From Biggest Loser 5 winner Ali Vincent in a special to BiggestLoserclub.com
YAY for makeovers! I know the contestants were out of their minds! To go to New York City, get makeovers and to be on the Tyra Banks show, I mean, come on. Does it get any better than that?
I loved how excited Heba and Renee were to see Christian Siriano from Project Runway. I remember what it felt like to meet Tim Gunn and how exciting yet scary it was to be in Macy's. I knew we were going to have to try on clothes, and I "knew" that I couldn't fit into the clothes there. I had gone to stores in the past just for shoes and handbags. Sure, I obviously bought clothes, but always dreaded it. I can totally relate to Heba when she saw the size 14 label on the dress that Christian had picked out for her. She immediately said, “I’ll try it but it’s not going to fit." Did it ever fit! I remember that anxiety. I think I took all sizes into the dressing room. I started with the biggest and worked my way down until I finally got to the right size. It’s weird how our mind takes longer to catch up to our bodies.
I felt Renee’s pain, always being into fashion but never being able to express herself because she felt trapped by her weight, not being able to fit into the clothes you like and losing confidence because of the weight. I loved the twinkle in her eyes; you could see how proud she was of herself, going bold and trying on the prints.
Michelle was so nervous, waiting behind stage of the Tyra Banks Show. She looked amazing and who better to surprise her than her dad? She truly is the self-proclaimed daddy’s girl. It was funny that Michelle was so nervous, yet Renee said she must have been a model somewhere in her past as she noticed a natural calm come over her as she walked the catwalk. I loved her haircut! She is too beautiful of a woman to hide behind all that hair.
About Vicky, can we say vava-voom!? She looked great. I loved the belt, loved the red hair…. Brady, watch out. Heba, can I just say I loved her expressions? You go girl! I loved, loved, loved the red dress. And Ed, what a man walking on the catwalk as if he's always done it.
Bob and Jillian in Times Square
I think I would have passed out if I had been walking through Times Square only to look up and see Bob and Jillian on one of the big screens. I know how Jill doesn’t like to be apart from her contestants for any length of time, especially as the end draws near. One of the good things though is that NYC is a place to walk and enjoy.
Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised about Jillian’s reaction once the girls got back to the ranch. She is definitely funny like that; she truly wants to hear about everything but then it hits her that all that time was wasted (meaning not in gym with her), and she can’t waste another minute. Especially when Vicky is getting in 4 extra hours a day at the gym.
The Challenge That Made Vicky Cry
I think pressure is a good thing that always needs to be addressed. It is amazing how much pressure we always think is being put on us only to realize…we put it on ourselves. How do we maintain and not collapse under it, self-imposed or not? Although I know this challenge was extremely hard for Vicky, I’m glad she experienced it and experienced it on the ranch.
For her to acknowledge that she waited to see someone she trusted before jumping into the pool is HUGE. Now that she realizes this, she can change it and own the fact that she is the only person she needs to trust, that she is capable of having all that she wants. Does she have amazing people in her life, like Brady? Of course. But she does because she is amazing. The people in front of you and in your life are direct examples of you. So if Vicky trusts Brady and even Ed…then she has to know she can trust herself. I’m proud of Vicky for working through this fear.
When Renee and Ed landed below the yellow line, I--as well as most of America—could guess who was going to be sent home. I think it will be good for Michelle to know that she has the love and support of her father and her mother, yet that she can do it on her own. She is a strong woman worthy of knowing in her heart of hearts that she can do anything she truly believes in and puts her mind to.
This next week is truly what it all boils down to. I know everyone thinks it’s the finale that counts, but first you have to get there.
Good luck, ladies--and Ed!
