Biggest Loser 15 - Tricks and Treats

After missing last week's Biggest Loser due to work and catching up on it a few days ago, I was more than ready to watch tonight's show when it aired.  And I'm definitely glad that I could - because there was a lot of action this week!

We begin where last week left off...with Tanya, who had just been saved from going home by Dolvett.  She feels the pressure to step it up this week, since the team save was used on her and the next person to fall below the red line would go home.  She wants to do her part to make sure the red team is safe from elimination.

Of course, the next item on the Biggest Loser agenda is the first temptation of the season.  Alison leads the players to a pumpkin patch, informing them that the pumpkins are filled with tricks (candy and pumpkin pie) or treats (cash or immunity for the team).  If someone's pumpkin contained food they had to eat it, or else their team would not be allowed to continue on to play for the immunity.  Several rounds went by before immunity was discovered, causing thousands of calories to be consumed by all three teams.  The blue team, however, took in the least amount of calories AND found the immunity. 

Bob was happy that his team would be safe at the weigh-in, as long as none of them gained weight.  He was also inspired by his team member Holley, who is trying to get back into the Olympics as a weightlifter - just in better shape than the last time.  He wanted her to see women in the 165 weight class lift, so she would realize that she would be even stronger and able to lift more as she lost weight.  Holley also got the chance to lift, proving to herself that she is gaining muscle as her weight goes down and she will still have the power she needs to get to the Olympics. 

In the meantime, the white and red teams worked out furiously to stay away from elimination.  Only the blue team has a save left, so this week someone would definitely be sent home.  At times some of them felt ready to pass out or throw up, but after a short rest they were able to get back to the workout and keep going.  Nobody wanted to be the 2nd person to go home this season.

We also got to catch up with last season's teen ambassador Biingo, who has lost even more weight and kept it off.  His mom is thrilled that he's so active now, because he doesn't sit as much in front of video games anymore. And Biingo's whole family has lost almost 300 pounds with his motivation and encouragement.  It's great to see the whole family become healthier!

Finally, it's time for the moment of truth on the scale. The blue team goes first, and since all of them lost weight they keep the immunity.  All of the teams' numbers are on the lower side (it seems like this season the numbers are much lower overall) but the red team is the one with the lowest percentage of weight loss.  The person below the red line is Ruben, so he automatically goes home.  I'm glad Tanya squeaked by again, but I'm also disappointed that Ruben's time on the ranch was up.  He vowed to continue the hard work at home so he would be soulful AND sexy by the finale.

Next week, it looks like Tanya has a critical breakdown...and it also appears that someone will finally have a big loss on the scale.  I wonder who it will be?  We'll find out in a week!

Biggest Loser 14 - Temptation in the Dark Leads to Drama at Elimination

The teaser at the end of last week's episode let us know that the Biggest Loser contestants were going to singles - breaking up the teams with every man or woman for themselves.  It always gets more interesting when people aren't bound to a team anymore.

And this time, it got VERY interesting.

Alison gave each player a shirt, each having an individual color.  You could see in their eyes the realization that they could only rely on themselves, which I believe brings out their strengths.  Teams are wonderful at the beginning for the players to encourage each other while they're still new to the process, but when it's time for singles each person gets to show what he or she is made of.  Gina started really believing that she was a threat (although she did backslide into a little meltdown later on with Dolvett) and most of the others decided they needed to step up their game in order to keep above the yellow line.  Of course, Danni has already been in singles for a while now!

Yes...for the first time this season, there is a yellow line.  And of the remaining eight contestants, two would fall below and the others would vote who to send home.

And another thing - temptations are BACK!  The first temptation of Season 14 was a doozy.  All kinds of Valentine's Day candies, cupcakes, and other assorted sweets were placed on tables in front of each player.  Whoever ate the most calories would get a two pound advantage, plus they would get to give a two pound advantage to another player of their choice.  The kicker was that this would take place in the dark, so nobody could see what the others were or weren't eating.  Ali had night vision goggles so she could observe what all of them were doing.

