Biggest Loser Season 14: Teen Ambassadors Rock - And Why Jillian Calling You Out Can Be a Good Thing!

Welcome to Week Four on the ranch. Well, some are on the ranch, some are off the ranch...

I know, it sounds confusing.  Just like when last week's preview had us believing that three players were going home this week.  Alison had said that three people would be leaving the ranch, scaring the contestants (and us at home) into thinking it was them.  What she meant was, the TRAINERS were leaving the ranch for the week to visit our teen ambassadors at home.  Real smooth, NBC.  You just about gave all of us heart attacks!

So the teams were on their own for most of the week, other than some directions that their trainers gave them before they left.  Jillian's white team really worked together and pushed themselves, and with only two of them remaining they really had no choice but to step it up even more.  Jackson stepped up as the leader for the red team, which helped him as well because he was able to focus on something other than being sick and was able to do more for himself.  Bob's blue team seemed really lost.  They all kind of  fell apart without him there and sometimes went through the motions.

I was impressed when Bob got to the restaurant where Biingo's family was having dinner and discovered that Biingo's mom was following the plan along with him.  She's lost 27 pounds so far, setting a great example for him and her family.  And speaking of their family, they are living in a relative's basement because the economy forced Biingo's dad out of a job and they had to sell their house.  They said they've had their moments of crying (which is totally understandable!) but they really pulled it together and are staying positive, doing whatever they can with what they have at the moment.  I'd call them great role models for the whole country.  And Biingo got to train with a pitcher from their minor league baseball team, which only fuels his fire to get in shape so he can play the game he loves again!

Dolvett got to Lindsay's school and surprised everyone, then he talked with her at her house about the bullying she had gone through when she tried cheerleading in the past.  I love that he said there is no excuse for bullying, and Linsday can do anything she really wants.  He took her to the high school to meet some of the cheerleaders, who were very encouraging and promised to help Lindsay all they could.  You could see her confidence building, all because Dolvett made her face her fears and try again.

Sunny had a different problem.  She told Jillian that she feels pressured because she's the only child, and her parents had already decided she was going to grow up to be a doctor.  She's not sure if that's what SHE wants...and she would like to try different things to discover who she really is.  The pressure is causing her to turn to food.  Jillian took her for a crew lesson on the canal in order to start trying something new.  It was new for Jill as well, and refreshing to see her doing something outside of her own comfort zone.  After the lesson they sat down with Sunny's mom to talk.  Her mom told her that she would support her in whatever she wanted to do, since she knew in their culture it was especially difficult for women; she herself was extremely limited in what she was allowed to do.

This is a lesson for all of us.  It doesn't matter what culture you come from...there are people everywhere who feel pressured to be someone they are not.  This causes stress, anxiety, and depression, and that pressure can cause you to overeat, drink too much, gamble too much, etc.  The best thing to do is figure out who you are and be THAT person.  Life is too short to be someone you're not just for somebody else's benefit.  And I hope families see this and realize that the best thing they can do for each other is let each family member be who God made them to be, without attempting to mold them into something that doesn't fit them.

This week's challenge was a 5K, and the white team really smoked the other teams.  Danni finished first and Pam finished third, so their combined times won them $15,000 to split between them.  Pam is beginning to hit her stride and find out what she's really made of, which is a wonderful thing to see!

The trainers were back in time for the last chance workout.  Dolvett and Jillian could tell that their teams had been giving it all they had, but Bob began to worry and get a bad feeling about his group.  Bob and Jill trained their teams together outside while Dolvett used the gym.  Jillian was working with the guys on the blue team when Jeff began to give her attitude.  She could tell he wasn't even close to giving it his full effort...and even from watching at home I could see he was "phoning it in", as she told Bob.  Bob knew that she was being hard on Jeff because she cares - and he needed that tough love!  He didn't realize that in the moment...but soon he did.

That time came when everyone stepped on the scale.  Bob's team went first, with most of them pulling numbers lower than they should have.  It was certainly true of Jeff.  He was disappointed in the number, and it began to dawn on him that Jillian was right.  She explained that she knows he is capable of so much more than he's showing.  Her calling him out was the best thing that could have happened to him...he needed to be woken up, to stop sleepwalking through the workouts AND his life.  I'm sure that next week we will see a whole new attitude from Jeff...a much BETTER one!

