Author |
Message |
Lotsofkids
Member
08-11-2007
| Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 5:07 pm
rissa, maybe it was heba beating out phil by 1 lb.
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Yesitsme
Member
08-24-2004
| Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 6:51 pm
Oh Vaca....I laughed out loud about the bra comment. I definitely noticed and it distracted me. Why didn't someone help her? Doesn't the show have wardrobe people? Which reminds me... I also hated Allison's dress. With all of the cute maternity clothes out there, she chose that? I think I may like the dress on someone else, but it did nothing for her. Several other people could have used help in the clothes department, too. But then there were some bright spots. Michelle looked phenomenal, as did both Amys. And Heba looked lovely, too. I didn't like some of her behavior throughout, but she did work her butt off at the end. The men looked great, too. Phil looked like a different person. Jerry had done so great...I hadn't thought he had it in him. And Brady was very handsome. I never had realized that Ed was a chef....I felt a bit sorry for him as I saw all that food. Gee, I can't imagine my friends going out to dinner with me and eating like that if I was on a diet. And especially if $100,000 was at stake!!! I thought the finale was good. I liked the emphasis on losing weight and the personal stories of everyone. I would way prefer that than the emphasis on competition. I would think that most people who lost weight in a competitive environment would put it back on when the competition is over. The trainers should support that and encourage a healthier emphasis. I am growing to dislike Bob and love Jillian...who would have ever thought?
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Shel
Member
07-27-2005
| Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 7:14 pm
I really wish Heba had invested in a bra... The sagginess was just awful and made her look like her boobs were growing out of her bellybutton.
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Texasdeb
Member
05-23-2003
| Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 7:58 pm
well, she has $100g now & can afford a good bra.
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Needmylifeback
Member
08-14-2000
| Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 9:37 pm
I thought she was just wearing a camisole under the dress... and she should have worn black under the dress and not the beige/off white that she did...
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 12:50 am
OK,I was also wildly distracted by the lack of a good foundation garment for Heba! Good grief! I've never understood the use of the slick floors, hard edges and those steep stairs up to the scale and that seems like a trainwreck waiting to happen.. remember last year Ali's mom took a horrible fall off the edge of that set. Heba looked angry the whole time, subdued and all. She DID look great, but of course seems to me that she had the major advantages for the whole season.. lots of prizes, control of the actual teams, having that particular alliances, Ed returning, and then winning the meal plan at home.. that meal plan would have probably helped Vicky and Brady a bunch (but not that I wanted them to win, so , eh..) I think my reaction to Ed and Heba was as strong because it really looked like he had water loaded, being confident that his alliance controlled the voting no matter what and he could make sure that Heba would stay or that both would stay. So they blew that one. The product placcemnts on One Tree Hill are numerous but not blatent.. just items that appear in scenes, such as a box on the street vending USA Today and various products in use. Nothing like all the mentions on the other shows. As usual, I agree with everyone about the format.. the shows and the finale are bloated with repetitive clips we've seen over and over and they always pretty much cut off the winner
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Dannysgirl
Member
08-09-2007
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 7:37 am
Here's a link to an interview with Vicky - she said America misunderstood her!! I don't think so! http://tvwatch.people.com/2008/12/17/biggest-losers-vicky-says-she-was-misunderstood/
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Needmylifeback
Member
08-14-2000
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 8:10 am
I like how the comments are sprinkled with ... "good" comments .. makes me think Vicky is there reading all ... and then posting so she doesn't have 100% negative comments... It sure sounds like her - "come on people.. .they have to have a villain" ... Also .. with ED getting 84% of the vote .. it would have been justice if Vicky were below the line with WHOMEVER .. and WHOMEVER got 100% ...
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Mamabatsy
Member
08-05-2005
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 9:03 am
She said that she never smiled when people got on the scale and gained weight. She's right. It was more of a smirk than a smile.
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Dovez
Member
08-27-2005
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 9:38 am
re those slick floors... remember last year when i posted that i'd seen ali's mom at the airport the day after the show and she was black and blue and wearing a cast? she told me that was a result of those slick floors. what is wrong with these production peeps. there are even methods for making shoes less slippery on hard floors. fashion shows use them all the time.
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 12:36 pm
LOL I was totally distracted by Heba's saggy boobs in that dress. I thought Ed looked older in the face on the finale.
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Sportygirl
Member
06-14-2005
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 12:50 pm
People at work were calling it Boobgate. I think they should have Bob escort the women down the stairs to prevent anyone from falling. He went to help Vicky and then went to help Michelle even though she was steadier on her feet.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 2:47 pm
Dovez, yep, I do remember and why on earth didn't they FIX the set? I mean all of them, even the ones I don't like, worked hard and all they need is to break a leg and not be able to keep up their workouts!!
