Topic: The Biggest Loser Season 7

[marigold]

... more about next week's episode:

Episode of 'Biggest Loser' is taped in Fontana

NBC's hit show “The Biggest Loser” showed up at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana recently and got a little help on track from someone familiar with speedways.

NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer was on set, having been invited to have a special part in the episode through his primary Sprint Cup sponsor General Mills. The Auto Club Speedway taping of the show will air March 24 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

“With a new sponsor like General Mills, a lot of opportunities are going to present itself,” said Bowyer of the show, which challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise. “Being on the set of ‘The Biggest Loser' really opens your eyes to how big this show really is. It's a great honor to be here and see the sacrifices these guys have to go through to be part of this.”

Bowyer will return to Auto Club Speedway when the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races to Auto Club Speedway for its inaugural debut in California on Oct. 11 for the Pepsi 500.

http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2009/03/19/news/04newsbiggestloser.txt

[Texan]

Her baby is so cute, and MAN does she have alot of hair!!!

Next week looks interesting, with them pulling the cars.  Surprisingly in the preview challenge hog Tara is in the middle to back of the pack.

OOPs I meant when they showed the 2 sisters of Kristin's which one was sprice0611?  Do we know?  IF I remember right she said she was the sister of the contestants.

Will be interesting to see if we have 1 or 2 100 pound loss for Woman this week.

[marigold]

NASCAR DRIVER CLINT BOWYER GUEST STARS ON NBC'S HIT SERIES "THE BIGGEST LOSER: COUPLES" IN EPISODE THAT ALSO CHALLENGES EACH CONTESTANT TO PULL A TWO-TON CAR ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24 (9-11 P.M. ET)

NBC Press Release

Plus, One Contestant Breaks A "Biggest Loser" Record At Weigh-In!

NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer will visit "Biggest Loser" contestants when they face one of their toughest challenges yet – each pulling a two-ton car – in an episode of NBC's hit series "The Biggest Loser: Couples" airing Tuesday, March 24 from 9-11 p.m. ET. The episode will start an hour later than usual due to a Presidential address on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

This week's episode kicks off with host Alison Sweeney telling the contestants that they are no longer on teams – they will now compete as singles, so she gives each of them back their original team color "Biggest Loser" shirts. And with the switch to singles comes the news that each contestant will get to decide which trainer they want to train them for the remainder of their time at the ranch.

Once each contestant chooses between trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, they begin part one of this week's two-part challenge. They are each given their weight lost to date, and get to distribute it to other players for part two of the challenge – leading to an emotional breakdown for one player who feels the rest of the contestants are ganging up on her.

Then it's on to part two of the challenge as the group heads to a raceway and meets NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer, winner of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers championship. He gives an inspirational pep talk to the contestants before they face one of their hardest challenges yet. They'll each pull a two-ton car – plus the weight added on from part one of the challenge – for half a mile!

Later, one contestant breaks a "Biggest Loser" record at a weigh-in that finds several players hitting big milestones before an elimination round sends another player home.

[RealityFreakWill]

No more black and blue, thank god!

I think it's a no-brainer of who will train with whom....all will return to their original trainers is what I expect to see happens:

BOB:

Ron
Mike
Kristin
Filipe
Sione
Helen

JILLIAN:

Tara
Laura
Aubrey

[marigold]

Rachael Ray Show Scheduled Guest

Tuesday March 24, 2009

Michelle Aguilar, the 2008 winner on The Biggest Loser

What if you lost 155 pounds but still felt like the same old you?

The Biggest Loser winner steps in to help one of our viewers find the right clothes for her new body and the courage to start a new life!

[marigold]

An interview with Cathy:

‘Loser’ Cathy offers inspiration

“Don’t think of what you’re not losing, but think of what you have lost.”

What went through your mind when you were told the challenge was to run a half marathon?
Cathy Skell: Oh my God. I’m lucky I’m running on a treadmill much less a half marathon. I was scared. I was so scared.
And it turned out to be one of my greatest accomplishments.

How much of it did you actually run or did you have to stop and walk at all or...
CS: I paced myself where I ran and then I walked a little, ran…the whole entire 13.1 miles.

Were you happy to stay with Bob or did you want to work with Jillian a little bit and see how it was?
CS: Absolutely ecstatic that we stayed with Bob. I love Bob. We picked Bob.
But on the other hand it would have been great to train with Jillian but,
there’s that reason that we picked Bob and I was glad that we got to stay with him and Kristin and I got to stay together.

How tough was that whole elimination on Kristin? You seemed to be pretty broken up about it?
CS: It was very hard on Kristin. How would you vote your mother off?
What’s done is done and that’s the way it played out that night, and it was very hard for her.

How much did you consider eating one of those cookies after you got that tin?
CS: I didn’t consider it at all. I knew Kristin and I wouldn’t win the marathon because of the fact Kristin had an injured back
and I had bursitis on my knee. So I, at that point thought, “I can’t afford the calories.
It’s going to be a hard enough struggle at home.”
And I figured everyone else would be eating cookies for Sione and Tara so I just let them consume the calories.

Do you think your grandchildren will be really excited that their family is going to be so much more active now
and be able to run around together?
CS: Absolutely, yes, they’re going to be so excited. One of my big things this summer is to get up on water skis,
because I tried it last year and I could not pull my weight out of the water. So I’m so excited for summer.

