Bitten and Bound » The Biggest Loser

Rebecca Meyer Biggest Loser Before and After (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Meg — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:33:35 +0000

Rebecca Meyer was eliminated last night from the NBC reality show The Biggest Loser and through the magic of television, appeared as a guest on The Jay Leno Show immediately following a nasty elimination battle.

This week’s show had the six remaining contestants getting fluffed and buffed in a total makeover at the hands of Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn and hairstylist Tabatha Coffey. Then Rudy Pauls, Liz Young, Danny Cahill, Amanda Arlauskas, Allen Smith and Meyer each took a turn at public speaking before a gathering of 300 that was orchestrated by TV Guide.

At the weigh-in Rudy dropped 16, Danny, 12, Amanda, 9, and Allen, 5. Falling below the yellow line were Liz and Rebecca, each having lost 3 pounds. Liz had a hard time fighting for the right to stay another week on campus but the voting went her way, with Rudy casting the deciding vote against Rebecca.

It was revealed by him that he voted to send Meyer home because he had trust issues with her that went back to an incident that happened five weeks previously. Rebecca was very hurt and upset to discover he had been harboring ill feelings toward her and it sent her into meltdown mode.

Meyer told Jay Leno that the incident is “now just more water under the bridge.” She came to The Biggest Loser weighing 279, though she admits that at her heaviest she tipped the scales at 304. She now weighs an amazing 157, having lost 122 pounds—more than the equivalent of Jillian Michaels, her trainer.

Last week Shay Sorrells and Daniel Wright were eliminated – check out their amazing transformation here.

Check out her amazing transformation in photos and on the video below.

Biggest Loser Shay Sorrells Update, Jay Leno VIDEO

Meg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:42:03 +0000

Shay Sorrells and Daniel Wright were eliminated from The Biggest Loser on Tuesday, November 10. It was a double elimination week. Daniel was the first to leave after falling below the red line, with only a five pound weight loss during a week when most of the contestants pulled amazingly high weight loss numbers.

Shay had a milestone week with a 17 pound loss, which brought her 9 week total to an amazing 100 pounds. By doing so she set a record for women, smashing the old one set by Kristin Steede, who achieved her 100 pound loss in 12 weeks.

Below the yellow line with Shay was Amanda, who lost 5 pounds. The votes were split but in the end it was Shay who was sent packing – thus eliminating both members of the original Orange Team in the same evening.

Daniel and Shay appeared live last night on The Jay Leno Show. Shay told Jay that she has lost 150 pounds – a third of that at home since leaving the show. She reports that she has six different trainers, and works out every day after work and 6-7 hours on the weekends. Daniel reported to Leno that he has lost 230 pounds total – 33 of them since leaving The Biggest Loser campus.

With just four weeks remaining until the finale, the remaining six Biggest Loser contestants are headed to New York City for the popular makeover show, with a big reveal for their family members after they have been fluffed and buffed and outfitted in body flattering attire.

View more photos and video of Shay and Daniel on Leno video below.

Jillian Michaels Target of Biggest Loser Drug Investigation

Meg — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:18:54 +0000

The dust has settled on the latest season of the hit NBC reality show The Biggest Loser. The season seven winner, Helen Phillips, was clearly the dark horse when she returned for the final weigh-in and won the title and $250,000.

Now we are hearing that there was trouble behind the scenes during the filming, with accusations leveled against trainer Jillian Michaels. It has been revealed that Filipe Fa voiced allegations that Michaels was providing weight loss drugs to her team members and he was overheard saying it.

In one episode, Fa was adamantly against training with Michaels when the teams were flip-flopped. Many assumed he was so tied to trainer Bob Harper that he didn’t want to train with Jillian, who he said ignored him totally. Viewers were surprised that the show allowed him to refuse to train with Michaels, and let him stay with Harper.

Now that mystery has been cleared up. There was bad blood between Filipe and Jillian because of the allegations that he had raised. Michaels admits now that she was furious. Fa, unconvincingly tried to gloss it over by saying, “We had some issues, obviously, with us switching teams. There was never an accusation about her giving drugs.”

