Sherry started at the ranch weighing 218 pounds and boasted a sunny disposition that she maintained throughout the competition. If anything, it only got brighter with each pound she lost. She says her elimination wasn’t really as a surprise. Speaking to concerns about ageism on the ranch, Sherry said that she and fellow contestant and mom Cheryl George (the two have become great friends) had discussed the topic and knew the younger players would stick together.

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Nicknamed “Little Mama” by trainer Jillian Michaels and “Mama Sherry” by her fellow black team members, Sherry stepped into a motherly role for many of those younger players who would eventually vote her off the ranch. When Stephanie and Sam began “dating” in week three, she said she offered friendly advice to not forget the reasons she was at the ranch and said that Stephanie was appreciative.

But her number one charge was 27-year-old daughter Ashley. During week nine Ashley confessed that she was struggling with constant concern over her mother’s well being, a burden she took on after the passing of her father. Sherry said “As a mom I don’t want to hold her back,” and was surprised to see how responsible Ashley felt for her. She was confident that after she left Ashley would be able to thrive.

Sherry wasted no time in returning to her normal life at home. Within a day or two she was back to her full-time job, and quickly realized the pressure to fit in the workouts, food planning and work. “It really can be done if you make a strong effort to do it,” she said. And seeing that she was down to the 130s in her “Where Are They Now” segment, she’s clearly made the effort.

She continues to live at home like she did on the ranch. She wakes up at 4:30 a.m. for a 5:00 a.m. bootcamp, then returns home to get ready for work. After work she gets in another workout. And it’s clear in speaking with her that her diet and food intake continues to be a priority she isn’t slacking on any time soon. Sherry maintains the “clean eating” habits she learned on the ranch. She says this means looking at what she eats, staying on task, reading food labels and watching the ingredients closely.

“Don’t put anything in your mouth that you don’t know what is in it,” season seven’s Tara Costa told her. And it’s good advice she adheres to.

When she finds herself in a rare moment where she just has to have something “bad,” she has one bite and says that is satisfying. “I’ve worked too hard,” Sherry says, and she isn’t willing to throw it away on an entire candy bar or pizza.

If it weren’t living up to her own expectations, you might say that the winning legacy of being on the pink team was keeping her in line. Sherry said they were “excited and proud to be picked to be the pink team” for this season. Like many of her predecssors (Ali Vincent and Michelle Aguilar), Sherry says you’ll see her wearing pink every day.

As she’s quickly working her way back down to the size five dress she wore on her wedding day, Sherry says “I feel like I did in my 20s… that’s exciting!”

Due to technical issues we were unable to record today’s interview.

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Sherry Johnston’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

Now that Daris George’s mother is gone, he is going to have the opportunity to really grow up and shine. You can see just how much his mother meant to him, but with her being eliminated he will have to face the rest of his journey alone.

The contestants are faced with a pop challenge where they are put to the test of recognizing different calorie and nutritional information on different types of food. The blue team wins a spa day at the Four Seasons hotel which proves to be a much needed stay away from the ranch. The black team loses and is forced to clean the kitchen and gym.

Alison reveals to the contestants that this week’s main challenge is to cook for Curtis Stone. Each team must pick a total of twelve ingredients and put together an appetizer, entree, and dessert. The contestants will be graded by Curtis for taste, caloric value, and overall health factor of each dish. The black team wins giving them a five-pound advantage at this week’s weigh in.

The weigh in this week proves difficult for the black team as they pull lower numbers. Alison tells the blue team they must lose more than 45 pounds to win. Koli Palu hits a major milestone reaching under 300 pounds and it seems to be an emotional victory for everyone watching. With the black team losing the weigh in, Sherry Johnston is sent home.

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Biggest Loser Recap Season 9 Episode 9 with Amanda Arlauskas

“I don’t think I’ll have any problem [maintaining at home]” says Cheryl, following her elimination in week eight. She says she knew it was going to be her week to go home, due to the alliances and relationships existing on the black team. But she was OK with it then and she’s OK with it now.

