“The Biggest Loser” checked in with the blue (Cherita and Victoria) and yellow (O’Neal and Sunshine) teams to see how they were doing after 15 days at home. Both teams appeared to be doing well and were eager to beat the other team so they could rejoin the competition.
Learning and teaching
After a quick update on the two at-home teams, the “Biggest Loser” couples met Alison outside, where they learned it was student-teacher week. Alison told the teams that this week one of them would be the student and the other the teacher.
The teachers would have to absorb everything they’d learn from Bob and Jillian, so they could teach their partners (the students). Furthermore, only the students’ weight would count at this week’s weigh-in. In view of the fact that John and Stephanie’s partners were sent home, the two of them would be partners for this week.
Since determining who would be the student and who would be the teacher on each team was a difficult decision, the “Biggest Loser” couples participated in a temptation challenge, and the team that ate the most calories chose who would be the teacher and student for each team. Only one person from each team could participate in the temptation challenge.
One member from each team stepped forward. No one seemed tempted to reach for the chocolate candy that was in front of them, and at the last second both Sherry and Mike ate one piece of candy, which meant each of them consumed 5 calories. Sherry and Mike moved on to round two.
Alison counted down from five again, and at the last two seconds, Sherry ate another piece of the chocolate candy, giving the pink team the win. Although 10 calories wouldn’t have been much to burn off, Mike didn’t want to deal with the repercussions that might come from choosing the teacher and student for each team.
Picking sides
Sherry and Ashley deliberated for a couple minutes about the teacher-student decision. They both agreed that they didn’t want to play dirty, so they returned with their choices, which they felt were fair: Andrea would be the teacher and Darrell the student; Stephanie, teacher, John, student; Sam, teacher, Koli, student; Melissa, teacher, Lance, student; Cheryl, teacher, Daris, student; Migdalia, teacher, Miggy, student; Mike, teacher, Maria, student; and Sherry, teacher, Ashley, student.
The teachers explained student-teacher week to Bob and Jillian, and before they headed to the gym to begin, Bob felt something was bothering Migdalia; however, she assured Bob she was fine. Despite Migdalia’s assurance, Bob and Jillian still felt something was up.
At the gym, Bob and Jillian educated the teachers from each team. They told the “Biggest Loser” couples how they wanted their partners to work out in the gym and eat during meals and snacks. The teachers listened closely and took notes.
Migdalia’s breakdown
After the lesson, Jillian approached Migdalia, determined to get her to open up about what was bothering her. Jillian was having such a difficult time with Migdalia that she went to Bob for advice. Bob suggested Jillian unleash her mean side, but Jillian feared that might cause Migdalia to walk out of the gym. Nevertheless, Jillian was out of options, so she thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Moments after Migdalia returned from her short bathroom break, Jillian put the plan in motion as Bob and everyone else listened. Jillian pushed so hard that Migdalia walked out of the gym, just as Jillian feared she would.
Jillian refused to give up and followed Migdalia. Once outside, Jillian pushed so hard that Migdalia said, “I’m done. I quit.” At this point, Jillian went to Miggy and asked her to talk Migdalia out of giving up. Miggy went inside to talk to Migdalia, but Migdalia was too upset with Jillian. Then Bob joined Miggy and Migdalia to see if he could help, and in the end, Migdalia decided to stay on the “Biggest Loser” ranch.
Healthy meals and tangled ribbons
After the drama, the teachers headed to the California Health and Longevity Institute for a cooking lesson from chef Curtis Stone. Chef Stone delivered a lesson on portion control as he had the “Biggest Loser” couples prepare a yummy chicken dish that contained a little over 300 calories.
Over a healthy meal in the “Biggest Loser” kitchen, Miggy told Migdalia she knows she has a hard time talking about things that bother her, and then she encouraged Migdalia to let Jillian help her.
“Number one is accepting you have a problem. Number two is accepting the help,” Miggy told her daughter.
The “Biggest Loser” couples rode a school bus to a playground. For their student-teacher challenge, the teachers had to unwind 1,000 feet of ribbon. Then the students would draw to discover which ribbon they had to unravel, and the first student to disentangle the ribbon for his or her team would win immunity and the ability to switch one team’s teacher-student position at the weigh-in.
The teachers were off with the ribbon. They wrapped, twisted and tied their ribbon around as much playground equipment as they could, hoping they made it as hard as possible for the student who had to untangle their ribbon. Once time was up, everyone felt sorry for the team that would have to deal with the white team’s ribbon.
Just as the students prepared to draw for the color of ribbon they’d have to unwind, Alison surprised them with an added twist: they’d have to unwind their own ribbon while blindfolded!
“Back fire!” Maria, from the white team, told her son, Mike.
“Whoa, had I known the rules from the beginning it wouldn’t have back fired. I would have wrapped it around one tree and we would’ve been done,” Mike replied.
The teachers used their voices to guide the students, and the gray team communicated well, but the pink team failed with its communication. After over an hour, the red and gray teams were neck-in-neck, but the gray team prevailed.
Weighing in
During last chance workout, Bob knew Migdalia needed to release the frustration she had built up inside, so he let her release it by literally beating the stuffing out of a punching bag.
Before the “Biggest Loser” couples weighed in, Alison asked Sam and Koli which team they wanted to switch roles. They told her the white team, because they thought Mike hadn’t been working as hard as he could be. Although they didn’t want Mike and Maria to fall below the yellow line, they felt this might be a wake-up call that Mike needed.
- Migdalia lost 8 pounds, and Miggy lost 7 pounds. Miggy’s total percentage of weight lost was 3.2.
- Koli lost 7 pounds, and Sam lost 11 pounds. Because the gray team won immunity, they were safe.
- Cheryl lost 7 pounds, and Daris lost 9 pounds. Daris’ total percentage of weight lost was 2.9.
- Andrea lost 7 pounds, and Darrell lost 12 pounds. Darrell’s total percentage of weight lost was 3.22.
- John lost 14 pounds, and Stephanie lost 7 pounds. John’s total percentage of weight lost was 3.1.
- Ashley lost 12 pounds, and Sherry lost 6 pounds. Ashley’s total percentage of weight lost was 3.48.
- Mike lost 10 pounds and Maria lost 4 pounds. Mike’s total percentage of weight lost was 2.8, which put them below the yellow line.
Back inside the “Biggest Loser” ranch, Maria cried as she asked her fellow teammates to send her home instead of Mike. She pointed out the fact that Mike needed to be there more, and she feared if they sent Mike home, his weight would send him to an early grave.
Everyone except for Stephanie and John honored Maria’s wishes, and Maria reported that she’s down to 231 pounds since going home.
(By Misti Sandefur for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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The Biggest Loser Couples season 9, episode 3: Healthy choices