Biggest Loser - Season 7: Couples Discussion (merged) (1 Viewer)

[Matt_A]

Ron was very good at controlling everyone from the get-go. I think at first he really meant to help as many people as he could, but now that it's becoming crunch time, the $250K is becoming an option.

Kristen's large amount to lose isn't as big a threat as everyone thinks, since in order to get larger percentages, she has to lose a lot more. Tara's already lost 39%, and needs at least 10% more in order to win, unless Mike doesn't somehow get magically voted out. The funny thing is, if he's below the line, ol' Ron is going to do the whole 'please don't vote out my son' bit. Only next week, it won't work!

 

[mike caronia]

I thought Mike did the right thing getting rid of Kristen.
You think she would have kept Mike if he went under? Doubtful.
All her bluster about beating the best is great sentiment, but the $250,000 is in sight now. Friends or not, I'd want to win if I were there too.

Be interesting to see Tara and Mike go below the line next week.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Well if any future contestants saw last night's show, and ever need to discuss something the way Ron felt he had to with Mike, guess they'd be smart to write it down and then show it to the other person.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And I just heard her post-vote speech as sour grapes.

As much as I was put off by Ron's deceit in the process, it was Mike's prerogative to vote off whomever he pleased. That's the way the cookie crumbles, Kristen.

Of course, Ron flat out lied to Kristen when he told her he didn't know who Mike would be voting for. He fully knew that Mike would do whatever Dad said.

 

[Mike Frezon]

That sure was a surprise twist at the very end of last night's episode: 30 days at home before the final weigh-in before the Finale!

Makes me wonder if the contestants might've voted differently if they knew that was coming before last night's vote. Now Ron & Mike have a built-in support system for that 30-day period heading up to that weigh-in. It's going to be mighty interesting to see how the contestants do this time at home.

It was interesting watching Bob slowly convince Ron that he should be thinking about getting himself into the finale--and not just Mike. His strategy seemed to take hold in Ron's interviews. But who knows with Ron?

I think it would be great if they cast Mike's brother on the next season of TBL (if he's old enough).

I always wonder how these people were able to take four+ months off from work to do this. And then there are going to be the required publicity appearances, etc. to stretch out the obligation even further.

The video footage from the first week was amazing to see. Such contrast.

Do you think Joelle will show up to the finale? She is probably under a contractual obligation to do so.

It was fun watching Bob & Jillian get "trained" for a bit.

I get uncomfortable at the staged events: such as the forced conversation between Tara & Helen which lead up to their trying on their "goal outfits." It became evident pretty quickly that that scene wasn't a completely impromptu event. (Helen is getting really small, BTW).

Heck: I even find the product placement scenes uncomfortable. I think it gives credence to those people who always go on about how all reality shows are scripted.

 

[mike caronia]

Does anyone believe Philipe would have voted Ron out over Helen, Mike or Tara? Puhleaze. Go home and teach the Tongans!

Just another contestant on a 'game' show whining to be the best you gotta beat the best...yet the best doesn't find themselves under the line.
Simple as 1, 2, 3.
Unreal that Tara never went under the whole time she was there.
She should win this easily.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

When Filipe was training Bob, he should have yelled at him mimicking his rant with Joelle.

Well as to Ron & Mike supporting each other, that probably would have been either way. If Ron was voted off, he'd still be home and would be motivated to give it his all to try to help Mike keep losing a lot.

Agree on the reality show thing, I really don't like them. The only reason I have stayed with Biggest Loser is right at the time last season started, in Sept 2008, I started my own weight loss program. Not echoing Biggest Loser, the reason was related to some life insurance I wanted to get. I have just reached my goal of losing 80 lbs, from 232 down to 152. So this show is added motivation and routine, to tune in each week and see how the contestants are doing, while I continue on my journey. Now I transition to maintaining my weight.

I was glad Tara took the 1 pound. But I was surprised nobody told her it was really like a 2 lbs advantage. If she did not take the 1 lb, she loses it and then gives it to Mike. So it's like she'd be giving him 2 lbs, compared to herself. Wild that she wound up not even needing it. But hey, she just took 10K the week before. Yes, I was comparing total %'s of weight lost by the remaining players, and if Tara keeps the pressure on herself for the next 30 days at home, she should win easily.

Wonder who will win for the biggest at home loser. Thinking Kristen or Nicole.

 

[Bob_S.]