Listen now as Cheryl tells us how she manages in the real world, and how she seeks “enjoyment classes” at the gym.

Cheryl says she lives at home just like she did at the ranch – focused on clean eating and burning more calories than she consumes. And while she can’t spend eight hours a day in the gym like she did on the show, she still manages a three-hour workout each day. She enjoys a variety of classes at her gym, and does a fitness bootcamp.

Another exciting part of her new lifestyle is her wardrobe. Following her elimination we saw her face the emotional task of cleaning out all of her old clothes (donating them to a local church). “It was a big thing for me,” she says. “The thought of going back to that? I never want to look like that again.”

Cheryl says she’s already changed sizes three times since being home, so she’s not doing a lot of shopping these days. When she does, it’s at discount stores because she knows she won’t remain this size. However, she does have big shopping spree plans in store for herself, “When I’ve finally come to my maintenance weight I’ll do a lot of shopping.” Cheryl says she’s never been to a Macy’s so she’d like to go there.

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Cheryl George’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

Alison tells the contestants that this week is “work week.” This means that each contestant will be working a full-time, 40-hour job this week. Each team will be transported to downtown Los Angeles for one week to help with local food banks and Feeding America. Not only does this take away from precious workout time, but the gym will also go from being open 24 hours a day to only open from 6am-7:30pm.

Through the stress of work week, the teams still have to work together in order to succeed. At this week’s challenge, each team had to pull a semi-tractor trailer while collecting crates. The blue team crossed the finish line and solved the puzzle at the end first winning a year’s worth of free groceries.

Last chance workout is especially intense because Bob and Jillian know they only have a limited amount of time in the gym with the contestants before the lights go out and the gym closes.

At the weigh-in, the black team comes up short losing a combined 32 pounds compared to the blue team’s impressive 50 pounds. Because of the lower percentage of weight loss, the black team falls below, and ultimately ends up sending Cheryl George home.

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Biggest Loser Season 9 Week 8 Recap with Amanda Arlauskas

In one of those fateful twists of play Biggest Loser is known for, Darrell and Cheryl George fell below the yellow line, and then had to face-off in an awkward and painful final challenge to see who would stay and who would go. Last a little longer than six minutes balancing a torch on his head while maintaining a squat position, the pain got the best of him and Darrell was eliminated. He shared a tearful goodbye with his daughter and teammate Andrea Hough, but in speaking with him today there were no signs of the self-disappointment he expressed at the time. Instead, Darrell sounds confident and proud of the progress he’s making on his own.

We asked Darrell what it’s been like to lose weight as a male, a “sport,” if you will, that’s typically been reserved for women. He says the only weight loss successes he’s ever really seen have come from women, and he usually only sees guys gain instead of lose. But now, in light of his own success, he says “guys are coming out of the woodwork,” talking about a subject they just don’t talk about. He gets asked about his workouts, calorie intake and handling other weight-related situations. He says it’s been positive reinforcement.

So what is he responding to those questions from his peers? Well, he credits his now 140-pound weight loss with maintaing the Biggest Loser diet. He says “my diet mirrors what we were taught at the ranch.” That means he’s eating four meals each day and finding variety by using recipes from the Biggest Loser Cookbooks.

Being that he’s back at work, running a printing press in a large print facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Darrell says that he doesn’t have near the time to dedicate to working out as he did at the ranch, but that’s not an excuse. Instead, Darrell says his workouts are just much more intense, so he can squeeze in a greater calorie burn into a shorter amount of time. And he squeezes in exercise where he can get it. For instance, at work, he walks about 20,000 steps each day (double the average recommendation). If he needs to get from point A to point B, he picks up the pace so he’s walking with higher intensity and says he walks everywhere “as fast as I can.”

Darrell admits he never recognized the impact of his “couch potato body” until he arrived at the ranch. There’s no doubt that couch potato lifestyle has been left far behind as he continues his remarkable weight loss journey at home.

