April 2009 Archives

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

Another great week on the Biggest Loser. I'm not even going to go through it step by step this week, but I do want to talk about a few things. I think it is so important as we near the end of the season to make sure a few issues are being addressed.

What's Tara Afraid Of?
I think that Tara really needs to sit with herself and take a look at what she is so afraid of. We all know she is an amazing woman, capable of doing anything she puts her mind to. My wish for Tara is that she acknowledges and understands with every part of who she is that whether or not she wins--she is a winner. I'm not sure she's there yet, and there will be times throughout her journey in life when "wins" are not as obvious as they are in these challenges on the show. Will she know herself well enough to really feel her greatness? Her worthiness?

Growing up is hard to do, especially on The Biggest Loser. A lot of the contestants are in their early 20s, and there are so many issues that come up in the process of weight loss not to mention the constant state of exhaustion our bodies go through while on the ranch. I personally do not know that I would have made it through the process at their age. I look back at my life in my early 20s and, of course, it would have been great if I had grappled with my weight issues then. But I don't know that I would have survived doing it on national TV.

Knowledge Is Freedom
There is something to be said about having the knowledge that liberates you! I did an interview the other day and the interviewer kept going on and on about how counting calories is such a pain in the you-know-what, and asking me why did I still do it?  I was dumbfounded at the question. The interviewer admitted she could never manage to count calories, yet said she was struggling to lose weight. That's the thought process that led me to 234 pounds just over a year ago.

Here's the thing. If we want change, we have to do things differently and, yes, counting calories may seem like a hassle in the beginning when you are constantly having to reference your Biggest Loser calorie counter, but as you eat what you love, you get to know the calorie values. When I first started I thought it would be so cool if I could memorize all calorie values so that I would never feel uncomfortable again in choosing the best meal for me. Bob and Jill know their calorie values cold! (And you never know, you might just win a trip to New York like Mike did in the nutrition pop quiz during week 16. Sorry, Kristin!)

Keeping Your Word
What does it mean to keep your word and yet participate in gameplay on the show? It's an interesting part of being on The Biggest Loser because there is so much to consider. Of course it's the opportunity of a lifetime, but the contestants need to remember that their time on the show is just a small part of their overall lives.

I do not judge anyone for the decisions made about staying in the game. I do however think it's a copout when one player eliminates another to get a legup on winning the prize. But everything happens for a reason, and you all know that I believe that wholeheartedly even when we do not necessarily understand the reasons in the moments.

I love Kristin and know that she is exactly where she should be! I am so happy that I got to see her come into her own with such grace. I am getting my little chin pillow ready as I always do for the finales!

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

Sione's leaving last week definitely changes the feel in the house. Though I admire Filipe's desire to fight like he has never fought before for Sione and Bob, he cannot win The Biggest Loser for anyone but himself. Time and time again on ranch, the players have said they want to win for Bob since, yes, many of The Biggest Losers in the past have been trained by Jillian.

In my season, Roger thought he was going to do it for Bob. Then when I went back to campus during season 6, Heba said she was going to do it for Bob. (Heba almost pulled it off but was not voted into the finale by America; she did, however, have the highest overall percentage of weight loss.) So although I admire Filipe's desire to fight the "epic" battle as Kristin calls it, I hope he realizes the only battle to win is the battle within, that place where we realize that we deserve to have and create all that we want in our lives.

Canyon Tightrope Walk
I loved this challenge. It was definitely an opportunity for many overwhelming fears to be conquered with everyone trying to focus while sliding on a wire 100 feet (10 stories!) above a canyon. I really thought Filipe was going to pull this one off, especially after Tara lost her footing and struggled to get herself back up on that wire. But you know our girl in green! She has a one-track mind, and that is winning!

Makeover Week
But everyone wins every week on the show. Makeover week is definitely a week that all the players look forward to. In fact, some step foot on the ranch hoping to just make it to this week. After 15 weeks of working out and focusing on how we got the way that we did and really not spending time on our appearances, makeover week is so much FUN!

Most of the contestants don't even realize until this week how much their bodies have changed. My favorite part of makeovers is seeing the reactions and emotions once the contestants see their family members. These contestants looked so AMAZING, talk about beautiful people. Tim Gunn was incredible, helping everyone get out of their comfort zone, a place that was never really comfortable to begin with.

The Kristin Threat
Bob was right when he told Kristin that as the biggest girl in the house, she is the biggest threat. Kristin has to stay above the yellow line. Girls definitely have to work harder to lose the weight but another reality is that as a girl, you typically are able to get smaller in the long run since women's frames tend to be smaller.

Laura's Injury
On the ranch, contestants are treated as athletes from the get go, so injuries happen. It was unfortunate that Laura had such a severe injury, which is why Dr. Huizenga put such a serious restriction on her. In the long run, it is not worth damaging your body. It's important for all of us on our journey of health and working out at home to make sure we stay in touch with our doctors and trainers.

I know that elimination is the hardest part about being on the ranch. I do believe that Laura will have the best chance of getting better at home. I also know that she has turned a major corner and has all that she needs to continue her journey at home under medical supervision. Good luck, my friend!

By Ali Vincent, Special to BiggestLoserClub.com

I just want to start out by saying um.... NICOLE, where oh where did you go? I couldn't believe how amazing Nicole looked when I first set eyes on her back at campus in week 13. And it was so great for me to be there with everyone; it truly is a special place.

Every time I go back, I always want to take every single contestant in my arms and tell them how good they are doing and that everything will be ok. I want to share with them that it will all be ok whether they stay on ranch or go home because eventually everyone goes home. Being on The Biggest Loser is definitely a special time in our lives as contestants, but it just is a moment in time in all respect to our entire lives. It is especially inspiring to see contestants come back to campus or the finale after only a short stint on The Biggest Loser campus and see the amazing results created at home.

Too Much Stress?
All too often at home we feel pulled in millions of different directions. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming, and our bodies can physically panic. When our bodies are that stressed out, be it emotionally or physically, our systems go into protective mode and produce a hormone called Cortisol.

Now I am no doctor by any means, I can only talk from my experience and the knowledge given to me by my trainers, Bob and Jillian. But what happens when Cortisol is released is that it prevents you from losing weight. I don't know why Nicole gained 5 lbs. during her week back on campus, but I do know that she was experiencing a lot of stress from so many people pulling her in so many different directions. I know. I've been there!

Control What You Can
As a contestant returning to campus after being gone for weeks and weeks, you do not come back to the same situation. There is gameplay in The Biggest Loser, and the longer you stay on campus the more sucked into it you get.

When I returned to campus during my season after a 5-week hiatus, I could not personally handle that kind of stress. I just decided to control what I could and that was my intake of calories and the amount of calories I burned. For whatever reason, I was able to detach enough from the drama of the game that I did not have any experiences (that I was aware of) with Cortisol.

I am not trying to make excuses for anyone, just thinking things over. I have been lucky enough to personally get to know Nicole, and she is one of the most vibrant and strong women I have had the privilege to cross paths with. I think Nicole is AMAZING, and I know in my heart of hearts that everything happens for a reason. I know Nicole believes that too. So America, brace yourself for a woman who has used her at-home resources to their fullest. And know this, you can do the very same thing to regain control of your life!