The Biggest Loser- #BL11- week 9- My Big Fat Super Obese Mega Blog PLUS MultiGrain Cheerios WINNER!

A winner has been crowned!

I have to apologize to you, dear readers!  As you know, my new job as a personal trainer is amazing and awesome, but as far as the time to blog the way I usta, it is a major feat of time management.  I mean, seriously.  If there was an 8th day of the week to just blog and clean my apartment, I would feel so on top of things.

So first off, I want to announce the winner of my very first giveaway!  Congrats to my new reader KRISTY (@casualdish on the Twitter) who also is a fellow blogger.  She will be receiving the MultiGrain Cheerios prize pack- go cereal!!!

Second, I wanted to let you know how I felt about The Biggest Loser 7 day jump start that you can get with a box of specially marked MultiGrain Cheerios ( www.multigraincheerios.com/biggest loser).  The website is clean and easy to manuever, with different tabs for menu, exercises, even videos featuring former Biggest Loser Ali Vincent demonstrating basic strength and cardio moves and inspiring motivation.  For the person who is just starting out on their weight loss journey, this is a great introductory tool.  The menus also have recipies that are quick and easy with basic, easy to find ingredients.  And you don't have to eat Cheerios for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

The only thing I am not crazy about is the site only has a BMI calculator, which based on your height or physical activity is not an accurate assessment of obesity.  According to it, I am obese, as is Michael Jordan.  Don't let the calculator make you feel bad!!!  I say skip the assessment online for one at home based on circumference measurements with a tape measure and a good old fashioned scale.

Overall, the program seems very solid.  And if it helps you reach your goals and start that first step in a lifetime of healthy steps, then DO IT.  Don't start tomorrow.  Start today!

Walk Hard, Arthur.

OKAY!!!

On to this week's episode of The Biggest Loser.  I didn't get to Twitter with my #BL11 tweeps, so for the first time in a long time I watched the episode on my own.  What a tear jerker!  I am not made out of stone, and this episode really touched me.

After a quick recap where the announcer mentions that Jesse "sacrifices himself for Arthur" which is not how I remember that episode going down at all, Ali announces that the Losers are heading home for two whole weeks.  "This is sick!" says Austin, who will be celebrating his 21st birthday while he is there.  When the teams return, they will be running a 5k, Ali warns, so don't go too far off the reservation.

"Turn down the covers, here I come!" says Justin, and the teams are all whisked away home.  There are many tears and the usual homemade signs and streamers, with a great song playing in the background that states "I can't go back to how it was".  I actually teared up when Courtney came out to see her family and friends because she looked so different.  You got me NBC!  Okay?  I surrender.  Most interesting to me was how attractive Justin and Rulon's wives were.  How did that happen?  They must have amazing personalities.

So the Losers are home in their respective towns and they have to deal with a chocolate covered slice of the real world.  The one story I couldn't believe even for a moment was Courtney having to go back to work.  What?  Courtney states, "I have to go back to work.  And I have to go back to work at my family's ice cream shop."  How about going to work at your mom's gym?  I can't believe that Courtney must struggle to survive by slinging fries and Oreo Blizzard's to make ends meet so she can pay her way through college.  Also I can't imagine the family shop demanding her time like, "Courtney, I know you are on the most successful show on NBC but we are going to need you to cover the register."

The other Losers hit the gym, have heartfelt talks with their family members (most notably Jesse and Arthur), and struggle with at home temptations.  Austin hangs out at the bowling alley for his 21st birthday with his naughty girlfriend who keeps enticing him with huge pieces of chocolate cheesecake and greasy pizza.  Olivia comes home to NYC to her now much thinner husband and runs around the Central Park reservoir which is right outside my apartment- come visit Olivia!  And Hannah steps foot on the volleyball court for the first time in years and starts to gain her confidence back.  So moving it was unreal.  My heart strings are totally stretched out.

A quick 5k montage to show who is training and who is not, and then it is tearful goodbyes as everyone heads back to the ranch.

Ali announces that the 5k challenge will be just like the very first 5k challenge, only this time the players will be competing as singles.  And the first seven to complete the race get to choose their trainers.  AGAIN.  This is a time that some major monkey wrenches will be thrown in the game.

While the teams are racing, the players notice that Sarah is moving slowly and she says, "I don't want to make this choice."  After everyone has completed except Sarah and Arthur, Sarah's former Unknown teammates tell her she needs to fight for her own spot and not let anyone take that decision from her.  She suddenly kicks it into high gear, beating Arthur.  So who does everyone decide to choose?

In order of their win:
1.) Justin- The Unknowns
2.) Rulon- The Unknowns
3.) Kaylee- The Unknowns
4.) Jen- The BJ's (a slight against Arthur, no doubt)
5.) Austin- The Unknowns
6.) Marci- The BJ's
7.) Olivia- The BJ's
8.) Hannah- The BJ's
9.) Moses- The Unknowns
10.) Irene- The BJ's
11.) Courtney- The BJ's
12.) Ken- The Unknowns
13.) Sarah- The BJ's (which was unexpected- she could have gone back to her former team)
14.) Arthur- THE UNKNOWNS

TWIST!  Arthur gets played in the worst way.  Off the team he has been been on since day one, he is know thrust onto The Unknowns at the weigh in. No time for the team to get to know him.  Will he be able to win immunity and stay in the game?  Black team weighs in first.

Jen:  From 211 lbs to 197 lbs- 14 lbs lost

Irene:  From 195 lbs to 185 lbs- 10 lbs lost

Hannah:  From 193 lbs to 182 lbs- 11 lbs lost

Olivia:  From 202 lbs to 190 lbs- 12 lbs lost

Courtney:  From 256 lbs to 246 lbs- 10 lbs lost

Marci:  From 181 lbs to 167 lbs- 14 lbs lost

Sarah:  From 204 lbs to 194 lbs- 10 lbs lost  TOTAL:  81 lbs, 5.62% BW

The Black team absolutley killed it in the weigh in.  But the weight loss is bittersweet, as the women realize that their high numbers may be sending Arthur home.  Marci is tearful and repentant- maybe she realizes the game play she orchestrated last week sent him here?  But Arthur is a big boy and played a few games himself.  How will he fare on his new team?

Ali points out that the Red team, in order to win, must lose 120 pounds, an average of 17 pounds a person.  Gulp.

Rulon:  From  367 lbs to 350 lbs- 17 lbs lost

Austin:  From 299 lbs to 289 lbs- 10 lbs lost

Ken:  From 291 lbs to 286 lbs- 5 lbs lost

Moses:  From 322 lbs to 317 lbs- 5 lbs lost

Kaylee:  From 180 lbs to 179 lbs- 1 lb lost

Justin:  From 270 lbs to 262 lbs- 8 lbs lost

Arthur:  From 406 lbs to 390 lbs- 16 lbs lost

Arthur needed to have lost 20 pounds to be immune from elimination, and he fell 4 pounds short.  He is still proud of the number, and says he can go home proud.  Bob and Jillian plead for Arthur to fight to stay, and beg the Red team to consider keeping Arthur here because of all the contestants he really needs to stay.  Their please fall on deaf ears, and the Red team boots him.  Personally, I would have gone for Kaylee because she already is so small.  Her journey is almost finished, where Arthur still has over 140 pounds left to lose to hit his goal.

At home, Arthur is still in it to win it, have lost 158 pounds total.  He is training regularly, being a super dad and cook, and plans to win the at home prize.

Next week everyone realizes change comes from within- it is MIND BULLET week on the Loser.  Tune in!

Want to know what Mark has to say?  Here is his take courtesy of Dietsinreview.com.