The single best thing I can say about last night’s Biggest Loser is that it’s over and brings us closer to the make-over episode–NEXT WEEK! I can’t wait to see how they look. My dvr always cuts off in the middle of next week’s sneak peak, so I did get to see that Ashley changes her hair color radically, but not long enough to know if I like it or not. I don’t know what they can do to Sam to make him look better. Well, I am jumping ahead…we’ll see next week.
This week sent the remaining 7 to Texas help inspire residents to lose weight. Apparently Texas is home to 5 cities that boast some of the most unfit people in the country. Their job in Texas is to go on to radio stations and talk about their story where each station would pick 75 people to join the BL contestants in a 5K run/walk at the Cotton Bowl. Daris has his own quest to beat his personal best for a 5K (which he has thus far only done on a treadmill) and he is the first to complete the race and achieves his goal in 21:02. He then, goes back to join his team in completing the challenge. We see a lot of tears from some of the Texans that are walking and we also learn that 100 people will win 90 day passes to 24 Hour Fitness.
Meanwhile, Jillian meets up with previous season contestant Abby. Anyone who watched will remember Abby for having the single saddest life story I can imagine, losing her entire family in a car accident. She turned her life around and found a purpose and enlists Jillian to speak to an audience of high school students about what’s going on with the obesity rate in Texas. One girl stands up and tells the story of growing up in her overweight family. Lots more tears are shed and Jillian does the best she can, in a very limited time, to try to encourage her.
I can’t even talk about the wrangling challenge. I hated it. I hated it for the contestants, but I hated it more for the calves. Let’s just say that Sam helped Koli win this challenge. They are quite a team and near impossible to beat at most anything. I felt badly for Daris, who ran a close second, without anyone to help him. Koli was given immunity, the greatest prize of all. Michael was the only one who tried to use kindness with the calves. I am sorry HE didn’t win this challenge.
Last chance workout was a killer. Bob was merciless! The sweat that was dripping off of Koli at one point, looked like a waterfall…really. He must have thrown the weigh in (I would have) as he only lost 1 pound this week, but with immunity and just a couple of weeks left, why would he lose more? Sam managed to lose another 6 pounds and is looking solid at 240. It was Michael who blew everyone away with a 15 pound weight loss. Karmatic reward for speaking so nicely to those calves, earlier 🙂 17 pounds more and he will have hit the 200 pound mark! How crazy is THAT?
O’neal and Sunshine fell below the yellow line together. Sunshine, beautifully exotic looking, is starting to get under my skin with all her crying at the weigh ins. I know she is young and I know how badly she wants this, but I feel that she can’t be happy for the others and that bothers me. Of course O’neal asked the others to send him home and keep Sunshine in the game. They all obliged and we said goodbye to “Unc,” a really nice dad and seemingly all around good guy. When we see him in the present time, he is down a total of 139 pounds and is off all his medication. While his wife used to have to ties his shoes for him, he can now do it by himself. Well, after the intensity of the workouts on the ranch for all these weeks, I WOULD CERTAINLY HOPE SO! It was nice to see his wife’s arms around him on the bike as the show ended. Again, the best part is looking forward to next week!
I could go on and on about this show. The good, the bad and the ugly of it. The way it impacts each person individually and the way it impacts the masses. Though I don’t love (or even like) all aspects of it, it continues to impact me (positively) each and every week. It impacts me professionally and personally. It continues to reinforce everything I believe about the human body and the human spirit. It reconfirms that all things are possible.
Wishing you a day filled with possibilities. Think positively. Never underestimate what you are capable of. Eat kindly. Kindly to you and to the planet. We are all connected.
I concur with you, Bonni, about BL last night. I did not enjoy the challenge this week AT ALL. My heart went out to those scared, defenseless calves. I wonder who thinks up these crazy ideas. Also, I felt that 35 minutes was way too long for the 5K event. I was getting a bit bored and I wanted the show to progress more rapidly. What was the “plug” for Walgreen’s all about??? I guess they are required to endorse their sponsors.
