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The Biggest Loser Recap / Review April 28 2009;  Tonight was the last episode on the Biggest Loser Ranch before the final episode.  In this show the remaining players get to train Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels and make them sweat for awhile.  With this being the last show before the live episode next week we will explore all of the scenes play by play and provide you with a full and complete recap of not only what happened, but also the emotions behind the scenes. 

The show started with Helen talking about how happy she was to still be on the show.  Helen said Thanks! to all and Filipe took a bottle of water, wrote Kristine’s name on it and put in on a shelf with all the other players names that had been eliminated in earlier shows.  Ron told his son Mike that he was glad Mike was still on the show.  Mike said his Dad was a master and has been playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers.  Filipe said everyone was gunning for him to be out of the house.  Filipe said this was his last chance to prove that he could do it.  He said he did not want to let Mike win the game.

Bob Harper came in and said Ron had a hand to get rid of Kristine.  Bob said he respected Ron throughout the whole process because he wants his son to win.  Bob asked Ron flat out if he had a hand to get Kristine off the Ranch and Ron flat out lied to Bob Harper.  Ron told Bob he had nothing to do with the vote.  Bob told the camera he knew Ron was not telling the truth and he was disappointed that Ron had lied to him.

Allison then broke out video from the early days in the gym on the ranch.  Tara said she did not know what she was doing in the gym when she first got to the house.  Filipe said watching the way he was when he first got there made his resolve even stronger.  Helen was shocked she was crying from doing a push up.  Helen then wanted to know why nobody told her about her hair style, then laughed.  Ron said he was fat and Mike said he forgot how big he was.  When Mike saw the film of himself you could see the tears welling up in his eyes watching himself in the film.  Ron said to watch his son in those early days really hurt him because he (himself) was a poor role model.   Tara said she did not realize how much she needed the ranch.  Ron then interjected how much they were able to do in just 17 weeks.  Ron further stated to say he would never be that big again.  Allison then said this was the last week on the campus and that all would be going home at the end of the week.  Ron mouthed the word silently “wow.”

Tara wondered if she was ready to go home.  Ron wondered if he was really ready to go home because he had so far to go.  Each player flashed back to what they did on week # one and then discussed how much easier it all was to do now.  Each player, one by one said it just took 17 weeks to accomplish what they thought would take a lifetime.  Filipe showed the camera how much easier it all was now to move around in the gym today.  The sun set over the hills and then the camera showed a conversation in the bedroom of Tara or Helen talking about how far they had come and that they would never go back to being fat again.

Tara had a little black dress she bought in London and tried it on for the first time and said she had met her goal and then Helen then tried on an outfit and really looked cute in what she whispered was a size 8.  They then went downstairs to show the other players.  They went to the common area and said they were wearing their goal clothing.  Mike went and got his goal jacket which fit very well, and then said he was wearing a size 36 pants size from what was a 56.  He also said he used to wear a 5X shirt and now wears a large.  He was so happy it brought tears to those who were watching.  All of the players looked great in their goal clothing. 

All of the players then went back to the doctor for a checkout visit.  They met with Doctor Huizenga, Associate Professor of Medicine, UCLA.  Dr. H. said this group was the biggest group of people ever accepted on the show and that they were all really grim when they arrived.  He took the players in to show them the results.  Helen lost 106 pounds of hydrated fat.  When Helen saw the photos of the fat hanging over her belt she almost cried.  Dr. H. said her age when she arrived was a 60 and now she was an age 50.  She turned it around and added at least 10 years to her life.  Tara saw the photographs and all the red stretch marks on her belly and then told the camera how bad she used to feel about her weight.  Tara said this was a life change for her and she would never go back to her old life.  Filipe went from 58 inches around to 43 inches around.  Filipe said he was not here for the game, he was here to fix what was broken.  Mike was told when he arrived he was not only the youngest, but also the sickest.  He had a size 65 inch waist and when Mike saw it he became very emotional.  He is now 54% smaller today than he was when he arrived on the ranch.  Mike said he was so thankful to be on the show because he would have died too young.  Ron was reminded that when he arrived he was too large to fit in the MRI machine.  He then looked at the film of all the fat that was in his body and how much of it is now gone.  Ron was amazed by what he saw and how much a few short months of diet and exercise helped him more that everything he has tried before.  He said he had his jaws wired shut, he had sleep apnea, he is off most of his medication.   He was stunned by what the doctor reported to him.

The next scene they appeared to be in a desert and Allison told the last five remaining players they were at their final challenge.  She told them they had to carry all of the weight they had lost duting the time on the ranch.  They were in a sand quarry and they had to climb sixteen hills and at each hill, discard the weight they lost during the corresponding week on the ranch.

Helen had to carry 96 pounds, Tara 117 pounds, Filipe, 120 pounds, Ron 132 pounds, Ron had 153 pounds.  The winner of the challenge would take a $1O,OOO prize or a one pound advantage.  The twist was that whoever came in 2nd place got to claim the prize the winner did not choose.  The weight they carried was in a big bag that was like an over sized backpack.  Tara was struggling and said that she could barely move the bag and wondered how she lived that way.  Filipe was in the lead andMikewas in a close second.  Tara was tied for last and said to herself she had to work harder.  Filipe said he had to stay focused and Mike said he was only focused on getting him and his Dad in the final four.  Tara then passed Filipe and then Filipe said “good luck, you can do this.”    Tara told the camera that she just had to move faster and that this was when she had to dig deep.  Tara started to shed the weight and then dug deeper and pushed harder.  Today Tara said she believed in herself andasshe threw her final weight off the last hill she yelled “never again.”  Tara said she finally believed in herself.  Ron came in second place andsaideven that was a great prize because he still might get the one pound advantage.  Filipe chucked his last weight over the hill and told America, never again.”  Helen said she was done with it and she was moving forward with her life.  Ron was having a rough time going up and down the hills so Mike went back to help his father.  Filipe also went back to help and Ron said he would never be that big guy again.  Ron said he was good with what ever prize he got.