The red team had good numbers, and the white team weighed in last.  They fell short of the other two teams, even though they had given it everything they had all week.  Pam was automatically eliminated, because there were only two of them and the person with the lowest percentage had to go.  It really stinks that just as she's hitting her stride she has to leave.  BUT...you should see her at home!  She's lost more than 50 pounds, goes ice skating with her daughter, and has even gotten her own makeover.  She looks fantastic, and it's plain to see that she feels fantastic on the inside as well.

Speaking of makeovers, the preview for next week teases that tow of the eliminated players are coming back to the ranch with makeovers.  Don't know if Pam is one of them, or if they mean two other people besides her.  The show is definitely switching things up this season, and I'm excited to see what's next!

Biggest Loser Season 14, Week 2 - White Sees Red

This second night of the Season 14 premiere was actually week 2 on the ranch.  Now, we all know that the second weigh-in each season on Biggest Loser is brutal.  People lose so much weight the first week, their bodies don't necessarily want to lose weight that fast, and their metabolisms rebel by showing much smaller numbers on the scale.   Even if you're working just as hard as the first week - or harder - the body just does not want to let go of quite as many pounds.

Which is why finding out from Alison that there was another red line this week was a shock...instead of a team being able to vote off someone who wasn't trying or working hard, someone could go home that gave it their all just because the scale did not want to cooperate.

So of course all three trainers worked their teams to the breaking point.  From the looks of it, Jillian still had her work cut out for her, with two of her three remaining team members constantly crying, calling themselves pathetic, and saying "I can't" often.  Either Bob and Dolvett got lucky with their teams, or NBC just didn't show much of the red and blue team breakdowns.  (Gotta love reality show editing!)  Jill combined her drill sergeant persona with a gentler approach to help the Pam and Danni start breaking down those walls.  At least she didn't have to do that with Nate this week, because he'd already been through that the week before. 

It's funny how during workouts when the teams took turns with different trainers, they realized that Bob can be just as demanding as Jillian, and so can Dolvett.  Of course, funny guy Bob tells the white team to pretend that the medicine ball is Jillian's head as they slam it down.  By the end of the day, they might have been wishing it was Bob's head!  But I do love seeing all of the contestants get to work out with all of the trainers, so they can learn different things from each of them and expand their health/fitness knowledge that much more.

Even better - for the kids, there are no weigh-ins.  The trainers concentrate on testing their fitness levels and then getting them to improve each day so over time they get stronger and healthier.  They also stress getting away from the video games for a while and laying off the junk food, which is something kids across the country should do as well.  Heck, even some adults need to learn that...too much of more mature video games, Facebook games like Farmville, and online poker keep you on your butt too long.  Sunny and Lindsay were able to do all of the fitness tests, but Biingo could only do certain ones because he broke his foot playing basketball.  Like Bob said, at least he did it doing something active!

The white team won the challenge for the second week in a row, this time winning an NFL visit for their teen teammate Sunny's school.  The challenge consisted of football drills, and it was awesome to see the adults step up their game because they were motivated to win something for the kids.  They all just need to stay motivated for themselves too...for the times the kids are not on the ranch, and for the rest of their lives.

The trip to the scale produced a lot of anxiety for the teams and their trainers, and for those of us at home.  Quite a few players pulled decent numbers for week 2...until we got to Jeff, the last player on the blue team.  Up popped a big zero...leaving both Jeff and Bob dumbfounded, as they knew how hard Jeff had worked all week.  Jeff was sure he was going home.  But when the white team got on the scale, they lost the weigh-in by one pound.  This meant that Nate, with the lowest percentage of weight loss on the team, was below the red line and automatically eliminated.  Everyone was crying - and Jillian was crying just as hard as Nate.  She told Alison that even with such a difficult week getting the rest of her team in gear, the thing that kept her going was that she would see Nate working his butt off and really getting it.  They hugged, and she told him he was going to be OK at home.

Nate definitely seems like he's doing better than OK at home.  He broke the 300 barrier and decided the time was right to propose to his girlfriend.  She said yes, and I know he's working really hard to be fit and healthy for the wedding.  So Jill is right...he really is getting it!