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Thursday, December 18, 2008 - 4:24 pm
I think I liked Vicky's dress the most. She is the exact same heigth as I am and now weighs 14 lbs less. I work out 30 min in the morning, 30 min at lunch time and an hour in the evenings. I wonder how many calories she is eating now? I really do believe that some people can lose weight easier than others. Is there such a thing as working out too much? I really need to see a nutritionalist(sp). I'm so happy for Michelle. If it weren't for all the people who voted for Ed to be in the final 3, Michelle would not have won!
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Konamouse
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 19, 2008 - 1:38 pm
Yes, someone can "work out too much" - it's just another method of 'purging' (I've seen quite a few of these folks at the gym - boy could I tell you stories). And if you are working out too much, and not eating enough, you can send your body into conservation mode and decrease your metabolism. Breaking up workouts to three sessions a day is a nice way to do it, but you also have to make sure you are eating throughout the day (like 6 small meals/snacks).
P.S. See a "Registered Dietitian" who specializes in weight management. Start with the site www.eatright.org and Find a Nutrition Professional in your home area.
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Denecee
Member
09-05-2002
| Friday, December 19, 2008 - 4:19 pm
thanks Konamouse, it's my new year's resoulution to eat more nutritionaly balanced diet.
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Cricket
Member
08-05-2002
| Saturday, December 20, 2008 - 11:50 pm
I, too, was so happy that Michelle won. I wonder if Heba realizes her negative relationship with Vicki cost her $150,000. It's wonderful that America did the right thing this time and voted to keep Ed, giving Michelle a better chance. I really wanted blonde Amy to win the $100,000 just because of how Vicki/Heba treated her husband. Vicky needs to watch all the tapes to see what we saw. Misunderstood indeed! With all the weight loss, dark-haired Amy would have won if she had voted Heba and Vicki out, right? Did she lose more than Michelle? She and her Mom looked great.
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Lotsofkids
Member
08-11-2007
| Monday, December 22, 2008 - 4:44 pm
INTERVIEWS WITH HEBA AND ED} Exclusive: Heba Salama talks about 'The Biggest Loser: Families' By John Bracchitta, 12/22/2008 Heba Salama may admit to being outspoken, but not to being a bully. ADVERTISEMENT During her time on The Biggest Loser: Families ranch as part of trainer Bob Harper's powerful Black team, 30-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Raleigh, NC was shown as the partner of Vicky Vilcan, the show's most effective gameplayer. Presumably because of her association with Vicky, as well as numerous moments on the show when she was depicted as a bully trying to dictate how others play their game, Heba was ultimately denied entrance into the Final 3 finale weigh-in by the show's home viewers, who chose her husband Ed Brantley instead. RELATED LINKS RealityTVWorld: The Biggest Loser SirLinkALot: The Biggest Loser The Biggest Loser Message Boards More The Biggest Loser: Families News On Friday, Heba spoke to Reality TV World about why she disagreed with the way she was depicted on the show, how she felt about winning The Biggest Loser: Families' at-home prize and being the competition's actual biggest loser, and what she and Ed plan to do with her $100,000 prize. Reality TV World: Do you think Vicky and yourself were portrayed accurately on the show? Heba: Well, I think that Vicky is a really outspoken person, but she's a good person, and I think that the producers took her a little further than she really is. I mean, she's not a villain, and I'm not either. They definitely showed me attacking certain people that I was being attacked by, so I don't think you saw both sides of the story. But the people that love me love me for who I really am, and I'm an outspoken woman and I don't make apologies for that. [But certain people on the show] didn't get an accurate portrayal of them. So I'm happy going to bed at night knowing that people saw who I really am, and I'm a strong woman, I'm really competitive. I'm not a bully. Reality TV World: Were there any specific parts of the show you thought were more exaggerated than should've been. Does anything stand out? Heba: Oh yeah. When everybody came back to the ranch, when that whole fight happened. That was... (Pauses) There was a good chop job, let's leave it at that. Reality TV World: What type of reaction did you get from people as the season was unfolding? Heba: Everyone I've ever encountered has said that they love [my husband Ed Brantley], and me period. They get it, you know? I have had people come up to me and tell me that they hate Vicky, but I always just defend her because she was doing it the best way she knew how. She doesn't have a filter. God love her but that's just how she is. Reality TV World: What was your reaction when you learned of that home viewer voting twist? I mean the show had already done it in last spring's edition [so] were you guys expecting something like that? Heba: No, I wasn't that shocked. I mean, I think people have a lot of time on their hands, and people that sit at the computer and blog are the same people that have time to vote 1,000 times. We don't have a bunch of friends that sit around and vote all day. We had a lot of people supporting us, but sometimes I think people just