Congrats on your weight loss John! I'm in the process of trying to lose 50 lbs. myself, that's why I've been tuning in every week. I can't believe how thin Helen looks, she looked pretty good in those jeans. My 2 favorites all season have been Mike and Tara, but I think I want Tara to win. She has such determination and always crushes the opposition week after week. I really think she deserves to win.

Hey, did anyone notice that Filipe has 2 wives? It must be an error but when Filipe went home 2 women were interviewed and both had different names but were labeled as wife of Filipe. It must have been the same woman but they gave her 2 different names.

When they were training Jillian on the treadmill I thought her boobies were going to flop out!

 

[Mike Frezon]

John: 232 >> 152?!? Wow! I've dropped from 232 to 192 over the past year and feel good about that! I cannot imagine ever getting down anywhere near 152! I have been at a plateau now for a long time (months). I have upped the exercise levels and still haven't budged.

BTW, I am totally with you as to how the one pound award was actually a two-pound advantage. I think she must've figured that out on her own because I believe she might've taken the cash prize except for the fact the alternate prize went to the second place winner. That twist certainly changed the way ANYBODY would have played that decision.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Mike, Bob, Thanks.

It's been a lot of hard work and a major change in my diet. I used to eat my dinner, then follow that up during the evening with things like a hot fudge sundae, M&M's with a coke, pretzels and more coke, and many nights I'd eat all of that. Now, and during my loss, salads, small strips of boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, usually just one 2 oz strip and a salad with it. Other things as well.

For exercise, I've been doing Walk At Home/Walk Away the Pounds DVD's. They're great, I don't have to go to a gym, don't have to waste any additional time other than the length of the routine itself, don't have to exercise outside in the Florida humidity.

And of course, during all this time there was Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Years, St Patricks Day & Easter, all big eating times, which I did indulge and endured minor setbacks. But I always got back on track right after.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Man...nobody weighs 152! Do you have a small frame?!? That's just the envy in me! That's a weight I don't think I could EVER get to.

My wife and I also changed our eating habits completely over the past year. It is amazing what a huge difference paying attention to nutritional information and getting back to fresh, healthy foods can do! The other key to our success was the purchase of an elliptical machine that we plunked down in the living room allowing us NO EXCUSES when it came to exercising during TV time. We have now joined a gym and are having the time of our lives as we learn about treadmills and weights and other things. Just turned 50 a month or so ago and feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in since college! Dropping 40 pounds has made a huge difference in how we feel and how we look and has shot our clothing budget to hell!

Have you ever run into one of those plateaus where your weight doesn't budget for a long stretch of time?

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Mike, on the plateuas, not really, maybe a couple days at the same weight, then I usually drop at least a half pound. But I have been doing the 4 mile walk DVD in the morning, sometimes again in the afternoon, then the 2 mile walk DVD in the evening with my wife, when she gets home, before dinner.

Breakfast is oatmeal, lately with some Fiber One Original added in. Lunch is a small salad, dinner a small piece of chicken and a big salad, as I described above. And also lately, about half-way between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner I have half of a Fiber One Granola Bar, I just felt a whole one, 140 calories, was a bit too much for a very small snack just to keep my metablosim up.

But tonight's Friday, so I'm probably gonna go out to eat and celebrate reaching my goal. Now whatever I gain over the weekend, all I have to do is lose it by next Friday morning, no longer do I have to lose that, plus some additional weight to keep dropping.

And I'm not small frame, I have always thought of myself as medium-build, as best as I can tell by the various things such as wrapping your finger around your wrist, etc. I am 5'7", maybe your taller, that may account for some. We're close in age, I'll be 50 in September. I have a lot of family in your area, (my wife's family actually), brother-in-law lives out west on Rte 20, almost to Duanesburg, sister-in-law lives right off Rte 7 in Niskayuna and another sister-in-law lives just west of Rte 50 in Glenville.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Yeah...well...I'm 6'0". So I'm not all that much bigger. I've got a long way to go and I guess I've got to continue to chip away at my calorie intake.

Cool that you've got relations nearby. Are you, yourself, anywhere near here? I've always toyed with the idea of a Capital District HTF get-together. I know of a few people in the area...but I've got a pretty meager set-up.

If I did, though, I'd be sure to have my plate of fruit & veggies and low-fat dressings out on the table!

