Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season Nine, Ep 9

I found this ep on the boring side. I don’t like the food quizzes and the cooking challenges. I don’t hate them, but they don’t get me excited like truck pulling and balancey things suspended over pools.

Curtis Stone is so cute it’s almost worth while though.

Also, logically I know the food thing isn’t addressed near as often as it should be on this show, so i gotta give them props.

At least Bob got to beat up Daris. Beatings are good.

I also liked Sam kicking the punching bag right off the chains. That man is turning out to be one heck of a physical machine. I can tell he’s one of Jillian’s favorites.

For people who were not clear on how the voting went down with the Black Team: Stephanie and Sam, and to a slightly lesser extent Ashley, form a voting block. Sam and Steph needed to break up the Ashley/Sherry block, and Ashley was not enough of an Alpha person to do much about that. Also, Sherry was a threat to win in their eyes. She had to go.

This leaves, for Black Team, Sam and Steph as the alphas, Ashley as their favorite beta (bearing in mind Ashley is NO threat to win - she does not have the time to lose 50% of her body weight).

Whereas Drea could win the whole thing. If Drea does not get immunity next time Black falls below, Drea is gone, gone, gone. Drea’s only ways to avoid elimination are to not have the Black Team lose another weigh in, to get immunity if they do lose a weigh in, or to have the teams break and return to singles (which they could do at any time now). Or to possibly have an eliminated contestant return to their team and be the ‘new’ vulnerable one.

Looking at things into the future, either Steph or Sam will make it to the finals, since they will always protect each other with their vote (for those who don’t know it, they are an item). I also think Steph will stick around after things go back to singles since she is already so thin - it is going to be hard for her to lose enough to be a threat. Not that she can’t win, but someone like Drea is in a much better spot at this point.

Speaking of looking good, didn’t Sherry look fantastic at home?? 138? That’s around my weight! She had every right to be thrilled with herself and if she keeps it up, she could easily take the at-home prize. Sherry is just a nice, nice person and I am happy to see her happy.

Blue Team: Lance is vulnerable, Daris is vulnerable; O’Neil and Sunshine have the power. Michael has no chance of winning, so isn’t a threat. And I would love to see Michael make it to the makeover! I think Michael is finally figuring out what kind of man he wants to be and go him!

Koli is a wild card. I sense that everyone loves him (on both teams), so more obvious choices like Lance and Daris will be booted first.

I always wonder which eliminated contestant will return to the ranch and shake up all my carefully planned theories. Please let it not be Melissa!

Notes on Biggest Loser Season 9, Ep 8

I loved this ep. It was one of the best ever IMO. No drama, just hard work and people getting along.

I was really moved by poor Steve getting all choked up (the food bank worker). And the cast members were right with their advice - walk around the block. And then do it again. And someday walk two blocks. I liked that they hugged him and wished him well. And it was a nice reminder of where these people were a few short weeks ago - tired, overweight and hopeless inside.

Note the the Subway thing with Sam ‘forgetting’ his lunch. Heh. That was an integration. They are getting sneakier with them.

I also love the truck pulling type challenges. I will always think of, and be inspired by Tara, when they have to do these crazy, difficult things. Tara is a real hero in my book.

I know everyone wondered about Tara not winning her season. I think Tara had a problem in that that she went too far too often. I was actually proud of her for pulling back during the ‘at home’ portion, and NOT showing up all emaciated at the finale. It showed she was there for the right reasons - she looked perfect for her body type. I think what Jillian was trying to tell her got through.

Helen, by contrast, looked almost ghastly at the finale. I read she did some crazy stuff there at the end to win. I like Helen, and she looks like she is at a healthy weight now, but it really shocked everyone/me when she won it all. I didn’t mind, since it was an older woman, and that alone is a neat win. Also, go pink team, three years running!

But. To me it will always be Tara’s season. I’ve never seen determination like that. People even went so far as to actively sabotage her (Cookie Gate, the car pulling challenge) and she still completely dominated. She fell on the wire walking challenge and STILL came up from behind and won. Her single-minded focus on the rope-holding cage challenge also blew my mind. Honestly, there are no excuses any longer for a woman not winning anything on this show.