want to do the opposite of what people ask. And I mean I wasn't shocked. I kind of figured it would go that way. I think a lot of people really sympathized with [Michelle Aguilar] so they probably thought I was a bigger threat than Ed would've been. And they were right because I would've beat her. Reality TV World: When you were leaving the ranch after the Final 4 weigh-in, it seemed that you and Ed -- at least at the time, based on the videos -- seemed confident that you would be the one going to the Final 3. Was that the case? Heba: No, I mean we didn't know. Like I said, you don't know -- once the producers get a hold of the footage -- what they're going to do with it. They spun it like Ed [gameplayed] that [Final 4] weigh-in. He was in the hospital the day before the weigh-in with a saline bag hooked up to his arm because he had a hernia. He had surgery. Reality TV World: Oh, okay. I was actually gonna ask him about that [when I interview him] later. Heba: Yeah, there was no gameplay involved with that and I have no problem saying that. I know we're not really supposed to talk about things that didn't happen, but I'm a very honest person and that was the truth and when someone accuses us of gameplay I won't stand for that. He had a saline bag injected into his arm, I mean what do you think is gonna happen when you weigh-in the next day. You gain weight. Reality TV World: So is it safe to say that as you saw the season airing, and how everyone was being portrayed, that you weren't as surprised that they would've voted Ed in instead of you? Heba: I still wasn't sure because so many people had come up to us and said "You have such a supportive husband," and why people would give it to someone that didn't really want it anyway is beyond me. Again, they may have thought I was a bigger threat and they were right. I was way ahead of everyone else. So, I don't know. Again, the only time we encountered any negative [comments] where when I happened to come upon it on blogs, but I try not to read them. I've never run into it anywhere else. Reality TV World: How did that scenario where Ed told the viewers to vote for you come about? Was it an extension of an earlier discussion in which you guys decided that he would be the one to go home [when] your team had fallen below the yellow line? Heba: Yeah, I mean when it worked out that way... Like obviously if I had fallen below [the yellow line] with Vicky or Michelle it would have been more of a gamble. We knew that one of us was gonna be competing for the $250,000, and it didn't matter because we weren't there for a paycheck. I was more there to prove that the biggest woman in the house can have the highest percentage and win the whole thing, and I proved that, just in a different way. But my goal was to have the highest percentage, and I did. So I feel my goal was attained. I don't need the title. I mean, it's great, but I'm so happy to have been the biggest girl in the house... And I mean I beat all the men, all the women and I took home $100,000. I could not have asked for a better outcome. Reality TV World: Okay, that was actually my next question. Clearly not making it to the Final 3 must have been disappointing, but it obviously was short lived as you took home the $100,000. How did that win feel? Heba: It felt great. I felt like if people were trying to upset me by not voting me in than it was short-lived for them too if they were excited about it because... (Pauses) To me, what I wanted was highest percentage of weight loss. That's what I wanted, to prove that [trainer Bob Harper] could do it, that Bob could beat [trainer Jillian Michaels], that Bob could have a win, that the biggest girl in the house could do it. And I did it. [My weight-loss percentage] was 46.94%, I was soaring above anyone. For that I'm walking around with my head held high. I'm [also] the first at-home woman winner; I lost the most pounds of any woman in any season of The Biggest Loser. When I set my mind to something I do it, and some people perceive that as aggressive or whatever but I get my stuff done. And I'm a good person at the same time, I mean I'm friends with every single person from the cast. Reality TV World: How surprised were you when you won? Had you sized up the competition? Heba: When I saw that [Amy Cremen] was at 45-something [percent] and she was in the lead I knew I had it because I knew in my worst-case-scenario that I would weigh in at about 46.25% so I knew I had crossed that threshold. So I was excited, but you never know. You just wanna be sure that you see it and it's official because it is TV. So I was waiting for the actual number to pop up and when I knew it popped up and it's live I was like "Okay, they can't take it back. It's done." Reality TV World: Who did you consider your biggest competition [at the live finale]? Heba: Man... I guess Amy and [Phil Parham]. I mean they were like... I've never seen someone that skinny at a The Biggest Loser finale. I mean Amy's a size 2, so that was pretty impressive. Reality TV World: Despite winning the $100,000, you had to be at least a little disappointed to know that you had a higher weight-loss percentage than Michelle and could've won the $250,000, no? Heba: I don't think it's disappointment on my part. I'm happy, and I think that speaks volumes because I didn't win the title but I actually won the game. I'd rather be in my shoes and know that I absolutely had the higher percentage and [that] I than would have won it [instead of knowing] that three people beat me. It wasn't through any fault of my own, America wanted it that way. So I