lead the way. I think being on that ranch for 30 days by myself [after she was sent home], when she came back, we did have quite a few arguments because she wasn’t used to me doing my own thing. I was turning into a stronger, more independent person. That put some struggles on our relationship, but being able to go through this and figure out who we are as individuals made us bond more as sisters.

Your father is obese – what was his reaction to you being on the show?
He’s super excited. He’s definitely one that needs to have that switch clicked in his head. He’s super proud of us and really wants us to do great and actually has gone to the gym a few times and tells me that he’s walking and starting to eat right. But he wants me to call him on an everyday basis to kind of babysit him, so I’m hoping that pretty soon he can do that for himself.

Have you given him any tips?
Oh, definitely. We’re trying to tell him little things here and there that could start helping him. He’s looking at the big picture, and I think it scares him to see that he needs to lose over 200 pounds. I tell him “One day at a time and just go from there.”

Would he go on the show?
No, he’s not one who could put up with Jillian or Bob. He doesn’t like being told what to do!

Your husband seemed really hesitant about you being on the show. How is he adjusting?
He’s doing much better. He’s glad that I’m home, and I think he’s ultimately seen what a positive experience this was for me and how it’s changed me as a person for the positive. I think the whole thing with him was that he didn’t understand why I had to leave in the first place. It was really just to find myself and become a better person on the inside. We’re starting to work on that and to understand more about why I needed to do it.

And you’re sharing what you learned with the family?
Yeah. I have my boys saying they want to go to Subway and Quiznos instead of McDonald’s and Burger King. My kids have been amazing. On Sunday, it’s my day to relax and not exercise and that’s the day where I let them have one thing that they really want. It works really well — they know if they eat healthy the whole week, then on Sunday they get to pick out the meal they’ve been craving. They’ve been really supportive.

How much have you lost so far?
I’m at 90 pounds.

You said you wanted to be a size 2 for the finale.
I don’t know where I got that from, but now I’m going, “Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I said a size two!” I’m just trying to work as hard as I can to get to a good goal for me.

http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/03/the_biggest_loser_couplesif_an.php

marigold:
An interview with Mandi:

Biggest Loser Castoff Mandi Talks Stress, Sports Bras and Spandex

When Mandi Kramer gained two pounds in Week 10 of The Biggest Loser: Couples, she knew that either she or her sister Aubrey would be sent packing. Unable to convince the rest of her Blue team to send home Ron, a weak player but also a member of a strong alliance, she made the decision to leave the ranch and let her sister continue to compete for the $250,000 grand prize. TVGuide.com caught up with the 30-year-old mother of two about her time on campus, what she learned from her trainers and why she gained weight in a week that she appeared to work extra hard.

TVGuide.com: What made you decide to be sent home?
Mandi Kramer: I realized that Aubrey needed to stay more than I did. I like to work out and exercise and she doesn't so much. I was hoping the more she stayed, the longer she stayed, it would get more ingrained in her head.

TVGuide.com: Was there any team discussion about voting off Ron?
Kramer: We had talked about it during the week with Kristin and Cathy, that it might be a possibility. So it was kind of a shocker to me when all of them decided it was going to be me that went home, and there really was no discussion in the actual deliberation of the whole thing.

TVGuide.com: How did you feel going one-on-one against Sione for this week?
Kramer: I was scared, really scared. I think he only lost three pounds the week before, and so I knew he was going to have a huge number.

TVGuide.com: Why do you think you gained weight this week?
Kramer: I really, honestly think I was stressed out. I have been wracking my brain over that forever and I don't know. I worked out just as hard, if not harder, and I think mentally, in the back of my head, I thought I was never going to be able to beat [Sione], and that could've just held my body back a little bit.

TVGuide.com: What's the biggest lesson you learned through this process?
Kramer: I learned so many things! The biggest lesson is to realize you have everything you need inside of you and [whether] you believe it or not, it's there; you just need to dig deep and know you can do it. I think that's the thing I had all along that I wasn't really ever sure of. You don't need a trainer, you don't need a gym, you don't need anything. You just need to know that in yourself you're strong enough to do it, and just get out there and do it.

TVGuide.com: What's your go-to healthy snack?
Kramer: Air-popped popcorn.

