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Biggest Loser’s Bernie talks about sharing a room with Brittany and his lesson for Jillian

Update: Bernie won the Biggest Loser at-home prize during the 4/15/08 finale. See the DietsInReview.com interview with Biggest Loser’s Bernie live from the LA finale.

As I mentioned in my Biggest Loser Week 10 post, my heart was broken when Bernie was eliminated from the show for two reasons- I thought he was a great contender for the winning spot and I might kind of have a crush on him. If it weren’t for his leaving the ranch and returning to his hometown of Chicago, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to talk with him this morning. So at least I got something out of the deal!

They say that the TV producers can cut the film to make you look as nice or as nasty as they want to- of course adding to the show’s drama. From day one, I always thought Bernie came across as the nicest person you could ever meet, full of personality and very funny. And that’s exactly what he is. I so enjoyed talking with Bernie and learning more about his Biggest Loser experience- during and after- and I’m thrilled to be able to share that interview with you.

Thanks again for taking time out of your busy gym schedule, Bernie! And good luck at the finale on April 15!

What’s the deal with the guys not taking their shirts off now during weigh in?
I’m not completely sure, in the past seasons the same thing happens. The more weight the guys lose, it effects the body in different ways. Sagging here and there, looking a little bit funny. Plus, any opportunity to showcase the guns is a good thing. Having the shirt off in the early part of the show, it’s a wake up call incentive to get going, seeing yourself like that. I used to shower with my shirt on- I’m joking! It’s true though, definitely one of those things that’s very necessary and one of those uncomfortable type things. Going shirtless on that scale was the hardest thing on that show. I hadn’t taken my shirt off in public for years.

Do you do a pre weigh in?
Yes, the morning of the weigh in, we are weighed on a precise scale. When you wake up you get the most accurate, clearest weight. Our weigh-in was not shared with us or anyone.

We know meeting Brittany you thought she was gorgeous and it kind of shook you at the beginning to have to go through this proces with a stranger. What was that like at first sleeping in the same room with a complete stranger, especially a female? I’m sure toward the end it was more like a slumber party.
You know it was definitely one of those experiences that caught me off guard. We were strangers. She is gorgeous, that’s the first thing I saw running up to her. It was a really different situation, the whole thing was nerve wracking in general. I was concerned especially since the whole process would be really hard. But because she’s so beautiful I knew my girlfriend was going to be “Oh my gosh what’s going on?”. We actually slept with the door open for the first month. The room has one dresser, one closet. I ended up scooting the dresser to her side and I took the closet. We drew clear lines before we got to know each other. Brittany said I was the first guy she ever had to room with.

Are you receiving the support at home that you’d requested and hoped for?
Definitely! My family and friends and everyone is just super, super supportive. My god, the entire city of Chicago is supportive. There’s not a 24-Hour Fitness here, but a local gym gave me a membership and is hooking me up with a trainer. Everyone at the club is super nice and lending support. Definitely.

It’s not realistic to workout six hours a day at home- what is your plan?
My plan is to get in as much exercise time as possible. I’m getting about 4-5 hours a day by breaking it up, couple hours in the morning, couple hours in the afternoon and 1-2 at night if I’m lucky. It’s really not too different from the ranch. One thing I’m doing more precisely is eating. I’m trying to stick closely to my diet. If I don’t get extra hours at the gym, then I’m still not gaining.

How are you managing your diet at home? When I spoke with Julie Haddon from Season 4, she said you eat very organic, low-sodium at the ranch, and it just wasn’t that affordable to do at home.
It’s expensive- very expensive. Especially to continue eating healthy. I’m taking time to shop around and compare prices. I buy some things at Whole Foods, some at Trader Joe’s, there’s a great produce store by my house for fruits and vegetables. I buy a lot of chicken breast or fish, like tilapia, in bulk from Costco. Just shop around, see how you can make it work within your budget. It’s doable with shopping around.

Is there really a cupcake named after you?
Yes there is. I’ve been to the bakery a couple times and refrained from the cupcake. I’ve stopped in to say hi and just gotten a small cup of coffee.

What’s in it?
It’s like an angle food cake, and in between the layers is homemade custard, not the gloopy, get on your shirt kind, and then they dip the entire top half in chocolate ganache. It’s definitely calling to me, but I told it to go away. The baker is getting requests from around the country, and people stopping in to see it. I’m going to talk to them about a cut of the sales. (laughing)

What happened Tuesday night? I couldn’t believe there wasn’t an elimination!
I know! People at the gym in spin class stopped me to say “my Tivo cut it off- who is gone?”

If you’d had an extra week off like Mark, would you have come back on Tuesday?
I try not to play the whole “what-if, would-have, this-that.” I’d love to be back at the ranch. But I don’t know how things would have been. I was hoping to have lost enough weight to come back and not go home. I don’t know, maybe, maybe not. Mark is one of those people who is completely driven, competitive and motivated.