thank America for the $100,000, and I'm psyched about it. I mean we're getting phone calls left and right, I've never been complimented so much in my life and I'm so proud of what I've done. So it wasn't a bummer, [I was happy] and that's the real difference. Reality TV World: Based on what viewers saw on the show, several of the other contestants felt you were a bit of a bully and thought that you would try to take charge of things. Do you think their perception of your behavior was accurate? Heba: Some of the other contestants said that? Reality TV World: Yeah. Heba: I think that that's funny. I mean, I'm not a bully, but I guess I would say that if I was portrayed as a bully that Phil [made it look that way]. Phil's a good guy, but he wasn't really upfront. He was very underhanded with his gameplay and I was upfront about my [gameplay]. Nobody ever had to wonder about how I was feeling about them or where I was going with the game. I'm not sneaky; I'm pretty right up in your face about it. So, I'm not a bully. (Laughs) I bet none of them would've said that to me! Reality TV World: Can you talk a little bit about [what happened at] that "in the dark" temptation challenge that led to the family teams being reassigned into the Black and Blue teams? Heba: Sure! Actually Amy C. and I talked [before the challenge[ and she asked me to put her on Bob's team. So for all those people out there reading who just think I split [she and her mother Shellay Cremen] up, [Amy C.] asked me to bring her over. We talked about it, she didn't care if she was with her mom or not, which was what she said to me, so I was like "Okay." My decision to move Phil at the time was purely [because] I felt like I couldn't trust him, and I was right because I read in a later interview that if they the opportunity to pick teams they would have kicked me off too. I just felt like I needed to build a team where I could trust the people on it and have the numbers in my favor. At the end of the day it's a friggin' game! I wasn't there to make sure that everybody else got to stay and lose weight and win money. I mean, I just wasn't, and if people were there for that reason -- to be really nice -- and make sure that everybody else got to win than that's crazy. Everyone was there playing a game. We all played it differently and... (pauses) That "in the dark" temptation was hilarious. I feel like someone's telling 'em to eat doughnuts... This is a discussion we all had, like "Can you do it and put the teams up?" I [said I would do it], but I was like "Okay, but if I'm doing it then why are you doing it too?" Like, I don't need to do it if you're gonna put the teams up. It just didn't make sense to me, but... [Phil's] a good guy. Reality TV World: And when it came to switching the teams, did you really think that now the competition was switching to Black and Blue teams, Jillian's teams were all going to want to be part of an all-girl Black team and let you keep the both of the competition's remaining men? Heba: I mean, at first that's what everybody said they wanted, and then Amy C. kinda freaked out and was like "No, that's not what I want, because we're gonna be the underdogs." I was like "Okay, so do you care if I split you up from your mom?" And she was like "No." So that was an easy decision and we [brought] her over and [moved] Phil over. To be honest, Jillian thought it was stupid that I did that because I gave them an advantage. I mean, I felt like I was fair. I ate the doughnuts, if you wanted to do it yourself you should have eaten 20 brownies or 10 Reese's cups. When people complained about it I [was like] "Well, you didn't do it yourself." You either take charge, or you let life pass you by, and I'm just a take-charge kinda girl. Reality TV World: Can you understand why some of the other contestants may have not liked your attempt to say that what you did [at the "in the dark" challenge] by picking the teams [was a "sacrifice"]? Heba: No. But I didn't see anybody else getting up and doing anything about it. I thought Phil was trying to, but he was being so wishy-washy and couldn't make his mind up. If you resent me or you wish that it had gone differently... (Pauses) Like, that [challenge] was in everyone's hands, the power was right there. Reality TV World: During that exchange, you told Phil and Amy P that they were "screwing you." Don't you think you would have been doing the same to all the women on Jillian's team if your original plan had gone through? Heba: Well, Phil and Amy were on my team. Michelle and Amy [and] a husband and wife were on the same team, and my point to them was why are you doing this behind my back if you guys just made a deal for me to eat the doughnuts and keep the teams the same? Because they both wanted to stay with Bob. So it made no sense to me why Phil was sneaking around. But that started so, so long ago and so many things happened after that and it's like... It's not like it caused anybody's demise in the end. It was like "Whatever." Reality TV World: When that challenge was done, Amy C -- the person you ended up swapping Phil for -- ended up being the one that voted off [Brady Vilcan], who had been one of your closest allies at the time. Given the benefit of hindsight, do you think sending Phil to the other team kinda came back to bite you a little bit because of that? Heba: No. I mean I don't because if Phil was in there I wouldn't have won $100,000. I wouldn't change anything. I mean I have really close friends form this experience and I hope that you print that because I had a blast after the finale. I took pictures with