Biggest Loser 12: Makeovers and Motivation

Almost everybody loves Makeover Week. I say almost because Bob didn't seem too thrilled about it. (More on that in a minute.) It's exciting every season to watch people who've literally worked their butts off get a chance to celebrate the fitter, more confident people they've become. I think many of us also think about what we would do with an opportunity like this...we work our butts off in more ways than one at home and would love to be treated like royalty for a change- or just be appreciated.

The Biggest Loser contestants certainly deserve the pampering and updated looks they received. I have to admit, the women's makeovers are always the best part. Unless, of course, you have men who started out looking like shaggy dogs or disco kings with afros from the 70's. This season those guys got voted off before the makovers, so we'll have to wait until finale to see those transformations. (Except for Ramon, who gave us a treat ahead of time!)

Becky's transformation was the most drastic, due to the short haircut and complete air of confidence that glowed from within her. She doesn't even look like she belongs in the upper age group on the ranch! Sunny and Vinny also had amazing makeovers, because they got to wear things that they thought would never have been possible. I love seeing people believe in themselves...even more so because it's a lesson I keep learning everyday for myself.

Once everyone was back on the ranch it was all business once again. I was really touched when Sunny told Anna how much she appreciated her, since I've learned to appreciate Anna more each week. I admit to having my doubts when the season started, especially with the way everything was portrayed in the first few episodes. (I have to keep remembering - reality show editing takes some of the reality out of it!) Like Sunny, I want to get better at tennis...because I love the sport and want to be able to play longer with my family. It would be an honor to learn from Anna, and I'm glad Sunny realized it and was able to express her thanks while still on the ranch. I'm actually sorry that Anna won't be back next season. I think she was finally starting to hit her groove!

Hearing Sunny's conversation with Anna only made the weigh-in more painful. Bob went ballistic when Sunny only lost one pound and thought she didn't have much of a reaction. He also blamed it on the time spent away for the makeovers. At first it seemed like Bob was overdoing it, but when I remembered that last week Bob mentioned how much Sunny reminded him of his sister it all made sense. I'm sure Bob would love to drill those same points home to his own sister too. Everyone else did pretty well, considering the limited time for exercise this week.

Sunny wound up falling just short of the Final 4, but seeing her stay dedicated at home really motivates me. She gets up early for bootcamp, goes to the gym, takes tennis lessons...oh yeah, and teaches all week too! She proves that if you really want it you will find the time for it. I can't wait to see her final transformation at the finale.

Next week is homecoming for the Final 4, along with the marathon. It will be interesting to see who trained hard at home and wins the other spot in the finals. Can you believe it's less than 2 weeks to the finale? The season really is flying by!

Biggest Loser 12: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

On this week's Biggest Loser, the contestants learned that the one constant in the show is that THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.

The other lesson? DEAL WITH IT!

You just knew that there was going to be a big shake-up, with the Black team gloating that they all stuck together and would continue to do so. Never mind that they actually sent a member of the Black team home last week...I guess somehow that doesn't count. But I'm sure Jen had to smile at home seeing what happened next. (Now I didn't just smile - I actually laughed so loud that I was afraid the neighbors heard me.)

Let me preface this by saying that I get it. For anyone, whether on TV or not, to have to switch trainers...well, it's definitely not easy. You do get used to that person's way of doing things, especially if it's working for you. When something is working, you don't want to lose that rhythm, and when a situation in life causes things to change it throws you for a loop. That's why even going on the ranch is such a big thing. These contestants have been stuck in the same way of life for a long time, and the biggest change of all is to get off the couch and throw yourself to the Biggest Loser lions.

But when Alison informed the teams that they were going to be broken up and moved around for the rest of the season, my first thought was that they were going to have their payback. Most of them immediately panicked, while some tried to stay calm until the high-calorie picnic basket game was over and they knew exactly where they stood.

Those picnic baskets would have given even Yogi Bear a heart attack. Did you see how many calories were in those meals? Yogi would have to hibernate for much longer than winter after eating all of that. As much as I love Southern food, Vinny's breakfast made sick to my stomach. Sunny's Mexican dinner most resembled my favorite, although not nearly that portion size and not as often as she said she indulged. (Moderation is your friend!)

