~ The Biggest Loser ~ FINALE ~ We have a winner!!!

[TMcDwyer]

 

[redlight]

I'm finding it harder to get into the show each season. I also need to get back on break working off my butt.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

SPOILERS please! It worked well last season, especially for those of us who wanted to know what happened but could not watch the show. It's so hard to talk about something if we can't post spoilers

 

[nomie74]

Hi, joining in. I don't mind spoilers.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I'm pumped! Can't wait for the new season!

 

[Disneyluvr]

I LOVE spoilers! I'm too impatient to wait, lol

 

[momrek06]

In our local paper this morning!


Newport Beach woman is among the contestants on this season’s ‘The Biggest Loser.’

By Brianna Bailey
Thursday, September 10, 2009

Newport Beach resident Shay Sorrells knew she had to change her life when her mother died three years ago at age 48.

Like most of the women in her family, Sorrells and her mother were overweight. Years of drug use also contributed to her mother’s death.

“It was a wake-up call,” Sorrells said. “I thought ‘I’m almost 30, can I only have 15 years to live?’ I cannot fathom death being that close.”

After trying to lose the weight on her own, Sorrells went to a casting call for season eight of the hit NBC reality television show “The Biggest Loser” earlier this year.

Weighing 476 pounds at the beginning of production, Sorrells, a school social worker, will be the heaviest contestant to compete in “Biggest Loser” history when the eighth season of the show premieres Tuesday night.

Sorrells was among a cast of 16 “Biggest Loser” contestants who signed up for a rigorous diet and fitness regimen in front of the cameras this season.

“It is difficult being cut off from family and friends on the show. You can’t lean on [them] anymore,” Sorrells said. “It’s also difficult to realize your faults on national TV — you’re having these revelations in front of America. As powerful as that is, it is difficult too.”

The relationship between Sorrells, the youngest of three girls, and her mother was not always easy. The family was homeless for a time, and Sorrells was in the foster care system from age 5 to 18.

“Being homeless and not having food consistently, I would eat as much as I could, whenever I could,” Sorrells said.

She also grew up eating rich Southern foods like jambalaya, gumbo and fried fish.

Living with an aunt at one point during her childhood, Sorrells recalls blissful meals of macaroni and cheese and fried chicken.

“I remember rolling out dough for buttermilk biscuits at age 9 or 10,” Sorrells said. “You would have eight or nine things for breakfast, and that was normal.”

On the show, Sorrells learned that exercise and healthy eating made her feel better.

“It’s really about putting into practice what I’ve heard all along, diet and exercise,” Sorrells said. “I never realized how full you feel when you eat whole, natural foods.”

After the show finished taping in August, Sorrells returned to Newport Beach. She continues exercising and watching what she eats in preparation for “The Biggest Loser’s” live finale in December, when she will weigh in with other contestants from the show for a chance to win a grand prize of $250,000.

Since being back at home, Sorrells has tried to lead a more active lifestyle with her husband of two years, Gene Smith, and her two stepsons, Damari, 10, and Caleb, 5.

The family now goes on regular bike rides or to the park, and Sorrells hikes as many as six miles at a time on her own.

“It’s been amazing,” said Smith, who also has lost 20 pounds since his wife returned home from taping the show.

“Before, we would come home after work, sit down and watch TV, maybe go to a movie,” Smith said. “We were very nonactive. Now we’re bike riding and she’s hiking — it’s crazy.”

Sorrells said she’s committed to staying fit, regardless of the show’s outcome.

“The show was life-changing for me, and I realize my journey is lifelong,” she said.

“When I think about weight lost, I really think about making the best possible choice. That’s how I live every single day.”


http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/09/11/topstory/dpt-biggestloser091109.txt

 

[momrek06]

The Contestants:

The newest season of The Biggest Loser is sure to offer several changes and surprises. The main theme this season will be “Second Chances.” In other words, the show will feature contestants who may have experienced a recent tragedy or loss that has left them feeling helpless and out of control.

This season will also feature Daniel Wright, a favorite from Season 7, and Slay Sorrells,the show’s heaviest contestant to date - a woman weighing 476 pounds.


The backgrounds of the contestants are extremely varied but they all have one thing in common: their weight has spiraled out of control. Allen Smith, one of the season 8 Contestants, is a Firefighter who’s at risk of losing both his health and his job because of his weight problem. A military wife and mother of four, Tracey Yukich, has never put herself first and is hoping that this will be her chance to rearrange her life. Contestant Abby Rike is also looking for a new start after losing her husband and two children in a tragic car crash.

The new contestants competing for the $250,000 grand prize are:

SEAN ALGAIER (Youth Pastor), 29, Tulsa, OK.

AMANDA ARLAUSKAS (Patient Care Technician), 19, Butler, NJ.

DANNY CAHILL (Land Surveyor/Musician), 39, Broken Arrow, OK.

MOZZIZ “MO” DEWALT (Youth Mentor), 56, Louisville, KY.

ANTOINE DOVE (Health Insurance Agent), 23, Dudley, NC.

JULIO GOMEZ (Mortgage Loan Officer), 40, Algonquin, IL.

DINA MERCADO (Custodian), 28, Commerce, CA.

REBECCA MEYER (Student/Nanny), 25, Des Moines, IA.

RUDY PAULS (Engineer), 31, Brooklyn, CT.

ABBY RIKE (Teacher), 35, Mabank, TX.

