The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 4- "Happy feet! Happy Feet!"

This week's episode of The Biggest Loser is all about leadership and believing in yourself and believing that you can achieve most anything if you put your mind to it.  And the teams need this kind of encouragement, especially the Red team, who just let Patrick leave.

Ramon has taken the loss of Patrick the hardest, and can't seem to live with himself that Patrick was voted off. . .even though that was what Patrick had asked for.  Dolvett tells them not to fret and to get some rest, because they have a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

A long day of hanging out with past Biggest Loser contestants, that is!  Hannah from season 11, Adam from season 10, and Marci from season 11 come to visit the teams and show how it is possible to maintain their weight loss after they have left the confines of the ranch.  Hannah shows the Black team the joys of Jenny O Turkey, Adam takes the Red team on a sandbag hike where Ramon learns that he must become a leader by carrying the sandbags as a sacrifice for Patrick, and Marci shows the Blue team that just because they are older they can still kick some ass.  Marci seems like a 20-year-old next to these guys.  I mean Bonnie is like the Tin Man, poor thing.

After Antone quits whimpering, Bob talks with his team about the importance of changing their relationship with food.  THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!!  You can eat anything you want within reason.  There is a proper time and proper place for everything.  Learning how to differentiate those times is the life lesson that this show tries to teach.

Score one for the Biggest Loser!

Joe opens up to the group, sharing that he would stop at different drive throughs throughout town and eat all day secretly, and then go home and eat with his family.  He had been wrapped in that shame for years because he was afraid that if his wife found out she wouldn't love him anymore.  He is beginning to learn that he does deserve love and he is worth it.

We are all worth it.

Bonnie overcomes her fears of walking on the treadmill, Courtney overcomes her fear of being a disappointment by playing hoops with Dolvett, everybody is making huge bounds and strides with their inside training this week- just in time for this week's challenge!

The challenge is mail themed- snow, wind, rain, all that jazz- and the prize is letters from home.  The Black team wins again, but Ali announces that everyone is a winner and everyone will get to read their letters from home.  The Black team also gets some FaceTime chatting with their families.

There are a lot of tears and a lot of encouragement.  Weirdly, Antone doesn't want his family to see him cry because he wants him to think that he is staying strong for them.  Won't they be surprised when they watch the show!  Antone is The Biggest Cryer.

Last Chance Workout sees trainers in different elements.  Anna is FINALLY on the tennis court teaching drills (where she looks happy AND comfortable), Bob is in the pool teaching Joe to swim and making his team cry, and Dolvett is screaming to his team about losing each week, cajoling them to win a weigh in to the Black team at least one time.  Come on guys!  Let's go weigh in!

With a coffin nailing "I'm not worried about this weigh in!" from Coach Mike, the Blue team begins the weigh in.

Mike:  From 273 lbs to 268 lbs- 5 lbs lost
Becky:  From 214 lbs to 212 lbs- 2 lbs lost
Bonnie:  From 240 lbs to 233 lbs- 7 lbs lost  TOTAL:  14 lbs, 1.93% BW

Joe:  From 307 lbs to 301 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Sunny:  From 245 lbs to 241 lbs- 4 lbs lost
Antone:  From 389 lbs to 381 lbs- 8 lbs lost
John:  From 375 lbs to 366 lbs- 9 lbs lost
Jennifer:  From 289 lbs to 282 lbs- 7 lbs lost  TOTAL:  34 lbs. 2.12% BW

Courtney:  From 240 lbs to 237 lbs- 3 lbs lost
Jessica:  From 221 lbs to 219 lbs- 2 lbs lost
Vinny:  From 390 lbs to 382 lbs- 8 lbs lost
Ramon:  From 322 lbs to 311 lbs- 11 lbs lost  TOTAL:  24 lbs, 2.05% BW

Ramon has accepted the leadership mantle!  I guess there is a new coach in town, much to Mike's chagrin.

Blue team is in the bottom again, and this time Bonnie is the one in charge.  Who would have ever thought this would have happened!?!  Bonnie gets the single vote, and she sends the blustery self named captain of the Blue team's ship packing.  Women doing it for themselves, I suppose.  Girl Power!

Coach Mike has gone back to coaching his high school football team and has lost 70 pounds and is now spending more quality time with his wife.  He would also like to lose 100 pounds by the finale.

Next week:  I have no idea!  My DVR didn't tape and I had to wait to rewatch the show.  And of course, no previews on the On Demand channel.  It will be a surprise!  At least, I hope it will be.