And if you will notice, I totally called it last week on Orange Mom being the first on the Black Team to go. She was simply too vulnerable. If Black is under the line next week, my feeling is Sherry will sacrifice herself for Ashley, or Drea will go next. It all depends on immunities.

I have no idea about the Blue team. I see Micheal and Lance as being in a weak position…but since Lance isn’t much of threat, he will probably hang around until the end. O’Neil is a weak link challenge-wise, but he and Sunshine have the only voting block on Blue.

I also had to LOL when Micheal called O’Neil Uncle! Poor Mike really needs an older family type member around him. I want to give him a big old hug, but i think what he NEEDS is to stand on his own two feet.

And speaking of standing alone, Lance is so much nicer to watch without his personal harpie around.

Okay, that’s my brain dump. What did other people think?

Blue vs Black : More Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9, Ep 7

It’s interesting when things go to teams Blue and Black. It’s also interesting when the challenges and temptations come around offering contestants the power in how these teams are structured.

I would not want the power - power players never win. Look at the history of this show - they get booted when their number comes up. Melissa, Vicki, Heba, Crazy Tracy, Brady, Neil, various brother/cousin teams, the Pride on Three boys.

The best tactic seems to be to stay under the radar (Helen, Michele) or just put your head down and work really hard (Tara, Ali, Danny, Rebecca).

Also, I do not like being competitive. I would rather my legacy on such a show as being friendly, helpful, inspiring and a hard worker.

If I was constructing a team, I would not want, for example the two Tongon Cousins together with me - they would form a voting block that would get me booted in their efforts to take each other to the end.

The Black Team has a dilemma now - they need to keep Sam as long as possible for help in the challenges and the weigh-ins…but there will come a point where the girls will have to send him packing if they hope to reach the finals themselves.

As it is, right now Stephanie is sitting pretty. She is dating Sam, so they form a voting block. She is close to Drea and Ashley. While Ashley will never vote off her mom, I can see the mom sacrificing herself for Ashley when they lose a weigh in. Also, Sherry is very vulnerable.

Here is how I see Black Team distilling down: Sherry (Orange Mom) out first. Then Pink Mom. Then Drea. Then they will probably return to individuals and not teams during the final stretch at the Ranch.

Of course, immunities can shake all this up and that makes things unpredictable. If I was Sherry, I’d be feeling very vulnerable and looking for immunities. Sherry is like Helen a bit - she keeps her head down and works hard. She has that ‘under the radar’ black horse thing going for her. If she gets a few immunities during the right weeks, she could easily make the finals.

I have been impressed with Stephanie from the early ep where she was racing people for the immunity cards and never got one, but stayed positive and happy anyway. Then I liked her when she stepped up with the treadmill to cheer everyone on during student-teacher week. I like that she asked to hug Ali at a weigh in. She seems like someone I would like to have as a friend.

Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9, Episode 7

Micheal did nothing wrong. The histrionics made no sense. I liked that he owned up to playing the game and even made Jillian admit he was only doing what, in essence, both of them had been telling him the whole time.

As per the history of the show, however, he made poor choices: 1. he chose Bob for some reason, who never produces a winner against Jillian and 2. large men CAN lose more, but also HAVE to lose more (like Miggy said). So it might seem better for weight loss but isn’t. The only big plus is that his team might win more challenges.

This has happened before (and will happen again…hehehe), contrary to Jillian’s little tantrum. In fact, in Season 5, Bob won the backwards escalator contest against Jillian and got to pick his team…and loaded it up with large men (the “Pride on Three” season).

It backfired.

Jillian always *thrives* in an underdog environment, plus her specialty is working with women. It’s like Michael never watched any previous seasons! He practically gift-wrapped Jillian a female winner for season nine.

Another poor choice Michael made was putting himself in a position of power in the first place. Only he and Drea stepped up. And for a reason - you are going to tee people off when you win these ‘power’ temptations! That puts a target on your back. Every year. Contestants who watch this show regularly KNOW better.

All that said, I was very impressed with Drea’s skills in the Memory Game.

And yes, the food thing was simply gross. Which was the point, of course. Before the show, that kind of pig-out would be no more than a simple daily binge for some of those people. Now they can see the difference in how they feel about all that fat and sugar.

