At this writing I feel so much better about the black team for showing themselves that they can be winners – and Arthur has finally started to get in the game for more than mind games. That weigh-in was spectacular! TWENTY POUNDS?! Where has that been the last six weeks?! Arthur has been holding out on us I think…

After the previous week’s challenge with Arthur scrambling the teams, and Jay being voted off because of it, I am certain that Arthur wasn’t feeling the “love” of his teammates. And what did he expect? But, he is a schmoozer – you’ve gotta give him that. He’s figured out a way to bring himself back into the fold, and the loving arms, of his fellow female teammates. He’s become the team project. “Should I use cheese on my salad? Is chicken better than steak?” Oh Arthur, I can see right through you, and I am sure many others watching at home are thinking the same thing. But hey, if it works and it makes everyone pull together as a team I guess he does have an idea of how this game is played. My hat is off to him (if I wore a hat, but you get the idea)

The black team is still suffering from “underdog-itis” and they need to get over it. All the whining in the world is not going to make a better number show up on the scale, and they need to be reminded that it is by percentage (not pounds) lost that the winners are determined. Thus leveling the playing field. So…quit yer cryin’! Too many women in one team can turn ugly, as we’ve started to notice this past week. A bit of a cat-fight was beginning to brew…

And not that I am against an all-women team (definitely not!) but a team of whiny women is annoying. And a team of whiny, uncoordinated, unorganized women is a death sentence for that team! (not to mention more annoying) They couldn’t even figure out how to get themselves out of a rope without having a nervous breakdown. Personally, I am offended for all of the women who watched this debacle. Were you screaming at the TV like I was? It was worse than watching a toddler’s soccer game where there is no score and and they run around aimlessly for two hours. Aarrgghh!!

The red team keeps winning these challenges – the strength and strategic challenges – making the black team feel inferior, but they can’t seem to win a challenge that deals with the real life issue of what goes into their mouths. And that brings us back to the same question: when will the red team realize that Brett and Cara are not giving them ALL of the tools that they will need to not only lose the weight but keep it off? Eventually they have to leave the ranch and make their own food and eat in restaurants, but without knowing how to prepare it or shop for it they are doomed. And there is only so much boxing that one person can be expected to do on their own.

I’m hoping for a “where are they now?” episode, in about a year, to see which team is more successful in the longterm. THAT would make a great special program for BL!

And when will this “family” house of cards completely cave-in on itself? (are you ready to just puke every time you hear that phrase from the red team?!… or is it just me??) It’s not far down the road I am guessing, because soon enough they will be playing as single players and then it will be every man/woman for themselves. That’s when we see who has who’s back and who is low man on the totem pole. Let the inbred, infighting begin!

Tonight is a big night for both teams: double elimination. The previews lead us to believe that it will be parents put to the test of choosing themselves over their children, but I have to question why it would only be between a parent and a child? If it’s double elimination it could very well be between two unrelated people, right? At least that’s what I got out of my probabilities class in high school. So much drama to hook you into watching, and I ask: do we really need that? Wouldn’t you watch it anyway?

I would…if only to see if Arthur continues to pull double-digits like he should have been doing up until now.

Only time will tell, and that time is tonight.

NBC. 8pm Central/7pm Eastern

Can you feel it??

The tide is turning and the game is heating up…

Just wanted to acknowledge that I made an error in my rant about BL yesterday. The teams are Black and Red, not Black and Blue. I guess that I was reaching back to a past season that held my interest longer than this one…as they say, “my bad” (bleh, I hate that phrase…)

It’s about time…I was ready to wash my hands of this show out of shear boredom!

How about you?

It seems that the B&J team finally got their heads on straight for the first time since this season has begun. And without Bob or Jillian getting in their faces about it, which totally surprises me. Is it me, or are they going extra easy on the contestants this season? What gives??

Funny how just one change to their normal routine can rouse them out of their sleep-walking like stupor. A bit of whining to go along with it (which always irritates me even though I should be used to it by now but seriously, they’re all adults for goshsakes, grow-up!) but in the end they pulled it off.

