By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

Week 8 -- Part 1
There are always twists and turns in the world of The Biggest Loser but I might say episode 8 takes the CAKE, if you will. Talk about a pop challenge! I think that this week was probably pretty hard for everyone. I never experienced that whole Black team against Blue team part of the show, and I have to admit I'm extremely grateful. It's an awkward position because everyone wants everyone to be successful, and someone you love might be on the other team. At the end of the day we all go home so I just hope that everyone will continue to make the decisions they are comfortable with when they lie down to go to sleep at night.

I know that this up-down-in-the-mud challenge was extremely important to every single contestant. Sometimes you get challenges put in front of you that you really don't care about, but it is challenges like this one that mean so much to really show the character, to yourself as well of course to everyone watching.

The Amazing Tara
Tara never ceases to amaze me. She is an incredibly strong woman with a will and desire that is hard to come by. It did not surprise me in the least that she pulled this challenge off. Some may have looked to Sione to win because he appears to be stronger, but the fire in Tara's eyes said it all.

As I watched the teams split one by one, I couldn't help but think about Jill and Bob. I knew Jill would be ok with it... she always is (plus now she has some of the "stronger" players) but Bob -- I knew that he was going to be heartbroken. I know Bob and he gets extremely attached to his team. Bob is a team guy, and you know when you're on his team and when you're not. He definitely finds strength in numbers. Jill on the other hand sees the importance of teams and numbers, of course, but acknowledges that we are all individuals.

I think that it is going to be interesting to sees how this all plays out because as a contestant you entrust your life and success to your trainer. To have that taken away and then have to find that place immediately in another trainer -- there might be some bumps along the way and there is no time to question the turn of events when you are on the ranch.

Texting Bob
When I saw this week's episode I texted Bob immediately (from my treadmill because I was working out when I was watching) and just said "I'm sorry." I know it will all be ok, but I know what that must have felt like.

I thought the 24-hour bike challenge was a good one to really bring the new teams together and talk about an advantage, a three-pound pass! I liked to hear from Tara that she really wanted to show her new team that they could count on her, but honestly I would have known that prior to the challenge!

I was proud that Sione stepped up and said he wanted to finish even though everyone was extremely tired. Sometimes it just takes one person to stand up so that everyone else can as well. I know everyone was proud of themselves in the end.

This is going to be a growing week for everyone on the ranch!

Week 8--Part 2
I always like it when Prevention magazine comes to The Biggest Loser because it offers such great information, like this episode's quiz about eating healthy and living longer. In case you missed it, here are the three questions Prevention's editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello asked the contestants. (The correct answers are at the end of this blog.)

1. True or false: Switching from regular cola to diet cola will help you live longer.

2. Which change in your diet is believed to help you live longer -- cutting fat or cutting calories?

3. Which exercise is believed to help you live longer: doing pushups regularly or doing squats regularly?

I quit drinking diet soda for the most part during my season on the show and after. But then I started drinking it again -- first as a treat when I wanted something sweet but not any calories. And once again it became a regular part of my diet. Two things happened when I started drinking soda again: 1) I felt hungrier and 2) I didn't drink enough water. Recently I've started cutting back on soda again but after watching this episode, I've decided to quit once again!

This week's last-chance workout probably felt like the first last-chance workout for a lot of the contestants. When working with a new trainer, things are different, even if it is just the way that they evaluate you and push you to exhaustion. What I do know is that many contestants will feel it is a "better" workout rather than just a new workout. I loved the exercise Bob had Mandi do -- balancing on the ball with her feet on the bench, then having her jump on and off of the bench while remaining in plank position... talk about hardcore... I loved it!

So I must admit I would have put money on the Blue team falling below the yellow line this week because of the Black team's three-pound advantage from winning the challenge. It was pretty close though, even with the three pounds, which was good to see with most of the contestants having a lot to overcome this week.

I wasn't surprised by the elimination outcome, but I was surprised by Aubrey's vote. I thought it was interesting that she would vote differently from her sister. Yes they are on a bigger team now but usually the partners that start on ranch together end up voting together; it is part of what gives them strength and "power," if you will, within the larger group.