I feel badly for Michael. He is such a mama’s boy. I had hoped with Maria going home, he’d have faced a few things about himself…but he just latched onto Miggy as a mama instead. Now he is the odd man out against the house, on so many levels.

I hope he can stay in there - he is a nice person and seriously needs to be on the ranch as long as possible. His using humor as a shield isn’t working for him, though - i can see the others want nothing to do with him.

I just want to say I love Stephanie. Purple for the win!

Also, can anyone guess who in the house she is dating?

Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9 Ep 6

One of the bonus videos for The Biggest Loser showed Melissa talking with Ashley in the ranch kitchen cavalierly admitting she was eating badly at the Oly Training Center, and not paying attention to her calories and not using the online food tracking program they are all to be using.

It seemed to shock Ashley, for whom this is no game. That girl (pink) is seriously in need of regaining her health.

What scares me is that Melissa (red team) and her ‘integrity’ is that she is a lawyer back home.

Also, the whole thing about Lance not coming home until he is 250 pounds is not about his health. They have made it plain from the first eps that he cannot return to his lucrative deep sea diving work until his weight gets back there.

So one way or the other for Melissa, it’s about the money. And I also think she wanted to go home.

It’s clear she does not see herself as overweight or having a problem from everything she says about everyone else in her interviews.

I wonder how Lance will do without Lady Macbeth around. Notice he sunk to the ground in terror when he saw she had gained a pound? I’ve never seen anyone on this show do that before.

In other topics, I was so happy to see Miggy (green) so happy and pleasant. I think 2 things: she operates better without her daughter around, and that she must have been in some chronic pain from the mass and cyst that were removed when they took out her appendix.

Miggy probably was having low levels of infection for a long time. Her fear of ‘weakness’ likely had her denying her physical pain. That would make anyone irritable/grumpy/defensive all the time. Her whole body posture now is of a new woman.

It remains to be seen though, if she will have friends on the ranch, besides Michael. When she was celebrating on the scale, no one seemed to really give a heck about her being so thrilled. There was polite clapping while she spun around in joy. It was kind of a sad moment. And when she hugged Jillian and picked her up, Jillian’s face spoke a few volumes of distaste. Either Jillian is sick of being picked up by contestants (why do they all do that to her?) or she really doesn’t care much for Miggy.

I liked that Bob saw a return to yoga lately for the contestants. We only know what the producers show on screen, so we don’t know if Bob has been doing yoga with people in the last few seasons as much as before, but I am always happy to see the contestants learning how to go within for balance and strength.

Caring for myself with a Healthy Habits List

I have this deal worked out that if I do everything on my Healthy List, I get a treat. If I do a few things on the list a get a smaller treat.

I created this idea of the last four days because I realized I work best on a rewards-based system. My first thought was that I would get one dollar for accomplishing at least one thing from my list, a dollar a day. Or that I would get $5 if I did EVERYTHING on my list that day.

That way I would earn either $30 or $150 in a month, give or take, if I stay with this.

The problem was, where would the money come from? I couldn’t pay myself - i have no money. So then i asked hubby if he would pay me. He said he would if he had any money, but he didn’t either. I thought of my mom but didn’t want to bother her with this.

We decided I needed a sponsor.

I didn’t feel like asking people to give me money so I could give myself incentive to do good things for myself, so I had to wrack my brains for some other reward.

I settled on massages. Dan agreed that he would do one minute of massage on the body part of my choice if I tackled some of the things on my list, and five full minutes (timed) if I get everything checked off.

So far I earned (and received) a one minute jaw massage for yesterday and a five minute foot massage for the day before. Today I am working on getting my entire list accomplished and will be able to earn my five minutes - maybe for a neck rub.

Here is my Healthy List: (daily tasks)

• Pushups
• Hanging on the chinup bar
• Crunches
• a Yoga sequence or stretching
• 5 minutes Meditation
• at least 15 minutes of something that lifts my Heart Rate
• Hydrate
• Take my Vitamins
• Take my Medications
• have Veggies in at least one meal
• have Protein in at least one meal
• have a serving of Fruit, or the equivalent of antioxidants
• Put powdered Fiber in at least one beverage
• Floss teeth
• Exfoliate and Moisturize face and neck
• Do one thing to Pamper myself or provide Me Time

So far this has been a very good list for me. I make sure to set my timer to go off every half hour when I am working at my desk, so I can remember to get a few of these things done.

