Biggest Loser 13 Challenge - Getting Closer to Finale and Running My Own Race

We're just a little over a week to the Biggest Loser Season 13 Finale.  And while I can't wait to finally see the finale so we can get this season from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks over with, I'm kind of sad that my challenge will be ending.

You see, I enjoy setting these goals for myself.  I don't always reach the exact number that I set at the beginning of a challenge, but I always make progress.  If I didn't set goals at all, I'd either stay stuck or take a step backwards.  Knowing that I challenged myself - and put it out there for the world to see, join in, encourage, judge or whatever they decide to do with it - I try harder.  I put in more effort.  Sometimes I hit the goal, sometimes I just come close.  Either way, I'm still a winner.

So today's weigh-in is another step closer to my goal, with a loss of 1.2 pounds.  Life is a marathon, not a sprint...and sometimes during the road race of life we have to climb steep hills or dodge falling rocks.  Staying in the race is the most important thing - sitting on the sidelines watching other people run is not an option.

You can bet after next week's finale I will set another goal for myself, whether it is connected to Biggest Loser or not.  There is no BL during the summer, and rumor has it that there will be no fall season coming up.  ("Rumour has it she's the one..."  NOW I have Adele playing in my head!)  No matter what is going on the the wild world of reality shows, we can all still reach our own personal goals. 

Please join me here as we all work on becoming the best we can be...any season, any time of year.  ALL THE TIME!

Biggest Loser 12 - Happy Homecomings and a Marathon Finish

This season has been a roller coaster of emotions in so many ways. You can certainly say that there was never a dull moment...sometimes that was good, and, well...sometimes not so good.

The last episode before the finale brought all of the emotions to a boil. Thankfully most of them were of the good variety. The Final Four went home for a few weeks before the marathon and final weigh-in on the ranch, to their friends, families, and regular lives.

At least some of them did. We discovered that Becky was the only one who actually started back at her job during this time. She taught her students, took care of her family, and fit in her workouts just like she'll have to do for good once the season is over. The three guys did not have to work - although Vinny kind of did because he was working on new music. (Believe me, it's a skill you have to work at. I know from experience!)

John not only took a longer leave of absence from his job, he also had his wife doing everything for him, including making all of his healthy meals. You would think that he would help in the kitchen since he learned so much on the ranch - but no, he was in full beast mode concentrating only on winning. I can understand that to some extent, but I'm sure his family felt like he was basically still away. When Dolvett came to visit he became worried about John regaining the weight back after the show, because he wasn't learning to adjust to a somewhat real schedule at home. I have to agree. It also irked me that he was sacrificing his wife's health for the grand prize. I'm sure they could have balanced it out much better than they did. It scares me that he can only operate in all-or-nothing mode.

On the most positive note of the homecomings, Vinny surprised his girlfriend Lori with a special date at the Grand Ole Opry. It was just the two of them (and the Biggest Loser cameras), and as he proposed she happily accepted. Now here is a man who understands that balancing health and family is important. Congratulations Vinny and Lori!

Once the four were back at the ranch, they met up with the eleven eliminated players in the desert where the season began. It was finally time to run the marathon, with the winner having a guaranteed spot in the Final Three. Bonnie couldn't run because she was having knee surgery the following week, but she looked really good. She also took care of each contestant as they came across the finish line. Both Vinny and Joe were forced to stop short of the goal but gave a valiant effort.

I loved seeing other contestants get the big moments they didn't have during the season. Patrick, who sacrificed himself in Week 3, ran an excellent race. So did Jennifer, who left those crutches far behind her to finish in the middle of the pack. And for Debbie and Johnny, just making it all the way to the end and crossing the finish line was an accomplishment. It just proves the point - you don't have to make Final Four to be a winner!

The race pretty much came down to Courtney and Ramon, with Ramon winning the spot in the finals. This meant that two people would fall below the red line at the weigh-in. The two people above the line would complete the Final Three.

Becky fell below, but showed working moms everywhere that they can take care of themselves while getting everything else done. Vinny also fell just short of the finals, but he really won the big prize because he learned the most about himself, his family and his health...and he has Lori!

Antone and John will compete with Ramon for the title. (It's really weird this season not to have to vote for the third finalist!) Actually, it seems more like they are competing with each other...and Ramon happens to be there. I wouldn't be surprised if Ramon does sneak in and take the grand prize while the other two duke it out. John did a lot of big talking, but Antone wants his actions and the numbers to do the talking...as it should be. Of course, Antone voiced what many of us were thinking when he mentioned that he was finally sick of John! (Challenging every Biggest Loser contestant in the history of the show? Really John? You should be VERY afraid that some of them might take you up on that!)

So tune in next week for the Season 12 live finale. Since the entire season was filled with drama, I wouldn't expect anything less for the finale. Looking forward to the big finish...and rooting for Antone and Ramon!

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: Halloween Treats and a Nasty Trick

The Halloween episode of Biggest Loser was hyped all week, and it did not disappoint. Well, it did at the end...but more on that later in this post.

Gotta love Alison Sweeney as the Bride of Frankenstein, a combination of scary and beautiful as only Ali can do. It's a real gift to dress like that and still be gorgeous. Ali won't have to settle just for Frankie...her creepy milkshake will bring all the monsters to the yard.

Of course there were many twists and turns to the week, including all of the players working together as one and working out with all three trainers. My evil Halloween wish came true as Bob put Bonnie through hell. Actually it sounded like he was squeezing a black cat through the ringer, so this turned out to be part trick/part treat.

