There were problems for both teams in the Biggest Loser house yesterday. Lisa is not doing much to help her cause and Kevin is still laid up with his back. Carol gets to go on her first Biggest Loser trek to find out what that has in store for the Biggest Loser contestants!

Early Bird Catches The Worm

It was twenty five to seven in the morning and the girls from the Black team were on their way out of the house for their first training session of the day. Under their own steam! Their morale is very high at the moment and they are determined to stay on top. Carol said,

‘Angie knows the Black team have got to a really good level of fitness now and we’re doing all the things she’s asked for on our own in the gym to the level she wants. I think the Black team are just on fire and I don’t think anyone can stand in their way! Not only had the Blue team’s best competitor gone home, which is Mark but also, we’d won the weigh in. We didn’t have to face Elimination,’

The girls from the Black team were giving it everything they had in the gym, with smiles on their faces! What an improvement to the bunch of unfit, unmotivated people they were a few weeks ago!

But poor old Kevin is still laid up in bed with a really bad back. He looked devastated that he couldn’t carry on training for the time being. Carol said,

‘Kevin has hurt his back and I know it must be hurting Kevin really badly because he tries so hard, there’s no way he would be laid up in bed, unless he had to be!’

The paramedic told him that he needed to continue with the pain killers and rest completely for the day – definitely no training! She said she would come back and see him the next day to see where they went from there. Kevin said that he would do as he was told as long as, eventually he could get back into it and not do himself any damage.

Carol said that the Blue team were probably over the moon because they can see a Black team member down but she thinks the three girls in the Black team can pull it off and keep the home fires burning til Kevin is back on track.

The Blue Camp

The mood in the Blue camp was very different to the positive vibes in the Black camp. Lisa, Michaela and Jamie were in the gym for their early morning session and Katey was still tucked up in bed. Lisa asked Jamie why Katey wasn’t there with them and Jamie said that he had been told she wasn’t well. Lisa said later,

‘Katey missed her training session this morning because she wasn’t feeling too good and she was tired. I don’t think Katey’s lazy as such, I just think she’s not a morning person. She works really hard and stuff when Richard’s there but when Richard’s not around she doesn’t. But, I mean, at the end of the day if she goes home rather than me then that’s all good for me!’

Lisa said in the gym that even if she wasn’t well she could just be sat on a bike and doing something. Jamie said he would find out more detail when he got back – don’t think he was happy that Lisa was having a go at Katey! He said,

‘Lisa always talks and gives her comments all the time. I’ve told her previously she needs to be quiet and put her head down and it would beneficial, not just for Lisa but for Michaela if she keeps quiet,’

Lisa, instead if working out, was more interested in what Michaela was doing on the bike and stood next to her, watching the video screen of an animated mountain bike that Michaela was controlling with her efforts on the bike.

Lisa, Maria and Michaela were in Michaela and Maria’s room after the gym session and Lisa said to the girls that Jamie would tell Katey what she said about her in the gym. Michaela asked her what she said. Lisa replied,

‘I said, why can’t she, I said she’s only got a sore throat, why doesn’t she just come in the gym and work on the bike or whatever for the time rather than not do anything? She just can’t be arsed! That’s what it is,’

Maria said later that she felt the Blue team were lacking in communication and she does think there is lots bickering behind people’s backs.

Katey and Jamie were in Jamie’s room later and Katey said that she thought Lisa talked a lot during gym sessions. She said that if Lisa did a bit less talking she’d do a lot more work. Jamie agreed. He said that her chattering drags Michaela down like that morning in the gym. He also said with Michaela and Lisa chattering in the gym, he couldn’t concentrate.

The bickering continued in Michaela and Maria’s room with Lisa saying that she thought it was wrong that one person only worked hard when Richard was around. Michaela said it wasn’t an issue for her because it would show on the scales if the person didn’t work hard enough.

Back to Jamie’s room and they were already discussing voting tactics if the Blues were up for Elimination on Friday. Jamie said he wouldn’t be surprised if Michaela and Lisa voted for Katey. Katey said that they would need to break Michaela and Lisa up somehow.