Even though you did well with weight loss at home, how did you find the temptations?
CS: My biggest temptation is if we go out to eat, so I knew I needed to avoid that.
At home I’m lucky enough that I don’t have children at home; I’m an empty nester.
So my cabinets are pretty much cleaned out from when I was home for the 30 days.

It goes with that little bit of willpower you have for staying sober for 20 years. I
’m now putting that towards sweets because that was my next addiction; I have such a sweet tooth.

Did you and Kristin ever discuss her going home?
CS: Never. I would never allow that. Kristin coming in as the second heaviest female ever on the show…
it was never a question of her going home.
My biggest fear was it going to a tie and the black team would come in and choose whoever goes.

What’s the biggest thing that surprised you about the ranch?
CS: What really shocked me was that we totally were responsible for cooking, for our laundry and responsible for our exercise.
We didn’t have a schedule of exercise. What you did you had to do on your own.
You could go take a nap if you wanted to or you can go walk or go hike the ridge.
It was all in your hands of how many calories you were going to burn also what you put in your mouth because we did our own cooking.

Have you set yourself up on a routine at home, and what does it look like?
CS: I’ve set myself at a routine.
My one major obstacle that I had is I tried to go back to work full-time which was totally almost impossible because
I was getting up at 4 a.m. and I was just wearing myself out. I needed to cut down my work hours.
I adjusted my work schedule and then I adjusted my workout schedule to kind of flow with that.

Once I got all that set, that stress is gone and you just focus on your exercise and your diet and you go on with your life.
I’m looking forward to maintenance because it’s going to be wonderful.

What can you say to the women across America to keep them motivated?
CS: Do not compare yourself to anyone else. You are your own person.
Stay positive, don’t think of what you’re not losing but think of what you have lost.

http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/Loser+Cathy+offers+inspiration/RealityTV/Exit+Interviews/Articles/090324_loser_couples_cathy_GD.htm?isfa=1

[Texan]

Okay as usual I missed the first 20 minutes.... But good for TARA for winning after they all ganged up on her.  Aubrey is trying to latch on to the old blue team to have numbers.  seh is a whinner.  I hope Tara protects Helen after that.

[Texan]

WOO HOO KRISTIN broke the 100 poind mark.  WAY TO GO GIRL!!!  :sucks :sucks

[Texan]

I knew Aubrey was going home as soon as she fell below the yellow line.  The blue team will get rid of the other team every chance they get.  Tara bette work her ass off to stay above it.

Even though I think Aubrey was a whinner, I think they should have gotten rid of Filipe as she was a bigger threat.

[RealityFreakWill]

The Biggest Loser: Couples Episode Recap "Week 12"

Black is shocked that Cathy went home, and now that Kristin has to compete alone, a fire has been lit in her to keep going. The next morning the teams enter the gym to find Alison there with t-shirts in the original colors. "12 weeks ago you came to make a change...you are the only person who controls your future, especially as of today," she tells them, because they're returning to singles. Now they have to choose which trainer they'll go with. For some, like Sione and Filipe, it's a no-brainer —they're going with Bob. For Mike it's left up to a flip of the coin -- which his dad, Ron, calls idiotic -- and he goes with Jillian. The rest of the breakdown is as follows: Tara, Laura and Helen on Team Jillian and Ron, Kristin and Aubrey on Team Bob.

The challenge this week was in two parts: In the first, each contestant had blocks of weight in front of them that totaled their weight when they came onto the ranch. They were able to give away the weight to whomever they wanted, but without knowing how it would affect the rest of the task. At first, Helen got loaded up with bricks as the opposing team felt she betrayed them by choosing Jillian.

But most of the weight was given to Tara who, while the others thought it was pretty funny, felt ganged-up on. She says, "Wouldn't it be funny if I still won when everyone tried to take me down?" Tara wasn't joking, because in the second part of the challenge, she whopped everyone's behinds. Each person had to pull a car, with the additional weight they were given in round one, for a half-mile. Even though Mike and Sione were out to an early lead, Tara came back, with her extra 257 pounds and all, to win immunity for the week. Her weight-loss may be slowing down, but this girl is unstoppable.

At the weigh-in, both Tara and Kristen were gunning to be the first female in Biggest Loser history to lose 100 pounds on the ranch. Tara gets weighed-in first, but onlyhloses three pounds, leaving her one short of the title. Next up is Kristin, who is able to break the record with eight pounds this week and 3.04 percent. Here's how everyone else fared:

Aubrey lost 4 pounds, 2.05 percent.
Mike lost 6 pound, 2.22 percent.
Laura lost 7 pounds, 3.18 percent.
Helen lost 5 pounds, 2.75 percent.
Sione lost 7 pounds, 2.56 percent.
Ron lost 10 pounds, 3.06 percent.
Filipe lost 4 pounds, 1.5 percent.

So it's Aubrey and Filipe in the bottom two. Aubrey tells them that she's not ready to leave and is scared to go home and Filipe tells them to just vote with their hearts. Everyone is torn, but in the end, Tara and Laura vote Filipe, while Mike, Helen, Kristin and Ron vote Aubrey out. She says her goodbyes and begins her at-home journey once again. There, she's welcomed by friends and family and even her overweight father has been inspired to lose 26 pounds.

