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Biggest Loser Families Recap: NYC Makeovers

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

The competition on the Biggest Loser Families should be heating up, but last night's show was surprisingly free of drama. Well, not quite. There was Vicky's moment of paralyzing fear, verging on a tantrum, during the physical challenge, but even that little episode struck me as placid. Maybe because everyone involved, blue teammates included, seemed "over" Vicky's antics.

This week all the contestants were treated to a makeover in NYC. Their trip to the Big Apple included new hair fancy and flattering styles. The highlights from the salon: Vicky dyed her hair red and Ed got some highlights himself. Then all five contestants were treated to a shopping trip at Macy's lightly supervised by season-four winner of Project Runway Christian Siriano (didn't he often comment on how he loved the super-skinny models?). This was followed by a "live" reveal on The Tyra Banks Show, complete with a reunion with a friend, spouse, sibling, or parent. The reunions, full of lots of emotion, were pretty sweet watch.

Upon returning back to the ranch, the five remaining players competed in a physical challenge with a two-week spa vacation as the prize. The contestants had to wedge themselves in bottomless boxes suspended 12 to 15 feet above a pool of water. Vicky was first to call uncle, but refused to drop into the water. Heba, Ed, and Renee eventually followed dropping easily and gleefully into the water below. Michelle won the prize and was a disappointed to have her victory celebration marred by Vicky's attention-stealing freak-out.

To see who was eliminated and how they look today

Ricki Lake's 130-Pound Weight Loss Holding Strong

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:30:00 -0800

At 40 years old, Ricki Lake is a new person since she's dropped 140 pounds from her former 270-pound self, and has kept it off for over a year. She says, "I can’t believe I was a fat person for most of my life." She didn't have surgery; her dramatic weight loss was made possible by all her hard work. Ricki is active, watches what she eats, and has organic meals delivered by Fresh Dining. Not having to prepare her own meals is a luxury that many of us can't afford, but it sure has done her a world of good.

This mother of two told People magazine, "I'm not a thin girl. I’m a normal girl. I don’t want to perpetuate that obsession but yet I am also guilty of wanting . . . to lose weight." She's happy that she's a healthy size, and even though she's maintaining her figure, she says "Something tragic in my life could happen and I could balloon and gain weight. I can’t promise I will be like this forever." It makes me feel better to know that even though she's a celeb, she's still human, and she has to work just as hard as the rest of us to stay in shape.

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4 Gadgets To Help You Work Off That Turkey and Stuffing

geeksugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:00:40 -0800

So you had a little too much turkey, gravy and stuffing on Thanksgiving (not to mention all the leftovers you indulged in), and you completely ignored Fit's assessments of how many calories your typical Thanksgiving Day meal contained, which means you've probably gained a few pounds. No biggie, just let your gadget obsession help whip you back into shape. Although it will take some determination, it won't be all that hard, I promise — you just gotta get moving, and cut back on the treats. Click through this slideshow as I show you four gadgets that help you work off that extra weight and get you back to your pre-Thanksgiving Day body. Hey, at least your index finger will get a nice workout. Source

Biggest Loser Families Recap: NFL and Thanksgiving Week

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Nothing screams November like football and turkey with stuffing. It was NFL and Thanksgiving week on The Biggest Loser Families last night. Celebrity visits spiced up an otherwise drama-free show. Former 49ers Jerry Rice and Steve Young (go Niners!) came onto campus to train the contestants football style, and Rocco DiSpirito taught the contestants how to lighten up traditional Thanksgiving dishes. The spirit of "friendship" at the T-day table felt a little forced to me.

Once again the two-hour format and repetitive editing almost killed the show for me. After watching another tip involving Extra gum I feel I should buy some stock in it because that gum is what America will be chewing. But back to the actual details. Vicky won both physical challenges, as she continues to fly under the radar. Michelle and Renee are onto her game and the mother-daughter team complained openly that they wished Amy used her swing vote in the previous week to vote Vicky off the show. The saddest part of the episode was Amy's naivety, for she truly believed that Vicky was on her side.

To see if Vicky had Amy's back and who was eliminated last night,

Tough Question No. 5: Have You Lost/Gained Some Weight?

DearSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:30:00 -0800

Weight is one of those topics that makes almost everyone feel uncomfortable. Calling out a person's weight gain or loss not only puts them on the spot, but it can easily do a number on their self-esteem. If Thanksgiving is the holiday that brings your family together, chances are you'll be seeing some relatives you haven't seen for a while, so if they comment on your weight, here are some ways to hold your own.

To see my responses for tough question number five,

Biggest Loser Families Recap: '80s Week

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Life on the Biggest Loser ranch was a little tense at the beginning of the week, since Amy voted Brady off the show. To lighten the mood, someone decided to celebrate the '80s, complete with teased hair, leg warmers, and lots of blush. Bob and Jillian treated their teams to '80s-style workouts. Jillian's group did some "break dancing"(I put that in quotes since the only thing they did resembling break dancing was a group wave) and Bob, wearing short shorts, led his team in a step aerobics class.