What did you think of the spin to bring back two contestants?
You know what? Oh gosh, I sound so neutral. I applaud the people who went home to lose that weight. Ali was an inspiration to me, one of the people who inspired me the most. She was eliminated in week 4 and continued to do a terrific job at home. They threw a twist in the game. Everyone’s thinking we already survived these competitors, and for them to come back was a small punch to the gut. Seeing that it’s possible outside the ranch was inspiring for me. Ali, even Mark, definitely deserve the opportunity. It threw everyone for a loop.

Especially for the girls, the seemed really taken back.
For women to stay in the game is hard. They’re really struggling with some of the numbers. To think they’d already passed these competitors is a blow.

You said you were going to spend the $2500 from the vending machine on a gold chain for your dog- have you done that?
I haven’t gotten the gold chain ordered yet, but I’m getting a “Berndana” coat for him. I thought about it- no dog should be wearing gold. I don’t want him to get jumped by other dogs!

Any plans to use that to propose to your girlfriend?
Oh gosh- you know what? That’s something we’d have to talk a little more about. Having the extra money around is pretty nice. I can definitely get a very healthy meal.

St. Patrick’s Day is Monday and a big deal in Chicago- How do you plan to celebrate differently this year?
It’s Huge! I Know! I’m going to go ahead and watch everyone else celebrate, make sure I’m taking in the day and not the beverages consumed on that day. Friends are already calling to go out. And I’m like, “Remember, I’m on that show?”.

Do you have plans for the $100,000 when you win the At-Home Biggest Loser?
What I would really love to do is pay off my student loans. I just finished graduate school. I’d put some toward, oh gosh, sounds like a beauty pageant response. My mom’s house in Crown Heights, Indiana, the flooding hit hard this year. I’d like to help by rebuilding her basement, new carpet and tile, things like that.

Who do you see being competition for you or anyone with the at-home prize? Curtis wasn’t slacking at all with the 100 pounds.
You know, it’s funny how everyone initially has the same goal to lose weight and get healthy. The more you lose, the more you realize you can be a competitor in this game. Curtis is incredible, to see how he did at home. It takes me back. Curtis is definitely a huge competitor. Trent is another one. He has the drive of no one I know and the personality to go with it. Jackie is definitely a competitor. I fear everyone at this point.

What about Paul?
Paul, you know, I really actually ended up voting for Paul because I see how competitive he can be. If he gets in his karate outfit there’s no stopping him! At this point, I see everyone as competition.

Anything behind the scenes at the ranch you’d like to share?
People actually get along more than they portray on TV. Everyone really does come together and talk about the fact that there is that common goal to get healthy for your loved ones and family. Another thing people would be interested to know – the trainers are there all the time. They really do care about how we’re doing with our diet and exercise. Jillian especially puts in tons of hours on and off the camera.

Have you been able to keep in touch with Jillian or planning to do so afterward?
I definitely hope to. I feel like she’s given me my life back. Since I’ve left I’ve contacted her via email a couple of times and once by phone. She’s extremely busy and makes time to respond to those emails with words of encouragement. We’ll definitely have a friendship for the rest of my life.

As you will with Brittany?
Brittany is someone I will invite to a wedding I might have or be in a wedding I might have. Or, I might just marry her! My relationship with Brittany is very much a big brother/little sister type thing. I couldn’t have gone through this without her. She’s inspirational in her own right. That’s definitely the truth. Chef Bernie

Jillian freaked out on Allison Tuesday night- what was your reaction?
I caught just a little of that. It goes back to what I shared earlier- she cares about all aspects of our health, even the mental/emotional. It’s an emotional experience being on the show. Our entire lives we’ve been picked on in some capacity. Kids make fun of our weight, even our parents would say “You’d look so much better if…”.

The host is incredible and wonderful, but brings up some of those issues, “Do you feel like you stand a chance?”. Brittany didn’t need that at that point. I applaud Jillian for standing up to the bombardment of questions Alli was putting out there. Jillian uses her own vocabulary and made the point hammer across. Maybe I’ll talk to her about some adjectives she can use that can be aired. She’ll probably end up using her adjectives on me!

Can you sum up in just a couple of sentences what this instant celebrity has been like?
It’s just been flattering. completely flattering. I’m honored that I’m in some way an inspiration to fellow Chicagoans, family and friends. I’m an educator, so sharing this experience, it is my honor. I’m thrilled that people come up to me, I love to talk. It’s great to have an opportunity to meet them and have them be comfortable enough to approach me. I want to always look back and have no regrets.

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 11

Barely able to catch my breath from Biggest Loser’s Episode 10, in which Bernie was eliminated, and the show’s producers sucker-punch us again. Personally, I’m exhausted from all the twists- I can’t imagine what it’s like for the contestants on the ranch. I’ll grant you, tonight’s episode was one of the best yet. Except for that one part. What was it again? Oh yeah- where they didn’t show the elimination! What the heck was that?