Want to know what Courtney has to say?  Here is her two cents, from DietsinReview.com.

The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 3- NFL WEEK

Take a former NFL player, make him a contestant on The Biggest Loser, and then you get to have NFL week!  Take a former Olympian, make him a contestant on The Biggest Loser, you get to have Olympic Training week!

I see a pattern here.

Week 3 of The Biggest Loser starts with a very dejected Blue team down 2 players and Anna in fear for her job.  I mean, I really didn't know how they were going to turn it around this week.  Becky can't carry the entire team!

No time to dwell- it's time for the first NFL week themed challenge!  The contestants find themselves on a football field with life size cut outs of their visages, complete with a large stomach hole filled with netting.  The contestants must throw a football into the stomach hole, eliminating their fellow players, last cut out standing wins.

Oh, and they have to compete with pro NFL players, too.

Winner gets $5,000!  Ali also tells the players the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss at the end of the week gets two tickets to the Super Bowl.  Not a bad prize.

Courtney ends up winning the $5,000 over the smell of the testosterone, and Joe declares, "Every day is a good day on the Biggest Loser Ranch!"

Then it is time to darken the mood with a little one on one Bob and Antone time.  Of course, Antone was in the NFL.  I don't know if you all know that.  He is feeling left out because everyone is making such a big deal about the NFL players and no one is making a big deal about the fact that he used to be in the NFL.

I counted.  Antone and the word NFL or mention by others that he was in the NFL count: 21 times in 2 hours.

ENOUGH!  Time for some crazy high school marching band music and a team challenge!

This time the players are competing as teams to burn as many calories as possible in 4, 15-minute heats.  The Black Team annihilates the competition, burning 1,171 calories to the Red Team's 952 calories and the Blue Team's 764 calories.  Bob declines the spa day prize, and the team agrees they don't want to be thrown off track like others who have participated in spa days past.  Hello, Jennifer and Courtney from last season!

After the team challenge, the Red Team hanged out in Biggest Loser brand soaking tubs and talked about how much they love each other.  Translation:  The Red Team is getting eliminated this week.

After an NFL themed last chance workout, it is time for the Weigh In!

Courtney:  From 247 lbs to 240 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Vinny:  From 400 lbs to 390 lbs- 10 lbs lost
Ramon:  From 329 lbs to 322 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Patrick:  From 361 lbs to 350 lbs- 11 lbs lost
Jessica:  From 232 lbs to 221 lbs- 11 lbs lost  TOTAL:  46 lbs, 2.93% BW

Antone:  From 405 lbs to 389 lbs- 16 lbs lost
Sunny:  From 255 lbs to 245 lbs- 10 lbs lost
Joe:  From 324 lbs to 307 lbs- 17 lbs lost
Jennifer:  From 305 lbs to 289 lbs- 16 lbs lost
John:  From 393 lbs to 375 lbs- 18 lbs lost  TOTAL:  77 lbs, 4.58% BW

Bonnie:  From 247 lbs to 240 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Becky:  From 223 lbs to 214 lbs- 9 lbs lost
Mike:  From 290 lbs to 273 lbs- 17 lbs lost  TOTAL:  33 lbs, 4.34% BW

The Blue Team has saved themselves, Anna's job, and old man Mike won the tickets to the Super Bowl!

The Red Team heads off for a weepy elimination talk, where quitter Patrick tells them to vote him off (surprise) and they do just so.  He loses 91 pounds at the reveal, cooking with his wife, running police officer obstacle courses, and vowing to win the big marathon later in the season.  We'll see. . .

Next week:  BOB vs. DOLVETT!

Want to know what Courtney has to say?  Here's her recap, courtesy of DietsinReview.com!

The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 2- "Don't sit on the couch and spit on the ceiling and expect things to happen for you."

I believe this is the book Anna got that quote from.

It's a new week on The Biggest Loser:  New theme song, new challenges, new drama!  Usually the contestants wait a few episodes in to start talking about GAME PLAY, but not season 12.  Let's get it on.

Ali introduces the first temptation challenge of the season:  DONUTS!  A room full of sweet donuts that need to be eaten so control can be gained!  Who will stoop to the challenge? 

Ali explains that the groups will not only be divided by age but also by time slots this week.  There is an early morning slot, a mid-day slot, and a late night slot.  Whoever eats the MOST donuts will get to choose what time the teams workout.  This is important because the teams only get two hours a day to get their burn on.