The physical challenge was an '80s health and fitness trivia quiz, performed with the contestants holding 50 percent of their weight in large water buckets placed over their heads. If they answered a question wrong water was added to their bucket, and when the contestants let go, they were doused with water reminiscent of the famous scene in Flash Dance. The prize, won by Michele after bribing her mom to let go by offering her a designer purse, was either $5,000 or giving another contestant a one-pound penalty at the weigh in.

The show heated up as we edged closer to the weigh in, to see who was sent home and how they look now, just

Biggest Loser Recap: High Drama and Single Play

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Last night, The Biggest Loser brought the drama. Watching the show last night, I was nearly as tense as I was last Tuesday during the national elections. Now that the show is down to the final seven, it is heating up. The two-hour format didn't seem to drag as in episodes past because the tension and taunting were high. The junior high antics of the blue team began early in the show as Vicky and Heba could not control their delight at Phillip being voted off the black team. Although Michelle, Coleen, and Renee, of the black team, were not surprised by Vicky and Heba's antics, they were still hurt by the blatant rudeness.

After the vote, Ali came to the ranch to tell the contestants that team play was over and that the game was now every player for him or herself. This announcement was followed by an even bigger twist. All the players returned (but Coleen's father — he had to work) for one last chance to return to the ranch. Most of the contestants are looking great and have lost a considerable amount of weight. We were treated to some of Vicky's very public taunting of Phillip. The prize of the physical challenge, open only to returning players, was not only to return to the game, but also to have immunity at the weigh in. The returning player to step 1,000 onto a classic aerobic step first would win.

To see who won the challenge and who lost at the weigh in, just

Ruby: The Story of a 500-Pound Woman

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Ruby weighs 487 pounds. She doesn't know how she got that big, but she knows it is time to do something about all that weight before it kills her. A new reality TV series, bearing the eponymous title Ruby, is about the life or death story of this woman's struggle to survive. The show premieres this Sunday, Nov. 9, at 8/7c on the Style Network. To see a sneak peek, check out the video below.

Get Flash to see this player.

I'm wondering how you feel about the concept behind this show and following an obese woman's weight-loss journey. Do you see it as an inspiration to live healthy, or is it degrading and insensitive to people with weight issues? It could be the Biggest Loser without all the game play. Are you going to tune in?

What's the Deal With the Morning Banana Diet?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

I've been hearing a lot about this new Morning Banana Diet that is taking Japan by storm, so I decided to do a little investigating on whether or not it's worth all the hype.

Basically, the rules behind the Morning Banana Diet (MBD) are relatively simple. Eat at least one banana for breakfast and anything you like for lunch and dinner, as long as you don't eat after 8 p.m. An afternoon snack is OK (even if it's unhealthy), but no desserts after meals and you're encouraged to drink only room temperature water. You'll need to go to bed by midnight and keep a food journal. Exercise is not necessary, and you shouldn't force yourself to do it if it stresses you out (WTF?).

If you remember the general rules of for spotting an unhealthy diet, you probably also remember that all diets should promote healthy eating and exercise. Clearly, the MBD does not, and therefore does not get a thumbs-up in my book — not to mention the fact that it's really not something you could do for the rest of your life (I don't care how much you love bananas). Yes, bananas are good for you, but so is exercise, as well as a lot of other fruits and veggies that you could incorporate into your breakfast.

When you read about a new diet and it seems too good to be true, chances are it is — a silver bullet does not yet exist, and we'll know if and when it does. Until then, the real key to keeping yourself healthy is to maintain healthy eating and keep moving.

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Biggest Loser Families Recap: Game On!

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

By the end of last night's show the number of contestants on The Biggest Loser Families had been whittled down to seven. With dinnertime confrontations, backstabbing, and trash talking, the show reminds me a bit of junior high, minus the unicorn stickers. Early into the episode we learned that Bob finds Vicky's scheming to be downright Shakespearean, and that Phillip really did confront Brady on the basketball court during the last episode in attempts to create an alliance late in the game. I admit, I thought Brady and Vicky had made up the entire event.

The blue and black teams squared off for a couple of competitions before their last chance workouts. First they played a version of "Eat This, Not That" from the popular Men's Health magazine feature turned best-selling book. The blue team won the game giving them a 40 pound advantage in the next physical challenge.

For the physical challenge players were suspended high in the sky where they had to hold the equivalent of their own weight via a pulley system. The black team having lost the previous game had an additional 40 pounds to hold. With the weight advantage the blue team easily won, and they won yet another advantage. Prior to the weigh in, the blue team would get to pick a member of the black team to be excluded from the final numbers. This advantage seemed to fuel the game-playing aspect of the competition.

To see what went down at the weigh in and who was eliminated, just