Jillian Michaels then said she was going to kill her people in the last chance workout.  The players then laughed because it was train the trainer day.  Bob said he loved train the trainer day.  Bob said he liked to hear Jillian cry.  The players were then yelling at Bob and Jillian and tried to get them to crack.  Filipe kept telling Bob to work harder and Bob kept telling Filipe to shut up.   It was a friendly exchange of words.  Bob then told the camera as he was hanging over the treadmill, soaking wet, that the players still had a last chance workout and that he was going to “kill them.”

That was the first hour of the show which was more or less a trip down memory lane.  The second half of the show started with the last, last chance workout.  JIllian said she was going to kill them.  Bob said Filipewas more focused than he had ever seen him before.  There were then scenes of Tara wondering if she should take the 10K or the one pound advantage.  Jillian told Helen that she was a 48 year old woman that the whole world was watching as an example.  Ron told the camera that he was in alot of pain this week because of his knee and then Mike said that he was putting it all on the line this week.  Filipe said he was working really hard this week because he did not want to go below the yellow line.  Filipe was sweating like crazy and Bob told him he could do it andthen Bob said everyone wants to send you home and that he better work harder.  The scenes then sped up and each player passed before the camera with scenes of exertion.

The next moment we saw all of the players walking to the gym for the final weigh-in.  Tara told the camera that she knew everyone stepped it up this week.  Allison told them they lost over 600 pounds on the show.  She continued that this season had the most players and was the longest season yet.  Jillian said they were all athletes now and they were different people now. Tara said she was excited to be on the Ranch and it was not about the game, it was about getting her life back.  Filipe said it was more than a game and no matter what, he was going home an was going to educate those he loved.

Allison then asked Tara if she wanted the pound or the money.  Tara took the pound and Mike was 10K richer.   Each player then stepped on the scale and the results were as follows:

Ron:  298/289  lost 9 pounds.  Ron said “wow”.  He looked back and said he was surprised he made it that far.  Lost 141 pounds in 17 weeks.  He lost 3.02% for the week.
Filipe:  244/234  lost 10 pounds.  Filipe gave a yell and was very happy to have a double digit loss.  130 pounds in 17 weeks for a 4.1% for the week.
Helen:  161/154 lost 7 pounds.  Helen was almost in tears and thanked Jillian.  Lost 103 pounds while in the ranch.  Everyone kept saying how she was 48 years old.  She lost 4.35% for the week.
Mike:  235/224  lost 11 pounds.  Mike was safe from elimination and said that he and his Dad made their personal gaol of losing 300 pounds.  Mike was on top of the world and on top of the chart, but pushed his Dad below the yellow line.  Mike lost 4.68% during that week.
Tara:  177/169 lost 8 pounds.  Tara never fell below the yellow line during the entire show.  Tara was then told she lost more weight on campus that anyone in Biggest Loser history.  She lost 5.08% for the week.

The two players below the yellow line were Filipe and Ron.   Bob Harper was upset that Filipe fell below the yellow line and was so upset.  All five players lost over 100 pounds while on the Biggest Loser campus. 

Tara then told the camera that she has never been in an alliance.  Ron told the rest that he should be in the finals because he was less of a threat than Filipe.  Filipe said he wanted to be in the finals because he was always the fat kid that came in last.  Filipe said he wanted to compete and that the easy way out was to vote him off and let Ron stay.   Helen said she had no loyalty because Ron and Filipe both voted for her in earlier shows.  Helen said she had no loyalty and that she was going to play the game and do what was best for her.  Tara asked Helen if she was enjoying the moment of power.  Helen laughed and said she was.

At the table of elimination the votes were.
Mike:  He told Filipe he was voting to save his Dad and that Filipe knew why.
Helen:  She said she had to play for herself and that she voted for Filipe because he was the bigger threat.

The person voted off The Biggest Loser on April 28 2009 was Filipe.

Filipe said he could not go home and that he hoped he was going inspire those that were watching the show.  He was in tears and said that from that moment on he wanted to be a inspiration to those who thought they could not do it for themselves.  Filipe left and received hugs.

Allison told them they were all going home and in 30 days the would return for their final weigh-in.
Filipe said he was going home to inspire his culture to become healthier. 

The Biggest Loser Transformation Moment showed Filipe walking into his home and family and his wife said he looked like a new man.  His father said he was amazed.   Sione said he was amazed in how much more weight he lost in three weeks.

Moneh, Filipe’s brother was seen and he was a very large boy who spoke of his culture being consumed with food.  Since he was home he lost 13 pounds and then his Dad had a stroke and that inspired him to work even harder.  He started to have classes at his home to help others exercise and loss weight.  Levila, his wife, said she was proud of her husband and then Filipe said he wanted to change his culture and he knew it would take some time.

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