Check Out the Flying Pig
I don't know how many of you are interested, but Prevention is constantly encouraging people all around America to finally do a marathon or half marathon by organizing teams and training programs. My mom Bette-Sue and I will be doing the Flying Pig half marathon in Ohio May 3^rd, come join us!

--Ali.
Believe it! Be it!

Ali Vincent of Season 5 was the first woman to ever win The Biggest Loser grand prize.


Answers to quiz questions above
1. False. Regular or diet sodas can more than double your risk of metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and belly fat.

2. Cutting and restricting calories leads to a longer life and scientists think that it makes your body work more efficiently if you cut calories. But you should never restrict fat too much because fat helps us keep our immune system running, helps protect our brain. Make sure you're using healthy fat, mono unsaturated fat instead of trans fats and saturated fats.

3. Squats. When you work on your lower body strength, you are improving your flexibility, your balance and your endurance. And all this can prevent you from falling later in life when falls can lead to breaking your hips.

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

I think that a huge mistake was made at tonight's elimination. Do I think Shanon will be successful at home? YES, of course she will. I also know that she would have had the opportunity to learn so much more about herself had she stayed at the ranch. The ranch is priceless because of the space it allows you to be in, to really take a look at who you are.

I love Helen but I think this was a selfish decision. As a mother she should have encouraged her daughter to push herself and step out of her box and fight to stay. Imagine the growth she would have experienced being on the ranch without her mom. Helen got to have that experience, why not Shanon? I know that this might have been an uncomfortable decision to make, their both loving each other so much, and they truly do, and both just wanting the other to be happy.

Sometimes however we don't always support each other the right way in these types of relationships. For years my mother and I wanted to lose weight together and did. We also gained weight together because we didn't always have the courage to support each other in ways that were sometimes hard, or harder than just helping each other "feel" good.

I think in this special bond of mother and daughter all too often there is a codependency of sorts. The last thing in the world you ever want is for someone you love to feel bad, so we go into cradling and protecting, which all too often probably isn't the best support in terms of growth. Everything happens for a reason. I just hope there is never a time when they look back and wish they had done it differently.

Lock Down
Really? A lock on the gym door? WOW! Talk about being thrown a curve ball. Advantage or disadvantage? I guess the scale could tell us but did it really have anything to do with equipment? I love going to the gym because it allows me to get to where I need to go in a guaranteed environment.

Example: I know that if I need to burn a specific amount of calories in a given time frame, I can go to the stairmill and burn 300 calories in 30 minutes if I set it at level 10, or I can do drills on the treadmill. What I do know though is that in any given situation we are able to push ourselves further in a group situation. With that said, I think that the difference was working as a group versus having the tools in the gym. And it seems that with Bob having his team split, I'm sure that affected the intensity of the workouts and the fact that everybody was thinking about the gym too much when they needed to lean on each other, gym or no gym.

Tara/Laura
I love Tara but honestly I am so tired of hearing about her, and Jillian's making it so much about Laura. So Tara is a stronger contestant. I think the world can see that now, but is it necessary to point it out in every given situation? I believe that Laura is doing what she can... I can't wait 'till they go to singles.

Row, Row, Row
Rowing is one of my favorite cardio activities. In fact, I have the Concept 2 rower that you saw in the challenge in my living room. It is a total body workout but also gives your joints a break, which is always good. I often notice is that hardly anyone in the gym uses the rower, but I'm telling you fellow club members, it is an amazing workout... try it, you'll love it! Set it anywhere from level 8 to 10 and keep your reps above 35 or get on in between your resistance training and do 500 meters as fast as you can.

Congrats to everyone this week for making it through what seemed might be an impossible challenge. I say that mostly 'cause I know Bob and Jill, and any time they feel any kind of challenge coming up, they go overboard... in a good way of course! I want to also say that I was really impressed with Kristin and Mike as well as everyone else, but I really like to see how they are stepping up to the plate... Kristin is a FORCE!

