On the first episode of Season 13 of “The Biggest Loser,” one pair didn’t even get into the gate, and the rest of the pairs were divided between Bob and Dolvett. Dolvett finally beat Bob at the weigh in, as his trainee Buddy pulled it out in the end with a 22-pound weight loss. Unlike the first week of most seasons of the show, the contestants, except Buddy, yielded low weight-loss numbers. Ben, a member of Bob’s team, volunteered to go home to be with his children and wife, who is expecting a new baby. This week, team leaders bet on the fate of their team.
“The Biggest Loser” opened with Alison visiting the contestants, updating them on the week’s challenge. The player with the highest percentage of weight loss at the weigh in could give immunity to someone on the other team. Of course, family dominated their minds. She also asked for two team leaders from each team. Emily from the Black Team and Kim N. from the Red Team were the first to volunteer. Black Team member Joe and Red Team member Kim S. (Kimmie) raised their hands.
The team leaders followed Alison to a table with poker chips. They had the chance to give their teammates a five-pound advantage at the weigh in. Each team had to bid on what they thought their team’s percentage of weight loss would be. The chips represented a tenth of a percentage. If they guessed the right percentage, they’d keep the advantage for their team. If they didn’t bid correctly, the other team got the advantage.
Red Team leaders bid 3.8 percent, or 94 pounds. Black Team leaders folded, not even raising the percentage. Alison told them the average percentage of weight loss on the second week is two percent. The four leaders left the room and informed their teammates of what happened. The Red Team had all the pressure on their shoulders. Dolvett was not thrilled with their bid. He immediately brought them to the gym. He particularly focused on the two Kims. Bob doubted the Red Team’s ability to lose 94 pounds but worked them hard anyway.
Dr. H visited come the contestants, focusing his attention on brothers Joe and Mike. Though they live 3,000 miles apart, they had similar weights coming to the ranch. Their dad also shared the same body type and weight. Joe had severe sleep apnea, a risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. Mike learned his bad habits from his dad, gaining 50 pounds at 12 years old. He also began smoking cigarettes at 12. Mike stopped smoking cigarettes but started using smokeless tobaccos.
The red team, knowing the task before them, wrote down all of their calories, hoping that the extra measures would pay off at the weigh in. “The Biggest Loser” nutritionist Rachel Beller walked into the kitchen to give them a lesson on what to eat and when to eat foods containing certain nutrients. She took them on a field trip to the grocery store.
Rachel compared the grocery basket to an empty stomach that you need to fill. A good suggestion that Rachel gave was flipping the plate, eating a traditional main dish as the side dish. Mike compared the ranch to Betty Ford. Rachel even went to Chicago to visit the aqua team – siblings Adrian & Daphne – to help them learn how to shop and cook healthy foods.
Alison met the contestants on the ocean for their first team challenge. The winner of the challenge won “The Biggest Loser” meals for six months. The teams had to pull an anchor in with 24 pieces needed to solve a puzzle. The teams were close throughout the entire challenge. The Black Team edged out the Red Team, winning by a few seconds.
The last-chance workout was tension filled. Bob thought Dolvett used his moves with the Red Team (a little petty don’t you think). Hate to say it, but Bob Harper doesn’t hold the patent on different exercise moves. Bob took his frustration out on the Black Team. Red Team member Mike didn’t work as hard as the rest of his teammates. It was sad, especially after getting news from the doctor about the poor state of his health. Dolvett had a private conversation with Mike.
At the weigh in, the Red Team didn’t win the five-pound advantage. They lost only 52 pounds (they needed 94) and had a 2.8 percentage of weight loss, close to the second-week average on the show. The Black Team had the advantage and needed to lose more than 48 pounds to avoid the elimination room. The Black Team was safe from elimination thanks to the five-pound advantage.
Mark had the highest percentage of weight loss one the Red Team. Chris had the highest percentage of weight loss on the Black Team, so she could save one Red Team member. Of course, she picked her husband Roy. It didn’t surprise me that Mike, who has not had a good relationship with his teammates from the beginning, was voted off.
Mike finally acknowledged how he acted with his team, although too late to save him. At home, he weighed 302 pounds, losing a total of 56 pounds. He realized that anger was the root of his problems in life and on the ranch. He now uses boxing to release frustration. He still fights nicotine addiction.
The theme of this season of “The Biggest Loser” is “No Excuses.” This week, though, Mike made a lot of them. I think he finally realized that it’s not just that people don’t like him; he does things, either consciously or subconsciously, to drive people away. It took being eliminated to finally acknowledge that the problem lies within him. As the weeks progress, we will likely peel away more excuses.
Weigh In Statistics:
Dolvett’s Team (Red)
Kim N. (38) 239 lbs. 236 lbs. 3 lbs.
Kim S. (48) 210 lbs. 206 lbs. 4 lbs.
Roy (63) 292 lbs. 287 lbs. 5 lbs.
Lauren (26) 237 lbs. 233 lbs. 4 lbs.
Nancy (63) 212 lbs. 207 lbs. 5 lbs.
Conda (24) 285 lbs. 278 lbs. 7 lbs.
Mike (41) 345 lbs. 338 lbs. 7 lbs.
Mark (43) 282 lbs. 274 lbs. 8 lbs.
Buddy (42) 381 lbs. 372 lbs. 9 lbs.
Total lbs. /percentage of weight loss 52 lbs./2.09 percent
Bob’s Team (Black)
Gail (57) 313 lbs. 308 lbs. 5 lbs.
Megan (21) 252 lbs. 248 lbs. 4 lbs.
Cassandra (25) 225 lbs. 220 lbs. 5 lbs.
Emily (29) 254 lbs. 250 lbs. 4 lbs.
Christine (42) 232 lbs. 226 lbs. 6 lbs.
Joe (38) 342 lbs. 334 lbs. 8 lbs.
Jeremy (22) 376 lbs. 369 lbs. 7 lbs.
Chism (19) 349 lbs. 341 lbs. 8 lbs.
Total lbs. /percentage of weight loss 52 lbs./2.22 percent