Once the musical teams challenge was complete, everyone pretty much lost it. Antone and Jessica were relieved to stay with their original trainers, but still upset that they didn't have the same teammates. The most dramatic reaction came from the Black team members that had to leave Bob - you would have thought that he was divorcing them and moving to Siberia. This, while I understood, came from the same people who harrassed a certain someone the week before about being too attached to Bob. So this is where the laughter came in. You're not so different after all! (BEHOLD - the power of Bob!)

The only person actually glad to leave her trainer was Bonnie. Obviously since she butted heads with Anna she was glad to go with Dolvett. (I wonder how many calories her happy dance burned?) It turns out that Dolvett was a good thing for Bonnie, getting her to deal with her grief as no one else had been able to do before. And Dolvett & Anna dealt well with the people who acted like they were afraid to leave their daddy to go to kindergarten. Dolvett had to watch John sobbing in Bob's arms, then train him. Dolvett knew it was nothing personal and that he would prove himself to his new team. Anna actually told Joe to stop acting like someone took his toy away and be a man. (LOVING this new, feistier Anna!)

I'm sure it took longer for the new teams to warm up to their trainers than was actually shown on TV, since of course the episode would need to be a couple of hours longer to show it all. But in the end everyone began to embrace the change and pulled great numbers on the scale. The big twist? For whichever team came in last, the other two teams got to decide who would go home.

The Red team was low on the totem pole this time, so the Blue and Black teams got to vote. Since John couldn't be voted off, it came down to Bonnie and Jessica. Somewhat surprisingly, Jessica was sent home...and Ramon was NOT happy. (Looks like they will all deal with his wrath next week!) As sad as I am to see Jessica go, a part of me is excited to see what Bonnie will do next, since she is starting to emerge from her cocoon of grief with Dolvett's help. Everything happens for a reason...eevn if we don't know what that reason is for a long time.

Of course, Jessica is workin' it at home, and this Clevelander won't even hold it against her that she had some Steelers training her. (Hey - football loyalties are fierce!) Tune in next week, as Biggest Loser continues with even more drama than Days of Our Lives! I bet Ali sometimes forgets which set she's on sometimes! ;o)

Biggest Loser Season 12 Premiere: What Do You Think of the New Trainers?

Tuesday night's season premiere of Biggest Loser ushered in a new era...one without well-loved trainer Jillian Michaels. Bob Harper is still there (thank God!) and he chose to lead the black team in honor of his former partner in crime. Bob is even more fierce than before while revealing his heart, making for the perfect balance in a trainer.

Two new trainers join Bob this season, Dolvett Quince and Anna Kournikova. Dolvett is taking on the red team while Anna leads the blue.

In the first challenge, the three teams were broken into age groups and competed for the right to choose their trainer. Of course the winning team chose Bob. He's proven himself from Season 1 until now and his track record speaks for itself. And with Bob, you know (for the most part) what you're going to get.

The second place team chose Dolvett, who is an experienced trainer in his own right. His long list of happy, fit clients includes some guy named Justin Bieber. (All of the young girls know Justin's in great shape for sure, while I show my age by still proclaiming my devotion to David Cassidy.) As I watched the first episode, Dolvett impressed me. Actually, I was much more than impressed. I became an immediate fan of his training style, which includes his way of showing tough love along with the compassion necessary for working with broken, obese contestants. Plus, I certainly agree with all of my female friends that he's extremely easy on the eyes!

The third place team didn't really have a choice. They became Anna's team. I was skeptical from the very first announcement of her as a trainer. Yes, she's an incredible tennis player, and she's definitely in top shape. But I didn't think she had what it took to really get the best out of all of the contestants in her charge. As the show began, I mentioned that I hope she proves me wrong...and discovered that most people are as skeptical as I am. The first show didn't do anything to change my mind yet. Anna is very sweet - possibly a little TOO sweet. I love her compassion, especially when she ran out to meet her team before they got to the finish line. She was also immediately thrown in the deep end since one of her team members found out her dad passed away just as she was getting settled on the ranch. Anna handled that well.