everybody, hung out with everyone, hugged everyone, and was congratulated by everyone. I wouldn't change one bit of it. Amy did a good thing by voting Brady out for her. I mean, it didn't affect me. It was sad to see Brady go, but I was also very good friends with Amy. So, you know, she was playing the game the bet way she knew how. Reality TV World: You arguably had the most significant physical change out of any of the contestants... Heba: Thank you! Reality TV World: How have you had to adjust your life and daily activities with 138 less pounds on you? Heba: Oh man!. I'll tell you what, I got back and I put on a little water weight from the traveling and like freaked out and my trainer was like "It's not fat, it's water," and I was like "Oh thank God!" But, I mean I'm up at the gym first thing in the morning and I'm paying attention to every little thing that goes in my mouth. I'm starting to lay off the alcohol since we hadn't had anything to drink in eight months. I'm trying to ease back into the whole Christmas scene and celebrating with friends. But I've worked really hard for my change, and I really wanna see it last a long time. I did this for life, I didn't do it for a prize or a title or a game. I wanted America's jaw to hit the floor when I walked out of that paper [at the finale], and I think I did a really good job. Reality TV World: You had said a few times that you had wanted to show that, being the heaviest girl there, that you could [still] take off the weight. How did you sue being the heaviest woman on the show as motivation throughout your time there? Heba: I mean, Bob always told me that I'm at my best when I have a point to prove, and I felt like I had a point to prove. I felt like, if I was going to be portrayed as somewhat aggressive, that I was gonna go home and kick butt. I let that drive me every single day, I can't have been, like, this fighter. I fought to stay on there and I couldn't have just done it in vain. I had to prove that when I got back there on December 16 that I fought to stay there and I deserved to stay there, and [that] I deserved every bit of that applause as I bust through that paper as a finalist. Even if it was only for like 10 minutes I was a finalist, it was okay. Reality TV World: Do you have any plans for the money yet? Heba: Um, you know, I think we're gonna save a lot of it because the economy's kind of [iffy]. Ed and I both quit our jobs when we got home from the ranch so we could workout full-time. I think we are [also] gonna take a really good vacation and I think that's it. I mean we're savers, I don't want the money to be gone in a year so we're gonna see if we can make it work for us for a while Reality TV World: You cited your desire to start a family as your reason for going on the show. Now that the finale is over where's that fitting in? Is that still your plan? Heba: (Laughs) Um, everyone asks us that and Ed's like "We're having a lot of fun practicing!" and I'm like "Oh my God." I think that, like I said, I wanted to get through one summer with my new body before I go ahead and stick a basketball under my t-shirt. So, I'm gonna try to spend the spring and the summer toning up a little, because I need to tone up some more, and hopefully we'll start trying in the fall, but I guess that depends on where life takes us. But that is why we went, and I'm so happy that I can do it now and do it healthy. So we're excited. Exclusive: Ed Brantley discusses 'The Biggest Loser: Families' By John Bracchitta, 12/22/2008 Ed Brantley saw two different sides of The Biggest Loser: Families' ranch: its friendlier earlier rounds that culminated in his first elimination, and the gameplay-filled pressure cooker that he returned to when he re-entered the ranch in Week 7. ADVERTISEMENT However, after returning to the ranch and making his way through emotions of the Black team vs. Blue team rivalry, the 31-year-old chef from Raleigh, NC was able to make his way -- ultimately against his will -- into the competition's Final 3 finale weigh-in and finished as the NBC weight-loss show's runner up. On Friday, a soft-spoken Ed talked to Reality TV World about why he felt he and his wife Heba Salama were not edited fairly on the show, what he felt led to America's choice to add him instead of Heba to the Final 3, and how he dealt with training in between his two stays on The Biggest Loser ranch. RELATED LINKS RealityTVWorld: The Biggest Loser SirLinkALot: The Biggest Loser The Biggest Loser Message Boards More The Biggest Loser: Families News Reality TV World: You were the first of the three finalists to step on the scale during the finale broadcast. What was going through your head when you stepped on the scale? Ed: You know, just the fact that things didn't go the way that we wanted to and America basically handed The Biggest Loser win to [Michelle Aguilar]. Reality TV World: Did that surprise you, or did you have any idea that was [going to happen]? Ed: No, we weren't surprised. Reality TV World: Why? Was it because of how both of you were portrayed on the show? Ed: Absolutely. Reality TV World: At the time when you were leaving the ranch after recording your statements did you think that the plan [to ask for Heba to be voted into the Top 3] would work then? Ed: Yeah, because at that point the show was still in production and nothing was set in stone at that point. So, as far as I knew we were nice people and people would like us and would hear what we would have to say. Reality TV World: Going back to the finale weigh-in, did you think your lead was likely to hold or, based on having seen