The contestants come back to California to run a Marathon and Weigh in. Now America will vote for which one of the Morelli’s should be a finalist.

Also have a listen as I explain some of the crazy things that happen that last week before the finale.

Here is who’s left:

Helen Phillips – Finalist
Tara Costa – Finalist
Mike Morelli – America Votes
Ron Morelli – America Votes

Damien Gurganious – Eliminated
Nicole Brewer – Eliminated
David Lee – Eliminated
Daniel Wright – Eliminated
Cathy Skell – Eliminated
Kristin Steede – Eliminated
Sione Fa – Eliminated
Filipe Fa – Eliminated
Laura Denoux – Eliminated
Carla Triplett – Eliminated
Joelle Gwynn – Eliminated
Estella Hayes – Eliminated
Gerald “Jerry” Hayes – Eliminated
Blaine Cotter – Eliminated
Gregory “Dane” Patterson – Eliminated
Shanon Thomas – Eliminated
Amanda Kramer – Eliminated
Aubrey Cheney – Eliminated

Watch the update and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

Pete Thomas

This is the final week on the ranch for the contestants and what we don’t see is how very very hard they worked out for the opportunity to land in the final four. In the end Filipe did not make the cut gets sent home.

I had a chance to speak with Filipe Fa of the Blue Team this afternoon. As you might expect he is as jovial and as upbeat as he appeared on the show. I could not resist the chance to ask him about Train the Trainer and what it was like to push around Bob Harper.

“I talked soo much trash that day!” said Filipe.  He says they started off with Bob on the treadmill warming up at a speed of 7.5 and then bumped it to 8.5 then to 9.5 when Bob started complaining. Bob told Filipe “You have no ideal. I am going to kill you in this last chance workout.” Filipe’s response was “I don’t care! You have killed me for 17 weeks. I am going to make sure I take this opportunity to mop the floor with you”

When I asked him what was the hardest thing he had Bob doing, Filipe said “I had him crying when he was on that stair master.” as Bob was pushed up to a level 20! But “The hardest thing we had him do was the pull-ups – Jillian was yelling across the gym ‘make Bob do pull-ups. He hates them!’ So we had him do those and they didn’t show the portion where he was cussing at me.” Good thing

I then asked Filipe about his attempts to change his family and what was the hardest part of attempting to do that,

“Nutrition.” says Filipe simply.  The challenge has been to teach the family that they don’t have to “eat less food” but to make “better options” which include eating more fruits and vegetables” and whenever the family buys meat to “make sure its lean”. Sounds like what I teach in class! Great stuff.

So with two weeks to go we have 3 of the 4 contestants from Michigan in line for the $250,000 grand prize. Tune in next week as the final four have an amazing challenge (Hint – remember the relationship with Rodale Press) and then the weigh-in leading up to America voting for a finalist. Here is who’s left:

Helen Phillips
Tara Costa
Mike Morelli
Ron Morelli

Damien Gurganious – Eliminated
Nicole Brewer – Eliminated
David Lee – Eliminated
Daniel Wright – Eliminated
Cathy Skell – Eliminated
Kristin Steede – Eliminated
Sione Fa – Eliminated
Filipe Fa – Eliminated
Laura Denoux – Eliminated
Carla Triplett – Eliminated
Joelle Gwynn – Eliminated
Estella Hayes – Eliminated
Gerald “Jerry” Hayes – Eliminated
Blaine Cotter – Eliminated
Gregory “Dane” Patterson – Eliminated
Shanon Thomas – Eliminated
Amanda Kramer – Eliminated
Aubrey Cheney – Eliminated

Watch the update and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

Pete Thomas

As the Biggest Loser winds its way to an awesome finale we are in week number 16. There is a smaller film ‘crew’ on campus and yet there is still a two hour show to produce. That means you should begin to see more of what the contestants are really like.

After a Good Housekeeping sponsored quiz show and an anticlimactic challenge we head to the weigh in.

At the weigh-in Helen from Michigan of the Yellow Team and Kristin from the Purple Team fall below the yellow line and are up for elimination. The Brown Team colludes against Mike’s biggest competition and Kristin is sent packing.

I had a chance to speak with Kristin via conference call today and she is doing absolutely great. She appears on the cover of Life and Style Magazine this week.

Kristin is a budding motivational public speaker and I often have the chance myself to motivate others so I was interested in finding out what is actually keeping her going.

Kristin shared that she gets motivation from ‘other people who are inspired by her journey’. As well, “The finale is motivation also and I expect after the finale, motivation may be constantly changing.”

When it comes to workouts Kristin explained that she had a ‘revelation on the ranch’ that she needed to make sure she did her workouts ‘For Yourself By Yourself’. This came about because her mom was an ‘early early morning person’ and Kristin herself was more of a ‘late night person’ so it was up to Kristin to get her workouts in on her own. Even now at home she hits the gym alone and if her mom can join her then it ‘is a bonus’.