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Darrell Hough’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

The night of Migdalia’s elimination, Miggy was rushed to the hospital, where she would undergo emergency surgery for an appendectomy and removal of a cyst and mass. In the spirit of doing whatever was necessary to stay, and with Dr. Huizenga’s orders to do nothing more than walked, she walked. Miggy walked dozens of miles each day immediately following her surgery; we also for the first time got to see her bright smile and laugh. Miggy was in it to win it.

However, week seven brought about the division of the teams into blue versus black. Miggy’s new blue team fell below the yellow line and she became its first victim. “It was the only time I was going to give them the opportunity to [vote me off],” says Miggy about the elimination and the reason she was chosen. She says her four-pound weight loss was disappointing, but it seems to have been the only disappointing weigh-in she’s had since.

Now at home, Miggy has lost more than 70 pounds to date, and works with a trainer regularly, as well as maintains the Biggest Loser diet, in an effort to continue working toward her goal – a size 5 by finale.

Miggy’s trainer has introduced her to meditation and a variety of workouts that keep things interesting for her. She also runs the eight miles to work each morning, where she has access to a neighboring gym where she can shower and get ready. Miggy also wears a 40-pound vest at work each day, which she says helps her raise her heart rate and burn more calories.

In addition to her trainer, Miggy has found a generous source of support in season seven’s Nicole Brewer; the two run together regularly and Nicole calls to check-in.

You’d think that a career as a chef would be full of temptations, but Miggy seems to have no problem avoiding them. Instead, it was soda upon her return home that proved to be the toughest temptation. She admits to giving in; she drank a half a cup and was in pain the rest of the day.

Calling herself “strong, determined and a sweetheart,” Miggy may not be at the ranch, but there is no doubt she is still in this to win it.

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Miggy Cancel’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

Alison Sweeney reveals a temptation to the contestants. There are hundreds of cookies on a table with a memory game board. Michael Ventrella and Andrea Hough are the only two contestants that decide to participate. Whichever player finds two golden tickets will win the opportunity to choose one player to have immunity, and also split the remaining contestants in to two teams, blue versus black. Micheal Ventrella ends up winning and gains control of everyone’s fate. Once the teams are decided, Michael gives O’Neal Hampton, Jr. immunity.

Now that the teams are set it is time for the first challenge. Each team must work together to raise their flag up the side of a building. The blue team wins, winning letters from home. This is an emotional loss for the black team as it has been seven weeks since the players have been home, and everyone is missing their family and friends.

The weigh in begins and the anticipation is high as the blue team is “stacked up” with players who are in a better position to lose weight. Together they lose a combined 48 pounds, or 2.70%. The black team looks worried, but they impressively come back to lose a combined total of 41 pounds, or 2.82%. With that, the black team wins the weigh in and the blue team is up for elimination. Michael Ventrella lost the highest percentage, so he is immune from elimination. After four votes, Miggy Cancel is eliminated!

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Biggest Loser Recap Season 9 Episode 7 with Amanda Arlauskas

It all started in week two, when one of the quickest signs of game play in the show’s history appeared on the scale with Melissa. She and husband Lance Morgan had earned immunity, and Melissa gained weight that week. Trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper immediately called her out on throwing the weigh-in while she stood dumbfounded on the stage wondering what could have gone wrong. In an almost impossible replay a week later, the same scenario played out again, only this time Michaels called her a liar. Fans went crazy wanting to know the truth while Melissa vehemently denied having thrown either weigh-in, even swearing on the lives of her children that it was nothing she’d done, a position she maintains today.

After that, the relationship between the Morgans and Michaels was strained, but Melissa kept her head in the game and continued to do what she’d gone to the ranch for – to lose weight.

Hear our exclusive post-elimination interview with Melissa, in which she talks about how the issues with the trainers may have hindered her weight loss and what she thinks is the biggest benefit of her new lifestyle.