Do you think voting Aubrey out was a smart decision?

http://www.tvguide.com/Episode-Recaps/biggest-loser/Biggest-Loser-Couples-1004341.aspx

[RealityFreakWill]

'The Biggest Loser' recap: Every Man for Himself
The contestants compete as individuals in a strongman-type challenge, and the drawn-out weigh-in sucks all excitement out of the show's pacing

Mazel Tov, Biggest Loser viewers. Over the past few weeks, our dear contestants have been struggling to prove themselves during a life-changing time. Last night, however, after months of preparation, it was finally time for them to come into their own. Yes, our contestants are grown-up men and women now, responsible for making their own decisions (like choosing their own trainers) and being held accountable for their actions. It's no longer a team competition — these babies are now competing for themselves.

Okay, it wasn't exactly a Bar Mitzvah when Alison brought everybody outside and handed them their old colored team shirts to wear, but there are some similarities: months of training with an experienced figure who helped them complete a daunting task, and somebody who walked away much richer (in sweet prizes) than everybody else (unfortunately, the challenge losers didn't get their own personalized ''Biggest Loser 7'' CD holders). It makes sense, because really — isn't middle school a lot like reality TV? Manufactured drama, ganging up on perceived threats, and a constant stream of unnecessary tears — am I right, or did you go to middle school with the most well-adjusted kids ever?

After twelve weeks of team competition, it was about time some people lost the ability to ride their teammates' coattails through elimination from week to week. While Bob might've been the only trainer with contestants up for elimination yet again, it's no longer the obvious outcome it once was. And with each person picking his/her own trainer, Bob was able to gain back his loyal team members.

Of course, we couldn't have the contestants make a decision without taking a spirit walk-type stroll through the BL ranch grounds while discussing how hard it would be to choose a trainer, even though it was obvious how everyone would vote. Jillian wound up with Tara, Laura, Helen, and Mike, and Bob got Sione, Filipe, Kristin, Ron, and Aubrey (the only surprising choice, since she started out training with Jillian).

The challenge this week was a two-parter: first, in a game Kristin called ''Let's See How Much Everyone Else In the House Hates You!,'' the contestants had to handicap their opponents for the second half of the challenge by distributing the amount of weight they'd lost among everyone else. Smartly, most people chose to impede Tara, and puzzlingly, Helen. Though Helen good-naturedly laughed her way through the process, Tara got extremely pissed off and later threatened to sabotage her weigh-in and send herself home.

Though Tara's become increasingly bitchy from week to week (her incredulous ''Did you really think you would beat me?'' to Helen last episode was almost the last straw), I managed to remain on her side until she became so defensive that she blew off Aubrey's attempts to boost her ego and started crying because the mean kids on the playground wouldn't let her on the monkey bars. For someone who prides herself on being such a strong competitor, Tara really cracked when faced with an obstacle she wasn't sure she could beat. Combine that with several mediocre-to-bad weigh-ins in a row, and Ms. Thang's confidence was sorely shaken. Which is a good thing, because her ego needed a healthy dose of fear to realize she wasn't the only person in the competition with a chance of winning the darn thing.

Though it probably surprised the contestants, part two of the challenge wasn't much of a secret to anyone who saw last week's previews: the contestants had to pull cars a half-mile around a racetrack. It was kind of like those strong man competitions they play on the secondary ESPN networks after the spelling bee. Some NASCAR driver dude came and told the contestants that being successful is about setting goals and reaching them (duh), then he told them that not only would the challenge winner get immunity at the weigh-in, they would also get VIP passes to an upcoming race.



While Laura and Kristin sat out (due to injuries, probably), the rest of the contestants were strapped to beat-up cars airbrushed with sweet portraits of them and loaded with their opponent-imposed handicaps. Ron had 37 pounds, Mike had 53, Filipe had 67, Aubrey had 72, Sione had 92, Helen had 215, and Tara had a whopping 257. Mike and Sione pulled into an early lead, while Helen struggled in the back. Tara, however, slowly crept up on the leaders, passing Mike and eventually Sione.

Lesson learned: don't piss off Tara, especially now that she's back in her green shirt. Green Tara angry! Green Tara destroy competition! Green Tara ride in fun Cheerios race car after win! I'd call that yellow Cheerios-branded race car egregious product placement, but it's NASCAR. That's kind of their thing. I would, however, like to know about the super slick sunglasses Alison Sweeney was wearing (maybe I'll ask my friends over at Style Hunter).

After the usual grunting-and-sweating montage that is the Last Chance Workout, it was time for the weigh-in. Unfortunately, the show reverted back to its old let's take an entire hour to show you weigh-in results for nine people, which actually could've taken about ten minutes, or twenty if we really wanted to stretch it out format. Instead of the streamlined process we've gotten used to over the past few weeks, it took the entire second half of the show to tell us that Aubrey and Filipe fell below the yellow line.

I'll admit, the weigh-in wasn't completely devoid of suspense. Tara and Kristin were both on the verge of becoming the first woman to lose 100 pounds on the ranch, but Tara only managed a three-pound loss this week, falling one short. Kristin, however, lost eight pounds! Go Kristin! Kristin was psyched about her 105-pound total loss, but I was a little weirded out about how she and Bob were talking about Cathy like she was dead. She's back in Wisconsin, not deceased. Sione and Filipe also crossed the 100-pound mark this week.