The show began with a weigh in and elimination, but failed to end with one. How’s that you say? The biggest shocker for one of the biggest firsts in Biggest Loser history. They brought back all 14 of the eliminated players. This segment was apparently taped the night after Bernie was eliminated, so I can’t imagine they took him too far from the ranch. The stage doors split open and there they all were, staring down those who had sent them home. The catch this time was that the men would weigh in and the women would weigh in- the highest percentage of weight loss would keep one of each. For some, like Jenni and Lynn who were sent home the first night, they had to work off each pound for themselves. Dan was not too pleased with the return. His reaction was “I’ve already beat out all these people. I gotta do it all over again?”

It was exciting to see Ali and Bette-Sue back on campus. And we’ll continue to see the Ali half of that team as she had the highest weight loss of any other woman. For the guys, only gone one week and Mark is back. Believe it or not, he cried and shared an emotional reunion with Jay. Like I said in the episode 9 post, it’s bittersweet for me with Mark. Of everyone eliminated, he’s the one person who has said he felt wrongly portrayed. I hope in addition to having a second chance at the Biggest Loser title, he appreciates the second chance to prove that he’s possibly a nice guy.

The final six quickly became the final eight tonight. While the team-formerly-known-as-blue anxiously welcomed Mark back into their huddled mass, former-black was a little nervous. Not only did they just lose Bernie the night before, who Jillian called the team’s “glue”, but they were now trying to wrap their brains around beating the fierce competitor that Ali will prove to be. Ali made it clear that she’s playing a bi-partisan game, at least for now. She’s continuing to sport her original pink shirt, not going out of her way to form alliances with the all-woman team and even bypassing the breakfast table with the girls to sit with the boys. It will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold with Ali.

The challenge was pretty intense. The calories they burned on stationary bicycles would immediately convert to electrical energy to power light bulbs. The person to light up a full strip of 10 bulbs would move to the next of four rounds. While Mark cleared his 10 lights first in each round, Dan pulled through as the winner, earning him a second vote at the elimination.

How does Dan use that vote? Sighhhh- tune in next week! Seriously, of all the sneaky things the producers have pulled, this one irked me! You can’t leave us hanging like that. It took a week for the Bernie knot to untie in my stomach, now I’ve got to anticipate Brittany or Maggie leaving. Probably not the same knot Maggie had leaving a zero-pounds-lost weigh in. I felt terrible for her and while I’m a constant Brittany fan, I hope that doesn’t factor in to people possibly voting for her.

Quote of the Week- honestly, another toss-up. First place goes to Maggie for “If you’re not gonna vote for me, I’ll tattoo my ass,” in reference to the Blue team’s “Pride” tattoos and band of brothers attitude.

Second Quote goes to Trainer Jillian and that sharp tongue that could make a sailor’s mother cry. “Have a heart! Leave the *** girl alone,” followed by “*&*&%%!!!!! &*&^*&^!!!!!” a good 10 seconds of beeping the expletives being shouted at Allison. It was a rare Biggest Loser moment in which Jillian stood up for the apparent picking-on of Brittany by Allison.

Cry of the Week: Realizing Brittany might go home.

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 9

This season is just cruising right along. Nine episodes and seven to go- can you believe it? Last night’s installment of Biggest Loser was bittersweet, because something I’ve wanted to happen since probably episode two finally happened. Mark went home. Big brother/ranch bully was sent packing following his most disappointing weigh-in of only one pound. Let’s get something straight, it’s bittersweet because while the guy worked crazy hard there were several things pointing to his exit:
– A promise he made the night they let Trent go home
– He has nearly broken his leg
– He’s pretty much maxed on weight loss, not much room left to go
– He’s not particularly nice
– I don’t see him pulling through as THE Biggest Loser

Mark’s farewell and the decision to cut him were probably the most tear-soaked ten minutes of reality television in the decade-long history of reality television. Some of the largest, manly-men on TV blubbering away like school girls being separated at summer camp.

This came after “Vegas Baby, Vegas!,” a one day trip to Sin City that Jay won for being Biggest Loser of the Week. Not quite the debacle Trainer Bob imagined and the Black team hoped for. Shinanigans certainly ensued, as they will when surrounded by casinos, a free suite, hot new suits and wives thousands of miles away. Danny boy recently turned 21 and fully intended on living up his first trip to the strip. I was shocked that Roger and Dan rolled into bed at six a.m.- and Mark and Jay were in the gym an hour later.

For the most part, they got in their exercise and minded their new-found healthy eating knowledge at the buffet. I thought it was hysterical when the black team tried to sabotage them my ordering room service of every deep fried, drizzled, carby variety.

Back at the ranch team, black team was working out like this was the weigh in that could make or break their future on the show. And it sort of was. Jillian pushed the entire team to lose no less than 8 pounds each- which made for the most brutal, painful workouts yet. It seemed to work for the most part. It worked enough that with the guys’ trip to Vegas and following their impressive weight loss from last week, Black squeaked out a win. Bernie won Biggest Loser of the Week- so I’m anxious to see what his prize will be.