A variety of things happened in the darkness.  Three people ate something, while the other five did not.  Everyone kept calling out Gina, assuming that she was eating a lot to win the advantage because she would be too unsure of herself to rely on her own abilities.  One thing I've learned so far this season:  DON'T UNDERESTIMATE GINA.  She ate nothing, also noting that with her being diabetic she could make herself extremely sick if she ate all of that sugar.  As she listened to them talk smack about her, she played along, acting as if she was eating and making noises to lead them to believe it.  The other really smart person here was Danni...not only did she skip the sweets, she got on the floor and exercised to burn calories and keep herself busy during the temptation!

In the end, Jeff only ate a little over 200 calories, so it came down to Alex and Francelina...who both ate more than 1100 calories.  Francelina won by a small margin - it came down to the fact that Alex could only choke down half of her last brownie.  If she'd eaten the whole thing she would have won.  But in the end it didn't matter, because Francelina gave the second advantage to Alex.  It seemed like a strange strategy to me...wouldn't you give it to someone else, hoping the person who ate just about as much as you did would have a bad week on the scale?

Anyway, all of the trainers are now training everyone, so they each took turns with groups.  Jillian took the three sweet eaters first, really pushing the girls to their limits in order to work off that sugar.  She also worked Jeff hard, which really bothered him.  He felt she was putting way too much pressure on him.  Afterward they talked, where Jill learned that Jeff's dad passed away when Jeff was 17...and right before he died he told Jeff that it was his responsibility to take care of everyone now.  Jeff was carrying that load around with him for eight years, which is why he felt pressured even more by Jillian.  She told him it was OK to realize that his dad should never have put him in that position, and that it was also OK for him to take care of himself.

When we checked in with our teen ambassadors, their trainers challenged them to take things to a new level.  Biingo finally got the boot off of his foot, so now he can train for baseball tryouts.  Lindsay started practicing with a cheereading squad, including the two girls who helped her earlier in the season.  I'm so proud of those girls for encouraging her and taking a stand against bullying.  And Sunny started a Bollywood dance class.  She was frustrated at first, but once she realized that the others in the class were once beginners like her she started to blossom and enjoy herself.  (Sunny, can I join you in class?  I've been wanting to try Bollywood for years!) 

Back at the ranch, the adults took part in a challenge.  They all had to run toward the spotlight in an indoor arena, with the last one to reach the spotlight in each round eliminated.  The final round was down to Francelina, Joe, and Danni.  Danni won, receiving a 24 hour visit from a loved one for Valentine's Day, along with another visit she could give to another person.  She gave her second prize to Gina so she could see her husband.  Then she gave up her own prize to Mike so his wife could visit.  Danni shows good sportsmanship and compassion...she is not just a hero in the competition, she's a hero all around.

Gina had a picnic with her husband, where they talked about the changes in their life together and how everything was going to be better now.  Mike spent time with his wife and adorable little son, and Dolvett joined them on a walk to get to know them better and encourage the whole family on this journey. 

The last chance workout was brutal as usual, with Gina beginning to fall apart on Dolvett and Alex disrespecting Bob and not taking her workout seriously.  Gina and Dolvett talked and worked it all out, but Alex told Bob to leave her alone.  Bob was seriously teed off - and rightly so - at the way Alex acted.

At the weigh-in, the two ladies with the two pound advantage got on the scale first.  Alex lost more than Francelina, and with each of them having the advantage, you know Francie was second guessing her decision to give that advantage to Alex...who didn't work out nearly as much as she did!  Danni's weight loss wasn't that great either, even though she worked out harder than ever.  She was in danger of falling below the yellow line with Francelina...until Mike fell one pound short of being safe.