Michelle, did you think the odds were probably pretty good that she'd lost a higher percentage? Ed: No, I knew that she was going to beat me. Reality TV World: The Biggest Loser went four seasons without a female champ and now [trainer Jillian Michaels] has managed to train two in the last two seasons. Do you have any idea on how that might be happening -- do you think it's just the law of averages catching up or something like that or do you think that the girls are doing something different? Ed: I think Jillian just plays a different game than [trainer Bob Harper]. I think that if you look at previous contestants' continued weight loss I think most of Jillian's people put a lot of weight back on, whereas Bob's people seem to stay at a pretty normal weight for the rest of their lives. Reality TV World: Did you have any idea that the home viewer voting twist was going to happen? I mean the show had already used it on last spring's edition. Ed: Yeah. We had a good idea it was happening. There's always some kind of twist in there, you know? Reality TV World: When we talked to you after your first elimination you said that you had made changes to how you operate as a chef, such as spitting out the food you taste, things like that. Are there any new techniques that you've picked up since then? Ed: Um, you know, I have really kinda stepped back from that and allowed the people who work with me [to] do that now instead of me being so paranoid and psycho about it. I'm actually able to really, truly trust the people that work with me. I think that was the biggest part, with me being able to let somebody else pick it up so I don't have to stand there over the food all day long and actually do it. You know, this whole thing has actually helped me step away from things that I feel like are out of my control, and I've really just taken a step back from actually physically being in the kitchen and cooking. Reality TV World: What was it like to go home and begin adjusting to your normal life, only to be thrust right back into the ranch when you were able to get back onto it in Week 7? Ed: It wasn't easy because as soon as you get home people are like "Hey, let's go out. Let's do this, let's do that." You have to be very selective about the things you choose to do because there are [only] 24 hours in a day and they can get swept right away from you if you let 'em. Reality TV World: Had you thought there was a possibility to get the chance to return to the ranch when you were first eliminated? Ed: Yeah absolutely. I knew that [for] the last season they brought everybody back and they all got the chance to weigh in again and got a chance to get back on the show. I just really hit it hard and busted my butt to make sure that I would be a contender. Reality TV World: That step challenge you won to get back into the competition seemed pretty brutal, can you talk a little bit about it? Ed: Yeah, it was absolutely as brutal as it looked, and I have never stepped one step on one of those step things ever again and never will. Reality TV World: What was your initial reaction when [The Biggest Loser: Families host Alison Sweeney] revealed the challenge -- did you think you had a good chance of winning it? Ed: You know, I'm not a real cocky person or anything like that, but I just knew that God was like "Ed, I did this for you. This one's yours and you better win it." Reality TV World: And about how long did that challenge actually take in total? Ed: It took about 50 minutes. [Maybe] 45 minutes. Reality TV World: You looked pretty spent at the end. Do you think the outcome might have been a little different if the challenge had gone another 100 steps? It seemed like [Stacey Capers] was gaining on you and making a late run. Ed: I honestly don't know. Stacey was obviously gaining on me, but if I wanted to lose to anybody I would've loved to lose to her. Reality TV World: Some viewers have questioned the fairness of basing who got to return on a step challenge instead of weight-loss, which is what the show is actually supposed to be about. What are your thoughts on that? Ed: You know, you can't do the same thing over-and-over again because nobody's gonna care next year if they're like "Well, they're gonna do it again..." How stupid would that be. Reality TV World: Clearly the game became much more game play-focused in between the time you were first eliminated and when you returned, did that focus on the ranch make it easier or harder to maintain your attention to losing weight? Ed: In my mind all I was there to do was lose weight. I didn't care about anything else. Reality TV World: When you were eliminated the first time around, you and Heba had made it clear that you weren't at the ranch "to play any games" and weren't there "for a big check." Do you think that was still accurate after you returned to the competition? Did you see other people doing that? Ed: Oh yeah, I mean there was a lot of gameplay going on, and not a lot of gameplay that was actually shown on the show. You know, people took their liberties with how they wanted to play the game, and some of it you get to see and some of it you don't get to see. Reality TV World: Did you [and Heba] ever end up getting into [the gameplay element of the game] at all, or did you stay true to... Ed: I felt that we stated very true to the game. Like, when I was there I don't know [what happened], but I felt Heba and I really stayed true to what we said. We weren't there to play a game, we were there to lose weight. Reality TV World: Going off of that, because there may be some clarification needed here, in