In the most frustrating moment of the weigh-in, Ron, who lost ten pounds, was disappointed in his success because he was afraid Mike would be up for elimination this week. I'll be happy if Ron continues to step up his game and drop big numbers, but I'll be even happier if he falls below the yellow line and someone self-righteously announces to the group ''It's just his time to go'' when they're discussing who should be eliminated. Can we say karma?

Since we were back to the ''beat the dead horse'' format, Alison was back to repeating the count after each vote (as one commenter put it a few weeks back, it's like she has to explain math every time: ''Filipe, that's two votes for you, which is one less than three, and the only even prime number. If you get two more votes, you will have four total, which is the same as two squared and half of two cubed.''). Ultimately, Sione must've effectively plead Filipe's case, because Aubrey was sent home. Sadly, after Aubrey's initial reunion with her family (cute bangs, Mandi), we learned that she gained nine pounds in her first three weeks back at home by putting her sizable family ahead of herself. However, she's since snapped out of that mindset and lost 10 pounds.

Were you as upset as I was to learn how easily Aubrey slipped back into her old ways? And as pleased as I was to learn that she figured out how to balance her time and take care of herself? Did Tara's temper tantrum annoy you? Were you ready for the individual competition to begin? And are you as excited as I am to see old faces return to the ranch next week?

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20267667_2,00.html

[RealityFreakWill]

Alison's blog:

Kristin makes history!!!

How great does Mike look? Could you believe Mike’s old shirt? Isn’t it just incredible how far they’ve all come? It was such an emotional start to the show – all the contestants, but especially Kristin and Aubrey were so affected by surviving to ‘singles’. And Jillian was right – having to choose between Bob & Jillian, and announce it in front of them, was like choosing between mom & dad. An incredible tough, emotional decision in some instances. And you could see the instant he said it that Mike regretted leaving his to a coin toss. And I don’t mean that he wouldn’t have picked Jillian, I don’t know… I just mean, we talked about it, and I think he regretted leaving such an important decision to a coin toss. Sione’s words about wanting to make his family proud obviously affected everyone – the BL campus is tough on everyone, and the experience impacts everyone in different ways – it was really moving to hear him say that no matter what happens, he is thinking of his family, and his true goal – to be healthy for them.

The Nascar challenge was so insane right? Clint Bowyer was SO awesome. A really nice guy, and it was really cool having him on the show. Mike & Ron are both major Nascar fans, so everyone was really psyched to meet him, but they in particular, knew all the stats etc. Not for nothing, Tara kicked ass dragging that car down the race track. Man, Tara took that weight and proved what she’s made of. Helen said it exactly right “bring it!” We were all so jealous of Tara’s victory ride. How incredibly fun did that look?
Wasn’t Kristin so incredible on the scale? She has been inspiring since day one, and tonight’s ep proved why. I hope everyone sitting at home on their sofa watching, thinking they can’t do it, hears her words and is encouraged, that anything IS possible – and that you can do it too! I love her.
For all you Days fans reading this – I will try to blog about Days this week. SO MUCH awesome stuff happening on the show. But also, I have a twitter and facebook. page where I talk about Days, BL and … life, all week long! Check it out!

http://blog.nbc.com/alison/the_biggest_loser/

[Texan]

Next week with the contestants back... it will be interesting to see who comes back...  Any guesses I would think Dane.  We know it is not Audrey as we saw her progress at home and her struggle... so she did not make it back.

[RealityFreakWill]

Next week with the contestants back... it will be interesting to see who comes back...  Any guesses I would think Dane.  We know it is not Audrey as we saw her progress at home and her struggle... so she did not make it back.

I would love it if it is Dane coming back. I love Blaine/Dane, they were one of my favorite couples.

I hope Tara goes soon. I can't stand her and am so over her power trip, winning just about everything!

Right now, I think I'm rooting for Mike to win the whole thing. I would like to see Mike, Filipe & Sione for the final 3.

Another thing that is making me wonder since the network/show is searching for a new trainer next season, I wonder if Jillian is quitting again. She sure doesn't seem happy on the current season and I have a feeling she's done with the show after this one. I could be wrong.

This season is dragging on way too long....whoever makes it to the end will be skinny by the time they leave the ranch and won't look much different on the finale. I hope they shorten the duration next season.

[marigold]

WOO HOO KRISTIN broke the 100 poind mark.  WAY TO GO GIRL!!!  :sucks :sucks

They all look amazing, yay Kristin 

[marigold]

THE BIGGEST LOSER SEASON 7

Episode: 15

Air Date: April 14, 2009

TIM GUNN HELPS TRANSFORM CONTESTANTS IN FAN FAVORITE – THE MAKEOVER EPISODE!

It’s one of the most eagerly-anticipated events every “Biggest Loser” season – the makeover episode! And fashion guru Tim Gunn returns to help the final seven contestants look their stylish best after all the players get complete salon makeovers from guest hair stylist Tabatha (Bravo’s “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover”) and celebrity stylist Brandon Martinez. Then it’s time for amazing transformations and emotional reunions when the made-over contestants show off their incredible new looks to loved ones flown in to help them celebrate their big day. Also, the contestants soar to new heights in this week’s challenge, and one player is sidelined with an injury that will have a dramatic impact on her workouts.