The Blue team had one heck of a difficult hour working through the emotions of letting one of the brotherhood go- a bond so strong that they all got “Pride” tattoos in Vegas. In the end, Mark made his most respectable move yet by stepping up and letting them vote him out. That’s where the bittersweet closes, because he’d finally done something that made him appear like a nice guy. Plus, he was my Biggest Loser eye-candy. Don’t ask me why- I thought he was the hottest one on there. His at-home pictures make him look even better! 😉

Cry of the Week: Jay voting off Mark. He’s such a sweetheart.

Quote of the Week: “Strip Clubs!”- Roger’s first comment after learning of the trip.

Next week: Another switcheroo I think. Looks like the teams might be put back together all as one.

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 8

Once again I am a week behind in posting my Biggest Loser episode blog. I was away from home in a Tivo-less environment and well, only got to watch it last night. At least now I don’t have to wait an entire week to catch the next one, as it will be on in nine hours!

No single episode as of yet has made me more anxious and nervous than this one. They sent everyone home. Back to the scene of the crime. The place where all their vulnerability will show, their old vices are waiting maliciously for them and the enablers can’t wait to celebrate their arrival with boxes of processed-sugar packed cinnamon rolls (like at Mark’s house).

I’d say everyone actually did alright. No one gained weight and for the most part they got in some exercise each day. Certainly not the level they were used to at the ranch, but they at least tried. I never saw any calls between Bob and his all-man blue team; but Jillian was on the phone with her black team morning, noon and night.

After 58 days on the ranch, they were reunited with their families and friends and ripped apart from those hardcore motivating trainers. The show totally set them up and without saying so created tempting situations for each one.

Dan- indulged in a glass of wine… make that two after Bob pushed the question. Got to see momma Jackie who kept him motivated.
Jay- Had to go out to dinner with his family. Felt great about the healthy choices he made, but still ended up giving his kids fried foods.
Mark- Greeted his kids by banishing sweets from the house, they were not impressed. Was a total control freak and practically babysat Jay to make sure he stayed in the gym.
Maggie- worked out with Jen’s trainer and only did two of her 15 miles. She was not impressed.
Brittany- Went to a bar with her girlfriends and only ordered a glass of water, which you could tell was very difficult. She also went to Subway and had a healthy picnic with her friend.
Bernie- Visited his favorite bakery, the named a cupcake after him. He didn’t eat it.
Roger- Just kept saying “What Would Bob Do?” Went out to eat with his family and ordered a very healthy meal. Although he held a french fry and thought it felt so good in his hand.
Paul- Tragic. The one guy who totally fell off the wagon, wouldn’t take Jillian’s calls. Ate pounds and pounds of chicken wings, guzzled soda and was never shown doing any exercise.
Kelly- They didn’t really show her. She ate right, didn’t get to exercise as much as she would have liked and never once heard from Paul.

Back at the Biggest Loser ranch, everyone nervously went through a confessional with their trainers. Overall they didn’t do too poorly. They went to weigh in and while everyone lost weight, the blue team lost an impressive 56 pounds to win with 5.67% weight lost. Huge numbers from the guys with two 16s, an 11 and a 13. Based on percentage, Jay won Biggest Loser of the Week. While the title is celebratory all in itself, it was the first time he lost more weigh than big brother Mark!

Kelly lost the most weight for her black team with a mere 7 pounds, giving her immunity. Paul showed up to elimination sporting his old yellow shirt. If the team hadn’t already felt a grudge toward him, they did now. Brittany called it a slap in the face and Kelly was equally unamused saying she was completely a part of the black team and not yellow. With Paul working to divide their team, they let him go. Paul was eliminated. And I have to say for the first time this season, I was happy with the eliminated decision.

Health-wise, Paul needed to be there. I absolutely agree with that. He’s added years to his life with the weight he’s lost. However, as soon as he went home he threw it all away and ignored everything he’d learned. He wasn’t actively trying to unite the black team. It just felt like it was justified and time.

Tonight’s episode looks like another stressor. It looks like the boys of the blue team go to Vegas- Vice City- and at some point end up in a tear-soaked apologetic group hug.

Cry of the week: All of the returns home. Just seeing them hug their spouses and kids.

Quote of the week: “Then we think your team is wrong,” from Brittany during the challenge when Roger was trying to get everyone to throw the challenge and end up in a big tie. Brittany won.