the [Final 4] weigh-in Bob suspected that your gaining of two pounds was a gameplay move, but we've heard otherwise. Could you [discuss] that at all? Ed: Yeah. I mean, if you saw that last episode before the finale with that whole thing where Jillian and Michelle are re-hiking the mountain [from the first episode], well we were all out there. We were out there as well, and I had a hernia and it was incarcerated and all this bad stuff happened. So we had to take off, we couldn't even (unintelligible), I was in so much pain I was crying. So they take me to the hospital and start pumping me full of fluids and the weigh-in was, like, the next day so I was screwed. Reality TV World: Did you think that the way it was portrayed on the show was not fair? Ed: What they showed on the show? Reality TV World: Yeah. Ed: I mean, it was an unfair set of circumstances. I mean, [if] you got a hernia than you've got a damn hernia and there's nothing much you can do about it. Reality TV World: What were some of the things you did to continue to lose the weight and stay focused once you got home after the Final weigh-in? Ed: Basically just get up in the morning, eat some breakfast, and [then] I go on a run for about 8-10 miles. Reality TV World: Obviously aside from Heba, which contestant's weight loss impressed you the most at the final weigh-in? Ed: I was very impressed with Stacey and Vicky's weight loss. I thought they both looked very beautiful. They both just looked like completely different people. Reality TV World: The show showed your audition video where Heba mentioned she wanted to go on the show because you guys wanted to start a family soon, but how were you cast on The Biggest Loser: Families? You sent in an audition tape? Ed: Uh-huh. Reality TV World: and then it was the normal [audition] process? Ed: Yeah I feel that it was a pretty normal process. We're just glad that things are kinda starting to settle down and we can get back into our own regular lives now. Reality TV World: One last question, Heba mentioned that you both had quit your jobs to focus on the weight loss, [and you both also wanted to start a family]. What does the future have in store? Ed: Um, you know, all kinds of doors are opening for us now. There are people calling us [asking if we'd be interested in participating in things] so we're just gonna kinda hang back and be selective about what's offered to us and just kind of go from there.
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Boberg
Member
10-04-2002
| Monday, December 22, 2008 - 8:26 pm
Thank you Lotsofkids for bringing that interview over. Very interesting read....Heba sounds just like she did on show....congratulates herself alot Interesting, her and ED quit their jobs to be able to work out full time.
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Laneesmom
Member
05-12-2005
| Monday, December 22, 2008 - 8:50 pm
Blech!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, December 22, 2008 - 9:16 pm
LOL.. yeah Ed and Heba were there just to lose weight but also to bash Jillian and deny deny deny! No matter WHAT anyone else said or did, Heba gave them many foul mouthed utterances that she cannot deny. And saying that Bob's people do better and have well, as Ed put it
quote:Ed: I think Jillian just plays a different game than [trainer Bob Harper]. I think that if you look at previous contestants' continued weight loss I think most of Jillian's people put a lot of weight back on, whereas Bob's people seem to stay at a pretty normal weight for the rest of their lives.
Uh.. This is BL 6 so hardly anyone has had a "rest of their life" thus far. And if Ed and Heba had to quit their jobs that is hardly making a real lifestyle change that one can live with for very long. Blech indeed.
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Lotsofkids
Member
08-11-2007
| Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - 12:09 am
I agree, I thought heba sounded as mean and obnoxious as she was portrayed. She didn't even seem to "stick up" for vicky either. she didn't even say anything nice about michelle winning. hope the next season is better!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - 1:17 am
Another thing.. while it was unfortunate if Ed had a hernia and was given fluids, that couldn't be the only cause of him gaining 2 pounds. He might have gained a pound or two water weight but if he'd lost like the rest of them he would have still had a net loss. And he had a zero loss the first time he was eliminated. Heba is so big on being the largest women and losing a larger %, well that was because she was so much more overweight, she HAD a bigger percentage to lose. Now that doesn't take away from her losing so much, which often doesn't happen for the really large women, but she's young, she had the meals she won and, unlike Vicky, she quit her job and has no children to care for. So what she did was good but she's overdoing the self-praise. And the season long story about wanting a child, not so sure, but it probably is better for her to maintain that loss for a longer time and get her body in balance anyway and maybe mature a bit more before becoming a mom. Sounds to me like they WERE on the show for "opportunities" (that all too common word from reality show participants) but quitting jobs in this economy.. they won $100,000 plus another chunk or so of many AND that recreational vehicle/motorhome so they will have some taxes to pay, which will cut into that money.
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - 5:53 am
Still don't like them...ugh. I can't believe they quit their jobs.