Fa’s denial doesn’t sit well with executive producer Mark Koops. “The accusation came from Filipe”, he confirms. He went on to say that the camera crew overheard Filipe making those accusations, which prompted an internal investigation.

According to Koops, contestants routinely undergo blood and urine testing, as part of their contract. Medical professionals do, however, dispense multi-vitamins and caffeine pills and any prescription medications that have been ordered by a physician for health issues. Several of the contestants had hypertension at the start of their weight-loss journey. They were able to shed the drugs as they became healthier through diet and intensive exercise.

Jillian said, “We had an entire ‘Kenneth Starr’ investigation. Because the minute someone makes that claim, you have to. They didn’t shut down production, but it took a week. I was so furious, so disgusted. I felt so betrayed.”

The investigation cleared Michaels of any wrongdoing.

Check out before and after photos of her accuser below.

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The Biggest Loser Helen Phillips ‘Got Milk!’

Meg — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:44:02 +0000

Helen Phillips, the 48 year old winner of The Biggest Loser, is suddenly a media darling who is cashing in on her fame. She walked away with a cool $250,000 on the NBC finale last Tuesday night and has been hitting a variety of talk shows to discuss her success.

Phillips appears in the newest Got Milk! ad campaign, as seen in the above photo. The Sterling Heights, Michigan contestant lost 140 lbs. and now tips the scales at a petite 117 lbs. See more ad campaign photos from around the world here.

Check out the before and after photos of the top contenders during Season 7.

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The Biggest Loser WINNER Season 7 is….Helen Phillips (PHOTOS)

Meg — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:21:28 +0000

The finale of the NBC hit reality show The Biggest Loser was a three-hour special on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. Two contestants, Tara Costa and Helen Phillips, were already in the running for the grand prize of $250,000.

America voted to see if it would be father Ron Morelli or son Mike Morelli competing against the women. Millions of votes were cast and Mike was chosen to compete in the final three. Tara, Helen and Mike were trained by Jillian Michaels, who has been the trainer for the last two Biggest Loser champions, both women.

Past winners were Ryan Benson, Matt Hoover, Eric Chopin (who, unfortunately has gained back 122 lbs), Bill Germanakos, Ali Vincent and Michelle Aguilar.

Nineteen eliminated contestants were invited back to weigh-in, strut their stuff and show off their new bodies. They were also vying for $100,000. The contestant, from this group, with the greatest percentage of weight loss was 64 year old Jerry Hayes from Wheaton, Illinois. He started the competition weighing 369 lbs. and was eliminated in Week 2. He lost 177 lbs. at home for a phenomenal 47.97% weight loss. His current weight is 192 lbs – see his story on video below.

Helen started the competition weighing 257 lbs. She lost a total of 140 lbs, with her current weight at an amazing 117 lbs. Her total percentage of weight loss was 54.47%.

Tara started the competition weighing 294 lbs. She lost 155 lbs, for a total percentage of weight loss of 52.72%. Her current weight is 139 lbs.

Mike started the competition weighing 388 lbs. He lost a total of 207 lbs. and currently weighs 181 lbs. His total percentage of weight loss was 53.35%.

The Season 7 Biggest Loser winner of the $250,000 grand prize is Helen Phillips, 47, of Sterling Heights, Michigan. She was clearly the dark horse of the final three. She worked hard, didn’t make waves, and in the end was able to blow away her toughest competitors to win it all. Well done Helen!

Check out some video transformations and see more photos below.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4dvyF3vWpk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctI2DwZNY5A[/youtube]

Biggest Loser website.

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The Biggest Loser Recap: Mike & Ron Up For Elimination May 5, 2009

Meg — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:32:57 +0000

The four remaining contestants on The Biggest Loser were sent home for 30 days before returning to campus last night for one final weigh-in to determine who will compete in the finale on May 12, 2009.

The father and son team of 54 year old Ron Morelli and his 18 year old son Mike Morelli went home to South Lyon, Michigan. Helen Phillips, 47, headed back to Sterling Heights, Michigan. Tara Costa, 23, went back to New York City where she was able to see the results of the $25,000 kitchen makeover that she had won during a challenge and had given to her mother.

Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels made surprise visits to see the contestants. Jillian dropped in on Tara, Helen and Mike and discovered that they were all struggling with the transition back to their former lives and she counseled each of them about finding balance. Mike, in particular, was carrying the heavy burden of trying to motivate his reluctant younger brother. Bob visited Ron and also worked with the youngest son to try to jump start a program for him.

The final challenge was a 26.2 mile marathon that the remaining four contestants were tasked with running. Finishers were awarded $10,000 checks for their favorite charity. All four went the distance, though Tara and Helen were the only two able to run. Father and son opted to walk the course for medical reasons. Mike was bummed but had been advised by his doctor not to chance running because of a training injury suffered since he returned home.

Ron, with a bad knee, got into trouble along the route and was checked out by medical personnel. It looked like he would throw in the towel but in the end, he finished the race with the aid of a cane and the support of a large group of former Biggest Loser contestants, including Heba Salama, Ali Vincent, Michele Aguilar, Bernie Salazar and Jim Germanakos.

The final weigh-in showed that Mike, Ron and Tara all lost 10 lbs. The smallest contestant, Helen, lost 7 lbs. Tara had the highest weight loss percentage with an amazing 5.92%, followed by Helen with 4.55%. This put both Ron and Mike below the yellow line and at the mercy of viewers who will have one week to vote for which of the two they want to see in the finale, competing against Tara and Helen.

Tara has lost 135 lbs, Helen has lost 110 lbs, Ron has lost 151 lbs, and Mike has lost 174 lbs, which is a record for the show. This season the total weight loss by contestants has been an astounding 1601 lbs.

Predictably, Ron has asked everyone to put Mike in the finale. Last year that ploy backfired on the husband and wife team of Heba Salama and Ed Brantley. He pleaded her case but viewers chose him instead. Heba won the lesser prize, but ended up with the biggest percentage of weight loss for the season and would have won the contest if she had been voted into the finale.

Be sure to vote for either Ron or Mike here. The three hour finale on May 12 should be interesting, when all 22 contestants will be back to show off their bodies and vie for either $250,000 or $100,000.

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Biggest Loser Recap: Filipe Fa Eliminated April 28, 2009

Meg — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:46:55 +0000

The hit NBC reality show The Biggest Loser is nearing the end of the season, with only four contestants still vying for the grand prize after last night’s elimination.

The challenge this week had the remaining five contestants, Filipe, Ron, Mike, Tara and Helen toting canvas bags weighted down to mimic the amount of pounds shed by each player. The group had to climb 16 hills, each representing a week on the Biggest Loser campus. They were able to drop the corresponding weight that they lost each week as they made it to the top of each numbered hill.

Mike started out strong, even though he was lugging the most weight at 153 pounds. But in the end Tara, who carried 117, breezed by him and was able to choose between $10,000 or a one pound weight advantage. Mike, coming in second, would receive her cast-off prize.

Tara took the one pound advantage, giving Mike the cash. She had raked in $10,000 after winning a different challenge last week and decided that she had to guarantee her place in the final four. It turned out she lost 8 pounds (5.08 percent), giving her the greatest percentage of weight loss after the extra pound was added. That put her at the top of the leader board and secured her place in the finals.

Mike lost 11 pounds (4.68 percent), which put him in second place. Helen dropped 7 (4.35 percent) for third spot. Ron lost 9 (3.02 percent) and Filipe 10 (4.10 percent), both ended up below the yellow line and up for elimination. In the end, Mike and Helen voted to send Filipe home, making Tara’s vote unnecessary.

Filipe Fa is a 26 year old lube technician from Hawaii. He started out at 364 pounds and dropped 130 on campus and an additional 13 pounds since he has been home. He set out to inspire an entire culture of people and has been gathering friends and neighbors for an exercise program since returning to the islands. His father recently suffered a stroke but is reported to be recovering.

The remaining four players will now return home for 30 days before coming back to The Biggest Loser campus for a final weigh-in next week. Then it will be on to the season finale on May 12.

Kristin Steede was eliminated last week and appeared this week on the cover of Life & Style Weekly.

Photo below.