The elimination was tense, as it was difficult for the others to decide between Mike and Francie.  Mike had two votes and Francie had one - one more vote would send Mike home.  It came to Jeff, who made a promise with Mike the very first week that they would never vote each other off.  The problem was, Jeff and Francelina had also become close over the last few weeks, and Mike was a bigger threat.  Mike was hurt when Jeff voted for him, which I completely understand.  But I also understand Jeff's dilemma, and now that he's finally learning to take care of himself he made the right decision.  This is why contestants should NEVER make those promises the first week on the ranch.  Things change over time, and situations change.  Even the players themselves change.  You don't know where your journey is taking you on Day 1, or who will be your best friend or a bigger threat than you anticipated.  So those pacts shouldn't be made...and if they are, don't hold each other to it if the situation changes and they can't keep that promise.

Mike's doing all right at home though...he's lost over 140 pounds so far, and gotten his whole family involved in being healthier - including his mom!  I can't wait to see him at the finale, and I agree with him that he's a top contender for the at-home prize.

Next week promises more drama and surprises, with the group needing to reach a joint goal to keep everyone safe.  I can't wait to find out what's in store!

Biggest Loser 13 - Facing Off, Giving Up, Breaking Through

This week was somewhat back to "normal" on the ranch. Of course, I have no idea what normal is there anymore.

Alison informed the players that they would be facing off against one another on the scale. Whoever ate the most calories at the Chinese buffet temptation would have the control, getting to decide who went up against whom from each team, and who would use a 2 pound advantage, either one person or the opportunity to split it with 1 pound going to 2 different people.

Now this would be a difficult temptation for me. I love Chinese food...especially the buffet that's about 15 minutes from our house. (Good thing I limit myself to twice a year visits!) The other problem is that what they say really is true - you really are starving again a couple of hours after eating Chinese food. So not only do you eat too much, but then you eat again later because you're still hungry!

Nobody on the Red Team ate anything, for which I commend them. Kimmy was right about giving in to a temptation like that so soon, and then making yourself crave that stuff all over again. Better to stay away! The Black Team decided someone should eat a fortune cookie, so finally Cassandra did. In fact, she ate a second one just to be "safe". Good thing it was only a total of 60 calories! I also love that afterward she grabbed the slips of paper that contained the fortunes to read. My guess is that they said, "The power is within you" and "She who play with fortune cookies face off against irritating opponent".

Cassandra made her choices for the face-off, including putting her grandma Nancy against Joe and herself against Conda. Then something both surprising and interesting happened. Joe decided to leave the ranch and go home.

He said he missed his family and needed to be there. I also think he gave up too quickly after his brother went home. If I had the opportunity to be on Biggest Loser, I know I'd miss my family like crazy...but I also know they would be proud of me for taking advantage of the opportunity to get healthy. They wouldn't want me to give it up so easily. And I would never give up easily anyway. How often do you get the chance to focus on your own health - physical, mental, and spiritual - without daily stress or interruptions? Sure, at some point you have to integrate your real life with what you learn while you're away, but you have the time to work on everything, learn important skills, and pull yourself together, so when you get home you can be better at your life. Sometimes that change of pace/scenery can be the boost you need to take better care of yourself!

So Joe left, and he received a call from Bob once he was home. You could tell that Bob was really broken up about Joe leaving...he knew just how much Joe needed to be there and how much he still had to learn. Then at the challenge, the Black Team learned that the Red Team would automatically get one point in the face-off; since Joe was not there to compete against Nancy, she would automatically win her match. Bob and his team were not happy to be penalized because of Joe. One good thing came of the challenge - some of the winners gave their prize to others so they could talk to their families. It brought this season out of last week's negativity back to something pure and unselfish. Those are the moments that make the "drama" worthwhile!

Bob had some work to do with Cassandra. She always had a hard time believing in herself, whether it had to do with her weight, career, or anything else. I really relate to her, because she is a writer who dreams of getting published, but she always felt her weight would hold her back. Being a writer with the same dreams, I know the concern. I've had some successes in both writing and fitness, but still have a lot to work on. As much as I'm doing this for my health...I can't help but think ahead to that book jacket photo! (Of course, we are always all works in progress!) Seeing her breakthrough with Bob was actually a breakthrough for me as well. It makes me think about how much stronger I am both mentally and physically, and how I will keep moving upward from here. It also shows the Bob I know and love, and one of those moments that the show is all about.