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Lotsofkids
Member
08-11-2007
| Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - 1:04 pm
INTERVIEW WITH BOB AND JILLIAN Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels dish about 'The Biggest Loser: Couples' By John Bracchitta, 12/23/2008 To many, Bob Harper is seen as The Biggest Loser's level-headed trainer who rarely loses his cool with his contestants. ADVERTISEMENT However, according to Harper himself, that reputation may change after the second edition of The Biggest Loser: Couples, which premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC. "Let me tell you, I actually just saw this episode and this one girl tested me to - tested me more than I've ever been tested on the show," Harper told Reality TV World in a recent media conference call. "I mean you're going to see me on this show have a nervous breakdown on this girl. I watch and it was like, 'Is that me? Did I do that? Was I yelling that much?' It was definitely a challenge, man, let me tell you." "You're going to see me at my wits end this season. You're going to see me just... [Jillian Michaels] always likes to joke about me because I always make this comment about, 'It's not about the push-up, it's about changing your life," Harper added later to reporters. "But sometimes, you know what, it's just a push-up. Just do it and quit thinking about it so much. That's the point - I just kind of got to that point." Harper was joined on the call by fellow trainer Jillian Michaels and The Biggest Loser: Couples producer Mark Koops, who both also had their own challenges and anecdotes regarding the show's record-setting cast, which includes the show's two oldest players ever, its youngest male contestant ever, its heaviest female contestant ever, and the heaviest contestant in the show's history. Koops told Reality TV World that the show had gone to such a length to include so many different types of people in the show in an attempt to inspire each of the show audience's different demographics that it was possible to change their lives if they wanted to. "I think that's what hopefully the show is about: inspiring different communities. Whether that be people who are, like, 'Oh, I'm retired. I can't do it. It's too late,' or, 'I'm too young. I don't need to worry about it now,' or 'My culture says it's okay,'" Koops told Reality TV World. "I think we're looking to try and inspire every aspect of American society that it's not too late to make a change. Harper said that the inclusion of two teenage contestants -- Mike Morelli, an 18-year-old student from South Lyon, MI who arrived at the ranch weighing 385 pounds, and Daniel Wright, a 19-year-old student from Willow Spring, NC who arrived at 454 pounds -- were also evidence of the increase of teenage obesity in America. "It just shows you that we are living in an epidemic, and we at [The Biggest Loser] really want to put a light on this situation and try to do our part in helping that community of people," Harper told reporters. "There's a young generation out there that really does need our help and I think that the inspiration that we give to adults we really want to focus on kids in that way, or teenagers in that way, in this season." Both Harper and Michaels told reporters that the show's diverse cast had also presented a new set of challenges for them as they attempted to get their contestants into a regular workout regimen. While Michaels admitted that she hadn't had much trouble with some of her heavier, but younger contestants, she told reporters that working with her older contestants had been more difficult. "I think where I have run into some snags are with the contestants who are significantly older, and their body is showing true wear and tear of abuse - you know, 63, 66 years of abuse," Michaels told reporters. "That's really when you're in trouble and that's when you've got oxygen masks on the treadmill and limitations with regard to duration of exercising. It's very, very difficult to train those older contestants." "You'll see one contestant on Season 7 that is 54-years-old, 430 pounds, and this is a man that had his stomach stapled, had his jaws wired shut, and... he's been living in a war zone and his body really shows it," Harper added. However, Harper said that despite the challenges that the contestants had faced upon arriving at The Biggest Loser ranch and immediately going from "zero to 100 miles an hour" for their workouts, the results had "inspired" everyone on the show. "What you really see, and which I love so much about our show, is triumphs of the spirit," Harper told Reality TV World. "These people overcome the obstacle of carrying all this weight. They're going to push themselves to new limits. And I mean, some of the stuff that they weren't even aware that they were able to do - just inspired us all." Koops added that viewers have to look no further than this fall's The Biggest Loser: Families season to see how contestants could overcome unlikely odds and drop their excess weight. "I think the results we saw on [The Biggest Loser: Families finale], from people like [Jerry Skeabeck] who is 50-years-old [shows] there is no excuse. You can make a change today if you make the right choices. And I think, Bob and Jillian... are laying out the roadmap for all of America of how to make the right choices on a day-and-day level to really, you know, affect change, and I think the inspiration they provide is something that they should be incredibly proud of."
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - 1:44 am
Hmm, I want them to dish about Heba and Vicky, not the next cast...
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - 6:56 am
haha me too, Sea! I want to hear if Bob knew that people were annoyed with him this season.
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Msbullwnkl
Member
08-16-2005
| Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 11:40 am
Amy and Marty expecting a baby I know this isn't from this season, but I thought some BL fans would want to hear this news.
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Friday, January 02, 2009 - 7:55 pm
ITA Sea!! That Heba - well she does spin it well - mostly I hear a whine whine whine and a blah blah blah (too many owrkds for me now!!) Thanks for posting it! and a congrats to Amy and Marty!!
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Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Sunday, January 04, 2009 - 1:03 am
ok - more research - I'm stepping away from Marty and amy and going in to a "whatever" mode.. I know my memory aint what it used to be - but I thought I remember him being filmed at his school - as a "role Model" and he was married?? and cheated on his wife?? and he quit teaching to be ... what?? I'm so naive!
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