-- Ali.
Believe it! Be it!

Ali Vincent of Season 5 was the first woman to ever win The Biggest Loser grand prize.

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

If it wasn't for so many of the contestants having such distaste for Joelle and her work ethic, I fear that the Brown team would not have been so lucky in getting to stay another week after falling below the yellow line two weeks in a row. Contestants are less likely to give a break to a team two weeks in a row, and the Brown team is truly a threat.

Memo to the Brown team: YOU NEED TO EAT. I know, I know, we as a whole have a hard time wrapping our minds around the fact that we need to eat to lose weight but WE DO! Mike and Ron are figuring that out the hard way, and they must accept it if they are going to pull this off.

Uh-Oh, Here Here's Alison
When you are on the ranch and host Alison Sweeney unexpectedly walks into a room, it's usually not a good thing :) As much as we contestants love to see her, it means there is something tricky in store for us! This time it was a "pop" challenge with a reward everyone wanted, a day on the ranch with a family member. In the end, the big hearts of the contestants gave it to Mandi.

She was so excited and really felt like that was exactly what she needed. So when Jill found out and was upset about it, my heart skipped a beat for Mandi. I know what it feels like to want Jill to be happy with you and the choices you make on the ranch. But Jillian is right. There really is no time for distractions, and you never know what kind of possible tailspin might occur from having time outside of your usual routine -- particularly if the last encounter with family members was less than enthusiastic about wanting you to be a part of The Biggest Loser.

Yoga Time
The first five or so weeks of being on the ranch is a lot of really hitting it hard in the gym and then there is the time when you need to put it all together, so incorporating activities like yoga is essential. Yoga incorporates the physical and mental part of challenging yourself. I was at home during this point of my journey, so I never got to do yoga with Bob but I did pick it up at home. It's important to find balance and stillness.

Cathy did appear to be a natural. You could see it in her face, and it would make sense going through the trials of sobriety to be able to release yourself to a different place in your mind and soul. This may have been her first time doing actual yoga, but she has been to that place before.

Trainer Strategies
Leave it to Jill to figure out whatever it takes to get a contestant to the point of performance. I seriously got scared for Laura when Jill asked Tara to come over and slap her in the face if she dropped her hand because you knew as well as Laura and I did that she WOULD :) (out of love and concern of course). If it takes Jill putting them up against each other that is exactly what she will do. It isn't fair for one team member to do more than the other. God bless Jill, she is the best!

I love Bob and how the contestants really thought even for a minute that they were going to have a trip to Subway that involved a car ride :) Isn't it funny that our first thought for most of America when we think of leaving our houses to go somewhere that it will involve a ride? It still amazes me how I have started thinking of things differently, and although I haven't quite enrolled my friends to join me in walking to go shopping, I'm working on it.

Partner Power
Each week there's a new example of the power behind working as a team. You cannot do this alone and our partners, whether on the ranch or at home, depend on us 100% as do we on them. I was so impressed by Cathy and Kristin at this holding-the-pole challenge. You could tell that Cathy mentally went to her yoga place and Kristin -- she's just got it. Tara may be more vocal than Kristin but these are the two to watch out for! Holding a pole aloft for four hours and 40 minutes, you try it. Even just with your arms above your head not even holding anything, how long can you last? Then try it with a partner in your life. I bet you can last longer as a team. Cathy and Kristin just have this amazing balance in regards to each other. Congrats on immunity ladies!

I love that Mandi got to see her husband and then to have the little knocks from her boys... doesn't get better than that :)

Hitting Close to Home
Ready or not, the pressure is getting more intense with each passing day. Mike is truly coming into his own, and I know what it feels like to worry about the health of a parent. Not many know, but my mom, in a routine angiogram, coded while on the table nine months before we went to The Biggest Loser ranch.