The Blues thought getting rid of Mark would bring some unity to their team. There are no signs of it yet!

Happy Birthday Carol!

It was Carol’s birthday yesterday and she was ’46 years young’! She said she thought it was a good place to be because this time last year she was nearly 18 stone. So, although she is 46, she feels twenty years younger at the moment.

Katey was sticking Happy Birthday banners on their bedroom door to make a bit of a fuss of her mum. Katey said,

‘It’s my mum’s birthday today and, obviously she’s away from home so she’s not going to be as special as she’d want it to be. But, we’re going to try to do something nice for her,’

All of the contestants were gathered in the kitchen except for Carol and Maria who were in the gym. They were discussing what to do for Carol’s birthday. Katey said they should all go and hide in her room to surprise her.

They all ran to Carol’s room and hid behind things – the pot plant, the mirror, in the bed! Katey hid behind the waste paper basket – think that was possibly a bit hopeful!

Carol and Maria stopped at the door to the bedroom to admire the banners and the guys in the room were saying shhhh! Shhhhh! To each other. Carol walked in and they all jumped out and shouted surprise!!! She laughed her head off and gave hugs all round. They had done a card for her which everyone had signed. She said that this year is so different from last year. She said she would have had piece of cake after piece of cake and as much chocolate as she could lay her hands on! But now, she said it wouldn’t even enter her head and if you gave her birthday cake, she wouldn’t be interested.

Michaela shouted,

‘Right, let’s give her the bumps!’

Carol was worried that they would drop her, so they put her in a duvet cover and did the bumps like that, with Carol screaming like a banshee and laughing her head off!

Angie’s Gym Session

The Black team were all in the gym warming up on the machines and waiting for Angie. Kevin had tagged along as well, even though he couldn’t train. He said,

‘I went to Angie’s gym session this morning, just to kind of, I just wanted to be there with them. I wanted them to really feel that they are still a team. You know, it’s horrible when someone’s not firing on all guns and I just wanted to be there and just help them out and to give them some words of encouragement, if anything,’

Angie walked into the gym and saw the girls on the machines and Kevin stood by the wall not looking very happy. She said the fact that he wasn’t on a machine told her he wasn’t doing well. Kevin told Angie that the pain was easing off where he has been on the painkillers. Angie said later that the signs are there that it’s a pretty bad injury and, especially with back problems, you have to be really careful.

Angie told Kevin to just go and rest today. She said he is worrying about not being able to train but what he needs to do is rest it so he can get back in the saddle as quickly as possible. She said they have been training non-stop since they got into the house and one day’s rest could, actually, give him an advantage. She told Kevin that it wasn’t the end of the world if they deal with the injury properly and the way to deal with it was by resting it. So she sent him back to bed.

Angie told the rest of the team that a glitch like this can sometimes derail a team and they have to make sure it doesn’t do that to them. She said that the three girls, or Angie’s Angels as she called them, could still get on a have a great workout.

She got them sprinting on the machines and was then going to move on to kettlebell and medicine ball work. To get them really going for it on the machines she said,

‘Angie’s Angels, give me what you’ve got!’

Angie said later that she couldn’t ask for more from the Black team. She said,

‘Mentally and physically, yes we’ve got a little injury with Kev but, they’re focussed, their frame of mind, their determination, their will to win – I could not ask for more!’

Once they had finished the kettlebell and medicine ball drills, Angie got them back on the machines. She told them they looked very strong and were definitely not the women they were in week one. She said,

‘Maria’s not scared of me any more! Carol’s not scared of me any more! I don’t shout at Sadie any more! That’s nice innit Sade?’

The Blacks were definitely a happy team and, once Kevin is back, a team to be reckoned with!

After the session had finished Angie decided to pop and see Kevin because she wanted to make sure he was lying down and resting his back. She walked into his room and said that she had missed in him the training session. He said,

‘I missed me in that session!’

