The Biggest Loser, Episode 8: Worth the Weight!

The show begins with clips from last week – the bicycle challenge, Gary’s emotional reunion with his wife and kids, the weigh-in, and Andrea’s final words. After the zippy theme song, the actions starts right after Andrea’s elimination. The guys do a bit of strategizing, and then it is morning.

Jillian and Bob arrive and inform the group that they are leaving the ranch. The gang arrives at a high school track where they are told that they are going to take a fitness test. Bob tells them that they will be timed as they run a lap around the track. Mo immediately goes negative but Bob pumps him up for the run.

Gary knows that he could not have run around the track once when he got there. Kelly admits that he is in the best shape of all of them. Maurice has a hard time, but manages to complete the lap. Then Bob tells them that they are going to run it again, and must better their times. Bob runs alongside Mo, who tells us that he was pushing himself. About halfway though, Mo takes off like a rocket! He sprints to the finish line, and is the most improved. For his efforts, he gets a hug from Bob and $100 bill!

Next, the group is blindfolded and taken to the a secret location for another challenge. Caroline greets them and asks them to take off their blindfolds. They find themselves face to face with life-size cutouts of themselves at their starting weights. Maurice says that this was like looking at himself through other people’s eyes. None of them realized they were as large as they were and they just can’t believe it.

Ryan goes to pieces and can barely talk. He says that he remembers being that weight and thinking he was perfectly fine. Each of them takes a look at piles of food equaling the total amount of weight that they lost. Mo has 50 pounds of fried chicken and Ryan 77 pounds of apple pie. Liza’s former weight is illustrated in mac and cheese. They are all embarrassed but proud to have gotten as far as they have.

Then Caroline drops the next bomb. They will each wear a weighted vest that will equal their total weight loss. They will run another lap, and whoever gets closest to their times from the day before will win immunity as well as a 37” flat screen TV from CompUSA. Ryan doesn’t think that it’s fair since he has lost the most weight. He tells us that he is certain Gary will win. He is starting to get a bit whiney. Must be from hanging around with Lisa.

They each strap on their vests and can’t believe that they were actually carrying around all that weight. Ryan says it’s like carrying a ten-year-old, and Gary figures he is screwed. They line up for the race, and Maurice feels that he still has a chance. Gary figures he has to go out as fast as he can and just not stop.

They begin. Mo is struggling but Gary seems to be doing pretty well. Ryan is chugging along, and the girls seem to be doing okay as well. The music is overly dramatic as they head to the finish line. Gary finishes first and removes his vest. Mo slows to a walk and Ryan drops to the ground. Kelly can’t wait to get the vest off. Gary goes back out to run along with Maurice, and together they finish the run. Gary helps Mo off with his vest. Talk about a good guy.

Lisa is jealous of Gary. She thinks it’s unfair since he is physically stronger and better. Whaa whaa… her constant whining is annoying me. Stop it. Now for the results. Mo finishes fifth, and Kelly’s fourth. She is disappointed. In third place, with a 17-second difference… we break for a strategically placed commercial. Oh, the drama of it all!

Back from the break, and we are about to find out who is in third place. And it is Gary. Oh no! He is convinced that he will be going home. It’s between Lisa and Ryan, and the winner is… Ryan. Gary is shocked, but Lisa feels good since her former teammate won, making her feel safer. Gary jokes about seeing them at the reunion show, but really, his chances are not good.

Each of them charge at their former selves and knock their cutouts over with a variety of kicks and punches. Gary never wants to go back to that again, and Maurice tells us that his relationship with fried chicken has ended. “It was a tough breakup, but I think I’ll get through it,” he says.

After the race, they return to the ranch and prepare turkey burgers. Gary tells the guys that he used to eat donuts every day. Then the conversation turns to McDonalds. They reminisce about McGriddles and chicken nuggets. Their eating habits certainly have changed. Ryan is excited about getting back to “real life” and being able to drive by fast food restaurants, ignoring the temptations. It’s sure not easy, but having had this time in isolation has gotten them all off to a great start.