The interesting thing about last week’s double-digit dynamic is that nobody made comment on how the changes in the gym may have been a contributing factor. Once the Blue Team started sharing the gym it became louder and busier in the gym while they were working out, which was irritating, but they overcame it. You’d think that at least Jillian would bring it up after the weigh-in and make them all take a long hard look at what pushes them to be better and how they managed to get out of their “comfort zones” without failing – and actually succeeded! I think the Jill-meister needs to phone me for some psychological coaching advice…

Now to talk about Arthur…really, what the heck was that about?? Who makes that kind of decision and feels good about it? The challenge was bad enough (eating chocolate to gain control over the game) but to use it as a way to over-indulge is just gross. THIRTY-FIVE PIECES people!! That’s not gaining control of anything if you ask me. And then to trade the Black Team’s strongest two players for the Blue Team’s weakest two was just incredible. Why not take Rulon and his buddy and really upset the Blue Team? That would throw them completely off balance to take the “brains” of that side away. If you’re going to try to play the game you should at least know how to play it first! And what is going on between him and the green team anyway? He knows that they’re after him…huh?? I need to go back and review the tapes to catch that idea, I must have missed something.

So now the pot has been stirred and the throw-down has finally happened. I loved it when Jillian told her team that Cara was “afraid” of her because Jillian knows her stuff and it works. Did you see Cara’s face on that comment? Loved it! (but I do have to admit that to me Cara’s face always has that stupid look on it like she just stepped in gum or dog poop and didn’t know it was there or how to get it off of her shoe)

And while Cara and Brett’s team is making great progress, and their workout style is different from B&J and getting great results overall, the challenge of having to put foods in order of calories was an eye-opener for all involved. To watch the Blue Team struggle endlessly to put those five dishes in order was almost painful! Plus it made you wonder if it was going to turn into a fight near the end…makes you wonder what Brett and Cara have in their plan for giving these people “the tools” to keep the weight off once they leave the ranch. Are they expected to just subscribe to Jenny Craig or Seattle Sutton and live on delivered meals for the rest of their lives?

If you don’t understand what is going into your body you can’t control it, bottom line.

So we said goodbye to “Q” and that didn’t really make or break it for me – was anyone really rooting for him by now? I doubt it. But I do believe that it will make the Blue Team stronger which is something that the Black Team needs to watch out for this week.

It’s finally getting good, down and dirty, this is when the fighting begins. Bring it on!

Biggest Loser, tonight on NBC. 7pm Eastern/8pm Central

Don’t miss it…it’s just getting good.

I don’t know what you thought of last week’s incredibly lopsided weigh-in (no pun intended…wait, is there one there? anyway…) but I was gobsmacked at the numbers that the “mystery team” was pulling down. Double digits!! And the sickening part: someone from the team HAD to go home! How ridiculous is that?!

And what really irritated me aside from that incredible imbalance on the show, was when Q made such a plea to stay because he’s “not strong enough to go home and do it alone” – but his wife is?! Talk about throwing someone under the bus. He’s a slacker and and selfish, I think that we can all agree on that from what we’ve heard about his need to “get my burn”.  Then and now it’s not about the team at all, it’s all about Q. Which must also transfer into his marriage from what we can tell by his actions. And talk about a reason for Larialmy to seek counseling (aside from her odd name that I can’t even begin to understand how to pronounce from it’s spelling) – she’s put herself last…again. So, basically, she’s learned nothing about WHY she got to this point if you really want to get into it.

While the B&J team is getting numbers like 4 or 6 (and they’re HAPPY?!) they are able to have immunity as a group. You’ve got to ask yourself “what’s the point of this season?” Really.

Seriously. Are we supposed to feel good about Bob and Jillian this season or learn to turn on them? After all that they have done for us, and for those lost souls that have come to them looking for hope and a new life, are we the at-home viewers gearing up to kick them to the curb? It appears that way to me. What are they doing wrong this season? What is wrong with this group of people this time around? Don’t they get it??

Just take a look at past seasons and the numbers that those people were putting up on that board. We had Rudy doing double digits just about every week! And even the women were giving us more than 3 or 4 pounds…with the exception of the slacker Elizabeth from last season, but I digress.