Tune in next Monday (must get used to this new night!) to see the white team (with only two players left) and the other teams face major temptation...being locked in a room of fattening, sugary, and unhealthy foods for several hours a day.  I know I wouldn't want to be in that room...it will be interesting to see how they cope!

Biggest Loser - Why It's So Good to Have Jillian Back!

The bad news:  There is no fall season of Biggest Loser.

The good news:  Jillian Michaels is back!!!

I'm sure you've heard by now that Jillian will be back for the next season, which starts in January.  Bob and Dolvett will also still be there, so there will be three teams...and each team will include at least one teen contestant.  The teens will not weigh in and can't be eliminated - the idea is for them to learn the right way to get fit without pressuring them to drop double digits every week or worry about being sent home.

Most of you know I'm a big Jillian fan to begin with, but now there are even more reasons that make this a good move for her and the show:

1.  The show needs a mix of male and female trainers.  The women on the ranch need another chick to help them...and Jill can still kick the guys' butts too!

2.  She can help the sinking ratings after the mess that was Season 13.  Biggest Loser really needs that lift.

3.  Jillian was an overweight teenager and lost a lot of weight herself.  She is sensitive to the needs of the teens that will be on the ranch and can share her experiences with them, so they realize they are not alone and can conquer their weight issues.

4.  Jill is also now a mom of two.  She now knows firsthand the difficulty that working moms have balancing their jobs and families with making the time to work on improving themselves.  She'll be able to help them come up with creative solutions to the problem.

5.  There is nobody better than Jillian to motivate!!!

So, putting up with Biggest Loser withdrawals for a few months will be worth it...once January arrives and Jillian is back on the ranch!

Movie (and Moving) Night on Huge!!!

Tonight's episode of HUGE brought out a lot of emotions for me. Not that it doesn't happen during the other episodes, because it always hits me hard. Movie Night just got to me even more.

Dr. Rand warns the counselors that campers go to the infirmary complaining of a sore throat just so they can get salt, which they then use on their food. To me, it sounds like the camp isn't making the food tasty enough so that they don't miss the salt...and then the kids are treated like criminals for it. She also warns them that they have to watch for couples sneaking off together at Movie Night, because last year a guy and a girl were caught in one sleeping bag together. Sleeping bags are banned this time for that reason. This issue obviously affects teens of all sizes, so it's a great lesson to show.

The girls talk about Hollywood stars in their cabin, and Chloe teases Amber because she still has the hoodie that George let her borrow the day her shorts ripped. Will asks Becca if she's afraid that someone might read her own journal, and Becca tells her she writes in code so nobody can figure it out. Will still doesn't believe that Ian only read the first page of hers, and Becca is feeling guilty that she read the whole thing herself. In the meantime, Ian and Alistair discuss Will and what Ian is going to do. Since everyone is voting on the movie choices, Ian slips a note to Becca to give to Will. When Will reads it, she discovers that Ian wants to write a song with her. When she goes to him, he says that he never wrote anything good before, and he finally did because of her. Now for me, that is an ultimate compliment. I write songs, and I would be honored that something I wrote moved someone that much. Becca doesn't want to get in the middle of Will and Ian, because neither of them know that she read Will's journal. She knows exactly why Will is worried that Ian may have read it all.

Wayne is back to construct the fence, and he and Dr. Rand bond even further. He tells her about Paris, quotes poetry to her, and tells her about a movie that the kids would rather see instead of the lousy choices they were given to choose from. Dr. Rand is just as confused about her feelings for Wayne as the teens are about their relationships. Dr. Rand is even more surprised when she has a conversation with her dad...and he tells her she's beautiful. You can tell that she isn't used to hearing those compliments. I have to admit, that really got to my heart. I'm the same way, and a compliment like that can go a long way in making me feel good. I also know from experience that when I give someone else a compliment like that, it touches them like nothing else can. My advice here: Tell your family, friends, and significant others often how special and beautiful they are. Sometimes we all really need to hear it!