After the doctors got my mom back, she was on life support for the next 48 hours. When she woke up, in complete Bette-Sue fashion she thought everything was fine, while my sister Amber and I thought we had lost our mother. In that case we had no control but knew we had to get healthy, so being on The Biggest Loser gave us life. Mike knows that he has to be on the ranch for a full life but his father has to be there for life itself. To watch Mike push through his limits in the last-chance workout, I felt like I knew why and how he was able to dig deep within himself. This is what it's going to take to continue their journey together.

So this is the week only one team falls below and now the teams will start having to be split this time for good :( I can't believe Kristin gained two pounds! My knees about fell out from underneath me. In the past if a contestant who has immunity gains weight they lose their immunity and are weighed in with the rest of the contestants, so as you can imagine I about died!

I hate that anyone has to leave the ranch and although the contestants followed the wishes of Blaine and sent him home, I am definitely interested to see Bob's reaction, particularly since he told ALL of his team that Dane was the only option.

See you next week for episode 6!


Ali Vincent of Season 5 was the first woman to ever win The Biggest Loser grand prize.

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

It was sad to see Dan leave the Biggest Loser ranch at the end of week 4, but unfortunately at some point everyone has to go home. In some cases, however, I wish that some contestants had a little more time on the ranch.

Every season we see contestants open themselves up, heart and soul, for the world to see and judge -- all because they want a chance to change their lives. Maybe they've gotten to the point of being so overweight, they've forgotten who they are. Or maybe they give to everyone else before they give to themselves. There are those who have just gotten so busy with family, work, and being a part of their community, and then there are those who have just lived no other way than being overweight all their lives. Everyone has a story.

The power of The Biggest Loser ranch is that it removes the few lucky contestants from their lives and helps change their stories. It is a place to reinvent yourself. Some of us start to remember who we used to be, and some of us get the opportunity for the first time in our lives to show the world who we have always known we could be. In either case, you are never the same.

I think this season is so special because we at home have had the opportunity to see both sides. All of the contestants stepped foot on the ranch as part of a team. (Who would you choose to be your partner for the opportunity of a lifetime?) Tonight we got to witness triumph and shame. Although every contestant who went home for 30 days did an amazing job, sometimes our goals and plans don't happen the way that we plan them.

Olympics of Weight Loss
Jillian was right when she made reference to the ranch being "the Olympics of weight loss," and as much as I kind of got a little angry when she called Aubrey out for her two-pound weight loss for 30 days, she was also right.

There is no more time for excuses. When we really take a moment to look at it, who are we really excusing? And for what? How is it serving us? It's not. It took me awhile to understand this and quite frankly I am still grasping the idea. This is how I best understand it: I have to love me before anyone else can. No matter who you may fall asleep next to, each one of us goes to sleep as just ourselves and wakes up as just ourselves. So we have to be proud of the choices we make and forgive ourselves for the not-so-good ones.

I know that each contestant on the ranch felt a lot of pressure in the past 30 days to stay in the game so they could give their partners an opportunity to come back, to have the ranch experience that they have enjoyed. So I was glad to see that the at-home partners also had the opportunity to win immunity for their ranch partners through the results of their hard work at home. Congrats, Sione!

Importance of Working as a Team
The challenge this week really solidified the importance of working together as a team. I love the way that Cathy and Kristin work together. I know I may be biased, but I love both the mother and daughter teams. Aubrey and Mandi however took a leap of faith that really paid off, I mean talk about cutting it close. Remember week 1 when those sisters kicked some serious booty!!!!

Wow. The pressure of this week's weigh-in. I could tell -- as I'm sure you did -- that Joelle was not going to put up the kind of numbers she was capable of. It's funny how sometimes when we are around different people, we "show up" a certain way. For whatever reason, it seems Joelle isn't able to give what it takes in the shadow of Carla. I am not saying it is right or wrong, I am simply saying it is true.

I hope that Joelle and Carla figure out how to really support each other at home. It will probably occur over several hours in the gym and many conversations, but I have faith that they will find a balance in their friendship that will encourage amazing results for all of us to witness come finale!


Ali Vincent of Season 5 was the first woman to ever win The Biggest Loser grand prize.