The maze challenge actually looked like a lot of fun, even with all of the stipulations placed on the contest. Antone was definitely NOT a graveyard smash as he made his way through the maze. He refused to enter the cemetery section even though it was all completely fake. I have a feeling we're going to learn more about his aversion to headstones in a future episode. Thankfully his hesitation didn't cost the group their win. It looked like losing 90 pounds as a whole was going to be a piece of apple cider cake. However...

Something stranger than strange happened on the way to the weigh-in. Almost everybody pulled low numbers on the scale. Then Sunny stepped up and GAINED 5 pounds. Funny how nobody except Bob seemed really upset. Even Sunny's cry of "I don't know what's going on" seemed as fake as the graves in the maze. As player after player did not pull their weight, something smelled rotten on the ranch...and it wasn't from corpses left lying around from the Halloween festivities.

In the last couple of weeks it seems that certain players wound up with targets on their backs. It certainly felt that way when Courtney was sent home, but even more so this week. The other players ganged up on Jennifer and accused her of all kinds of things, like not working out hard with anyone except Bob, not being a team player, even not chanting along with Dolvett and company. She was hit by one nasty comment after another, telling her she was bad energy in the house and a major distraction.

Now, I don't know what they're all seeing, but I see someone who has issues and is working to overcome them. I also see those issues in ALL of the contestants. As I well know, you don't get to be that overweight without having demons that need to be dealt with. As for Vinny yelling at Jen for supposedly not chanting well with others, I saw differently. Jen did participate in the group exercise with Dolvett and I saw (and heard) her speak. One time did I see her not say the words - and it was because she had tears in her eyes. I don't know about you, but I've been there. You have so much emotion running through you that you can't move for a few moments. She was trying her darndest to shout out with everyone, but for that one moment her emotions got the best of her. She did not lie to Vinny; most of the time she WAS speaking. (Plus, after covering past seasons of Biggest Loser I can vouch for the fact that there is more to it than what you see on TV...everyone should be given benefit of doubt.)

Also, I see a strong woman who had a fracture in her leg that could have kept her from doing her best...but she didn't let it stop her. She learned how to work around it and still lose the weight. Yes, Bob was the one who originally showed her the way. But it was still Jen who did the work. How quickly her team forgets that she contributed big numbers at the previous weigh-ins, all without the use of her leg. She lost more at times than others who had both of their legs in working order. So the emotional baggage she came to the ranch with was bad, but theirs was OK? WRONG. It certainly looked like the majority of the players threw the weigh-in so they could send her home.

They got their wish - but you can't keep a good woman down. She was down 102 pounds at the time of filming and wearing a gorgeous green wrap dress that shows how far she's come. I really loved hearing her at the elimination as Alison told her she was not the Biggest Loser and she answered, "Not YET." There is still a marathon to be run at the beginning of December, and I hope and pray that Jennifer kicks all of their behinds and wins that spot in the finals.

So even though her "team" played a mean Halloween trick on her, Jen is turning it into her own personal treat. The ultimate sweetness will come at the finale, and with the new life she is creating for herself. We can all learn from Jen how to persevere even when other people don't understand. Keep on rockin' it, girl!

Biggest Loser...Learning to Lose at HOME???

Yesterday's episode was the last show before next week's finale. The Final 4 were sent off to lose weight at home for 30 days, and Alison also informed them that they would be running a marathon when they got back to the ranch, before that final weigh-in.

We got to see glimpses of how each of the contestants dealt with having to stick to their healthy lifestyles while they were back with their families and friends. Except for one thing...Koli decided to deal with with his situation by NOT dealing with it. He stayed in Las Vegas for the month and hired a personal trainer so he could focus on winning and not have to deal with the same everyday life and distractions that the other 3 contestants did. To me...this is cheating. Everyone else played by the rules, and Koli is going to have to try to live his new way at home sooner or later.

The marathon was quite inspiring, and I always love seeing people from previous seasons come to help the current players out. Matt Hoover ran with Daris, who really pushed himself and completed the race in 4 hours and 2 minutes. He completely blew away the old record time of 4:55 set by Tara Costa from Season 7. Sione Fa ran with Koli, and he came in second, a good 2 hours after Daris. Ashley and Michael decided they were going to finish the race together, and they had Ali Vincent and Mike Morelli by their sides. All of the contestants also had a family member join them for the last mile or so, and it was a very emotional scene. Daris mentioned that he's been strong all along, but didn't really realize it until now. I think that happens to many of us. We don't believe in ourselves enough at first, but as time goes on when see that we always had that strength we needed to accomplish our goals. Ashley said it best...when she said that she is finally the girl she always wanted to be.

At the weigh-in, Michael had a special moment when he saw that he now weighed 299. He had broken the 300 pound barrier! He and Ashley were the top 2 and secured their spots in the finale. Koli and Daris fell below the yellow line. Daris actually gained 2 pounds while at home. He admitted that he focused really hard on the marathon, but gave in to late night eating. What happened to Daris is a good lesson for all of us. A lot of people think that if you are running, especially marathons, that you can eat whatever you want because you're exercising so much. Keeping to a healthy eating schedule is just as important as the running is for your body. You do not have license to eat everything you want .

America gets to vote whether Daris or Koli will be in the finals with Michael and Ashley. My votes all went to Daris. Some people will argue that Koli should get the spot because he lost weight and Daris gained. I respectfully disagree with that. Daris may have gained two pounds, but he did it honestly at home. Koli did not play by the same rules that everyone else did, and for that reason I want to see Daris in the Final 3. I think Koli is a great person, but I don't care for his "strategy". I would also like to see Daris come back and show that he got back on track at home again before the finale.

Next week is the big night...and for me, here's hoping that it will be Ashley, Michael, and Daris competing for the Grand Prize. No matter what, they have all inspired me and done a wonderful job of changing their lives for the better!