I was totally amazed at the 15 pound loss of Michael. WOW! He is really on point. Hopefully, he will continue this incredible journey when he returns home. I was even teary-eyed at the end of the show when O’Neal was eliminated. I have to give him credit. For a man his age with all his medical and physical concerns, he did a stellar job!! He looks so proud of myself. His wife was just beaming. Let’s see how well Sunshine will perform this week since her main support system is gone.
I can’t wait for next week to see how everyone looks after the make-over. This has truly been an amazing transformation for all the contestants and I am so impressed with everyone’s results. I have never watched this show before, so I am as excited as a child with each episode. (I am also learning all kinds of interesting exercise and nutrition hints as well!)
I only saw the show in bits and pieces (because I was in the kitchen making myself dinner after a challenging – in a different way – 2 hours with Bonni in the gym).
I liked the idea of the 5K with the BL people and the Texas residents. It’s an incredibly powerful thing to be an inspiration to someone. I’m sure no one has ever looked to Daris or Michael for motivation of any kind.
I hated the calf challenge too. Enough said. Koli threw the weigh in (IMO) – I would have too. I liked that Michael, Daris and Ashley banded together. You need allies on that show.
If you think Sunny is weepy now, wait until the coming week when she’s alone on the ranch for the first time. Do we think Koli and Sam will continue to champion her now that ONeal is gone? Suze Orman thought she would win the whole thing and she did pick last year’s winner. Hmm – interesting
On a fitness front – last night’s classes were both very different (I Loved it) It’s amazing how much more challenging everything is when you slow it down. I really enjoyed the Pilates class, the unexpected sequence of moves, it was fantastic.
Bonni – any word on Jillian’s new show? The promos last night said June (that’s pretty vague).
I felt so awful for that girl at the high school. The amount of courage it took for her to stand up and talk about herself and her weight is just staggering. I was overweight in HS and I can tell you from experience, all I wanted to do was hide. I’m hoping Jillian reached out to her (behind the scenes) with some specific food and calorie info and a way to workout.
Carol and Rita…I think tomorrow morning I am going to see if I can get a letter off to NBC asking them to leave the animals out of the show! I know they work for CHEAP and all, but ………honestly, if I was not so addicted to the show, last night’s challenge could have been enough to stop me from ever watching again…
I will get an update on when Jillian’s show, “Losing It’ is supposed to start—i had gotten a date from my contact at NBC but she said it was tentative (the date, not the show)…
Carol, you bring out a GREAT point regarding Daris and Michael having the experience of being inspirational, perhaps for the first time in their lives….wow, that must feel AWESOME! Also, I am glad you enjoyed classes last night. It IS amazing how much harder slow can be. I just think our bodies respond really well to change. So do our brains!!!! I have to admit it is really challenging to find ways to keep changing things up AND still be safe and not alienate too many people…but I’ll keep doing my best!
Yes, how brave of that young girl to stand up in front of her school mates and speak the way she did. I, too, hope there was follow-thru—maybe with Abby, if not Jillian or the show. Maybe they will put her on next season?!?!?!
Oh Rita, though I don’t generally love the exact way the contestants end up being made over, it’s incredible to see them, nonetheless. It must be SO much fun for them getting all fussed over.
I figured out why I love Biggest Loser so much…IT IS WONDERFUL TO SEE PEOPLE READY TO MAKE A CHANGE AND WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN HELP THEM AND DO THE WORK IT TAKES 24/7. Everyone wants to have a more perfect body, better health, etc., but a lot of people are NOT willing to do the work to make it happen. When they ARE, the changes happen and I have affirmation that this whole process really is the magic bullet. To me, last night, one of the best parts of the show was when O’Neal was at home and he told everyone he is OFF all his medications. Of course that made me cry with tears of joy for his triumph.
Thanks for rehashing the show with me 🙂
Getting down to the end on Biggest Loser. I liked the Texas episode. Lots of overweight people in the state of Texas.
Biggest Loser finale this Tuesday night! Wow, can’t wait to see them all return for one more weigh in.
I have been to your site before. The more I visit, the more I keep coming back! 🙂