It all started 17 weeks ago. Eleven couples began a journey to change their lives. This journey has given the final four contestants the ability to see what they are capable of. Ron, Helen, Tara and Mike have all been sent home for thirty days and will return to the ranch for one final weigh-in before the finale. This weigh-in will determine who is in the finale as the final three. It’s up to the contestants to find balance at home and make a system that works for their lives. As if transforming your home life to match your new body wasn’t tough enough, everyone receives a surprise package at their doorstep.

Everyone receives a DVD from Alison that reads “PLAY ME.” She has a very important message for the contestants, they have one more major accomplishment to conquer. For their final challenge they will be running a full marathon. Just 17 weeks ago, the thought of a marathon to most of these contestants was exactly that, just a thought.

Jillian and Bob make their way out to the contestants’ homes for a little one on one time with them to remind them that the game of the Biggest Loser will be over and the game of life is much bigger and more important. It’s Biggest Loser then the rest of your life. Helping the contestants find the balance they need along with the strength and determination to take their final challenge head on, everyone heads back to California with full focus.

Now for the challenge they will be running 26.2 miles and if they finish the race, $10,000 will be donated to the charity of their choice. With the support of their trainers, Biggest Loser’s and at-home winners, Michelle, Bernie, Ali, Jim, and Heba, the contestants received some great motivation and inspiration to cross the finish line. One by one, Tara, Helen, Mike and Ron, complete the marathon.

This week’s weigh-in will determine who is in the finale. With Helen and Tara safe above the yellow line, it will be up to America to vote in the third finalist. Ron and Mike, father and son, are below the yellow line together. America must choose who will compete with Tara and Helen in the live finale. Regardless, every contestants has worked so hard to get where they are. Everyone is a winner in this and getting your life back is the ultimate prize.

Don’t miss the three-hour live finale Tuesday, May 12. I will be reporting live from the finale. Post your questions for the contestants below and we’ll do our best to get those asked.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-18

Shellay, Amy, my dad Jerry, and I offer you a few tips to stay fit and comfortable on your next charity walk.

What are some of your favorite walking tips?

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4 Tips for Charity Walks from Biggest Loser Contestants

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Ali takes the contestants on a trip down memory lane to remind them of how far they’ve come in 17 weeks on the ranch. After seeing themselves at the start of this journey, the contestants find out that this is the last week they will all be on the ranch. At the end of the week, they’ll all be heading home. Tara, Helen and Mike take a spin in their goal outfits and acknowledge their hard work to this point.

At a check up with Dr. Huizenga, the contestants find out how losing the extra weight has changed their bodies for the better. Seeing the physical difference between pictures and medical stats from week one to now, the changes are amazing. By losing more than 100 pounds, Helen has taken 10 years off of her biological age!

This week’s challenge had the contestants carrying their weight all over again. There were 16 hills to represent each week they’ve all been on the ranch. At each hill, the players will be able to “lose” the amount of weight they lost that week until they get to the final hill and they will symbolically “let go” of their weight by throwing it over the edge. First place winner has the choice between $10,000 and a one pound advantage. Lucky for the second place winner because they get the prize first place doesn’t take. Tara fought her way to first place as Mike brought it in at second place.

During the last chance workout, the trainers were surprised with “Train the Trainer Day,” where the contestants got to give Jillian and Bob a little of their own medicine. But it didn’t last long before Jillian and Bob had everyone on the floor sweating buckets.

This week’s weigh-in will determine who the final four in this game will be. Everyone had an amazing week, but even with his 10 pound loss, Filipe fell below the yellow line. Joining him was Ron who lost 9 pounds. The teams voted to send Filipe home, leaving Ron as part of the final four.

Filipe, who is not only inspiring a nation, he’s inspiring his family and culture to make healthy changes. Since being eliminated Filipe has been paying it forward to family, friends and anyone who wants to join in his backyard exercise group. With Filipe losing more than 140 pounds, he’s going to be tough competition for the at-home prize.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-17

Rosemary Ellis of Good Housekeeping magazine joined Ali Sweeney to give the contestants a quiz on fitness and food trivia. The contestants are about to put their knowledge to the test. The person with the most correct answers wins a 3-day trip to New York City, everyone puts their game faces on and the quiz begins. With questions about hidden serving sizes to calories, we get down to a tiebreaker between Kristin and Mike. Guessing the number of calories in a fast food sandwich, Mike beats Kristin in the quiz and wins himself a great getaway to New York!

The challenge this week on the Biggest Loser can be referred to as one of the most terrifying challenges yet. Even with all the contestants having been through marathons, cycling for 24 hours and traversing a canyon, this challenge tops them off. Suspended 45 feet in the air in a cage, each person will have a rope to hold onto. Holding onto this rope means keeping yourself suspended and keeping yourself in the game. As the contestants hold their body weight suspended in the air, the heights start to take their toll on the players. Tara and Helen become the final two in the air holding on for that prize. The winner will get the choice between $10,000 or a one pound advantage at the weigh-in. This game is coming down to the wire and everyone knows how valuable any type of advantage can be. Helen runs out of rope and Tara takes the win in yet another challenge.

