Biggest Loser 4: Will the Biggest Loser BE the Biggest Loser?
By Donna Emery
October 21, 2007
This week on the Biggest Loser, another team decided that their future would be brighter without the person who's been responsible for most of their previous success.
Previous seasons of this show have clearly shown the wisdom of keeping the people with the biggest potential weight loss in the game until the point where the teams are divided. Since that hasn't happened yet, either this group of contestants has devised a new and brilliant strategy, or they have decided that conventional wisdom doesn't apply to them.
I tend to think that it's the latter.
The contestants wouldn't be human if each of them didn't want to win the money in addition to a new, healthy body. Each of them - no matter how fond of their team they might be - is out for Number One. That's certainly as it should be, and nobody can blame them. But to get to the finish line, you have to jump all the hurdles in the course. This group seems to think that they can win just by slowly picking off the people that would have a chance to be the eventual winner.
So far, they've eliminated Jerry for the Blue Team; Jim for the Black Team and now Phil for the Red Team. Each of those men could easily have gone on to become the Biggest Loser. So, it's really in the contestants' collective and individual best interest to eliminate them, if they want to take their place in the Winners' Circle. But how do they expect to get there, with their workhorses gone? It is true that now that those three lynchpins have been sent home, the playing field has been somewhat leveled and the three teams have each lost someone that made a major contribution to their team. So, in the end it may pay off for them.
In past seasons, the person who is crowned the Biggest Loser has always ended up being the person who has lost the overall biggest percentage of weight. As impressive as the losses of the biggest loser of the eliminated players have been, none have surpassed the winner of the season. I think it's possible that, because of the choices that these teams have made, this season's Biggest Loser may end up being outshone by one of the eliminated players. Time will tell and some of the big men that remain may go on to top the efforts of all the eliminated players.
This week, Kim had another conflict with her team. Although each of the trainers have had conflicts with various contestants in the past, Kim seems to lock horns with her teams most often. This week, I think she went too far. Although she may have had a good reason to push David, when she saw that he was about to lose his temper there was no good reason for her to curse at him. Compare this to Jillian's encounter with Julie last week, which ended on a much more positive note.
As the weeks go on, the tensions mount and it will become even more difficult for the contestants to weather the storms of their weight loss journeys. I hope that whatever new configuration the teams take will be helpful to all of them.
For now, this is how they currently stand in percentage lost:
Kae
Current Ranking: 1 - Previous Ranking: 1
She's a former soldier who wants to be fit when she visits her
family in Korea. The 27-year old from New Jersey is also looking forward
to looking slimmer for her high school reunion.
She continues to amaze us all, week after week. Her momentum has to stop soon, so I'm glad that the teams will soon be dissolved. She's got a good chance to be the winner if she stays around. She's now lost 47 lbs, which is 20.89%.
Bill
Current Ranking: 2 - Previous Ranking: 2
His dad died of a heart attack, and Bill doesn't want history to repeat itself. This 40-year old from New York with a self-described "big personality" is competing against his twin brother.
Being separated from his brother hasn't cramped his style. He's still giving this his best efforts. He has now lost an impressive 66 lbs, or 19.76%
Isabeau
Current Ranking: 3 - Previous Ranking: 3
She's always wanted to be a professional singer. Someday this Tennessee gal would like to go rock climbing and sky diving.
She's upbeat and positive, and she always does her best. I see some big changes in her body already. She has lost 51 lbs, or 17.11%
Neil
Current Ranking: 4 - Previous Ranking: 5
He misses the time when he was more active in sports. The
25-year old from Massechusetts wants to get slimmer so that he can feel more
confident about marrying his sweetheart.
Is he finally mellowing out? I didn't see any meltdowns from him this week, and it looks like he really loses a big amount next week - so look out for the Big Guy. He has also lost 66 lbs, and on him this is 15.68%.
Jez
Current Ranking: 5 - Previous Ranking: 6
He's a children's worker who hasn't let his weight stop him from participating in sports. This Kansan wants to be more healthy so that he can give more energy into working with the kids.
I LOVE his new look and I can definitely see the changes in his belly. He has now lost 50 lbs, or 14.49%---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan
Current Ranking: 6 - Previous Ranking: 8
He's an attorney who's always been an overacheiver. The 29-year
old from New York wants to be the first member of his family to
conquer obesity.
Quiet and steady but he keeps on creeping up in the standings. He has now lost 54 lbs or 14.44%---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hollie
Current Ranking: 7 - Previous Ranking: 10
She's a high school English teacher and cheerleading coach. She wants to be a positive role model for her cheerleaders.