That is a very good lesson for all of us to apply. Gather motivation from multiple sources but in the end you have to take ownership of the process and do the work for yourself. No one can force you to eat correctly. No one can force you to go to the gym. You must be willing to do it ‘For Yourself, By Yourself’.

Great advice Kristin. I look to see half of you at the finale’

So with three weeks to go we can see that Michigan is in line to have a strong showing at the finale’. Here is who’s left:

Helen Phillip
Filipe Fa
Tara Costa
Mike Morelli
Ron Morelly
Damien Gurganious – Eliminated
Nicole Brewer – Eliminated
David Lee – Eliminated
Daniel Wright – Eliminated
Cathy Skell – Eliminated
Kristin Steede – Eliminated
Sione Fa – Eliminated
Laura Denoux – Eliminated
Carla Triplett – Eliminated
Joelle Gwynn – Eliminated
Estella Hayes – Eliminated
Gerald “Jerry” Hayes – Eliminated
Blaine Cotter – Eliminated
Gregory “Dane” Patterson – Eliminated
Shanon Thomas – Eliminated
Amanda Kramer – Eliminated
Aubrey Cheney – Eliminated

Watch the update and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

Pete Thomas

If you did not know already, The Biggest Loser is a reality game show and big money is on the line.  At last weeks elimination the Blue team cousins of Sione and Felipe Fa were in conflict with the Father-Son Brown team of Mike and Ron Morelli. Ron did not pull any punches this week in sharing his disdain for the Blue team and promised to lay down the law, Godfather style.  I almost expected to see a Tommy gun appear from beneath Ron’s sexy rolls as NBC played up this stereotype.

Coming into this weeks show the contestants are informed that will not be getting a vote in this weeks weigh-in unless they win the magic Golden Ticket by eating through an amazing amount of junk food in the most calorically challenging temptation in the shows history.  One person will decide the fate of the contestants that drop below the yellow line.  That is a lot of power and most of the contestants jump (well hop) for the chance to gorge for the power.  I thought I was watching a post finale buffet as everyone but Kristen enjoyed a gastrointestinal poisoning fit for a casting video.

In the end Sione was sent home peacefully and in today’s conference call he explained how Ron controlled the game.  Sione says that initially all of Bob’s old team members agreed to form an alliance but he realized that Ron’s ‘alliance to us was not that strong’.  Sione maintains a great attitude about the situation and says that he ‘harbors no hard feelings’.  I wonder if I could pitch that show to a network – the Tongans vs the Italians.  What would I call it…?

Sione is now at home working to help his family lose weight by studying to become a trainer and sharing his Biggest Loser experience with his family members.  His brother has lost 40lbs and his sister has lost 12lbs with his guidance.

“The time on the Biggest Loser ranch is as much emotional as it is physical” says Sione as he shared with me the many breakthroughs he experienced on the show.  “I realized I had a pattern of quitting something to start something else”.

The 24 hour bike challenge helped him switch to “finish mode” while the car pulling challenge showed him he needed to “pace himself” instead of just taking off after something.  Finally he shared how the 1/2 marathon showed him that he can do “amazing” things.

We look forward to seeing him at the Biggest Loser finale in May looking like half the Tongan he used to be.
Watch and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

Ally is having her baby, Alli and Michele come visit the ranch along with 3 other special guests. Watch and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

As I predicted, the teams are being changed around again. Sweet!  Watch and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

I am doing weekly video updates on the current season of NBC’s Hit Reality tv Show, The Biggest Loser, for my buddy John Gonzalez of the Grand Rapids Press and his Going Gonzo Blog over at mlive.com.

Coming off of a week of Drama the contestants go home too…Challenges. The challenges of normal life and the the challenge of running a Half-Marathon. Sweet! Have a watch and get a couple for weight loss tips from my interview with Cathy. Oh, and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

I am doing weekly video updates on the current season for my buddy John Gonzalez of the Grand Rapids Press and his Going Gonzo Blog over at mlive.com.

Coming off of ‘Feel Good Week’ this episode is all about the drama. Drama over the one on one nature of the weigh in. Drama from 24 hours of pleasure. Drama with the Cousins and Jillian. Drama, Drama, Drama. I love it! Have a watch and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

I am doing weekly video updates on the current season for my buddy John Gonzalez of the Grand Rapids Press and his Going Gonzo Blog over at mlive.com.

This week there are major changes as teams are switched around. Bob and Jillian now have new teams. Oh my! Also Biggest Loser Casting calls have been announced. Have a watch and check out John’s blog.

Talk to You Soon and Remember,

There’s A Winner Within You!

Pete Thomas