He said that he had done a few cat curls with his back to keep it moving and that it was getting easier. He said that the more he concentrates and uses positive thoughts, the better it is getting. She told him the position she wanted to see him in, and he wouldn’t hear her say it often, was in bed on his back! She told him not to get down and to stay positive and she would see him in the morning.

Richard’s Training Session

Richard met his team in the gym and told them that this was the home straight and from now on, each session was going to be harder than the last. He said that he was going to be concentrating on fat burning. He said,

‘You’re gonna scream and you’re not going to stop are you?’

The Blue team shouted ‘No!’

Katey said that Richard was definitely upping the intensity of the sessions and she knew this one was going to hurt. He said that if they thought the last workout was hard, it was nothing in comparison to what this one was going to be!

He had them all working on the powerbags and really pushed the team to the limit. He said the powerbags were great for cardio-vascular and resistance training – a good fat burner.

Richard said that in his experience with Jamie, if there is a challenge that he can do he goes for it but if it is going to push him or stress him out, he finds excuses so he doesn’t have to do it. He said now that Mark has gone, Jamie is the only man in the Blue team and he has to shoulder the responsibility on his own. Richard went on to say that Jamie had really stepped up massively!

Richard kept telling Jamie to move mountains with the drill he was doing with the powerbag. Jamie replied that if he couldn’t move them, he was going through them! He said later,

‘The Jamie people are seeing now is a bit different to the one they’ve seen over the last couple of weeks. I’m working at a higher pace than I usually have been in the gym. I’ve got a target of, hopefully, five stone gone before I leave this house. That will be half the weight I’ve put on in four years, gone in the space of two months. So, I am different and I’m helping everyone along the way, I hope!’

Then Richard moved them onto the Bosus doing fast steps and various exercises on them. The Bosus are not the easiest thing to work on because you have to keep your balance as well as doing the exercise.

Richard said the best thing about the session was that Lisa ‘kept her mouth shut’! He had punished them all yesterday when Lisa had chatted back to him. Maybe the message had got through to her? Lisa said later,

‘I think the hardest part for me was not speaking! Throughout the whole thing. I tried so hard. I think I was even too scared to answer his questions when he asked me! In case it was a trick question to get me to talk!’

Richard said,

‘Today, she didn’t do anything. She didn’t talk the talk, she just walked the walk! At last! I’m starting to feel happy with my Blue team. They’re working harder than ever! Even Katey, One Speed Katey, stepped up to second and third gear! I’m impressed because over the past few weeks, it’s been up and down, lots of friction within the group. But now Mark’s gone they’ve had to bond. Even Lisa is part of the team now,’

He scored them 8 out of 10 for this session!

Carol’s First Biggest Loser Trek

This was Carol’s first trek in the Biggest Loser house. She had to wander the 50 acre estate to find the Trek instructions that will affect the contestants in the house. She said,

‘This week I’m the Biggest Loser and, of course, I’ve never done this before. So, it was my turn to stand at the top of the stairs and have everybody line up next to me and wave me goodbye for my trek!’

Carol said she really enjoyed the trek because she was out in the fresh air, all wrapped up with the wind in her face. She was hoping that what she found on the tree would be something good for the Black team or possibly something evil for the Blue team. She giggled when she said that! But she did say that she would prefer it if it was something good for the Black team.

Back at the house, the rest of the Biggest Loser contestants were sat round the kitchen table discussing what it could be. Sadie reckoned that it would be something ‘juicy’, because it is week seven, that would ‘fudge up’ the other team. The others agreed that it would be something major because of how close to the final it is. Jamie thought that it might even be instructions that the Blue team had to choose someone to send home!

Carol got to the tree and found the instructions. They said:

As this week’s Biggest Loser you have to nominate one person from either team to receive a workout session with his or her trainer. You may not pick yourself. You have until later on to decide. Choose wisely.