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episodes 6 and 7

First, let me give a snapshot of episode six, which I managed to not blog about last weeks. Due to some technical difficulties I didn’t get to catch the show until right before last night’s Biggest Loser came on. So, Episode 6: Mark the mean little shark on the blue team won the chocolate-candy temptation giving him the power to trade team members. He chose to keep the teams exactly as they were. The black team continued their “little engine that could” mentality, frequently referring to themselves as “David” and the blue team as “Goliath.” They certainly aren’t exaggerating there. But the black team has buckets more heart that the blue team- that’s where they get their edge. I thoroughly enjoyed the cook-off for Chef Rocco. That’s one element that’s missing from Biggest Loser that I wish they’d give a few minutes to in each episode- the food and recipes. It’s obviously an important subject and something that people watching at home could probably more easily implement than attempting to approach those exercises unsupervised. So the little engine did it- black team won the challenge and the weigh in, with sweet little Bernie taking Biggest Loser of the week! Don’t you just want to pinch his cheeks? He’s adorable. Back on track… the blue team went down in a blaze of dispute and glory as they all agreed to send Trent home and then turned around and voted Momma Jackie out. Dan… Jackie… Not. Happy. But they played it cool and….

… enter Episode 7 from last night. Dan decided if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. He “told” them he was over it and that he forgave the guys for letting his mom go after they had “sworn on their children’s lives” that they’d save Jackie. Looks like Mark, Jay, Roger and Trent had their fingers crossed behind their backs. So the Goliath team pulled it back together and put their head back in the game. Black team was coming down off their high of beating Blue when they headed to their challenge. They had to support the amount of weight they’d lost so far while balancing over a lake. Allison, the host, was giving her always too-dramatic play-by-play of the event. But it’s reality TV and that’s her job, so I’ve learned to just accept it. Mark the mean little shark totally snapped at her basically telling her to be quiet, to stop over dramatizing everything because this wasn’t a soap opera. So shocked! Moments later Mark was the first to fall in and soon after all of the black team was in the water helping the Blue team to win yet another challenge over Goliath. Go David!

They were still all sweating it heading into the weigh in. Which turned out to be the most jaw-dropping weigh in yet. Blue was picked to win since Black had last week and the coaches continued to remind us that you can’t lose that kind of weight two weeks in a row. So it wasn’t that they had lost that amount of weight two weeks in a row that helped the Black team win a second weigh-in, but that the Blue team didn’t pull that kind of weight. Jay weighed in and missed the win by one measly pound. ONE! While everyone was reeling from that, Coach Bob walked out. When you’re the coach- do you get to do that? I thought you had to stand strong and support your team through thick and then. Rather, he left them there hanging.

You’ve never seen a bigger group of men cry than when they sat in the elimination room to say goodbye to Trent. He’s one I believe will go home and come back Biggest Loser at-home winner. He’d lost more than any other contestant at 80-some pounds and more than anyone, his head and heart were in Biggest Loser for all the right reasons.

Next week- They are sending everyone home. What looks to be a week-long temptation at their own homes around their old vices and crutches. The previews do not make it look pretty… devastating in fact.

Cry of the Week- NONE! No tears this week. Too much drama.

Quote of the Week- Something about Jillian calling Bernie her “little monkey” just made me giggle.

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 5

Welcome to another episode of Twists and Turns! I’m really having a lot of fun watching this season of Biggest Loser– but I don’t know how much more of this my nerves can handle. This week we’ve got trainers competing, Jillian crying (yes, the bully wept), no one giving into temptations, couples being torn apart. Last night was pretty intense for me- I can’t imagine being the brunt of all of the producer’s mind games.

Let’s address the fact that Bob totally stacked the deck in his favor. By winning the run against the escalator competition, he was able to pick the teams who would only be training with him. Jillian said he’s “got blood in his mouth from the last four seasons” because the contestants she trained have been the Biggest Losers. Fair enough. But he took all of big guys- the grey, black and orange teams. The new Blue team is born. Jillian bawled her eyes out while she watched everyone being separated. I think it created an interesting dynamic for players and trainers to work together. How good is that for ratings though?

So the new Black team has the former blue, yellow and purple teams. What everyone would agree is the weaker of six couples- but they are not short on spirit or spunk.

My “Cry of the Night” came from Brittany. During the second challenge each team (new blue versus black) had to walk backward on the escalator for as long as possible. Last team standing would split $10,000. The new blue team, of which Brittany is on, is younger. So I really thought this was an easy win. I was so disappointed in that entire team. Two and three minutes in team members are bailing. You can’t hang? Jillian makes you spend hours at a time on the treadmill. So everyone bails- leaving Brittany to compete alone. She hung as long as possible and finally stepped off. She stepped off to cheers, hugs and applaud and I cried right along with her. Nice work Brittany!

Quote of the week goes to Bernie. He had two really dynamite choices last night, but I think I settled on – “The best way to describe Jillian’s last chance workout is just medieval torture.” There was a lot on the line going into this week’s weigh in. The newly formed blue and black teams had to weigh in against one another. The team who lost had to choose one person to send home. Not team- as in the two people who came together – but individual person would go home.

I don’t know why this bothers me so much- but it does. How can you break up these people? Sure it’s incentive to make them work harder- but the entire theme of the season. In any event- Bob’s new blue team totally womped the new Black team- 50 pounds to 17 pounds. It was heartbreaking to watch them find someone to send home. But in the end, Jenn of the purple team was selected to leave the Biggest Loser Ranch. The tearful goodbye was evident of things to come as each goodbye will continue to get so much harder.