If you keep dropping weight, dude...there'll be nothing left of you! Congrats again on an absolutely awesome accomplishment. You must find TBL, then, to be a pretty inspiring show.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Hey Mike, no I am in South Florida, near Ft Lauderdale. And we only make it up that way once in a while. We both were up over the holidays, but it was 5 years back from that since I was up there.

TBL has definitely been a factor in helping me stay on track. I'm sure I would have done it w/o TBL, but every motivation helps.

I do not really intend to try to lose any more weight. I'm not gonna freak if I do lose a little, but I will not be actively working specifically towards that goal. I still plan to be very strict on my diet, especially Mon-Thu, but the exercising will probably be scaled back to once a day. Knowing I can always up it if I need to in order to stop a rise in weight that is getting beyond control.

Due to time constraints, we did not go out last night, so probably Sunday. I only did 1 exercise session, 2 Mile Walk DVD and had a foot long sub from Subway, (I usually only eat a half) and a 12oz coke for dinner, and we watched a movie at home, yet I still lost 1/2 lb. Did not even plan that. Maybe I'm so low now my body is just burning the weight off easily.

 

[Matthew Brown]

Congratulations on all those losing the weight. I just lost about 40-50lbs. Paying attention to serving size of things really helped. It hasn't been over night so don't ever give up working towards your goal.

For the Biggest Loser, does anybody else feel that they should bring back the contestants that did not keep the weight off to put things in perspective for people? They show the success stories but sometimes the "game players" need to see what happens when the game came first.

 

[Lucia Duran]

If I remember correctly, Bob made mention of most of the winners gaining back their weight.

Heba and Ed work out at my friends gym and she said that Ed has gained some of his weight back. She said Heba still looks pretty good. Also Dan from the orange team this season works at Golds gym and has lost some weight.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Matt, that's why I feel I have to be persistent and stay on top of my weight. Now that I am not losing, but maintaining, it would be easy to overlook one thing, then another, then another, and before you know it the first 10 lbs would be back. So I still weigh myself daily and then some, to gauge how I am doing during a given day. I still plan to exercise at least once a day. And anything more than about 2 additional pounds, I will go back into losing weight mode.

Like yesterday, Monday morning, (this was my first weekend since reaching my goal, so I splurged a little bit) when I woke up I was 153, I exercised and after I was 152. I followed my regular diet routine for weekdays and this morning I was 151.5 when I woke up. I still exercised to drop my weight just a little and build-in a cushion for today and the rest of the week.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I remember Bob saying the guy who won season 1 has gained back ALL his weight. But nothing about most of the winners.

I think they have made a concerted effort in recent seasons to place an emphasis on how to succeed in the "real world" and try to promote better eating habits into the players. But, then again, I didn't see the first couple of seasons.

It would be interesting, without doubt, to get more info on the parts of the show and the process that people have questions about. I really feel that way about all reality TV. I have lots of questions...but not enough time to go digging on various internet sites for the answers (they are probably out there.)

I would love to see the past winners brought back for cameo appearances during a regular season. We saw some of the recent players this season when Ali Sweeney gave birth.

I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode to see how the players did at home for a month. The promos don't seem to show any huge physical changes...but promos can certainly be deceiving!

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Well we saw Jerry and his daughter in Subway with Jillian a few shows back this season. They both looked good, but then it hasn't been a LONG time since the left the ranch. Since that season ended in December. The real test is a couple years later, are people still keeping the weight off.

 

[mattCR]

Sometime, watch the Australian Biggest Loser. One of the biggest points of that show is that the contestants have to cook and prepare their own meals throughout the competition. One of the challenges is that they get to decide between what kind of foods that will stock their pantries. Those that win challenges get to make the first choices.

It's a unique challenge but I think it does something the US version really lacks.. it teaches them about food preparation and to be aware of what they eat. They also go through that show and take (gasp!) book type classes with a nutritionist, and near the end of the show, some of the challenges are about recognizing which foods presented to them are the "healthiest". It's one of the best parts of that.

Watching the US version, you really wonder about all of that because you don't see that. Maybe it's happening, but it has a real impact in the australian version, because so much focus is made about: pay attention to what you eat. They even had two episodes where they were given fast food menus and told: it is possible to order something you can deal with and still stay within a calorie count. Here's how.

I thought those were informative, interesting, and had more chance of long-term impact on the contestants. I can see the US contestants stacking it back on, because there is too much game, and not enough education it seems.

I am hoping Joelle shows back up and humiliates herself.