The One Thing For Me item is variable. One day I read a book in bed during the day. Today I took a nice long bath with scented salts. It could also be getting a pedicure, buying myself something nice, going to a thrift store or walking around down town, being artsy or crafty, working on my Vision Board, enjoying a sunset or looking at stars…whatever little item that isn’t otherwise on any to-do list that will help decrease my stress levels.

What do people think of my idea? I am really hopeful this will encourage attention and accountability to healthy habits for me.

Going to Be On a Reality Show? Watch Previous Episodes!

I don’t get why someone on a reality show would get tripped up by anything they are asked to do. Do these people even watch the show they apply for? Why apply and interview and sign all those waivers if you don’t have a clue what is to come?

In episode 2 of The biggest Loser Season 9, white team’s Maria is asked to walk across a balance beam over a pool. As challenges go, this one is pretty routine. About half of the weekly challenges involve falling into a pool. Every season. Every year. Maria is so afraid of water that can’t make herself walk out over the pool even once. Not even one step, in fact. She works herself into such a fear state that she accidentally throws herself off the balance beam, landing face first onto the concrete floor. She breaks her nose and blood gushes everywhere. It’s a seriously bad situation.

I am just curious why Maria didn’t realize there would be water based challenges at the Biggest Loser Ranch.

My husband and his sister are watching every ep of Amazing Race to help them in their bid to get on the show. But Dan is a naturally researchy person. Some people would not think to do that, I guess. I know the current season’s Tongan boys mentioned they were also not Biggest Loser fans per se, but caught a few episodes of the season with Tongan cousins Sione and Felipe. That inspired them to try for the show. I really hope they sat down and religiously watched past episodes after they were casted.

I see this kind of thing on America’s Next Top Model too - where some girls get caught totally off guard about some things. Sometimes they are shocked someone cuts their hair off, or refuse to do the nude modeling shoots. Some of these girls have never walked in heels before. They cry during the inevitable CoverGirl commercial shoots because they can’t remember their lines; well, there is a CoverGirl commercial done every season. They don’t KNOW it’s coming? Get someone to help you run a few lines before you head out. And the girls don’t read up on designers and photographers…knowing Tyra is going to ask them industry questions. A half hour on the Internet would give them a few top designers and photographers to respond with. Every season some girls can’t name a single designer, or mangle their way through pronouncing the ones they dredge up. Want to be a model? Learn your craft!

You’d think wannabe models would be die-hard fans of the show and be prepared for these things.

I don’t watch any other reality shows, so I don’t know if this kind of ’show ignorance’ is rampant. But I’d think there would be no excuse for it.

On The Biggest Loser, there WILL be water based challenges, and height based ones, and sometimes both together in one challenge. There WILL be temptations. Jillian WILL climb on your body and scream in your face. Jillian will make you cry, and Bob will curse at you if you don’t join his cult. If you water load at weight-ins, people will know what you did. Betrayals in the elimination room will come back to haunt you. Sometimes eliminated players get to come back. You are expected to sweat buckets in that gym and you will probably vomit sometimes. And on and on.

Moral: you get selected to be on a reality show? Great! Now go watch every episode ever filmed.

Biggest Loser Episode 2, Season 9

I really enjoyed ep 2 - even though Maria got herself pretty banged up (that was a LOT of blood!), I loved how Jillian took her by the hand in the rainy pool and showed her that she was as strong as she wanted to be. That was pretty awesome. And Maria ROCKED it at the weight in, which I did not expect. I was so happy, because Micheal is my favorite and I want to see him there as long as possible. I believe he can go from 526 pounds to something fit and happy by the show’s end.

This was also the infamous Dr Death episode. Usually Dr H tells people their body’s real age each ep 2, and scares them with MRIs/body xrays of their own fat. I have to say that I’ve never been so shocked as to see how much fat some of these people are carrying compared to their tiny little organs and bones. Tiny little lungs! Overstressed joints! Ouch!