Melissa left the ranch in week six, in a game twist that sent the lowest weight loss home immediately without deliberation; Melissa gained a pound. She returned home to her two young children where she juggled the healthy new lifestyle with the pressures of playing a single mom, while Lance continued on the show. She makes it work by taking the kids with her to the gym – which is ideal for everyone involved; Melissa is able to squeeze in gym time and she’s actively showing her children the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

For now, we wait to see if Melissa meets her goal weight by finale. Given her tenacity, fighting spirit, and commitment to herself, we have no doubt she will.

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Melissa Morgan’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

The contestants meet with many inspiring athletes, including J.R. Celski, who assist them through workouts all week, as well as challenges. The pop challenge consists of the players sliding side to side on slide boards 500 times. The top three winners get advantages in this week’s main challenge. Sam Poueu came in first, Melissa Morgan second, and Sunshine Hampton third. Their advantages were used in the main challenge, where each player had to run laps, and for each completed lap they got the opportunity to hit their opponent’s target. Once a player had been targeted five times, they were eliminated from the game. O’Neal Hampton was the last player standing and therefore won immunity.

Last chance workout was intense as the players worked with pairs figure skater, Rockne Brubaker, back in L.A. The weigh-in was intense as each player weighed in alone. Melissa Morgan fell below the red line after gaining one pound, and she was sent home immediately, while Darryl Hough and Cheryl George fell below the yellow line. For the first time this season, these two players are put through an elimination challenge to decide who will be eliminated. Wouldn’t be Biggest Loser style if they didn’t end the episode with a “to be continued…”. Not only are we left in suspense for this week, but Biggest Loser will not return until after the Winter Olympics on Tuesday, March 2.

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Biggest Loser Recap Season 9 Episode 6 with Amanda Arlauskas

His elimination was an emotional one, as John was considered one of the people who truly needed to be there, as his starting weight of 484 pounds made him one of the heaviest contestants this season. However, just as John persevered at the ranch without James, he’s now persevering at home without the ranch.

Hear our interview with John in which he talks about the importance of finding a fitness regimen that is “something fun that will last forever,” like his love for jiu jitsu, as well as how anymore he can’t even handle the taste of salt or sugar. Listen now, then continue learning about his journey.

Since leaving the ranch John is down more than 100 pounds, but he’s keeping a lid on the exact number, in part due to an unspoken competition between him and his twin brother. The two actually don’t workout together very often, due to geographic proximity as well as opposing interests at the gym (James prefers a traditional gym workout). However, that doesn’t keep them from being constant sources of support for one another.

The other major support in John’s life is his wife, who is currently expecting their second child. He says she has typical pregnancy cravings, but he’s actually managing not to gain any sympathy weight and is really just looking forward to the baby’s arrival.

Part of that is the family as a whole has made a number of healthy swaps in their kitchen, making it easy to have fresh, nutritious food readily available at all times. For instance, Mrs. Dash seasonings have replaced salt and other seasonings in cooking. Smart Balance has replaced regular butter. They satisfy a sweet tooth with sugar-free and fat-free desserts, like John’s homemade pudding pie. He says they use an all-natural crust with sugar-free Jell-O pudding, skim milk and fat-free sugar-free Cool Whip, then let it set in the refrigerator for a delicious treat!

He’s even found a healthier swap for his biggest weakness of all – football and chicken wings. With the Super Bowl happening this weekend, John said he plans to have “about six” grilled lemon pepper chicken wings. (Try these healthy Super Bowl recipes from Biggest Loser’s Curtis Stone.)

When John isn’t pursuing his new passion for martial arts and jiu jitsu, you’ll find him on the elliptical machine at his office gym, which he prefers for a total body/cardio workout. When at home, he’ll use the treadmill. John says “I’m a big proponent of cardio in the morning, makes a big difference.”

For now, John’s overall focus is on “working toward maintenance,” as this process for him is so much bigger than the Biggest Loser prize, it’s a lifestyle change.

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John Crutchfield’s Biggest Loser Elimination Interview