Next week, Biggest Loser is promising “the most shocking elimination yet.”

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 4

There are four words that sum up episode 4 of Biggest Loser: Couples…

Yellow. Team. Brought. It.

If you haven’t watched this intense, dramatic, twisted episode yet- then don’t read this post because I’m going to spill it all. Episode 3 last week wrapped with the white team being removed, followed by host Ali asking who they would vote to remove if they could choose one more. A three way tie between Black, Yellow and Purple was settled by a deciding vote by the Pink team- Yellow Team.

The twist- that the contestants, viewers and even the trainers didn’t see coming- they weren’t sent home. Instead it was them versus everyone, 1 versus 6, 6 versus 1. Yellow team had to beat the average percent weight loss at this week’s weigh in- or immediately go home. If they did beat the average of all the other teams- then they would have sole choice of elimination.

This is a team that two weeks ago was up for elimination, then came all the way back and won Biggest Loser team of the week last week. They also got their choice of trainer- so they worked exclusively with Jillian all week and everyone else only had access to Bob.

One of the things I love about the show is that the trainers aren’t on the inside of anything. They never know who has been eliminated. They never know what’s going on with the twists and turns of the game. They’re innocent bystanders just like the contestants. Making the show and the game all the more interesting.

Alliances started being made- and everyone planned to gang up on the black team. Orange and Blue decided they would throw their weigh in this week, in order to reduce the percentage of weight lost and allow Yellow team to eliminate the Black team. So the typical “reality show” side of things started showing its ugly face.

I was so impressed with Kelly and Paul of the Yellow team. They just kicked it in to gear. Paul was sneaking into the gym in the middle of the night for extra workouts. And when it came time for this week’s challenge- Paul single-handedly beat the other 12 people. The prize- letters from home. Kelly was SO excited… but she and Paul had agreed that those letters would be nothing more than a distraction when they needed to give this game all they had and more. When presented with the prize, one coveted by every person in that house, Paul responded “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” They turned over the letters to the other six teams. HOW SWEET! He kept trying to be “a warrior”… but Paul, we know you’re a sweet guy.

A lot of stuff happened on that show last night- but I just have to concentrate on the force that is Yellow. Unbelievable. They went into weigh-in, which Paul called Judgment Day, and surprised everyone with their secret weapon. Their prize for team of the week was an extra two pounds off at weigh in. The producers also had a secret- the team of the week at this weigh in would earn immunity. So when Mark and Jay of the Black Team pulled a whopping 4.64 total percentage weight lost taking first place— SLAP IN THE FACE for all of the people who threw their weight so that Black would be sent home. No one saw that coming. Everyone had stellar numbers this week, except for Blue and Orange. And I seriously think had they not thrown their weigh in, which Dan happily admitted to, then Yellow would not have won.

But they did! They had to beat the average of 2.81% and weighed in with 3.39%. They won. Those two little engines that could beat the other six teams. They made the wrenching decision to send home Pink (which devastated me). In true Bette-Sue fashion she announced “We’ll come back skinnier than all of you damn people!” She’s one tough cookie and I believe her.

Next week we have Jillian crying to look forward to. Looks like it’s going to keep getting even more twisted as they aren’t eliminating teams anymore, but individuals. Which, doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose of a Couples/Teams season?

Here’s a new addition to the weekly episode blog:
Quote of the week:
Ali while training exclusively with Bob Harper– “Bob has flipped a nut and I’m scared for my life.”
Cry of the week:
Everyone reading letters from home.

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser contestants visit Wichita

This past weekend the city of Wichita, KS made one big move in stepping off the fattest cities list, and the Biggest Loser Club took one big step in helping them. During this season, and as I’ve mentioned here before, Biggest Loser Club has a creative approach to helping this country shed one million pounds- through its Biggest Loser Million Pound Match-up. As part of the promotion, the show is visiting five of the fattest cities in the country- and Wichita was included.

Jim Germanakos and Julie Haddon Biggest Loser Wichita As part of the tour, hundreds and hundreds of people gathered in line at the local mall to sign up for the program, meet area nutritionists and fitness trainers to help them get started on the right foot. Similar to this season’s Biggest Loser: Couples, everyone needed to have a partner. While most people arrived as a duo, some teams were made in line between strangers. Sherry and Kim from Wichita made small talk during the lengthy wait and ended up partnering. Sherry said she didn’t have anyone, but a friend encouraged her to attend in case she did find that someone.

More alluring than learning your BMI and getting a free Biggest Loser water bottle, was meeting recent season four contestants Julie Haddon and Jim Germanakos. Julie took second place while Jim was the first person sent home from the black team; however, Jim did end up being the biggest “at home” loser. The total amount of weight he lost actually would have put him in first place had he been able to stay, and Julie says had she been given another month, she could have beat season four winner Bill Germanakos (Jim’s twin brother).