Of course we have the saintly contestants who decline to participate because they want to workout only.  But there a couple of GAME PLAYERS in the bunch:  old team Mike eats 11 donuts and feels like he has clinched the win for his team, but middle aged John ate 37 donuts, over 1,295 of winning calories.  "What did I just do?" he moans.  The black team decides to take the early morning time slot, they give the old timers the mid-day time slot because they "respect them" (burn!) and the youngsters get the late night time slot.

Bob wakes the black team up with a manic megaphone, getting them into the gym by 5 am.  John is newly crowned "Donut", and everyone feels the wrath of their win.  HIGHLIGHT:  Antone breaks down again, this time slamming his fists into his spin bike and into the ground.  Is he going to cry every episode?  Is this what releasing the demon means?

Did you all know Antone was in the NFL?  I'm not sure if the show covered that.

The black team also starts fighting with each other because John, that little trouble maker, says that Sunny is a dumb as "poo" (her quotes, not mine) and he is making alliances with members of the red team.  Has this guy never watched an episode of this show?  You don't play all your cards in the second episode!  Where will we go from here?  Where is Melissa Morgan when you need her?

Antone says in the NFL this is called an "airing out session".  Thanks, Antone.

Then it's the old timers time in the gym.  This is code for everyone works out while Anna has to coax Boston Johnny to work out.  Poor Becky.  I bet she is wishing she was just one year younger so she could be on the black team.

After a late night Yoplait yogurt plug ("It tricks it out!"), Dolvett brings the whipper snappers into the gym and gets amped!  So amped, we find out that Jessica's boyfriend MADE her gain 135 pounds during their 6 year relationship.  They blurred out the photos with his face, but apparently it is her twitter avatar if you missed it on the tv.  I'm sure she is over this guy.  I would never want to date a guy that force fed me- that is not cool.  Good thing she can now choose what she wants to eat. . .

Am I being overly sarcastic?  Or have I watched a lot of episodes of The Biggest Loser?

Dr. H drops in with his silky mullet to inform the contestants that disease is right around the bend if they don't take responsibility for their health.  I think it's sad that we get serious about our health only when it seems too far to fix.  If you start NOW when you have no issues or small issues, it's a lot easier to turn it all around.  Not when you are face to face with Dr. H and a JC Penney collection tie from 1987.  That's not the right time.

The physical challenge for the week involves a floating maze and life jackets-awesome-which the black team whoops up on for the second week in a row.  They earn a 2 pound advantage at the weigh in, the red team earns a 1 pound advantage, and the blue team gets that sound from The Price is Right when you lose- wwwwwaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

The Last Chance Workout montage this week was seriously the BEST MONTAGE I have seen.  I was riveted the whole time.  I also heard the worst sentence: "5 am last chance workout!"  Dolvett's workout was especially sexy for some reason.  If you have it taped, go back and watch it and tell me if I am making this up.  Especially during the tug and pull section.

Weigh in!  How can people fare when they get two hours to workout a day?

Vinny:  From 405 lbs to 400 lbs- 5 lbs lost
Jessica:  From 239 lbs to 232 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Courtney:  From 257 lbs to 250 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Patrick:  From 367 lbs to 361 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Ramon:  From 338 lbs to 329 lbs- 9 lb lost  TOTAL:  35 lbs, 2.18% BW

Joe:  From 326 lbs to 324 lbs- 2 lbs lost
Jennifer:  From 311 lbs to 305 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Sunny: From 261 lbs to 255 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Antone:  From 415 lbs to 405 lbs- 10 lbs lost
John:  From 408 lbs to 393 lbs- 15 lbs lost TOTAL:  41 lbs, 2.38% BW

Becky:  From 228 lbs to 223 lbs- 5 lbs lost
Mike:  From 297 lbs to 290 lbs- 7 lbs lost
Bonnie:  From 250 lbs to 247 lbs- 3 lbs lost
Johnny:  From 311 lbs to 313 lbs- 2 lbs GAINED  TOTAL:  13 lbs, 1.2% BW

Say it ain't so, Boston Johnny!  The numbers are usually lower week 2, but a weight gain is something special.  Anna totally calls him out, saying "If you don't want to change anything you shouldn't be here."

Her words must have stuck with him, because after he is eliminated, he goes home and loses 59 pounds.  But not the straw hat.  The straw hat is staying.

Next week:  NFL WEEK!  WHAT?!?  I wish there was someone on the show this season that had been in the NFL so this episode would really resonate with them.  Like if we went to the Olympic training camp and there was a former Olympic athlete on the show.  It just makes sense.

Want to know what Courtney from season 11 has to say?  Here is her recap, courtesy of DietsinReview.com!