At the weigh-in Tara informs Ali of her prize decision. Tara opts to take the $10,000 because she trusts herself for the week and is confident in her work. The scale doesn’t lie, Tara loses 5 pounds this week and doesn’t need the one pound advantage. Sadly, Helen and Kristin both find themselves below the yellow line this week. Helen expresses that she’s just not ready to leave and Kristin urges the players to do the right thing and keep her in the game. In the elimination room with a tie, Kristin, the person with the lower percentage is eliminated.

Kristin has made amazing changes for herself. She’s lost more weight than any woman on the Biggest Loser campus and has made the decision to be healthy for herself. At home, she’s paying it forward by inspiring people around her to make the same changes for themselves. To simply believe. Kristin hopes to be under 200 pounds by the finale in May.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-16

The game is on at the Biggest Loser ranch as the contestants strap in for one crazy challenge. Hovering over a deep canyon are wire cables that run from one side to the next. By using only two cables, the contestants will have to stride their way across 700 feet of canyon to the other side. The highest point of the canyon has the contestants dangling 110 feet in the air, or 10 stories high! As they traverse for the chance to win a $25,000 kitchen makeover and their refrigerators restocked with healthy goodness, Tara and Filipe fight neck-and-neck for the big win. Even after losing her step, Tara pulled her way back up and took the lead from Filipe.

Tara’s kitchen wasn’t the only thing getting a makeover this week, contestants are being made over, too! Makeover week is a big milestone for the contestants because of the symbolic ‘out with the old and in with the new.’ Fashion guru Tim Gunn shows the contestants how to dress for their new bodies and “make it work.”

At an LA salon, Australian hair stylist Tabatha Coffey completes the contestant makeovers with an amazing new ‘do. Now that everyone is all glamorous, they’re surprised with a Hollywood movie premiere where they’re greeted by family and friends. This is no ordinary movie premiere. It’s a movie about their journey on the Biggest Loser.

With no time to waste, Jillian and Bob worked their teams out in typical last chance workout, lots of pain, sweat and tears. Unfortunately for Kristin and Laura, the sweat and tears weren’t enough to keep them above the yellow line and both were up for elimination. When it came down to it, the decision on whether to send Kristin or Laura home became clear when the contestants took into consideration that Laura had serious sports injury. The stress fracture in her hip prevented her from barely applying pressure and her injury had her missing out on a lot of the ranch activities.

Upon her elimination, Laura informed America that the next time they saw her she’d be “pain free, injury free and living the life she always dreamed of.” Laura isn’t letting her fractured hip stand in the way of her reaching her goals. She’s working hard with a trainer and seeing a physical therapist to help her in the healing process. Laura is loving her new life and continuing to work towards her goal of losing 100 pounds by the finale.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-15

First, you had to find it. Everyone began to play, which meant, everyone began to eat. Cupcakes, soda, pretzels and donuts. There were packs of sugar-free gum that offered cash prizes from $500 to $5000… but those were nothing compared to having the only vote. Finally, Laura after finding $5000 also found herself the golden ticket and won the only vote for at this week’s elimination.

It was Boys v. Girls at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA at this week’s challenge. Everyone would be running up and down the stairs of the stadium. The first two people to grab their flag and bring it to the 50 yard line, get to do it all over and face off for first place. The winner will get to share their prize with their families, a trip to the Fitness Ridge Resort & Spa in Utah. Tara and Sione were the first two to bring their flags down, as they faced off for the win, Tara took a slight lead over Sione beating him to the 50 yard line. Tara wins another challenge and a great prize to share with her family.

Tara barely escaped the yellow line, but Sione and Helen fell below. Laura had a tough, but important, decision ahead of her. After her hour of deliberation and conversation with the two in danger of leaving, Laura chose to vote off Sione.
Since leaving the ranch, Sione has been doing great. He’s down 137 pounds and working towards becoming a personal trainer. Becoming a personal trainer will help Sione inspire his family to make better choices and live healthier. Sione is almost unrecognizable compared to the day he walked on to the ranch.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser 7-14 Recap

The Biggest Loser’s Season 5 winner, Ali Vincent dropped by the gym on tonight’s show to tell the contestants that Alison Sweeney had to step out for a minute… to have her baby that is! As Alison welcomed her bundle of joy, the contestants welcomed a few of their former competitors, eliminated contestants David, Estella and Nicole.

One of the eliminated contestants will have the chance to win their way back on the ranch with a weigh-in. The person with the highest percentage of weight loss will return to the ranch and receive immunity for the next weigh-in. The players step on the scale and we see Estella lose 45 pounds since the start of her journey, David is down 46 pounds and Nicole knocks it out of the park and wins a spot on the ranch with an astounding 87 pounds lost at home, putting her in second place behind Tara.