These two super-stars gave me a little time before the event kicked off on Saturday. They’re super-stars because as we sat in the food court talking, people kept slowly walking by to make sure it was them. One woman’s husband stopped and politely interrupted saying his wife was going to freak out if she didn’t get to say hi. Julie and Jim got up to say hello and talked for a few minutes. I later asked Julie if she’s enjoying her fifteen minutes, to which she replied “Oh girl! This is so much fun! But I’m just a regular person like everyone in this line. I just want to be a mom.” Next month, that fun-loving regular gal is speaking to Congress about health, weight and fitness in America.

They were both incredibly down-to-earth, sweet, funny and they looked fantastic! We talked about their experience on and off the show and how their lives have changed. I asked Jim how he and twin brother Bill would have done as a team on this couple’s season. “We would have done just as well because our competitive nature is strong. As a team, we like to believe we’re unbeatable.”

Biggest Loser Wichita Signage Jim wanted to make certain that everyone knew that his brother Bill did not win $250,000 at the finale- he actually won $249,999 because of a bet he’d lost to Jim. Since Jim actually lost more weight than Bill, he had to pony up the first buck of his winnings. These two recently launched a new site, Biggest Loser Twins, where you can keep up with them and learn more about their story.

Since returning home, they each say they’ve put on a few pounds, but that it’s perfectly healthy. Julie says she’s in better shape now than she was at the finale last month, and Jim has put on weight per his doctor’s instruction because he’d managed to lose too much. Now the challenge is introducing their new lifestyle to their families.

“I came home and literally had a panic attack,” says Julie of her return from the show. “I had changed, but nothing in my environment had. It scared the willies out of me. I needed to set up my home and environment for success or I would not prosper and end up back to where I was.” She said her husband did more whining than her seven-year old, who has not objected to removing chocolate chip cookie dough, Cheetos, processed sugars and carbonated drinks from the house. And while Jillian made them eat completely organic at the Biggest Loser ranch, she says it’s not something she can afford to do all the time back home- so she does everything she can to introduce as healthy a life as possible. “I don’t want my family eating this stuff.”

Jim on the other hand doesn’t appear to have the same support system in his home as Julie. He tried to clear out the house when he returned, but his son went shopping for the first time by himself after that. “He brought back all the pop and frosted flakes,” said Jim. “My house is full of food, everywhere I turn.” So he relies on himself to be strong and maintain that thinner and healthier physique.

Jim Germanakos and Brandi Koskie Biggest Loser Wichita Julie says part of staying on track is having a goal. “If you don’t have a goal, you’ll flounder.” So their hoping they’ll receive an invitation to this season’s finale, looking good for that is the goal right now. Jim said “the biggest reason to go back is to look good. There are so many haters, but we’ll show them.” I asked if it were like looking good for your high school reunion or running into an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend and they both excitedly shouted “Yes!”.

It was certainly fun to have a chance to meet and chat with these two Biggest Losers. The crowd that had driven from across the state of Kansas to meet them were also excited. Jodi, from Manhattan, KS (the “little apple”) said she’d already signed up for Million Pound Match-up online, but came so that she could meet Julie and Jim. And Shari Munson, the woman from the food court, she and her family of four had driven an hour and a half from Windam to be at the event. The show had helped her realize that losing weight was something “she has to do” and she felt very encouraged by watching the show. She said her family is starting to get behind her to offer that full-house support that Julie has- but her husband reminded that health food is too expensive for their small income. He added “anything with health on the package gets to charge extra.”

If you don’t live in Wichita, KS and missed the event- you might have an opportunity as soon as next weekend. The remaining schedule looks like this:
Phoenix, AZ – January 26-27
Houston, TX – February 2-3
Miami, FL – February 9-10

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 3

It seemed like tonight’s episode of Biggest Loser: Couples finally got a little juicy. It’s like the past two weeks have been this careful dance where everyone is just trying to feel out themselves, their teams and competitors to see how this whole thing is supposed to work. Tonight was that first glimpse of the drama that only reality TV can spawn. Scripted TV? Nah- who needs it?

The orange team has been this sort of silent giant. Not too in your face, not really in the shadows and then they go and dominate at both of the past two weigh ins. They were rewarded tonight for that feat… with a hike up a mountain! No pain, no gain I guess. At the top of the mountain were three envelopes, Gameplay, which they chose. Inside gave them an extra vote at this week’s elimination. They passed up Luxury- which would have given them and a team of their choice massages for the week and Family- a 24 hour visit with the person of their choice. They ended up not even using the extra vote, so I say the reward was a wash. I’ll take a massage- for each day of the week- any day of the week.