The problem is in the gym. Anna is not tough enough on her team. Even when she attempts to sound angry or push them it comes out much too nice. I'm not saying she has to be mean to everyone. What she does need is to find that balance that Bob and Dolvett have - the balance between compassion and rousing people into their consciousness so they do their best. Results will not happen without the tough love. Everyone needs a major kick in the butt as a wake-up call to reclaim their health.

The results on the scale proved the point. Bob's team won with a considerable lead over Dolvett's team. And Dolvett's team crushed Anna's. The difference was significant, showing which methods actually get the job done.

I still hope Anna proves me wrong...as the weeks go on it's possible that she will find her rhythm and learn to be a tough motivator while still keeping the compassion. What do you think of the new trainers? Drop me a line and tell me what you think!

Biggest Loser Season 12 Challenge!!!

*photos courtesy of NBC.

The day has arrived.

Tonight is the Season 12 Premiere of Biggest Loser. Not only do we have a brand new bunch of contestants, but 2 rookie trainers. Rookie, that is, to Biggest Loser. Dolvett Quince is already an amazing trainer in his own right and I expect him to do well. With Anna Kournikova there is more of a question mark. Obviously she's a great athlete and in top shape, but it will be interesting to see how she does training "losers" for a whole season.

I would like to present a challenge to all of my blog readers/friends. Make this the season you push yourself as hard as you can, just as if you were on the ranch being trained by Bob, Dolvett, or Anna. (Or Jillian...because we know she will always be there in spirit!) Try that exercise class that always frightened you but you secretly want to master. Pump up your workouts. Stop eating junk...ESPECIALLY while watching Biggest Loser!

This challenge also includes setting a goal. How much weigh will you lose by the finale in December? I set a goal for myself to be down at least 25 pounds by Thanksgiving. I weighed in today (first week) and lost 2.2 pounds, putting me at 213.8 for the start of this BL12 Challenge. I now amend my goal to include the first part of December up to the finale - I will lose at least 30 pounds by then.

I know I'm ready to watch tonight and so are you. Are you ready to join me in this challenge? Please post your BL12 Finale goal here and we can do this together!

Biggest Loser Season 11 Finale - Purple Is The New Black, Pink Makes a Comeback

What a finale!!! So many wonderful transformations...so little time. Congratulations to all of the contestants for changing their lives for the better and getting healthy.

We had the first ever all female Top 3, showing that Girl Power is alive and well. And a woman won the at home prize as well! Deni showed that Pink is still a force to be reckoned with as she beat out Austin for the $100,000. She and her daughter Sarah both looked amazing and happy. Arthur and Jesse danced their way into our hearts once again, and even twins Don and Dan looked fantastic. I think these brothers shocked a lot of people by coming back looking so fit after all of the drama on the ranch.

Speaking of drama...I did not miss Rulon one bit. He was the one bad apple that threatened to spoil the whole bunch. (Showing my age again...Osmond Brothers are singing in my head!) Thankfully the rest of the bunch more than made up for him. The finale story was focused on the inspiring, positive contestants -as it should be!

As Anna Kournikova was announced as the new trainer for Season 12, I wasn't exactly feeling it. The one time she appeared on the show was just OK, so I hope she steps it up for the new season. From what I'm hearing, it will be just Bob and Anna...Brett and Cara are supposedly not returning for BL12. Time will tell how this works out for the show.

With Olivia taking the Biggest Loser title and Hannah right behind her, I can definitely say Purple is the new Black. And I really mean it!!! Since the folks at NBC didn't do a tribute to Jillian for her 10 years on the show, they should retire the Black Team... just like an athlete's jersey for just about any sport. It would only be right, since a Black Team with someone other than Jillian would never be right. I must say though...I still don't know if Anna would do Purple justice. I think Hannah and Olivia would be better trainers! Maybe Anna's team should be the White Team, representing her coming from the tennis world. She's definitely used to white clothes already!

I can't wait to see what the future holds for Olivia. I had this feeling a few weeks into the season that she would be the winner, just like I did in Season 8 about Danny Cahill. Both of them had the faith and determination in their eyes that showed me a winner. No more witch or maid roles for Olivia! She is ready for primetime opera. She and her husband are both fit now, and ready for all that life has to offer. Let us all take Olivia's cue - and dig deeper so we can truly change our lives. She has shown us that IT IS POSSIBLE!