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Kristin Steede Covers Life & Style Weekly: Biggest Loser

Meg — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:41:20 +0000

Kristin Steede, who reached the end of the line last week on the Biggest Loser campus, graces the cover of Life & Style Weekly. The photo speaks volumes about the successful journey of the engaging Wisconsin business woman.

The heaviest woman in Biggest Loser history, she lost more weight than any other women on the popular weight loss reality show, having dropped 140 pounds.

Steede told Al Roker on The Today Show this morning, “You know, if someone would have told me seven months ago that I would be on the cover of a magazine, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

The NBC finale will be a two hour live broadcast on May 12.

Check out who got eliminated this week – April 28, 2009.

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The Biggest Loser Recap: Kristin Eliminated April 21, 2009

Meg — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:54:30 +0000

It is getting down to the wire on the hit NBC reality show The Biggest Loser. With the finale looming and six contestants left, Kristin Steede found herself below the line again, this time with Helen.

As expected, Filipe and Ron had Kristin’s back but Tara and Mike voted for Helen. Because Kristin had the lowest weight loss for the week, which was actually a shocking weight gain of one pound, she was sent packing back to her husband Nick and her business in Greenville, Wisconsin. Upon parting she said, “I may not be The Biggest Loser but I won my life back.”

We were shown a recent film clip of Kristin, 29, speaking to a group of 200 women about her weight loss experiences. At the end of a question and answer session, she stepped out from behind a podium with a pair of her old jeans held up in front of her body. When she dropped the pants we saw that the business woman was wearing a gorgeous tailored suit. At the time that the segment was taped, she had lost 132 pounds, down 16 from when she left the Biggest Loser campus.

Episode 716 Recap: the group participated in an interesting challenge in which they were playing for $10,000 or a one pound weight advantage at weigh in. The six contestants were hoisted up in wire cages to a height of 45 feet in the air. Their task was to grasp one end of a rope in order to keep their cage from dropping. Helen gave Tara a run for her money but in the end, Tara took the prize. She opted to take the cash in order to move into a new apartment at the end of the competition.

The group also took a Good Housekeeping nutrition quiz that came down to a tie between Kristin and Mike for a three day all expenses paid trip for two to New York City. The tie breaker had the two guessing the number of calories in a fast food fish sandwich with tartar sauce which contained 640 calories. Mike came within 5 calories to win the challenge.

At weigh-in, Mike lost 8 pounds, Tara lost 5, Ron lost 4, which put him at 298 for the first time in 40 years. Filipe lost 3 pounds, Helen lost 1 and Kristin gained 1.

Next week will be the last weigh-in at the ranch before one final person is eliminated and the top four are announced. The finale will be a live two-hour show on Tuesday, May 12.

More photos below.

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Erik Chopin: Biggest Loser GAINS 122 Lbs. (Photos)

Meg — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:12:08 +0000

Biggest Loser season three winner Erik Chopin was a recent guest on The Oprah Show in order to share a big secret with her and the rest of the world – he has fallen off the wagon.

The 36 year old deli owner weighed in at 407 when he joined the reality television show in 2006 and dropped 214 pounds to become the Biggest Loser. Unfortunately he has gained back 122 pounds and is deeply distressed to now weigh 315 pounds. Chopin weighed 197 at the finale and admits that he remained in denial until he saw the scale hit 300.

His wife Michele has been silently watching while her husband has gone back to all of his old habits. She told Oprah, “I’d worry about him. I’d look at him and think it was like he was drowning and I couldn’t do anything to help him. I could see it in his eyes, and I could see so many things happening again that we’ve been through.”

Erik told Oprah that he had an Aha! moment when he watched the show host share her own weight struggles with the world. “I thought it was so courageous and so admirable and inspiring. I said, ‘Wow, I should just reveal this and just get it over with.’ Friends and family, neighbors, they see me. But the majority of people don’t. They don’t know.”

He admits that he doesn’t like to go to the gym but he told Oprah that he wants to lose the weight and be healthy for his family. He said that this time he is going to do it for himself. He knows that his family will benefit from the ripple effect so everyone will ultimately win.

Current photos of Erik.

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