I’m definitely not ready to give up on B&J, but c’mon guys! Make us believe in you! Do some real butt-kicking and make them not only sweat, but cry!! I want to see these people actually TRY to lose weight, not just “celebrate the little accomplishments” . If I wanted to watch that B.S.  I’d join Weight Watchers and go to a meeting every Tuesday night, for Godssakes! Not waste my time watching these lazy butts, that’s for sure.

Newsflash: everyone is NOT a winner! Geeze, what is wrong with this country?? You can’t always feel good about bad things. Sometimes you’ve got to get angry and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

So we look to tonight for some new answers – hopefully. Maybe this is a turning point for B&J. I sincerely hope so, they need a wake-up call and so do their players.

On a side note, it didn’t take long for Brett to cash-in on the advertisement dollars did it? HA! I knew it! (yes, a bit smug, but I could see that coming a mile away. Next he’ll be hawking his DVDs of his soon-to-be famous karate workout…mark my words)

Tonight on NBC: Biggest Loser Season 11

8pm Eastern/7pm Central

And if you’ve started to lose patience with this show (which I am sad to say I feel that I am this season) you might want to check out “HEAVY”.

It’s a new show made by the same guys who came up with the brainchild of Biggest Loser. It’s only been on for three weeks, but it’s pretty impressive. Two real people with morbid obesity and real problems working with two “unknowns” trying to set them on the road to a normal life and good health. Check your local listings or look for it on On-Demand. Trust me, if you like BL you’ll love this too. 😉

If you are as excited as I am about this week you’ve probably already checked-out the episode recap

and other details on http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser

It’s always good to see it broken down into bite-sized pieces to easily digest and relive…but I have to comment on Don (are you surprised? I didn’t think so.) If anyone really believes that supposed rant of his to Jillian I’ve got an Oscar with my name on it to show you! Are we really supposed to believe that he and his brother had no idea that they were going to gain weight last week?? Maybe they didn’t expect to gain NINE POUNDS EACH, but they had to be doing something to reverse the affects of working out 6 hours a day.

C’mon! anyone who is trying (read that again: TRYING) to lose weight knows the frustration with eating that one teensy helping of something forbidden and having to pay for it the next day or week. And usually it’s just a pound, maybe two. But NINE POUNDS?! and they have no idea?! Please, Officer Don, I want you to swear that in a court of law.

On other subjects and players I wasn’t too surprised by, Courtney’s need to have a mother/daughter talk and define herself to Marci was typical for BL. It’s Ashley (pink team Season 9) and her mom all over again. “it’s not your fault, it’s mine” blah, blah, blah. While that may be the grown-up thing to do and admirable to let that parent off the hook we can’t help but think to ourselves (or at least I can’t help but think to myself) that it is partly the parent’s fault. Where do our children learn their eating habits and their fitness habits? We can’t keep blaming fast food advertising for this people. It all begins at home, within your four walls. Man up and admit it! If it wasn’t a parent’s fault that parent wouldn’t also be there for Godssake! (or also be 100 pounds overweight, or on diabetes meds, etc.)

I know that it makes good TV, but it’s not a true reality check. I wish that they had a mediator come in for these talks and say something like, “well Courtney that is a very important step for you to take responsibility for yourself and your future health, and I applaud you for that, but really don’t you think that your Mom and Dad had something to do with the fact that you were 400 pounds before you turned 18? Shouldn’t your parents own up to the fact that they never cooked a decent meal and always stocked the cupboards with Doritos, Fritos and other processed foods? That you never really had a naturally cooked vegetable in your life until you came to the Ranch?? I’m writing to NBC and offer that suggestion…

The real kick for tonight will be when the two groups are reunited and we see if they are going to support each other or play against each other. How will the new trainers fit into this on a weekly basis? I personally think that when the “unknown” team comes back to the Ranch there will be a true line of division for the next few weeks until teams start getting picked-off. Should prove to be interesting. A new psychological twist for BL.

Tonight a new beginning for half of the teams and a new avenue for BL’s trainers.

Watch it, 8pm/7pm Eastern on NBC.

I’ll be watching, how about you?

I can’t say it (or write it) enough…plus 9 pounds?! Plus 9 pounds?!

Are you freaking kidding me??