It was an incredibly emotional week for the pink team. Bette-Sue, who I’m seriously starting to pull for- she’s a wild one!, had this revelation while walking with 20 pound weights. Two weeks ago she was 22 pounds heavier, so she was essentially walking around with the weight she’d lost. Pretty powerful. Jillian encouraged, more forced, Ali to come to terms with the emotional reasons for her weight and being on Biggest Loser. Ali and Bette-Sue met to discuss Ali’s years of pent-up angst, abandonment issues with her mother. It ended up in a tearful, positive hug and kisses from Jillian. Yah! The “Bully” kissed them both on the cheek. SHE HAS A HEART!

I liked the challenge this week. Dirty, messy and mean- it was all about strategy and for the first time the black team did not win. Grey came out on top. Relay race through a muddy pond, carrying medicine balls, place them in any other team’s bucket, first team with 8 balls is out. Last team standing wins. Definitely called out the teams people have issue with- white and orange were out first, followed by black and yellow- and then I guess the “good guy” teams. They won immunity- but like the orange team, didn’t end up needing it at the vote.

Alright- the juicy part. Weigh in was so exciting tonight, but I’m going to cut to the chase and just say that I really thought the white team, with Neill and Amanda, was going to pull through. I thought they were going to blow everyone away at weigh-in, but sadly they did not. Up against purple, in their third straight appearance in elimination, the white team was unanimously asked to leave tonight. UGH! I am so sad. Amanda- total power player, she could have taken it all the way home. Neill- MAN! What is up?! Just quit touching the treadmill already. I was torn on the elimination because you’ve got purple team on one hand who has been in every single elimination and on the other the white team who keeps trying to give it their all, but everyone’s mad at Neill. Three strikes rule doesn’t apply here.

I was glad to hear that Neill and Amanda are sticking with the plan at home, playing with their son more easily with the 20-some additional pounds they’ve both lost since leaving Biggest Loser. Great try guys! Keep it up.

Now, if this post could get ANY longer… this Saturday and Sunday the Biggest Loser Million Pound Match Up is stopping in Wichita, KS. I’ll be covering the entire event- inside and out- and be back next week with the scoop on that.

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Natalie K

Biggest Loser: Episode 2

What a show! Whew! Thank goodness for TiVo because I zapped the commercials to get through ALL THE CLIFFHANGERS. I laughed, I cried, I got mad. For Biggest Loser’s second episode, this one had it all.

Jillian and Bob opened the night with a one-two punch- they were joining forces and creating the dynamic duo. Since the teams were in couples, they wanted to couple up. All of the teams will now be sharing both trainers. There was a “Holy &*%$” heard from Kelly on the yellow team. I think it’s a great idea. Who couldn’t benefit from the unique expertise of them both. Granted, once you get a look at the weigh-ins, it might not be working.

They are interesting. Bob said it best when he called Jillian the craziest person he’d ever met. I cannot fathom having her screaming at me. That’s what some people need to get it in gear I guess.

There were a few challenges facing the nine remaining teams tonight- see-saws, buffets and emotions. All three were running high. The see-saw was the big challenge for this week. They had to do 100 reps, up and down. First team to complete each received a calling card to phone home. Any walls that were left came crumbling down, everyone was crying. And why not, a lot of those teams have young kids at home who they hadn’t spoken with in two weeks. Just like last week’s hot air balloon race, the black team brought it home. The twist was that they were given six more cards to give to three teams. They chose to give the teams with children the opportunity to call home.

Amanda, of the White team, literally took one for the team as everyone was cussing Neill this week. He just didn’t seem to pull his weight or want to be there and she’s been working SO HARD! They hoped that call to their little boy would help him to get his head in the game. That and a pep talk from Jillian look like they did it.

The teams were given what I would have thought to be their toughest challenge yet- FOOD! Send me outside by myself with tables full of hot barbecue, M&Ms, corndogs and pop and expect me to just twiddle my thumbs and walk away? Ha! Of the 18 people on Biggest Loser, only three of them took the bait. Amazing. White team stayed strong and didn’t take a bite. Brown, Yellow and Black each gave in- but only one member of each team ate something. What’s more interesting was that with all the hot links, hot dogs, chicken wings they each went for the sugar. Everyone ate cake and cookies and candy.

This week’s weigh in was a bit of a disappointment. Episode 1 had teams losing upward of 40 pounds. Tonight, the Orange team one for the second week in a row with a total of 16 pounds lost. Mallory of the brown team was the only person to add a pound. Amanda didn’t lose a single pound. It was heartbreaking to see how much she’s given this and not make any sort of change in the scale. On the flipside, Neill aggravated a few contestants by dropping six pounds. I gained a ton of respect for Amanda tonight as her only reaction to the weigh-in was a disappointed shrug and “I’m really proud of Neill.” His weight loss saved them from elimination.

Even more heartbreaking tonight was watching the Brown team go home, rather than the Yellow. They were amazing people- you could tell they were just so genuine and strong for one another. The follow-up looks like they’re sticking with the program and they look fantastic!

I’m anxious for next week as it looks like conversations are getting a tad heated between contestants.

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Natalie K

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