The Biggest Loser- #BL12- week 1- BATTLE OF THE AGES

Grr faces, everyone.

After a nice long break, The Biggest Loser roars back to life complete with US Marine helicopters and hummers to drag the 12th season competitors to the brink of Death Valley (literally) and back.

We know the 411, so lets jump into my first impressions of the 15 contestants:

Courtney: 24, "Single Girl"
Joe: 46, "Big Daddy"
Becky: 50, "Daddy's Dieing"
Jessica: 26, "Nervous Nelly" OR "Dazed and Confused"
Jennifer:  39, "Bob Lover"
Ramon:  27, "2 Legit tattoo artist, dude"
Patrick:  25, "Cry Baby"
Antone:  44, "The Footballer"
Vinny:  27, "Overalls"
John:  40, "Helicopter Lover"
Mike:  61, "The Cheerleader"
Bonnie:  63, "The Weeper"
Debbie:  60, "Gimmie a Break"
Johnny:  65, "The Don"
Sunny:  41, "Didn't know she was on the show until the weigh in.  Seriously."

Ali jumps out of a hummer with sunny blond pig tails to explain the rules for this season.  The contestants will be split into three teams based on their age:  The Under 30's, The Middle, and The Over 50's. 

The trainers for the teams are introduced as well.  We have good ole Bob, Anna K, and DQ- Dolvett Quince- who may be my new favorite now that Jillian Michaels is no longer on the show.  I did keep waiting for Jillian to ride up on a kick ass Ducati and have a secret fourth team, but it didn't happen.  That was the number one thing talked about during the live tweet fest was that everyone REALLY MISSED JILLIAN.

Ali introduces the first challenge.  Of course, it is a mile run to choose the trainer.  And of course they are all attached to a pole with a camera on the end.  Happily, no one has to be helicoptered out, and the teams are as follows:

Bob with The Middle
DQ with The Under 30's
Anna K with The Over 50's

We have a first chance workout in the shiny and amazing new Biggest Loser gym on the ranch, where the mettle of all the contestants is tested until they are left in sniveling piles of tearful goo.  After a quick Brita plug, it is time for the Last Chance Workout (!) and then on to a 50 minute weigh in ceremony.

Are we sure we can't get this show down to one hour, NBC?

WEIGH IN!  Age before beauty, Johnny.

Johnny-65:  From 328 lbs to 311 lbs- 17 lbs lost
Bonnie-63:  From 254 lbs to 250 lbs- 4 lbs lost
Mike-61:  From 309 lbs to 297 lbs- 12 lbs lost
Debbie-60:  From 239 lbs to 233 lbs- 6 lbs lost
Becky-50:  From 238 lbs to 228 lbs- 10 lbs lost  Total:  49 lbs, 3.58% BW

Joe-46:  From 348 lbs to 326 lbs- 22 lbs lost
Antone-44:  From 447 lbs to 415 lbs- 32 lbs lost
Sunny-41:  From 277 lbs to 261 lbs- 16 lbs lost
John-40:  From 445 lbs to 408 lbs- 37 lbs lost
Jennifer-39:  From 330 lbs to 311 lbs- 19 lbs lost Total:  126 lbs, 6.82% BW

Vinny-27:  From 426 lbs to 405 lbs- 21 lbs lost
Ramon-27:  From 355 lbs to 338 lbs- 17 lbs lost
Jessica-26:  From 254 lbs to 239 lbs- 15 lbs lost
Patrick-25:  From 387 lbs to 367 lbs- 20 lbs lost
Courtney-24:  From 270 lbs to 254 lbs- 16 lbs lost  Total:  89 lbs, 5.26% BW

Bob's team leaves everyone in the dust, obviously, and the Seniors must sort out who is going home first.  The Seniors have a Real Housewives moment when Debbie tells Bonnie she finds her tears annoying which doesn't earn her any points in the popularity department.  Not surprisingly, Debbie Downer is eliminated.  Now she can take all the breaks she wants!

When we check back with Debbie, she has gone from 239 to 215, is break dancing with her grand kids, and hopes to be 160 by the finale.

This season looks like there is plenty of drama on the teams- GAME PLAY!- and lots of blood, sweat, and tears.  I am looking forward to seeing how Anna K fits into the whole show and if she'll be able to help her team see the numbers they need to see so they aren't picked off one by one.  Dolvett can stay.  You can stay, Dolvett!

Want to know what Courtney from season 11 has to say?  Here's her recap, brought to you by DietsinReview.com!