From Biggest Loser 5 winner Ali Vincent in a special to BiggestLoserclub.com
Hey BL Clubbers, let’s talk a little about this and a little about that :)
I don’t know if any of you out there have seen the book featured during the episode this week "Eat this, Not That" by Dave Zinczenko, but it is really a fun book to check out. Although the best options are always the ones that you prepare at home, you don’t always have the luxury to do so, plus sometimes you just want to meet you girlfriends out for dinner.
Since being on the show myself, I have been crazy busy travel and doing different things for Biggest Loser and 24-Hour Fitness, so I have had to figure out the best way for me to stay with in my calorie budget.
When I’m at home I typically eat food that I get delivered from the Biggest Loser meal plan, which you will be able to see on Oprah this Thursday, it’s really GOOD. In fact most of my friends come over just so I will make them a meal. Dinner parties at my house are like being in a restaurant because everyone gets to choose exactly what they want.
There are also times though when we want to grab something real quick after a morning workout or hike. I usually need a refill on my coffee at that point so we will head to Starbucks. I know a lot of people out there might think that the whole grain bagel w/ light cream cheese is a better option than a breakfast sandwich but it’s not. (Did you notice how Brady tried to throw Phil off by asking if it was “light” cream cheese?) I usually opt for the fruit and almonds. Or another mistake people make is thinking that the better choice is a salad when a lot of times the salads and dressing are loaded with calories. I typically like to choose the grilled chicken option with steamed veggies.
40 Extra Pounds in Mid-Air
I’m sure that the black team would have loved to have known the better choice between this and that when they realized what that 40 pounds was going to feel like suspended high in the air on top of there own weight. I love how they always add the mental aspect to challenges. I like that this challenge in particular had the mental aspect of being suspended and the team aspect of needing the support of every member to really hold and process and deal with it.
I know that in the real world support systems are essential to have the success that the blue team had during this challenge. You need people to encourage you when every part of you wants to give up. Now you have to be the one to do it but you need your friends and family.
I know that the black team would have really loved the opportunity to choose a member of the blue team to not weigh in. I think that Jillian took the right approach after she found out the results of the challenge. Which was do what they went to the ranch to do, LOSE weight. You never know how other people are going to play the game so all you can do is control what you have control of and that is what you put into your body and what you burn off your body.
It wasn’t until week 4 of my season that I really realized that I didn’t need to be worrying about who was in alliance with who, I just needed to remember that I could what ever I put my mind to, my body was getting stronger by the day. I was realizing I am an athlete, that a sport doesn’t make someone an athlete, it’s the will of the spirit within that is an athlete.
I think I personally would have died in week 7 if Bob made us run 10 miles, I remember they would make us run but never straight through; we got to walk for time frames in between.
Scary Weigh-In
The weigh-in was scary. First of all, I was surprised they chose Michelle not to weigh in. But the way the black team weighed in, I guess it wouldn’t have made a difference. I give kudos to Brady for losing 13 pounds, but I wasn’t surprised and am not completely convinced that some of Bob’s suspicions of game play aren’t going on.
I will say that they need to open up to Bob. You do not want either trainer feeling like you are not being completely honest with them. They are there to help the contestants lose weight but understand the game play aspect of it, however you need to let both of them know if something is going on. They do not like to feel like they are in the dark or not know why the scale is saying what it is saying.
As far as numbers, Bob and Jillian and ALL of us from the show know how to gauge weight loss and crunch the numbers. There may not be personal scales on the ranch, but we have our Body Bugg’s which tracks our calories burned. We track our intake, so you take your deficit everyday add them together then divide by 3500 and there you have it your weight loss for the week, for the most part.
I think Phil was the obvious choice for the girls to eliminate. Renee and Michelle will probably be the biggest loser for their team each week. I just don’t think Coleen can pull the numbers they can, she doesn’t have the weight and with Phil gone they have guaranteed themselves the last two spots on their team. I guess we will probably see individuals come back real soon!
--Ali
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