COMMENTARY | Last week on “The Biggest Loser,” the contestants faced the excuse that exercise is boring. Bob and Dolvett introduced them to new ways to exercising, from the fun and exhilarating Zumba to circuit training routines that challenged them and took them outside the gym. Bob focused his attention on Megan, trying to get her to see her true potential. Despite his efforts, she still landed below the yellow line and went home a week after her mother’s departure. This week, the six remaining contestants made it to the coveted Makeover Week.
“The Biggest Loser” opened with Conda and her brother Jeremy talking about how difficult it was to eliminate one of her friends. She had forged a bond with Megan and Mark, the other person up for elimination. Jeremy told her that she needed to remember why she’s there. At this point in the game, the six people left are in it to win it.
Alison met them at the challenge, where they were greeted with glass windows of their former selves. Kim said she remembered who dead her eyes were when she came to the ranch. They had to climb a cargo net, grab a baseball and bring it to a sling shot. They had to fling the ball and break both glass panes. Buddy, who has been injured for most of the challenges, won the challenge and a one-pound advantage. It came down to Conda and Chris for last place and a one-pound disadvantage. Conda got the one-pound disadvantage, meaning she’d have to work extra hard.
After they completed the challenge, Alison congratulated them for making it to Makeover Week. The contestants met stylist and host of the Style Network’s “How Do I Look” Jeannie Mai and celebrity hair stylist Ken Paves, who is know for styling Jessica Simpson’s hairs. Jeannie told them that this Makeover Week is different from any other one in the past. The contestants not only got new clothes for their new bodies; they had the chance to meet First Lady Michelle Obama, a woman known for her style and her fight for childhood obesity. They’d reveal their new look at the White House.
Jeannie had some of the contestants’ old clothes to show them how far they’ve come. As big as their clothes were, many of them tightly fitted their bodies when they first came to the ranch. Jeannie made them put on their old clothes to see how different they are now. Kim found out that she was a size 6. All I could say is that Kim looked gorgeous in that red dress Jeannie helped her pick. You don’t realize how much younger they look with the weight loss.
Ken Paves then transformed their hair. Of course, he cleaned up the men’s faces. I always love to see how the men look after they get shaves; most of the time they look five to 10 years younger. I was ready to see what they did to Chris’ hair. She’s 42, but the gray hair made her look like a woman past her 50’s. They had their big reveals at the White House.
Mark looked like he was a congressman visiting the White House for official business. You could see the muscles in Chris’ legs; the makeover, complete with new hair color, made her look her age. Buddy didn’t even look like himself without the beard. Dolvett said working with Conda was like working on an obstacle course, but at the end he found a happy person. Conda looked good with shorter hair. She admitted that she really didn’t want the help when she first came to the ranch. Jeremy revealed himself while his family was with Conda. Kim was the best. She looked beautiful, almost like the old pictures of herself when she was a professional wrestler. Other family members shared the big moment with the contestants.
The trainers, the contestants and their family and friends waited nervously for the First Lady. The show ended on that note.
Now near the finish of this season, Makeover Week is the time when contestants get to see how much they’ve really changed on the outside. Most of them don’t realize their physical changes because of wearing workout clothes most of the time. Next week, they get to work out with the First Lady.