[marigold]

An interview with Aubrey:

The Biggest Loser's Aubrey: "I Needed My Body to Catch Up With My Mind"

Aubrey Cheney was thin for most of her life, but as she watched seasons of The Biggest Loser go by, she noticed that she was packing on the pounds herself. Having the opportunity to participate in the current "Couples" season, she and her sister Mandi quickly proved to be a strong team. But after her elimination in week 12, it was time for Aubrey to go home, where her real life made it a struggle to continue in her progress. TVGuide.com caught up with the mother of five to see how she's doing now and why Bob was "the best."

TVGuide.com: During the first part of this week's challenge, Tara took offense to everyone giving her all the blocks of weight. Were you ganging up on her or was she just being oversensitive?
Aubrey Cheney: We were absolutely ganging up on her. We're all there for the same reason and that's to change our lives and become healthy. But we are also involved in a game, and the game aspect is when there's someone who's standing between you and a healthier lifestyle or $250,000, then your first instinct is to eliminate them, or slow them down as much as possible. That's what we were all trying to do.

TVGuide.com: You started out training with Jillian but ended up Bob. Who do you prefer?
Cheney: Bob was the best, hands-down. Jillian has a wonderful track record, she knows her stuff, she's a genius when it comes to weight loss, fitness, health and nutrition, but I think there's just personalities that work [better together]. Jillian and I, we're both really strong personality types. It's not that we really butted heads, it's just that I felt like I was doing it for her more than I was doing it for myself. And during the up-down challenge, when we went to teams and I didn't have a choice, we got flipped over to Bob's team. That was the best thing that could've happened because Bob really showed me why I was there. And that was for myself.

TVGuide.com: When you first returned home from the ranch, you struggled and regained weight, but you picked yourself up again. What advice can you give to other moms in your situation?
Cheney: Organize a schedule. That would be the No. 1 thing. There's always an hour or two that yeah, you could be doing housework or laundry, but you could also be going to the gym. See when your slow time of the day is and take that time. You can always do a little laundry while helping with homework.

TVGuide.com: Mandi said it was your idea to go on the show. What convinced you that you needed to do something about the weight?
Cheney: My husband and I have watched every season of The Biggest Loser since it started, and during that time I gained over 100 pounds. I did have three kids during that time, but I was just thinking, look at all these people, and every season I watch and I'm heavier and heavier and heavier. I didn't feel like I was getting depressed, I didn't really feel like I was losing myself in any way, but when I looked in the mirror or when I saw family videos or pictures that other people had taken, I realized that I was humongous and it was something I had to do. I think I was blessed enough to be accepted on The Biggest Loser before my weight really [caused] any self-esteem issues. Because I was confident in myself, I felt good about myself, I just needed my body to catch up with my mind.

TVGuide.com: What's your go-to healthy snack?
Cheney: My favorite snack of all time, always has been, always will be, cauliflower and Ranch dressing. I've just changed the Ranch to nonfat or low-fat ranch. It's not the best thing in the world, but at least it's vegetables!

TVGuide.com: How many total pounds have you lost to date?
Cheney: I've lost an additional five pounds from my "where are they now," so to date, it's 73.

TVGuide.com: Are you going for the at-home prize?
Cheney: Heck yeah! It's a far cry, but I'm trying.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Biggest-Losers-Aubrey-1004392.aspx

[Snooky]

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/aubrey-cheney-gets-eliminated-from-the-biggest-loser-couples-8673.php

Aubrey Cheney gets eliminated from 'The Biggest Loser: Couples'

 

By John Bracchitta, 03/25/2009

Aubrey Cheney was revealed to be the fourteenth contestant to be eliminated from The Biggest Loser: Couples during last night's broadcast on NBC.
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"I can now look back at what I was [like before my time on The Biggest Loser ranch] and realize  how unhappy I was and how I was just going through the motions of life, but I wasn't living," the 28-year-old information and education specialist from Gooding, ID, said following her elimination. I've had a taste now of what it's like to have energy and to be happy and to really mean the smile that I put on my face. My kids are gonna see a side of their mom that they haven't seen in a long time."

The Biggest Loser: Couples' eleventh episode began with the Black team's shocked reaction upon learning that the Blue team had eliminated Cathy Skell following the previous weigh-in instead of Aubrey.

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"I can not believe that Aubrey just walked in the door. I mean, it shouldn't be Cathy, Aubrey should be the one going home," said Mike Morelli, an 18-year-old student from South Lyon, MI, upon learning of Cathy's elimination. "I just feel bad that [Cathy's daughter Kristin Steede, a 28-year-old business owner from Greenville, WI] has to go through that. Losing your mom in this game is horrible."

The following day, both teams entered the gym to find The Biggest Loser: Couples host Alison Sweeney, who surprised the contestants by telling them that they would no longer be competing together in teams and would be competing against each other singles for the rest of the competition.

"I made it to singles, that is like the last stage of being on the ranch," said an excited Aubrey. "I'm almost there, I'm almost there."

After returning each contestant's original colored shirt to them, Alison also revealed that they would have to decide whether they wanted to train with either Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper for the remainder of the competition and would have 30 minutes to think about their decisions.

The contestants then disbanded to think about which trainer they preferred. While Filipe Fam, a 26-year-old lube technician from Mesa, AZ, had little trouble making up their his mind given his falling out with Jillian a few weeks prior, Aubrey struggled with her decision.  In addition to noting Jillian's recent success with training contestants who eventually went on to win the competition, Aubrey also noted Bob's ability to "open the door" for her to succeed when she trained with him.