My sympathies go out to her on the loss of her mother. I hope that she can go on to dedicate her efforts to honoring her mom's memory. She has now lost 32 lbs or 12.55%
David
Current Ranking: 8 - Previous Ranking: 9
He's a proud father of 4 from Tennessee. The shy Southern
31-year old gentleman wants to resume teaching his kids to enjoy horseback
riding.
He is doing a good job and he finally lost his temper with Kim. I hope that he keeps up his good efforts and finds a way to make it work to his advantage. "Cowboy" has lost 45 lbs or 12.23%
Bryan
Current Ranking: 9 - Previous Ranking: 8
He's a popular high school music teacher. This 28-year old
from Georgia made it to the Los Angeles semi-finals of American Idol and
now wants to be the winner of this contest.
Always smiling and usually positive. I hope his percentages increase soon, because I'd love to see him in the lead. I don't know why he decided to force a tie, but I guess he did what he thought was best. He has lost 42 lbs or 12.14%
Nicole
Current Ranking: 10 - Previous Ranking: 12
Her outgoing personality makes her a natural as a radio DJ.
But this 26-year old from Pennsylvania is now ready to take control of
her health.
She's consistently hardworking, but her numbers have never been high. She has lost 31 lbs, which is 11.11%---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy
Current Ranking: 11 - Previous Ranking: 11
She's a kindergarten teacher who wants to learn more about being
healthy. The 28-year old from New York wants to impress her husband,
who works as a model.
I don't know how she keeps escaping elimination, but my hat is off to her. She definitely should have been the one to go home. Although she is working harder and her attitude is more positive, her numbers aren't high enough to help her win.
She has lost 32 lbs, or 10.77%
Julie
Current Ranking: 12 - Previous Ranking: 13
She's struggled with her weight for her whole life. Now, this Florida lady wants to shed the weight that she gained when she had her son.
She's still positive and still doing her best, so I hope that her numbers improve soon. She has lost 23 lbs or 10.55%---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil
6th Elimination
He's a former firefighter who wants to be more active. The
27-year old dad from Ohio wants to be able to spend more time with his
daughter.
He took his elimination with a smile and went on to lose more than 100 lbs. He was the heart of the Red Team and his positive attitude was always inspiring. I think his team will regret sending him home. His 61 lb loss is 15.11%.
Jim
5th Elimination
He's Bill's twin brother, and their father's death was equally a motivation for him. He's looking forward to being more fit and healthy.
It was a shame to see him go home - especially on his birthday. I think that the Black Team will come to regret this. His loss of 54 lbs was 14.96%.
Patty
4th Elimination
She got scared when her doctor told her about her abnormal lab
results. Now the 34-year old from California is determined to prolong
her life and be there for her kids.
I love this lady and I'm sorry to see her go. She was putting forth a good effort, and she looks like she's done a great job on her own. Her 25 lb loss adds up to 8.93%
Jerry
3rd Elimination
This former Golden Glove champion is not letting his age slow
him down. The 62-year old grandpa from Illinois wants to ride in a
cross-country bike race with his wife of 40 years.
What a shame that they sent him home! I enjoyed seeing him in action and he really did inspire his team. What a great transformation he made. This week, his weight loss totaled 43 lbs, or 14. 48%
Lezlye
2nd Elimination
She's been through a lot already when she survived Hurricane
Katrina. Now the 34-year old from Louisiana wants to begin going out
again and meeting other people.
She wasn't my favorite contestant, but it's a shame that she went home when Amy seemed to punch her own ticket with her "I Quit" attitude. I was glad to see that she's gone on to lose more weight, but for this week she totaled 12 lbs, or 4.7%
Amber
1st Elimination
She's a paramedic who sees and feels the effects of being
overweight every day.
Though she was eliminated this week, the 30-year old
from Texas is doing her best to turn her life around. Here's hoping
she does!
Next week, they split up the teams. I'll bet that they'll have boy-girl pairs and it will surely be interesting to see who is paired with whom. I'm looking forward to it!
Donna is a nurse and teacher, and a mother of 5. She lives in Pennsylvania and is admittedly addicted to many reality shows. You can reach her at mrsed4ever@yahoo.com.
Are You Buzz Worthy? We Want Your Thoughts!
Have you got something interesting to say. We'd like to hear it. We'll post your comments in Buzz Worthy. This is your chance to sound off about your favorite Reality TV show. Or the show you hate. Did somebody do something really stupid? Really smart? Is there a strategy being over looked? Is a performer for real? Or not getting the buzz they should? Here's your chance - take it.
All articles are the intellectual property of and copyrighted by the individual authors. By submitting an article to Reality TV Calendar you are granting Reality TV Calendar permission to display the article in perpetuity.