TVGuide.com: So was it your idea or your sister Aubrey's to go on the show?
Kramer: It was Aubrey's idea. It kind of took a lot of convincing. I'm not one to stand up in front of everyone in a sports bra and spandex.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Biggest-Loser-Mandi-1003932.aspx

RealityFreakWill:
'Biggest Loser''s Mandy's 73-Pound Loss



A two-pound weight gain was the nail in the coffin that ended Mandy's stay at "The Biggest Loser" ranch this week when each member of the Blue Team went head-to-head with a member of the Black Team.

"I really honestly think I was stressed out," she says. "I have been racking my brain over that forever. I had done everything the same. I worked out just as hard if not harder. I think mentally in the back of my head I thought I might not beat [Sione]. That could have held my body back."

Mandy goes on to say that trainer Bob Harper told her that when you are stressed, your body's cortisone levels go up, which can cause bloat and make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

She also says that she knew the minute that her former teammate Dane was sent home two weeks ago that things weren't going to go well for her. That despite the fact that she was the strongest Blue Team player when it came to the challenges this week.

"It really just came down to Bob's old team wanting to stay together," she says. "I don't think they were looking at the big picture of what would keep them there the longest. Looking back, I am sure they are thinking, 'We should have thought about what was going to keep our team intact the longest.' But they wanted Bob's old team to stay together and that affected the whole game."

To date, Mandy says she has lost 73 pounds, dropping from 263 pounds to 190 -- and she does plan to compete for the $100,000 at-home prize.

"I have two different trainers at home," she tells ET. "I still try to work out two to three hours a day. I usually take Sundays off to give my body a rest day. My hugest focus since I have been home is food. I am trying to be conscious of everything I put in my mouth. I am actually starting to do well. I only have eight weeks left until the finale, so I am doing the best that I can!"

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

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/03/71669/index.html

marigold:
An interview with Mandi:

Biggest Loser’s Mandi Before & After Losing 90 Lbs.

In a selfless act of sisterly love, Mandi Kramer, 30, adjusted the vote so her younger sister, Aubrey Cheney, could remain on the Ranch. A tough competitor for the Blue Team, Mandi has already lost 90 lbs. and is fiercely working towards the $100,000 at-home prize in Boise, Idaho. She spoke to reporters about the effects of stress on weight loss, the differing training styles of Bob and Jillian and Filipe’s big flip-out. – Rebecca Gross

How did you manage to gain two pounds in your last week on the Ranch?
I really think it was stress. Your body’s cortisol level goes up, which holds the actual fat to your body. When you’re stressed out, you kind of bloat up a little bit and you don’t let your body relax and let your body lose weight. I honestly think I was stressed out.

We saw Filipe flip out at Jillian for ignoring him in the gym. Do you know if that was an oversight, or did Jillian intentionally exclude him from one-on-one training time?
I think she did it intentionally. That’s only because that whole week and the week before, I was talking to Tara and Jillian’s whole plan was going to be to get rid of Filipe and I think he heard word of that and that’s what made him so mad in the first place. If anyone’s there playing the game, it’s Jillian the most … She really made him feel like an outsider.

Having had the experience of working out with both trainers, can you understand where Filipe and Sione were coming from in respect to their problems with Jillian and then switching back to train with Bob?
Definitely. I love Jillian to death, but she has the aspect of you work hard for her so that she doesn’t break your fingers. With Bob, you work hard for him because you want to work hard for yourself.

Why did you sacrifice yourself at the elimination?
I knew I had the will power inside to go home and do it. And I didn’t see that from Aubrey yet. I was still getting her out of bed in the mornings and bringing her to the gym with me and really trying to motivate her … I just thought that the longer she could stay there, the more it would develop in her brain that she needs to work out everyday and push herself. Her home with her five kids and husband is not going to be easy, so I was just hoping that would get ingrained in her before she left.

What has your routine been like since you’ve been home from the Ranch?
I have two different trainers at home and I try to work out two to three hours a day. I usually take Sundays off to give my body a rest day. My hugest struggle since I’ve been home has been food and so trying to be conscious of everything I put in my mouth has been my number one problem. But I’m actually starting to get it down and do good. I only have eight weeks left before the finale. I’m really just cracking down and do the best I could.