"It's just such a hard decision, they're both such excellent trainers," she said.

Upon reconvening in the gym with Alison, Jillian and Bob, each contestant revealed whom they wanted to train with.

Mike; Tara Costa, a 23-year-old finance manager and former model from New York, NY; Helen Phillips, a 47-year-old retired retail manager from Sterling Heights, MI; and Laura Denoux, a 24-year-old sales director and former model from Miami, FL chose to train with Jillian, while Kristin; Filipe; Aubrey; Sione Fa, a 28-year-old landscape company owner from Maricopa, AZ; and Ron Morelli, a 54-year-old city councilman and retired food distributor from South Lyon, MI, chose to train with Bob.

The newly individual contestants then went to train with their newly chosen trainers before meeting once again with Alison for what they were told was the first part of their challenge for the week.

After meeting on a basketball court with scales across from individual stacks of blocks representing the amount of weight that each contestant had lost while on the ranch, Alison revealed that each contestant would be able to distribute their amount of lost weight to any of the other contestants for the second part of the challenge. However, Jillian refused to reveal any additional details about the second part of the challenge, except to say that its winner would receive immunity at the upcoming weigh-in.

Since the contestants felt that two of the strongest remaining contestants in the game were Tara and Helen, they received the bulk of the weight, with Tara receiving 257 pounds and Helen receiving 215 pounds. Sione followed next, receiving 92 pounds from the contestants, with Aubrey receiving 72 pounds, Filipe receiving 67 pounds, Mike receiving 63 pounds and Ron receiving 37 pounds.

After the first part of the challenge, Tara got upset she'd been singled out by the other contestants and stormed away to be alone, despite Aubrey and Helen's insistence that her receiving the weight was more of a compliment than anything.

Laura was eventually able to track Tara down while walking outside the ranch. After initially saying that she was going to throw the weigh-in and get herself sent home because she didn't want to deal with the pressure of being a frontrunner anymore, Laura was able to talk Tara back into sticking in the competition.

"If you wanna give up, pack your backs and leave, but I don't think that's what you wanna do, because you're here to lose weight for you, for Tara, not for, not for Jillian, not for all these frickin' people here, nobody," Laura told Tara sternly before getting her to return to the ranch.

The following day, the contestants learned of the second part of their challenge after traveling to the Auto Club Speedway and meeting with Alison -- who stood alongside race cars colored for each participant -- and NASCAR professional Clint Bower. Alison revealed that each contestant would have to pull their respective race cars nearly half a mile down the track to the finish line, with the first person to do so winning immunity.

Alison revealed that the weigh given to each contestant at the first part of the challenge would be added to the car, making the cars  -- each of which had already weighed nearly 2 tons -- even harder to move.

The challenge then got underway, with Sione and Mike jumping out to a quick lead. However, eager for some revenge against the contestants who had piled weight onto her, Tara steadily gained ground on Mike and Sione after a slow start and eventually jumped into the lead as Sione and Mike began to fade. After maintaining a consistent speed by getting the car's momentum moving in her favor, Tara went on to win the challenge in a landslide, easily beating out Mike and Sione who finished in second and third place respectively.

"Victory has never tasted so sweet," and pumped up Tara said following her victory. Day in and day out I worked my butt off and everyone realizes that. Hold it against me, and I'm still gonna do the best that I can. But my best is better than yours."

Upon returning to the ranch, Tara received additional kudos from Jillian, who was impressed by her ability to fight back from adversity.

"Way to stick it to 'em," Jillian told her encouragingly.

Both teams then participated in their last chance workouts with Jillian and Bob before heading to their weigh-in for the week. Because the Blue and Black teams had been dissolved, Alison said that each contestant would weigh-in individually. The two contestants with the lowest percentage of weight-loss would fall below the yellow line and be put up for an elimination vote by the remaining contestants.

Because she won immunity, Tara weighed in first. Despite only needing to lose four pounds to become the first woman in The Biggest Loser history to lose 100 pounds on the ranch, Tara fell just short, losing 3 pounds for a weight loss percentage of 1.52%.

However, Kristin managed to set the record on her own weigh-in, losing 8 pounds for a loss percentage of 3.04%.

"I just can't believe how far I've come," she said after her record-breaking weigh-in. "This has been the most amazing experience of my life."

Kristin would go on to finish third in the week's weigh-in results, behind Laura, who lost 7 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 3.18%, and Ron, who lost 10 pounds for a percentage of 3.06%.

Helen followed in fourth place, losing 5 pounds for a percentage of 2.75%, while Sione came in fifth place after losing 7 pounds for a 2.56% percentage and Mike came in sixth place, losing 6 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 2.22%, leaving Aubrey (4 pounds for a 2.05% loss) and Filipe ( 4 pounds for a 1.05% loss) below the yellow line.

Upon convening to decide who to eliminate, Aubrey stated that she was "not ready to go yet," and "scared to go home," while Filipe urged everyone to simply vote with their hearts.

After Filipe and Aubrey left the room, Helen admitted that she didn't know what to do, while Ron said that the decision was harder than he initially thought it would be.

Sione came to Filipe's defense saying that he needed to be on the ranch and that there were "a lot of things in his life that got him to the point where he was at," and worried that it would not be easy for him to continue losing weight at home.

