Many of the contestants never thought they would make it to this -- the third and final stage of the game: Singles. In a BL first, they are allowed to choose whom they would like to train with as well. Perhaps not surprisingly, Filipe and Sione immediately go back to training with Bob, with Filipe saying, "Get me out of this Black shirt." However, some players have a more difficult time choosing. When Helen chooses Jillian, Bob is surprised, but he is not at all prepared when Mike announces that he too, will be sticking with Jillian. He tells his players that it was like "a punch in the stomach."

The decision weighs heavily on Mike -- and the youngest player left in the game is clearly stressed, as he takes break after break during his first workout with Jillian to run outside and vomit. Later, in a private conversation with Kristin, he tells her he feels as if he has betrayed Bob. Kristin comforts Mike with a surprising admission, telling him she almost made the same move based on Jillian's track record, and that "game-play-wise, you made the best decision."

Meanwhile, Sione and Filipe tease Tara about how she must be happy they are no longer training with her -- singing to her and telling her jokes as she makes her dinner. Sione wonders, "If a group of vegetarians were left alone on an island... how long would it be before they started eating the cows?" in a nod to Bob's vegan lifestyle. Tara takes it all in stride and lets them know she is on her own team -- as she has been from the beginning.

When Tara beats Sione yet again by winning another challenge, he does not take it well, perhaps because of an earlier conversation with Bob in the gym. As the original Blue team has now appeared to regain some of its original intensity, both Sione and Filipe have reverted to the oft-heard BL mantra, "To be the best, you have to compete with the best."

It seems as though the stress on the ranch will continue to be present as each player strives to stay above the yellow line. How will their choices in trainers and their alliances affect them throughout the rest of their time on the BL campus?

This week put the contestants to the test as they went home to experience the real world for one week. Everyone has mixed reactions coming back to campus with Tara, Mike, and Helen thrilled to be back in their comfort zone while others, like Laura and Aubrey, had a hard time leaving their family and friends. Everyone comes to the consensus that losing weight in the real world will be very difficult indeed, as they have changed, but their environments have remained the same.

Bob and Jillian have their work cut out for them, and spend a lot of time in the gym with their players. As Bob trains Ron he says gleefully, "Hope you had fun at home Ronnie... cause now you're back in my house," while Jillian has a similar conversation with Helen, saying, "Hope you had fun at home -- you're my bitch for the next two months." As Helen and Ron, along with everyone else, moan and groan, Jillian laughs, "Yep -- a lot of love in this room!"

The contestants are all nervous about how the week at home may have affected them physically and mentally. Aubrey misses her family terribly, saying, "As I came back, I thought I would be okay. But when I got here, I felt really lonely. And I kinda felt like I don't have anybody." Kristin has found more strength in herself, telling Bob in a private conversation that, "Going home put everything in perspective. I'm in that mind frame now. I'm completely serious."

When the Blue team loses yet another weigh-in, emotions are high. Kristin tells her mom, "You are a good-hearted person and you can't handle the lies and betrayal of this house." Against Ron's wishes, Kristin and Cathy decide that Aubrey needs to stay and that Cathy should be the one to go home.

This week is going to be all about the food: from the pop challenge, to the actual challenge, to the weigh-in. During the pop challenge, the cast reflects on their old eating habits. With Filipe admitting he would eat a bucket of fried chicken at a time and Tara confessing her weakness for chicken parmesan, Mike pretty much sums it up when explaining to Rocco DiSpirito what he used to eat for breakfast, admitting, "I'd look at the menu and say yeah." The Black Team wins the pop challenge by preparing healthy versions of fast food, with Aubrey making everyone laugh as she says, "America, meet the Mexican that can't make a burrito." As the Black Team enjoys their meal prepared by Rocco, Ron takes matters into his own hands and sprays the dining Black team with water from the sink, and they all have a good laugh.

The Black Team also wins this week's challenge at the food bank, and receives free groceries for a year from General Mills. Mike does something that is quite surprising when he gives Aubrey his prize, noting that she needs it more for her family. Aubrey cries and says, "When you're eating Ramen, I'll think of you." Even though Mike has done a great thing for Aubrey, he doesn't realize that in a matter of hours, the fate of the house will be resting on his weight loss. Did he lose the double digits necessary to keep them all safe?

The teams have split to Black and Blue this week and there are mixed feelings in the house. Immediately after the pop challenge, while speaking to his new "Blue" team Ron jokes, "I'm putting a stripe down the middle of my room," referring to Mike being on the Black team.

Helen says, "We are so happy coming into the gym, we are going to be crying coming out of it." If she only knew how true that would be! The challenge lives up to its name as the longest challenge in Biggest Loser history, and the contestants fight to stay awake. Filipe sings about being Tongan and dances as he pedals, energizing himself with his culture. Kristin eats an apple to keep herself alert while pedaling at 3:00 in the morning, but Mike on the other hand has his hands tucked under his armpits and his eyes closed, at least pretending he can be sleeping. In an effort to not fall asleep, Mike and Kristin begin playing rock, paper, scissors, trying to work themselves mentally as well as physically. Meanwhile, Dane tells Aubrey in the midst of his own misery, "I feel like the number one criteria so far with these challenges is that we have to be miserable." After their new times are revealed and the Black team is ahead of the Blue team with only hours left in the challenge, the Black team yells in excitement and in contrast to what he was feeling before, Filipe says, "If I was wearing Blue now... I'd probably want to switch to Black." Aubrey is clearly upset at the outcome as she tells Mandy, "It's a good thing I'm here to lose weight and not win challenges... my optimism is gone... as far as winning... just going to focus on working myself out. With that attitude, Mandy refers to her sister as "Negative Nellie," but minutes later she is the one saying, "I hate winners... I want to punch them all in the face." With a lot of laughing, goofing around and playing games while on the bikes, and getting themselves through it with phrases like, "I am just going to keep pedaling the pounds away," the challenge finally ends. But as Aubrey admits the next day, "I started to freak out during the 24-hour challenge... I thought it was never going to end." Aside from a difficult week and even though almost everyone is on a different team, the contestants stay united, as is evident in some fun basketball they play.