Can you share some tips you’ve learned to help you with your struggle with your diet?
I wasn’t drinking enough water and water is the main thing because it helps keep you full throughout the day. Also, writing down everything you eat. I would slack some days and not do that, so I really made it a goal to write down everything that I’m eating every single day to stay within a certain calorie range.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/13/biggest-losers-mandy-before-after-losing-90-lbs/

marigold:
An interview with Mandi:

Biggest Loser’s Mandi: “Jillian’s Plan Was to Get Rid of Filipe”

Mandi Kramer is the latest eliminee from The Biggest Loser campus, and it seems she escaped just in the nick of time. In the week preceding her departure, the drama was overflowing. First, her competition pigged out during their 24 hours a luxury. This caused Jillian to literally flip a lid on her team. Sione and Filipe couldn’t take the yelling, so they went running back to Bob, their original trainer. So now Mandi was forced to work side-by-side with her biggest competition. Who wouldn’t be a little stressed from that? Apparently the stress was a wee bit overwhelming for poor Mandi, who gained two pounds and sent herself home.

Fancast got the chance to talk to Mandi about her journey on Biggest Loser, and boy oh boy, she didn’t hold back one bit. Read on to find out what she had to say about Jillian, Ron, and the Black Team. And it isn’t pretty.

Why did you decide to send yourself home?

I realized that Aubrey needed to stay more than I did. I realized that I like to work out and exercise, and she doesn’t so much. I was hoping that the longer she stayed, it would get more ingrained in her head.


Did you feel ganged up on when everyone decided to vote for you?

I knew the minute that Dane went home that it was going to be Aubrey or me that went home next… unless we could really get inside Kristin and Cathy’s heads that Ron was kind of the weakest link that needed to go home. And I thought I had, but when it came down to elimination, Kirstin pretty much just said, well Mandi’s going home. It hurt but there was no way I could get them to change their minds.

When Filipe flipped out at Jillian for not training him, was that just an oversight on Jillian’s part or did she intentionally not give him one-on-one time?

I think she did it intentionally. Jillian’s whole plan was going to be to get rid of Filipe. And so I think he heard word of that and that’s what made him so mad in the first place. If anyone’s there playing the game, it’s Jillian the most. It sucks to say that but she really made him feel like an outsider and was like hey well pretty much he heard that you wanted to get rid of him so he was like whatever. So she really just didn’t work on him at all because she was figuring he was dispensable and he wasn’t going to be there much longer anyway.

What did you think when Sione and Filipe came over to train with Bob?

I thought it actually gave the Black Team more of an advantage because I knew that they would get a better workout. They would actually relieve some stress working out with a trainer that they loved and that they could push themselves a little bit harder so it kind of scared me a little bit. [I was] thinking, geez, now they’re going to lose tons of weight and they’re still on the opposite team.

Were you surprised when you saw the other team eating and drinking so much during their 24 hours of luxury?

Oh, my gosh, yeah. We got a chance to talk with them a little bit when they came back and they kind of told us what they did but I had no idea it was to such extreme. They said yeah we ate and we got massages and stuff. Well they left out the drinking part so that was like a whole big shock to me. I was just sitting there watching it going, oh my gosh. Everything they did… it’s crazy. Why would they do that? And then at the same time I get mad at myself because [Sione] did all of this and I still couldn’t beat him?

Ron is the weak link on the Blue Team, so why do you think he’s still there?

I think that Ron is really good at taking the focus off of himself. And he’s really good at making people feel sorry for him. He has done all these surgeries and all these things to help him lose weight and nothing has worked. He’s a good person, don’t get me wrong, but he’s definitely got the ‘feel sorry for me, I need this for my boys’ attitude.

Has the show brought you and your sister Aubrey closer together?

I think it definitely changed quite a bit of the dynamics. I was the older sister but she always acted like the older sister. I was kind of shy and didn’t have the self confidence that she had had. And so that put some struggles on our relationship. But overall looking back on it, us being able to go through this and really figure out who we are as individuals made us bond more as sisters.

What’s your weight-loss routine like now that you’re home?

I have two different trainers at home. And I still try and workout two to three hours a day. I usually take Sundays off to kind of give my body a rest day. Really, my hugest struggle since I’ve been home has been food. Just really trying to be conscious of everything I put in my mouth has been my number one problem. I’ve only got eight weeks left before the finale so I’m really just cracking down and doing the best I can.

What was the biggest lesson you learned?

I think the biggest lesson is just to realize that you have everything that you need to succeed inside of you. And if you believe it or not it’s there, you just need to dig deep and know that you can do it. And you don’t need a trainer, you don’t need a gym, you don’t need anything; you just need to know that in yourself that you’re strong enough to do it and just get out there and do it.

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/interviews/biggest-losers-mandi-jillians-plan-was-to-get-rid-of-filipe/

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