That’s what we left our contestants thinking to themselves last week on BL. One of the twins was sent home – the whiny one, thankfully – and the other remains to prove that he “truly wants to be there” (like we haven’t heard that before!) and to show the world that he’s not a quitter (like his slacker brother…) And we all know that everyone can have a bad week – look at Courtney’s weight loss from last week – but plus 9 tells the world that they were trying to gain weight and weren’t even smart enough to make it look good. And they’re police captains! For the love of Extra gum! (mint chocolate chip, of course…)

Why do people try out for this show and then martyr themselves on National TV? Why do they complain and whine about how much they miss their families and offer to go home in the place of other people that they barely know? Don’t they watch this show before they try out?! Did they think it was an easy ride, with secret family get-togethers and late-night buffets? If it was the first season I could understand, but we’re at Season 11 folks! Get a grip on reality!!

Personally, I think there should be a disclaimer or addendum to their contracts once they accept a spot on BL stating that if they ever utter the words or phrases “I’m not 100 percent here” or “I just miss _____” (fill in the blank) or anything similar in message meaning that they don’t really want to be there, they will be promptly booted out the door and will be responsible for their own airfare along with the cost of the taxi ride to the airport.

No limo, no homecoming party pre-planned. Just “there’s the door, slacker.” Maybe then they’d really think before they signed on the dotted line.

Aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!!! (my frustration is too much to contain sometimes)

Hopefully this week everyone is on track and we’ve weeded out the weakest of the herd. But have we?? I have a sneaking feeling that Arthur’s dad is only there for Arthur and isn’t totally sold on the idea that he also needs to be there. And as for the other twin…they were awfully similar in their weight loss (and weight gain!), not to mention every other area of their lives. But only time will tell, won’t it?

I won’t even get into the “mystery trainers” this week – I’m still too disgusted by last week’s twin sideshow…the time will come when the MT team loses their immunity and has to really play the game.

Speaking of time…NBC, Tuesday night 8pm/7pm central

I’ve got my water bottle ready and my healthy snack

(the Milk Duds are off my radar ever since I lost a filling with one…sad, but true)

One last comment…what the hell is Bob doing making tax return commercials?! Has the Earth shifted off of it’s axis and life as we know it is spiraling toward a black hole where black is white and TV trainers are tax return advisors?? He has “people” who do that for him, doesn’t he?

Just curious…

Smile!

My creativity shows when I least expect it I believe. I don’t go out of my way to “express my creativity” – that seems so…uncreative. I have an art degree, which by definition should tell the world that I am indeed creative, but I don’t usually point that out to anyone. The reason? Too much pressure.

You see, once you’re pegged as a “creative type” people change their expectations of you. You go from someone that they may trust with the big project to someone who’s flighty and needs to be given tasks that don’t count as much, the person that they’re not willing to invest in for fear that you won’t live up to the expectation. You’re not a “doer” in most people’s eyes. Plus, if there is a creative project (the school art fair, the company Christmas party, etc) and they know that you’re the creative type they turn to you and expect to be “wow-ed” by your ideas. And when they’re not? The disappointment is visible. (sigh)

I don’t do well with pressure of this kind. I guess you could say that I am an introverted creative type.

If you listen very closely and watch me from a distance…I may just blow your mind. It’s been known to happen. Really.

The death of Elvis Presley had a profound effect on me…and not the way you’d guess or expect…

We were camping in Colorado, in the mountains, in the drizzle, in a tent when the news broke that Elvis Presley had died.

We spent three days in that campsite (in the mountains, in the drizzle, in a tent) and the only music we could hear, on the one channel that would come in clearly on the radio, was every Elvis Presley song ever sung and/or written by “the King”. Along with rambling interviews with anyone who had ever shook his hand, made eye-contact with him or had a drink with him in the backwoods and those that were camped out at Graceland in mourning.

The day we left that campsite we left behind the mountains, the drizzle and the Elvis songs…we had to take the tent, we needed it.

Plus 9?! Plus 9?! Are you freaking kidding me?!