Amber finally gives George back his hoodie, and George goes back to the guys' cabin to give them advice on how to treat girls well, because he's worried that some of them might try the stuff that happened last year. Michael is testing his blood sugar, and knowing that I have to be careful because diabetes runs in my family, I really hurt for him having to deal with it at his age. Ian goes outside to talk to Will when she comes by, and he wants her to help him write a "non-cheesy" love song. She agrees to meet with him later to work on it.

Wayne gives Dr. Rand a copy of the movie that the kids really want to see, "Phantasma". She tells him she wants to be clear where they stand, and Wayne gets mad that she's so defensive. He tells her to see the invoice he left in her office for the fence. Will goes to meet Ian, but as she comes up behind him she can hear what he wrote so far. He's singing about beautiful blue eyes and yellow hair...and Will knows that this song is not about her. It's for Amber. She runs off before Ian even sees her, and I can feel her pain. Even when you become an adult, you never forget that guy you liked...the one you thought liked you back but has fallen for someone else. OUCH...it still hurts thinking about it, even though I've obviously moved on in my life! Everyone knows how this feels.

After Ian says he would like to sit with Amber at the movie, Will also realizes that he didn't read the rest of her journal. He would never have said anything about Amber in front of her if he had, because he's too kind of a person for that. Becca knows how much this hurts Will, but can't help her because that would mean telling Will that she read her journal. Ian has his own feelings hurt as Amber and Michael go off to the movie together, so he goes to the rec center to work on the song. Little does he know that Chloe asked Michael to sit with Amber because she didn't have a "boyfriend"...and that Chloe is expecting Trent to join her at the movie. Trent goes to the rec center to hang out with Ian because he admires his musical talent. He even gives the old drum set a try and jams a little with Ian. As "Phantasma" starts, Chloe is looking around and wondering where Trent is. Michael and Amber sit down next to Sierra, and it's obvious that Michael really likes Sierra. Chloe throws popcorn to get Alistair's attention, and they meet on the side to talk. She admits to him that she was the girl who was caught in the sleeping bag last year, and the guy didn't come back to camp this year. She asks Alistair if she thinks Trent heard about it, and maybe that's why he didn't come to the movie. Alistair says no, but he is so sad for Chloe because she doesn't care that she did that; the guy was popular and they both got something out of it. Alistair goes back to the movie as Chloe cries by herself.

Dr. Rand opens the envelope from Wayne with the invoice, and there is a forget-me-not tucked inside. She leaves the movie, purposely dropping the flower on the ground as she goes. Amber sees Michael take Sierra's hand, so she leaves to take a walk as she's feeling lonely. George is picking up trash around the movie site, comes upon the flower, and picks it up. He goes back to the movie, and he and Poppy talk about all of the angst surrounding them...onscreen and off. Poppy says she thinks she's asexual, because she's never had those kinds of feelings for anyone. Then George notices Amber is missing and goes looking for her. When he finds her, they talk and he can tell she is feeling down, so he gives her the forget-me-not.

Ian walks around outside with his guitar, and Will comes to him saying she got inspired. Actually she wrote down lines from the movie to share with him. They work on it together, and Will really does feel like she's a ghost that Ian looks right through. He tells her he's felt like that so many times, not realizing that this is how Will feels about him. They do agree that romance is a nightmare! Chloe spots Trent after his jam session with Ian, and he seems confused as to why she's there. He thought that their kiss was a one time thing, and didn't realize that she wanted it to be more. She tells him that she wants it to be whatever HE wants it to be. Always the wrong way to go...don't cater to a guy that obviously cares nothing about your feelings just so you can have a boyfriend. Chloe is so desperate for love and acceptance that she'll do whatever everyone else wants...and in doing that she will never make herself happy. Both people in a relationship have to be happy, it's not all one or the other.

As we end the night at the girls' cabin, Chloe is wearing Trent's bracelet, Amber is secretly admiring the flower George gave her, and Sierra is crying because she made out with Michael. She feels like she cheated on her high school boyfriend that took her to prom. What I really love is that all teens face these issues...no matter when you were a teen or what size you were, everybody goes through these things. I feel that this show really helps kids figure out things going on in their own lives and makes them more willing to talk about it. Please share your thoughts here, or on my Facebook and Twitter. I would love to know what you've learned so far from Huge!