Our dose of drama came with Cassandra's face-off against Conda. (I'm actually picturing John Travolta and Nicolas Cage right now, pulling their faces off in the gym and on the scale.) They had a one on one burpee challenge in the gym, with the loser having to buy the winner a Subway lunch. Cassandra won, but Conda decided to whine some nonsense about her cheating. Thankfully Dolvett put a stop to that childish outburst in the gym, but Conda continued to whine at other times. Finally Dolvett had them do another mini-challenge, which Cassandra also won. (without cheating at either, I might add) Conda vowed to beat her on the scale, still complaining. I'm sure Conda has her own issues to deal with, and it looks like next week we'll find out more about that...I'm sure there's also more to her than we get to see on TV. But the whole thing was pretty irritating!

Once we got to the scale, point after point was awarded for each face-off. It all came down to (SURPRISE!) Cassandra vs. Conda for the win. Conda only lost 3 pounds - Cassandra crushed her. Black won the weigh-in, and Red had to send someone home.

Every season has one or two eliminations that seem to come out of nowhere, and that was sure the case this week. It basically came down to Nancy and Lauren. Nancy only lost two pounds and probably would have lost to Joe had he stayed on the ranch. But Lauren was always a team player and did her best. She didn't have any problems with any of her teammates.

Lauren wound up going home, and she was as surprised as we all were. She's doing well at home, and is even finding the athlete within her again by running a half-marathon. I know she's going to blow everybody away at the finale. Look for a strong, stunning Lauren smiling back at us in May!

Next week promises to show us more of Conda and what makes her tick. And what makes her tick Dolvett off as well. Never a dull moment!

So Hard To Resist...But SO WORTH IT To RESIST!!!

On Saturday my friend Debbie and I were vendors at a craft show. We do this show every year at the Lorain County JVS, where I sell handcrafted jewelry, designed and made by yours truly. Debbie sells and autographs her award winning novels...and next year I will also have my own novel out to sell!

Usually we have a problem at craft shows where the people in charge place all of the jewelry people together, all of the authors, and so forth. Sales are much better for all involved when we are spread throughout the building instead of being lumped together. This year the powers that be solved that problem for us...but they did put something near me that was difficult to deal with. Right across from us was a vendor selling her huge variety of homemade chocolates.

Most people that know me know that I am a card-carrrying chocoholic. Anything cocoa-related catches my eye...and my nose. I was determined not to buy any, but constantly staring at and smelling the goods all day was making that difficult. Debbie resisted as well...she loves chocolate but has discovered that it doesn't love her back and upsets her stomach. When you know it's going to make you feel ill it's a little easier to say no. I am proud to say, however, that I resisted temptation as well...a special triumph for me since this lady had Buckeyes, which are my favorite!

Another thing about doing this particular show is that since it is a vocational school, all of the young chefs in training are preparing and selling their own goodies. They bring their service carts up and down the halls all day, filled with pumpkin muffins, donuts, cheesecake, and other assorted decadent treats. They even had cookies as big as my head...and I'm NOT just being dramatic, they really were that big! As much as I like to support the students, I knew that I had to resist these as well. We were sitting at a booth all day...not even moving around enough to burn off any of those calories. It gets especially hard near the end of the day, when they start selling what they have left at half price. I still stayed away from the temptation, trying to focus instead on the crafts that the people who were shopping walked around with...giant wooden ducks and reindeer work like a charm. ;o)

I went home Saturday evening feeling like a champion. I had resisted chocolate all day when it was literally right under my nose. I said no to other sweets when they kept on wheeling them back and forth in front of me. This is a huge step for me...since I usually break down and buy something sweet at the show. Once home I prepared a healthy dinner and smiled, knowing that I conquered something important and scored a huge victory for myself. This victory is something I can build on...so next time I'm tempted, I can remember how good it felt to resist all of those temptations in one day!