Never in the history of this show (or in my own memory) has there been a weigh-in throw like this (even Melissa from the red team on Season 9 didn’t go this far, and Jillian gave her a piece of her mind and called her a liar on national TV!). I truly expected Bob or Jillian to turn into a lunatic and begin a total rant on the twins, but I was left feeling empty and disappointed…I miss the old Jillian (sigh)

Everyone misses home, and their families, and their everyday life while at the ranch, but to basically just throw it all away with the weany excuse of “I miss my 9 year old daughter so much” makes me want to puke! As if nobody else has children and for Dan to even say that he’s not a quitter and could do it on his own just made me angry. Angry for all of the other people who try out to be on this show – and truly NEED to be there – and didn’t get a spot because of him and his twin. Weakness is annoying, especially on a show about “getting my life back” (if I have to hear that stupid line one  more time I may have to vomit into a bucket like Arthur did this week!)

What a surprise ending, what a depressing state of the human race as we know it. Or is it just Americans? Are we so full of ourselves that we fight against those that are there to help us?? Do we feel that we always know best, when by example of our previous life we’ve proven otherwise? When does the madness end??

Personally I think that his fixation on his 9 year old daughter was beginning to border on creepy. Not much mention of his wife…hmmm… Plus, he’s a police captain with a son that had drug problem and died from it. He needs more than the Biggest Loser to save him from his demons if you really look think about it. That’s a whole other show, though.

One thing I am happy about from this is that Courtney and Arthur are safe for another week – and I’d love to get more details as to why Arthur wasn’t able to be in the gym this week. Was he ill? But if he was ill, why was he able to swim? It doesn’t add up, but there has to be a real reason…doesn’t there?

One last thing, not very “wowed” by the “mystery trainers” at this point. Maybe they’ll grow on me, but I’m not so sure. I guess that I’m a purist when it comes to Biggest Loser. Oh well…until next week.

Tonight is THE night!

We will finally meet the “mystery trainers” and see what all of the “hubbub” is about! DO NOT MISS the first 10 MINUTES, that’s when it’s all going to be revealed (is your DVR set?? Check it and make sure!)

I am almost sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation!! (can you tell??)

But to be ready for this week we should do a quick recap from last week …

First off, to really get a fire burning in the B&J team, Ali basically scolds the team and tells them that they are losers for not beating the Mystery team (that’s my take on how she did it anyway; her delivery was course and unnecessary) or as she is quoted: they didn’t just beat you, they  annihilated you! Well, Bob didn’t take to that attitude very well and told Ali to “screw off” (basically; again my take on it – if he could really say what he was thinking I think that that would be it…) As if these people need to be beaten down any further?! Like that will make good TV to have Ali (with her freakish choice of outfits) casting judgement over a group of severely obese people? Isn’t that what high school was for??

And to add to the motivation (aside from humiliation), the B&J team is offered a challenge: if they can lose more weight than the Mystery Team they will each receive $10,000… AND IMMUNITY !! Now there’s a deal and a motivator for anyone!

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed to hear Bob tell the team later on that Jillian was unable to work with them last week – was she sick, or just shooting another commercial, mag cover or designing a new shoe for Fila?? Please! This is no time to let your team down or to have them at a disadvantage – plus, many of them CHOSE to be on this team. Make it count! (sorry, it’s hard to hide my disgust sometimes) But in the end the B&J team was triumphant, winning the challenge (by 11 pounds in reality, but with the 3 pound disadvantage it was brought down to 8). And Irene, who was sad at the beginning of the week was the BL of the week losing 10 pounds. Who’s smiling now?? Hopefully Arthur can also keep his resolve to stick to his diet and keep those double digits coming and Courtney will keep up her good work and make it to the Final Four (can’t help myself, I love rooting for a good Indiana girl with a challenge)

Done with the recap and ready for the curtain to be pulled back to reveal the “mystery trainers” tonight. I’ve got my own feelings about them, but I will keep that opinion to myself until next time. I know, hard to believe isn’t it?!

But the question(s) that I have regarding this division of teams is: what will happen when week four is over and the MT loses their guarantee for immunity? Will the teams be brought back together at that point or keep training separately? What will happen when the numbers dwindle and they all have to come back together? Who will be the trainers? There will be some very hard feelings (I’m guessing) and some bad attitudes toward people that they never got the chance to know. This is quite a sociological study in human nature isn’t it?

Soon there will be blood in the water. This is just starting to get good…

Tonight, NBC 8pm Central/7pm Eastern…BE THERE

(and don’t forget your healthy snacks and oversized water bottle!!)