Holiday Fitness Tips from Biggest Loser's Jennifer Rumple

It's the most fattening time of the year...

Well, it is if you don't use a little bit (or sometimes a LOT) of willpower and self-control.  The period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's can be dangerous for people with food addictions, especially with sugary treats.  You feel like you deserve the treats, especially since most others are indulging around you.  And with so much to do to prepare for Christmas, sometimes workouts can fall by the wayside.

Luckily for us, Jennifer Rumple, the at-home winner of Season 12 of Biggest Loser, was gracious enough to speak with me to give us some help in this department.  In fact, she gave me so many great tips that I had to split it into two articles for Hope for Women Magazine.  Her top 5 tips appear in our Fall/Winter print issue, and the others on our website.

You can access the website tips here.  Within the article is a link to subscribe to the issue so you can get all of Jennifer's helpful information.  Remember, her finale was in the middle of December last year, so she had to navigate the holiday season while working toward the prize...and wanted to be at her best on finale night.  She's defnitely knows what she's talking about!

Please share your thoughts on Jen's tips here or on the article at Hope for Women.  Here's to NOT having extra weight to lose in 2013!

Biggest Loser Season 12 Finale -What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been

What a crazy ride we've all been on with this season of Biggest Loser.

We've had meltdowns, name-calling, tantrums...and most of them came from one person in particular. Someone who cared only about having the confetti fall on his head, no matter what the cost.

So I suppose it's only fitting that the finale concluded the way he'd always dreamed...with it being all about John.

Thankfully, there were several other stellar moments to remember from the final show of Season 12. As each set of contestants came out on stage, it was obvious that they had all transformed on the outside. What was even better was seeing that inner glow radiate from their faces and shine through their eyes. To me, that's what the show is all about - getting healthy and changing your life.

Some things were done differently from previous finales, which honestly didn't sit well with me and many of my friends on Twitter. Everyone weighed in ahead of time, which is normal for the show, but not everyone got to step on the stage scale. It was calculated before the finale which three players had the highest percentages for the at-home prize, and those three would step on the scale. The others only had their weights announced by Alison, which really took away from each person having his or her own special moment at the finale. I hope they go back to the old way for next season.

Also, the finalists came through a parted doorway with their before images on it instead of stepping through the paper one. Maybe the producers thought the "high-tech" way would be cooler, but breaking through that paper represents each of them breaking away from their old way of life into the new one. This is one time when technology is NOT better...and once again I hope it gets changed back for next season.

The three players weighing in for the at-home prize were Vinny, Patrick, and Jennifer. Did you see the muscles on Vinny? Wow! Patrick looked pretty hot as well. And Jennifer...what a knockout! She played along well with her "love for Bob" montage, which was quite funny. Bob even presented her with a bouquet of flowers. (Most of us agreed that we also have our own crushes on Bob...we just don't get to announce it on TV!) It came down to Jen and Vinny, just as I had predicted earlier today. Yes, I'm giving myself a pat on the back - but not for too long, so I don't have to visit my chiropractor. The difference was 3 pounds, with Jennifer taking the prize. I was so happy for her that I cried. (Of course, as you know by now I'm a crier...especially when it comes to BL!) All those weeks ago when the others sent her home, I'd figured the real reason was because she was a tough competitor (overcoming her knee injury and still pulling great numbers) and a real threat. Turns out she was a true threat after all!

When it came time to reveal the three finalists, each of them got to speak. The letter Ramon's mom sent to the show was really touching, thanking them for saving her son's life and turning him around. Antone's kids are adorable, and he looks amazing. Then we got to John.

John seemed to go on forever, taking much more time than the others did to talk. Dolvett and Bob spoke about John's competitiveness and how proud they were of him...but when the time came for John to answer back he went on and on about Bob, totally ignoring Dolvett. Yes, we all love Bob and he's one of the best trainers anyone could ever have. But so is Dolvett. John also trained with Dolvett, with Dolvett opening his own soul to John about being adopted and the way he grew up in order to get John to confront his emotions. Dolvett had just as much of a part in John's success - but was totally dissed by him. I think Bob was even embarrassed by this. Dolvett is a class act, and I'm very happy he's back for Season 13!

Speaking of next season, how about those previews? Looks like Santa Claus is in training! Bob worked him so hard that he was afraid he'd killed Santa. Santa wasn't run over by a reindeer...he was run over by Bob Harper! And even though Season 13 is couples, half of each pair will train with Dolvett and the other half with Bob...pitting them against each other from the start. It's going to be interesting!

Finally, it was time to weigh-in the finalists. Ramon and Antone both did an incredible job, but in the end John was crowned the new Biggest Loser. I do commend him for all of his hard work. It was a strange sight to behold though - it looked like John truly enjoyed the confetti, but after that when he was talking to other people or they were hugging him he looked kind of sad. There was no inner glow or light in his eyes. It seems as if John concentrated so much on that "winning moment", that he didn't know what to do after the confetti finished falling. That may not bode well for his future in keeping the weight off, although I really hope I'm wrong. I think he still has a lot of issues that he hasn't dealt with yet, which could come crashing down on him since he only thought about winning and not the bigger picture. (Maybe that's why he didn't mention Dolvett..because he didn't want to think about those issues that Dolvett was helping him deal with.) I wish him luck with that. I have a feeling he's going to need it.

And that's a wrap on Season 12. Congratulations to all of the contestants...and I'm looking foward to Season 13, which starts in just 3 weeks!

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 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 12: There's Something About Hannah & Injury Is Not An Excuse

This week was special for the Biggest Loser contestants...and also for those of us at home.

Three favorites from past seasons came back to the ranch to help the players out. While I adore Marci and Adam and am very motivated by them, the third person in the group inspires me the most.

There's just something about Hannah.

What is it about her? Well, I think so many of us can see ourselves in Hannah. She had once been a fit athlete, but she let an injury force her to the sidelines - not only on the volleyball court, but in life. She let the situation with her back keep her down, long after the healing process had taken place. Her fears kept her from making a comeback...that is, of course, until last season's Biggest Loser.

Little did she know that when she had her breakthrough moment with that backbend, she was causing a breakthrough for others, including me. Just because you've been injured in the past doesn't mean you have to sit out the rest of your life. There may be some recovery time, but after that you can do much more than you think.

It really resonated with me last night when she told the Black team that she felt as if she had unzipped her fat suit and stepped out of it. I've often sensed that the thin person I once was is waiting to come out and play - participate in life. Every couple of weeks feels like I've peeled off another layer...not just a layer of fat, but a layer of insecurity. I get out and do more than I used to, and I feel better about myself while doing it. I'd love to have Hannah's BL Success poster hanging by my treadmill and elliptical as a visual reminder of where I'm headed. But even without that, her influence is burned into my mind.

For years after my car accident, I let aches and pains keep me from getting things done. Over time, especially this past year, I'm discovering just how much my body is capable of. I'm stronger than I realized, and it's an amazing feeling to discover it on a daily basis.

Speaking of injury, have you noticed how current contestant Jennifer is rocking it...even with a major leg injury? She doesn't let it stop her from working out. She works around it and does everything that she IS able to do. The weight is still coming off even though she can't run on the treadmill and is limited in challenge participation. This week she lost 7 pounds!

I think back to all of the times when I used injuries as an excuse. Even headaches held me back at one point. It feels silly now to think I let minor hurts prevent me from exercising, especially when watching Jennifer work around something much worse. Her determination is a lesson to all of us - even when you can't do certain things, you can always do SOMETHING.

I look forward to the day when Jennifer's transformation poster is up on the gym wall beside Hannah's. No excuses - EVER!