The Biggest Loser Special Edition: Marine Wives vs. Navy Wives

To their credit, both teams decline to participate. They know they’ve worked too hard to yield to temptation at this point. If I were playing I probably would have started out in the game but bailed the second I landed on a temptation square. It doesn’t hurt to try, and it’s not like we haven’t heard the words “I quit” on a reality TV show before.

Bob is working out his team hard. He decides they will have a circuit of activities, and says, “The first time around is pretty easy.” That earns him an “are you kidding” death stare from Dari. Ha! However, Jessica tells us they find Bob to be a great motivator. At the end of the workout Dari asks Jessica if she feels the endorphins yet and Jessica corrects her, “Bob-dorphins.”

That evening, Jillian is putting her team through 75 minutes of cardio work. This is especially tough for Amanda, who just quit smoking. In fact, a few minutes in she has to get off her treadmill. Concerned that she is dragging her team down, Amanda starts to cry. However, her team rallies around her and gets her through the rough spot.

It’s only four days until the weigh-in, and time for a challenge. Caroline meets the teams outdoors near a lake and tells them the prize is use of a nanny for a week. The idea is that this will free mom up so she can go to the gym. Amanda of the Red Team thinks this is a great prize so she can go to dinner and a movie with her husband. However, Navy wife Dari is less impressed with the prize and just wants to win for the sake of winning.

The challenge is a race. Each team has to row a rubber dinghy out to some buoys to retrieve weighted dumbbells, bring them ashore and hang them on a team flagpole to raise a team flag. No more than two dumbbells can be retrieved in one trip. The first team to raise their team flag is the winner. The buoys seem to be along two parallel lines that are only about five yards apart, with the buoys of both teams intermingled equally on both lines. The furthest buoy must be 40 or even 50 yards out; it’s hard to tell. To minimize the amount of rowing, I think it’s optimal to retrieve the farthest pair first while you’re still fresh, then get the next two, and then make the short jaunt for the last one.

Okay, we’re off. The Navy wives team gets a great push off from shore while the Red Team starts a little slower. As the Marine wives team slowly maneuvers to their first buoy, the Blue Team has returned to the scene of their earlier triumph. Yes, they accidentally rowed their boat back to the shore! And as the Marine team pulls up their second buoy, the Navy team, in the best traditions of Gilligan’s Island, is still beached. Finally they get loose, but the lead is now insurmountable and the Marine wives team wins handily. The shouting of Marine slogans ensues.

Three days until the weigh-in, Jillian takes her squad on a two-hour hike, uphill. Amanda is having a rough go of it. With the encouragement of her team she makes it, though perhaps not quite as painlessly as they seem to think. However, the objective was achieved, and good for you, Amanda!

At last it’s the day of the weigh-in, and time for last-chance workouts. Both teams are giving it their all and I’m impressed with the dedication and effort levels exhibited. The trainers are impressed with their teams, especially the two biggest girls. Pride in the branches of the service they represent erupts again.

Caroline is back, and it’s time to hit that scale. The Marine wives go first, and here is how they did:

NAME	INITIAL	CURRENT	LOSS	PERCENT
RED TEAM (Marine Wives)
Rosalina	190	179	11	5.79
Amber	157	151	6	3.82
Sharon	208	197	11	5.29
Amanda	248	233	15	6.05
(Total)	803	760	43	5.35

After Amanda weighs in, she’s so excited; it’s cute. Even Navy wife Dari has a little smile.

Now for the Navy wives team. They need to lose more than 45 pounds to win. Here are their numbers:

NAME	INITIAL	CURRENT	LOSS	PERCENT
BLUE TEAM (Navy Wives)
Jessica	217	203	14	6.45
Tina	200	191	9	4.50
Tami	194	182	12	6.19
Dari	241	225	16	6.64
(Total)	852	801	51	5.99

That was pretty close, a five pound difference. The Navy wives team is happy to have won the extra week with Bob, but Caroline reminds us the big prize is still ahead. And as we end, both squads pack to go home, expressing confidence they will win.

Did anyone notice the great volume of unworn clothes being packed? You’re going to a sweat farm, you need socks, tee shirts and underwear. I actually recommend lots of underwear; I think you’ll be showering a few times every day. However, in a ten-day stint, one shouldn’t expect social events.

My Own Thoughts: I’m glad to see they got two teams of similar size, but Amber just doesn’t have that much weight to lose. Next week we’ll see if her percentage loss is comparable to the other competitors.

A reader has informed me about the version of the show currently running in Australia. Also featuring trainers Bob and Jillian, it runs five times a week for a total of three hours. That means there is much more time to look at life at the ranch, including plenty of time for the squabbles and the strategy. I’m jealous of my Aussie mates!

I’ll be back with the conclusion of our story next week. Let me know what you think at the eAddress below.

Brian lives in Toronto where he can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email.

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