The challenge was hosted by the winner of Biggest Loser Season 6, Michelle Aguilar. Michelle let the contestants know it was all about finding balance, because if you didn’t find balance, you were going down. For this challenge, going down meant falling off the platform each player was balancing on above a pool. One by one, the ropes that held the platform stable were cut. As everyone held their rope with one arm, it was the player who was the last one standing that would win a one pound advantage at this week’s weigh-in. It came down to Sione and Kristin, going head-to-head in a game of concentration and balance. Sione held on long enough to win and watch Kristin splash into the pool below.

Ali Sweeney made it back in time for this week’s weigh-in. The contestants weighed in and the numbers were shocking. Ron with a gain of 3 pounds and Nicole with a gain of 5 pounds were below the yellow line and up for elimination. On the Biggest Loser ranch, you have immunity as long as you don’t gain. Unfortunately for Nicole, she had gained and lost her prize of immunity. Nicole was seen as a huge threat, seeing that she was ranked second in the game, and her rivals sent her back to New York.

At home, Nicole met up with friends at the bridal shop where she original picked out her wedding dress in a size 24. Nicole is now able to fit into a size 12 wedding dress and feels like a princess standing in her gown. She’s been able to inspire her friends to make healthy choices and is working hard towards her goal of being in a size 8 for her wedding. With the support of her fiance Damien, Nicole is living her life for the first time. The smile on her face speaks volumes.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-13

Even though her return to the ranch was a short one, Nicole feels that she was on that ranch for a week for a reason. She’s realizing that she is a strong woman and she is happy to be the person inspiring millions of Americans that they don’t need a “magical ranch” to lose the weight. When Nicole stepped on the scale during Tuesday night’s weigh-in, she was shocked and speechless with the results – five pounds gained. She couldn’t even begin to explain the emotions and stress from the week. Her return to the ranch was right as game play became a huge topic for everyone. She was greeted with warm welcomes and bombarded with scenarios of percentages and other game play issues. The stress of the week took a toll on her body and caused her to gain five pounds from fluid fluctuation.

Nicole has learned to love working out and is excited to call herself a runner, something she never thought she would say. It’s safe to say that believing in herself has helped Nicole reach new heights and live the best life imaginable. Since being eliminated in week 13, Nicole is beaming with happiness and she’s proud of everything she’s accomplished so far. She remains successful in her journey by finding balance and using her toolbox of tools as she plans out her complete schedule of working out, eating right and of course, wedding planning (engaged to teammate Damien Gurganious). She’s lost 107 pounds so far and plans to reach her goal weight and dazzle us at the finale.

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Interview with Nicole Brewer, Eliminated Biggest Loser Week 13

When the contestants meet up with Ali Sweeney in the gym, she breaks some news. The teams are going to individuals. Ali tells everyone that you are the only person who controls your future and that they’ll be selecting which trainer they want to train with for the rest of the game. When the teams meet back, Jillian finds out that Mike, Tara, Helen and Laura will all stay with her, while Kristin, Filipe, Sione, Ron and Aubrey will train with Bob.

For their first challenge as individuals, the teams see blocks with each person’s current weight loss and scales with the player names. Ali tells everyone that during the first part of this challenge, each person will be dividing their weight loss blocks amongst their opponents. The total amount each person receives will be added in part two of the challenge. The winner of this week’s challenge gets immunity.

The teams meet Ali and NASCAR superstar Clint Bowyer at the racetrack and they find out that they’ll be pulling a car nearly a 1/2 mile. That car will weigh about two tons, unless during part one of the challenge you’ve had weight added to yours. Receiving the most additional weight were Tara and Helen. Helen, as a threat, earned herself and additional 215 lbs. and Tara an additional 257 lbs. Even though Tara had the extra weight added to her car, she pulled at a steady pace and passed Sione and Mike who were in the lead. Tara knocked out the competition and earned herself immunity and a victory lap from Clint Bowyer in the Cheerios Corvette!

At the weigh-in, Kristin breaks a Biggest Loser record by being the first female to lose 100 pounds on the ranch. Unfortunately for Filipe and Aubrey, the yellow line stung them and sent them to the elimination room at risk of going home.

At their first elimination as individuals, the votes sent yellow team’s Aubrey home. Aubrey is a strong competitor in this game and it’s pretty obvious she means business. Reality set in when she gained nine pounds the first few weeks at home. Aubrey is balancing being a mom, working out and life at home. She’s working towards her goal to lose 30 pounds by the finale and knows she’ll never let life go back to the way she used to be.

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Coleen’s Biggest Loser Recap 7-12

For some of us, food labels can be difficult to understand. In The Biggest Loser: Complete Calorie Counter, it not only explains how to read food labels, but helps you to understand what a balanced diet is. From keeping a food journal and getting started on the right page, to calorie counts for more than 5,000 foods and nutrition facts from your favorite restaurants, this book is full of useful tools. There is even great input from past Biggest Loser contestants. This book is a great tool to have on hand, especially because it has quite a variety of information and is good when you’re on-the-go!

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The Biggest Loser Complete Calorie Counter