"I knew I had to plead his case. I knew I had to be the one to fight for it," Sione added later.

Upon going to the elimination room, things initially looked grim for Filipe after receiving votes from Tara and Laura. However, after votes for Aubrey by Mike, Helen, Kristin and Ron, he was spared and Aubrey was revealed to be the next contestant eliminated from the competition.

In the post-show update, it was revealed that Audrey had struggled and actually gained nine pounds upon initially returning home. However, it added that she had subsequently recommitted herself and lost the nine pounds she'd gained plus an additional 10 pounds and hoped to drop 30 more pounds by the show's finale.

[Texan]

I agree Tara's attitude it bad.  Yes it is a game, but you make no friends by gloating and expecting to win.    Some people can win and then still be freindly.  I think Tara has taken the game part to seriously and has alienated people.  We all know the minute she falls below the line she will be gone.  And with the numbers lately I think she has hit a platue and will go next week.

I am not sure who i am pulling for right now.  I think Sione kind of has the same aspect as Tara, just not wining the challenges.

I do not think she will make if but I think I am pulling for Kristin.  She is getting alot out of this and looks like she has a support system at home that will help her too.

I worry more people will be like Aubrey and gain weight at first and get discouraged.    when you go from 4 or 5 hours of work outs to fitting that into your routine it is hard.

I think Mike will do well, and Ron will be pulled along because of Mike.  I just sometimes think Ron is not totally in it and someone else would have used the time much better.

Next week with the contestants coming back... I am curious will it be one person or two coming back.

[marigold]

An interview with Aubrey:

Biggest Loser’s Aubrey Balances Calories & Kids

Although Aubrey Cheney, 28, was thrilled to see yellow when the contestants got their original shirts back during individual competition, the color took a less cheerful turn when she fell below that dreaded yellow line. The information and education specialist was sent home to her five kids in Gooding, Id., where she’s getting the hang of life off of the Ranch. Now 73 lbs. lighter, Aubrey spoke to PEOPLE about balancing weight loss with domestic duties, her closest friendship on the Ranch and why she chose Bob over Jillian.

When you returned home, you struggled with putting others’ needs before your own and you gained nine pounds. How did you overcome that and what advice can you give other mothers in your situation?
I finally realized I had to change something. I needed to evaluate why I cannot grasp this whole concept at home. My most valuable advice would be to organize a schedule and see when your slowest times of the day are. You can always do a load of laundry simultaneously with helping your kids with homework. In combining some of that housework, I’m able to take those two hours for myself and work out, whether that’s going to the gym or going for a walk.

What did you write in that note they showed right before the elimination?
I was writing Kristin a letter just to let her know I’m still rooting for her and she can do this. During that time, things were getting a little bit rough. It was down to 8 people and game play was shoving its way through the door and we were all trying to keep our heads on straight. I wanted her to know Cathy and I were at home pushing for her to be honest, play as minimal games as possible and be there to be healthy. I let her know how much I appreciate everything she did and I love her to death.

There seemed to be a little tension between you and Tara. Was that just frustration on her part?
I think it was. I like Tara! We didn’t connect in some of the ways that Kristin and I did. We are all there for the same reason; we all know what it’s like to be in each other’s shoes. But if there’s someone standing there between you and another week on the Ranch or between you and the $250,000 you are going to do whatever it takes to slow that person down or eliminate that person. It was survival of the fittest.

What is your favorite healthy snack?
My favorite snack always has been and probably always will be cauliflower with ranch dressing. So I just changed the ranch to non-fat or low fat. It’s not the best thing in the world but at least it’s a vegetable.

You started out with Jillian and ended up with Bob. Which trainer did you prefer?
Bob was the best hands down. Jillian knows her stuff and made her life around this. She’s a genius when it comes to weight loss, fitness, health and nutrition. But I think there are just different personalities that work with different personalities. Jillian and I are both really strong personality types. It’s not that we butted heads but I felt that I was doing it more for her than I was for myself. When we got flipped over to Bob’s team, it was the best thing that could have happened because Bob showed me why I was there and that was for myself.

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/03/26/biggest-losers-aubrey-balances-calories-and-kids/

[marigold]

   Coleen Skeabeck Biggest Loser Recap S.7 ep.12


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiuCPG32TGc

[marigold]

   I'll be okay just realized snooky's was a recap 

An interview with Aubrey here: http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/interview-aubrey-cheney-talks-about-her-time-on-the-biggest-loser-8682.php

[marigold]

I agree Tara's attitude it bad.  Yes it is a game, but you make no friends by gloating and expecting to win.    Some people can win and then still be freindly.  I think Tara has taken the game part to seriously and has alienated people.  We all know the minute she falls below the line she will be gone.  And with the numbers lately I think she has hit a platue and will go next week.

I am not sure who i am pulling for right now.  I think Sione kind of has the same aspect as Tara, just not wining the challenges.

I do not think she will make if but I think I am pulling for Kristin.  She is getting alot out of this and looks like she has a support system at home that will help her too.

I worry more people will be like Aubrey and gain weight at first and get discouraged.    when you go from 4 or 5 hours of work outs to fitting that into your routine it is hard.

I think Mike will do well, and Ron will be pulled along because of Mike.  I just sometimes think Ron is not totally in it and someone else would have used the time much better.