Bob putting 300 pounds onto his 200 pound frame was also a surprise. They never did that to him before. Bob looked like he was in tremendous pain from just trying to take a few steps. Amazing that these folks are running on treadmills and lifting weights, and big kudos to their determination.

Watching what Orange Nation eats in a day was unpleasant. I didn’t expect Jillian would actually go through with eating any of that. Almost every dish they showed looked fatty, fried, processed or sugary. I think there was ONE item (a taco) that had a few little veggies on it. As Jillian said, “this isn’t food!”

The challenge over the pool looked fun. I have really good balance, so I think I would have done well. Poor Patty had her work cut out for her with no sensation in her lower legs and feet; good for her for making it across the one time she did. She looked very proud of herself.

When Patty was under the line, I knew she would ask to go and let her daughter stay. I think it was the right call. Patty is down from nine medications to two, and looking to be meds-free by finale. Great big kudos to her!

Tonight we have episode three! I’ll be working out while watching.

Joined the Tough Love Weight Loss Support Forum

Press Release from TLWL:
Tough Love Weight Loss is a free support community, where members upload their weight loss video diaries, blog about their weight loss struggles, seek out others for advice and also give advice - all with truth as the most important factor for accountability.

Visit Tough Love Weight Loss

The Tough Love comes into play when members hold each other accountable for their actions, and when they show support for their successes and failures, always putting the member first, even when the member is unable to.

Tough Love Weight Loss (TLWL) is having several contests and is in process of a membership drive. For example, if you get 50 people to sign up, you will win $50!

Come by each Saturday to see Stephanie’s new weight loss video diary. Other members are joining in too. Stephanie started the community in order to get support for herself, and to help support others differently than in the past. She doesn’t want to be coddled or told it is OK to cheat. She wants to be held accountable.

Tough Love Weight Loss holds members accountable for their actions. Join here: ToughLoveWeightLoss.com

For more information see: TLWL or email owner@toughloveweightloss.com. TLWL is seeking weight loss stories, donations for member prizes, and partnerships.

###

Note from me: I always go up and down with my level of fitness and want to stay on track for good. I joined this group to be able to maintain my weight and be held accountable! I recommend joining (it’s free) and getting to know this great group of ladies. Everyone cares and will root you on…and help you stay accountable to yourself. If you join, tell them HippyGeek sent you.

What Do You Have in Your Home Gym?

I love working out at home. It’s so much easier to keep up with fitness when it’s in the comfort of my own living room, in front of MY TV, with good sound, temperature control and all the comforts of home. I don’t have to worry about what I am wearing (I can work out in my pajamas if i want to), I am not bothered by other people and their sweat/germs, I don’t have to wait for equipment, I don’t have to drive anywhere, and it’s far cheaper to own something than rent something, which is in essence what you are doing at a gym.

My home gym set up: In the livingroom, we have a treadmill and skiing type machine, yoga/stetch mats (also yoga block and strap), two twist boards, pullup/crunches bar, a weighted medicine ball, hand weights, a fitness ball, ab roller, a jump rope, a stretch rope for resistance training, boxing gloves and various workout DVDs (yoga, trance dance, tai chi, chi gong, Tae bo). While we watch TV each night we climb on our machines and work out. I’d love to add a punching bag and a Wii Fit system.

These are all things we’ve added to the mix over time. We use them all. I love having these options at home, in front of my own TV/DVD player (if I am watching something, I can’t get bored). We hardly even just sit there on the couch like vegetables. Even just stretching is making good use of our TV time.

I also have my walking, running and hiking shoes by the door. I count that as home gym stuff too.

If someone was just starting out, and didn’t have much room, I’d suggest getting a twist board (under ten dollars at Amazon.com), a yoga mat, a weighted ball (4 or 6 pounds is plenty), very light hand weights (1 or 3 pounds), and some DVDs with movement training that interests you (martial arts? kickboxing? yoga? Jane Fonda doing aerobics?). I’d suggest getting a used treadmill from Craigslist for $100, or a cycle machine (used these can be like $20).

Or go the Wii route and not worry about getting anything else.  Between all the fitness choices they’ve added, you get your whole virtual gym covered.

Do you have any home fitness equipment? Do you use it? what would you have in your perfect home gym?