The Biggest Loser 4, December 4: “Would You Like Salt-Free Diet Pepperoni On That?”

Last week, we finally saw the end of the Red Team, as Bryan was eliminated. Or did he just depart to avoid hearing any more of Neil’s sanctimonious elimination speeches? Along the way, Bill won yet another prize and Nicole tested the show’s dental resources.

As the show opens, voiceover guy tells us we’ll be revisiting “the top ten Biggest Loser transformations of all time.” Oh, joy! Did they run short of more relevant filler? What that means is that after most every commercial break, we’ll be reminded of a previous contestant who lost a lot of weight. Video lasting less than ten seconds and generally not riveting (and not always new) accompanies each. So to avoid disrupting the silken flow of this recap, I’m just going to summarize them all at the end.

The six surviving competitors chat after the elimination. Julie says that the people she thought would make it this far are not here. A cameo from Julie expresses mild surprise that the Red Team is gone. She thinks it is “poetic justice,” since her team members were bypassed when the Red Team was selected. Neil thinks it’s weird that Kim and red shirts will not be around any more.

The next morning, Jillian has arrived really early – 6 AM. She wakes her trainees up by jumping on the bed and screaming, “Guess what? We’re going to work today!” Bob is also on hand early, and although he’s a lot more subtle (getting into the bed and cuddling behind Nicole), his arrival is no more welcome than Jillian’s.

The scoop is, they have to start thinking about adjusting to life when they get back into the real world. So today they are going out to work, to learn what it’s like to add the activities of their new lifestyle into their daily schedules. That includes a pre-work workout and making their lunch. Neil responds that he wants to call in sick.

No one is told quite what “work” entails. All will be revealed shortly.

Kim arrives, accompanied by sad music that she may or may not be hearing inside her head. Despite her best hopes, “B” is gone and all that remains is a video message. In it, he thanks her again for helping him regain his health. This leads to a lengthy series of Red Team flashbacks and Kim saying that she feels, “The Red Team deserves to be at the final.” They’ll be there… just in the audience! Red is dead, deal with it!

At 6:30, Bob is advising the team how to make a bag lunch. No, seriously – after months on the ranch, Bob is showing them how to make a lunch. Nicole looks semi-alert and responsive, but Neil is glazed and could hit the deck at any second. Some of Bob’s advice includes using portion-controlling bags, and to plan and make the week’s lunches on Sunday, then freeze them to use as needed. Those ideas make sense to me. Having the food ready to go eliminates hasty or time-constrained decisions.

It’s 6:45 and the setting is now the gym. Jillian’s advice is that when time is tight, the intensity of training has to be upped to get results. She’s asking questions to see if any of this is sinking in, and only Bill is responding. In a cameo, Julie seems to have recently figured out that life at home will be a rude awakening, what with a family to take care of. I’m guessing she’s got that one right. In a closing shot that scans the room, it does seem like Jillian has all her charges gainfully plugging away. At 7:15, the half-hour workout concludes and Jillian is satisfied how things are going.

Meanwhile, Bob has his duo out for a run. Bob tells us that his solution for a short workout involves a lot of cardio. Nicole also seems to just be realizing that life at home will be different. Shocking!

At 7:45, the Black Team has taken over the kitchen to prepare their food. Jillian reminds them to take something to snack on as well as a meal. For example, Bill takes almonds for his snack.

As they go to work, Bill jokes that he hopes it’s a desk job. Isabeau is hoping for an office job too, and doesn’t want to be in daycare. I’m guessing that due to the legal liabilities, they are probably safe from that one. She also hopes the job does not involve food. Of course, that’s exactly what it is! As we go to commercial, we see our contestants reluctantly entering the doors of the Stone Fire Pizza Company promptly at 9 AM.

Neil insists this is torture, because at home he ate pizza all the time. But by 10:30 he gets put to work, and for the first time since the show began, the others see Neil washing dishes. Julie is right alongside him, and no happier to be there. A popup tells us that washing dishes for an hour can burn a little over 156 calories. Julie tells us people shouldn’t eat so much pizza… because it makes for too much work for the dishwasher!

Tasks get worse as Isabeau and Hollie celebrate the noon hour by taking on washroom duties. Thankfully, no popup tells me the number of calories to be burned off by scrubbing out the crapper, but we do learn an hour of a more generic “heavy cleaning” can burn up to 250 calories. I’m guessing toilets fall into that category. Perhaps forgetting that they are on a TV show, Isabeau mutters, “If my friends could see me now…”

By 2:30, Julie and Neil are still doing dishes as Bill is chopping up food for toppings and sweeping up, while Nicole actually gets to dress some pizzas. Sweet!

I’m not clear if the dishes are finally done or they just bribed the boss for a reprieve, but Neil and Julie are now working as server/buspersons. At 5 PM, all six finally get a chance to sit down together and eat their pre-made meals.

Julie thinks she is too beat to work out when they get back. She then has the sudden realization that this is the life all the eliminated contestants are now facing. As they view it at home I’m sure that scene creates much enjoyment for her former competitors.

At 6:30 PM, the contestants drag themselves back up the Campus walkway. Expecting some couch time, they are instead greeted by their discouragingly cheerful trainers. Nicole knows that working out even on the bad days is what will separate them from the lives they used to lead. Resigned to what’s ahead, she tells us, “You have to not make the excuse. Just do it.”