Next week with the contestants coming back... I am curious will it be one person or two coming back.

  so true I agree Texan

[marigold]

An interview with Aubrey:

Biggest Loser’s Aubrey Gives Weight Loss Advice to Busy Moms

When Aubrey Cheney first decided to lose weight, she knew it would be a challenge. Especially with five kids. So she went on The Biggest Loser with her sister Mandi, lost a ton of weight, and accomplished more goals than she ever dreamed. Unfortunately, Aubrey fell below the yellow line on this week’s show and was sent back to the comfort of home. Which meant, of course, a house full of kids to take care of. Aubrey was thrown right back into the situation that caused her to gain weight in the first place. How does a busy mom find time to exercise and cook healthfully anyway? Aubrey shared her number one tip for moms with Fancast, as well as some of the juicy tidbits from back at the BL ranch.

When you returned home you had a little bit of a struggle before picking yourself up again. What advice can you give to other moms in your situation?

Organize a schedule. And there’s always an hour or two that, yeah, you could be doing housework or you could be doing laundry but you could also be going to the gym. Come up with a schedule and see when your slowest time of the day is… take the time that you would normally do housework or housecleaning and take that time and go to the gym.

Have you been helping your dad lose weight?

My dad and I have been to the gym together a few times. And I’ve taught him some of the things that I’ve learned on the ranch. I’ve tried to teach him a little bit about nutrition but everything has been so crazy still as far as me trying to figure out my own schedule and how I’m going to take care of myself. Dad’s the type of person that he needs someone to be with him; he needs someone to go to the gym with him. And it’s hard for me to find enough time for myself and, you know, it’s almost impossible for me to find as much time as he needs for me to be with him. So he’s taken what I’ve taught him and he has been to the gym, he’s been working out on his own I think a few times and he’s lost an additional 16 pounds.

How did you feel about running the half marathon with your sister by your side?

Running a half marathon was more than I would have ever expected for me to do. It was very, very challenging but I think my adrenaline and where my body was physically from being on the ranch and being trained and being conditioned made it so much easier. And then to have my sister next to me I think running a half marathon was more than I ever expected to get out of the Biggest Loser besides my weight loss. And I think it helped put into perspective that I’m not just losing inches and I’m not just losing pounds I’m gaining accomplishments and I’m gaining self confidence and I’m gaining my life back.

Before the half marathon, they showed you eating one of the cookies. Who did you eat it for?

I was eating the cookie for Helen. Actually I ate two cookies for Helen. My whole strategy was I figured everyone else would eat for Sione and Tara because they were obviously the two biggest threats as far as winning this challenge goes. And Helen and I were really close as far as the times that we can run a mile and our athletic ability was the closest out of everyone else there. So I figured I would leave it up to everybody else to take care of Tara and Sione. So if I took Helen out then maybe that would give me a chance to get first place. And had I eaten all 13 cookies, six for Tara, six for Sione and one for Helen I would have won by under a minute. (laughs)

What did you first think when Alison told you guys you had to pull a car?

Well when we walked up on the track and we saw all the cars there I was thinking this isn’t the right reality TV show to let us drive the car so I figured we’d be pulling it. I was hoping the only thing I was worried about from then is how far we’d be pulling it. And when she told us it was a quarter mile I was thinking this is crazy; this is insanity. There’s no way I’m going to be able to pull a car a half mile. But yeah, it was hard.

During this week’s challenge, everyone seemed to be ganging up against Tara. Was that the objective?

We were absolutely ganging up on her. We’re all there for the same reason and that’s to change our lives and become healthy. But we are also involved in a game. And the game aspect is when there’s someone who is standing between you and a healthier lifestyle or $250,000 then your first instinct is to eliminate them or to try and slow them down as much as possible and that’s what we were all trying to do.

A couple of people wanted to stick with Bob as their trainer because they feel like this is Bob’s year. Do you think Bob will be the guy behind the Biggest Loser this year? And what do you think is unique about this season to make that happen?

I think that people this season have realized that it’s not about $250,000… it’s about changing your life. And that’s what makes people drop the hugest numbers. I mean, we’ve broke so many records this season. And I think it’s because people aren’t there for the money; they’re there to literally change their lives. And when you concentrate on that instead of concentrating on winning I think that that puts a lot more power behind what you’re doing. And I definitely hope that this Bob’s year. I hope Kristin wins; she’s being trained by Bob. She definitely has the numbers. She definitely has the percentage to be able to lose that much. And I hope he takes her all the way to the end, not just for her but for him too because he is a phenomenal trainer and he doesn’t care about winning or losing.

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/interviews/biggest-losers-aubrey-gives-weight-loss-advice-to-busy-moms/

[marigold]

THE BIGGEST LOSER SEASON 7

Episode: 16

Air Date: April 21, 2009

BOB AND JILLIAN TAKE THE CONTESTANTS TO THE GROCERY STORE TO LEARN HOW TO SHOP HEALTHY ON A BUDGET

The contestants’ food and fitness knowledge is put to the test this week when Good Housekeeping Magazine’s editor in chief stops by for a trivia challenge that will give the lucky winner an all-expense paid trip to New York. Then contestants face a different kind of test when trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels send them grocery shopping on a budget – and then critique their purchases. Later, a unique challenge tests each player’s balancing skill, and one contestant hits a big milestone at the weigh-in before a shocking elimination sends another player home.