Carol said later,

‘Walking back from the Trek and I was trying to think, well who am I gonna pick. Because it could be the difference of somebody losing a pound and that pound could make a big difference. Especially this time in the competition,’

She went to meet everyone else in the kitchen and she could see in everyone’s faces how anxious they were. She read out the instructions on the card to the assembled Biggest Loser contestants. She said that whoever she decided to give it had to bear in mind that it would be a one to one and that their trainer would really work them hard but, also that it would be a real benefit.

While she was explaining to the contestants Jamie was trying to influence her decision by holding his hand above Katey’s head and pointing down at her head and saying ‘Option’! She told them that she was going to think about it and let them all know later.

Decisions, Decisions

Mmmmm, could be interesting. Will she give it to her own team so they can reap the benefits or will her mothering instinct take over and make her give it to her daughter, Katey?

She said later,

‘I really wanted to give it to someone that was going to take full advantage of the whole hour with their trainer. I suppose mostly I was thinking about the Black team because, obviously if we don’t face Elimination then all four of us, hopefully, will be safe. But at the same time I’ve got to think about Kate, you know, because she’s my daughter and we came in as original team members,’

Jamie and Katey were discussing who they thought she would give the training session to. Jamie thought that Carol would probably give it to Katey but Katey said that if she wanted to stay in herself, she would give it to someone on her own team. The Blacks were also discussing possibilities. Kevin said he couldn’t see her giving it to anyone on the Blues. Maria and Sadie both said they would love the session, particularly Sadie who is aiming for 10lbs again this week. Kevin said he would like it but, he said his back is not willing at the moment.

Lisa and Michaela went to see Carol. As they walked into her room, Michaela said they had come to beg! Lisa said they hadn’t. Carol said to Lisa that she was one of the people she was thinking about because she had only just re-joined. Carol asked how Michaela felt about it and she said that she would love it – she would never turn down an extra session!

Michaela said,

‘What about Katey?’

Carol said that Katey had passed through her mind but she was worried how it would be seen by the other contestants. Michaela and Lisa both said that it would be fine because at the end of the day Katey is her daughter – not sure if the Black team would agree with that one!

The contestants all gathered in the kitchen for Carol’s decision. She said that they should all be proud of how enthusiastic they had all been and that they had put forward really good arguments as to why they should each get the session. She said it showed them how far they had all come. She explained that as the competition was really hotting up she had to think about the Black team so, she decided that Sadie should get it. Sadie was absolutely over the moon! Sadie said later,

‘I was very surprised that Carol picked me. I was kinda worried for a second that Carol might pick Katey. But it felt good. It’s nice to know that she thinks I’m up to it,’

One to One

So, the training session with Angie started. Angie said to Sadie that Carol had decided Sadie should have the extra training session and that could be a good or a bad thing. She said at this stage of the competition it was pretty good and just what they needed.

Angie decided to take Sadie for a jog and asked her to try and keep up with her. Sadie said later,

‘For the individual session Angie had me jog to the gate and back, keeping at her pace, which is something I never used to be able to do. So it’s good to see that I’ve come that far,’

Angie said,

‘What I saw in Sadie from day one was this look in her eye and the determination. Her body wasn’t showing it to me and she was really, really struggling. But there was something in there and I knew if I can get her past a certain point, get some belief going, that girl’s got potential to be phenomenally strong!’

Over the weeks, Angie and Sadie have had a love hate relationship with Angie almost always shouting at her to work harder. Recently though, there has been a massive change in all of the contestants and Sadie is no exception. She gives it everything she’s got in the training sessions now and, it looks like she has got her food under control. She works out at the drop of a hat and Angie feels that she is reaching her full potential in her training sessions now.

After the jogging, Angie got her doing circuit training, really making the most of the extra hour she had with Sadie! Angie said that, without a doubt, Sadie could win the competition now. If she follows suit from last week and hits a big number on the scales, she could be on her way.

In the next episode of Biggest Loser, the contestants get a make over and they face their hardest challenge yet with, possibly, the harshest penalty for losing so far!