ALLEN SMITH (Firefighter/EMT), 44, Columbus, IN.

SHAUNTINA “SHAY” SORRELLS (Social Worker), 30, Newport Beach, CA.

ALEXANDRA WHITE (Student), 20, Harrisburg, PA.

DANIEL WRIGHT (Student), 20, Willow Spring, NC.

LIZ YOUNG (Salesperson), 49, Lewisburg, TN.

TRACEY YUKICH (Homemaker), 37, Allen, TX.

 

[momrek06]

Bob and Jillian on TWITTER!!!


Bob is "BobHarperAnthem"

Jillian is "JillianMichaels"

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I can't wait!

Unlike apparently many people here I LOVED last season. I haven't liked a lot of the game play that has gone on in other seasons (really I only thought Ron and Mike (under Ron's pushing) were trying to make it a snakey game like some of the previous seasons).

I listen to Jillian's free podcast on iTunes every week and she was saying how she loves all of the contestants except for one this season whom she refers to as "Satan's Spawn". Can't wait to watch (especially after Jillian was saying they have tons of new equipment and a new torture device she loves to use called "Jacob's Ladder")!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I'm all for spoilers!

I'd prefer if the show was on once week or at least not for 2 hours.
I couldn't watch all of it last year. They repeated the same info and would drag at times.

I enjoyed watching Tara and Mike. Still not happy Helen won.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I couldn't watch all of it last year. They repeated the same info and would drag at times.

I enjoyed watching Tara and Mike. Still not happy Helen won.

We record it every week on DVR and then watch it on Wednesday. It's ridiculous that out of 2 hours, 45 minutes to an hour is actually watchable. We fast forward through the 5-10 minutes in the beginning talking about what happened last week and the theme song and showing each person, and the first 2 minutes when they come back from the 80 commercial breaks, the scale going up and down dramatically and the camera panning to people's faces and then cutting to commercial, the pushing of the Ziploc steam bags or the Extra gum or the Brita filter, etc., the 15 minutes of debate on who they're going to vote for, and through the 10 minutes of them in the voting room explaining that they really loved the person they were voting for, blah, blah, they will do great at home, blah, blah .

I really enjoyed Tara. I found Helen to be annoying for a long time and, like Jillian, did feel she was too skinny at the finale (but certainly understand the motivation behind losing every tiny bit of weight to win the show). I liked Mike too and am so glad he has a whole new chance at life (as well as his brother).

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Has there been any news on how Tara and Mike are doing today?

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Tara was on GMA or Today (one of those morning shows) not too long ago with other Biggest Loser contestants and was running a half marathon. She looks like she's put on a few pounds since the finale (but not in a bad way). Here's an article from late July about Tara. Looks like she's going to try and run the NY Marathon:

http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/24/biggest-losers-tara-costa-will-run-n-y-c-marathon/

I haven't heard anything about Mike though.

 

[jenseib]

OK, BL DISer's...as the OP, do you want SPOILERS or no???

Decide amongst yourselves. I do not care one way or the other. Just let me hear from you all. OKEY DOKEY!!!!

I'm in and all for spoilers too!

 

[RitaE]

We record it every week on DVR and then watch it on Wednesday. It's ridiculous that out of 2 hours, 45 minutes to an hour is actually watchable.

That's funny because we usually DVR it and I let it get about an hour head start on me -- then we start FF through all that too. I'm usually caught up to the actual ending in time to watch the weigh in on real tv.

Then I use the commercial breaks to pack lunches, fold laundry, run the vacuum, and a zillion other chores. My biggest irritation is the way they'll show the scale numbers randomly generating, then a cut to shocked looks and gasping --- then a 5 minute or so commericial break only to return and REPLAY the last 3 or 4 minutes of what they had on before.

 

[believe]

I am really looking forward to this season. This is the only show I typically make time for on a regular basis.

Can someone tell me how to find Jillian's podcast on itunes? I have tried searching but can't find it.

 

[MusiqChic99]

I can not wait.

DVR is set.

 

[momrek06]

ONE MORE DAY!!!!


Ok, I have heard from allot of posters. SPOILERS it is!!!!

I am going to put it in the title!!!

 

[momrek06]

"The Biggest Loser," Season 8


"The Biggest Loser" Season 8 features a special theme of "second chances." Alison Sweeney hosts the popular series, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels return to train 16 contestants eager to get their second chances at a new lease on life.

Their individual stories are compelling on "The Biggest Loser" Season 8, from a firefighter (Allen Smith) whose health and job are at risk because of his weight to a military wife and mother of four (Tracey Yukich) who has always put others first. "The Biggest Loser 8" viewers will also meet a remarkable woman (Abby Rike) who endured the worst tragedy imaginable—losing her husband and two children in a deadly car crash—and who now gets a second chance to restart her life.


Last season's heaviest contestant and fan favorite Daniel Wright will also return on "The Biggest Loser" Season 8 for a second chance to finish the weight loss journey he started in Season 7, going from 454 lbs. to 312 lbs. He'll inspire a female social worker (Shay Sorrells) that has taken his place as the heaviest contestant in the history of "The Biggest Loser," weighing in at 476 lbs. Also included in the new season of players on "The Biggest Loser" is Amanda Arlauskas, a 19 year old who was voted in by America during the Season 7 finale of the show in May, and hopes to get a second chance to live the life she always dreamed of living. They'll all come together on "The Biggest Loser 8" for a second chance to transform their bodies, their health and ultimately their lives.