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The Biggest Loser 9: Exclusive Interview with Patti Anderson

Posted on 01/15/2010 by Gina in The Biggest Loser and Cast Interviews

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Patti Anderson from The Biggest Loser 9

 

by Gina Scarpa

 
On the season premiere of The Biggest Loser, Patti Anderson broke a record when she lost the most amount of weight by a female contestant in a single week - 23 pounds!  Her luck changed in the notoriously tough second week, when she and her daughter Stephanie fell below the yellow line after losing 1.5% of their total body weight.  In order to give her daughter the opportunity to stay on the ranch and continue competing, Patti asks her fellow competitors to send her home and in the elimination room, they honored her request.  Since being home, she's lost over
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you decide to finally make the changes to your life and your health and try out for The Biggest Loser?

A. Patti: My daughter, Stephanie, applied for Season 8 and when they began casting for Season 9 she was contacted and asked that she and I come in for an interview.  I was thrilled with the possibility of being chosen and knew if we were, it would be a true gift and the opportunity I needed to regain my life and to finally get healthy.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What did it mean to you to be able to go through this experience with your daughter? 

A. Patti: It's hard to adequately describe how wonderful it was to make this life change with Stephanie.  I'm her mother but also we are best friends and she inspires and motivates me.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: The contestants and the trainers always say there's a big difference between watching the workouts on tv and actually doing them.  How difficult was it to get your body back into shape? 

A. Patti: The workouts are so much harder than you would ever imagine.  We were a group of individuals who were so unhealthy and obese.  It's safe to say that none of us had ever done any exercising to that degree but we all survived and broke through the "I can't do it" mental block, thanks to the trainers.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What do you think happened in that second week that caused the purple team to fall below the yellow line?  

A. Patti: Stephanie lost 18 lbs. and I lost 23 lbs. that first week and although we lost a respectable amount of weight week 2, it just wasn't enough.  I'm thrilled to hold the record for losing the most weight by a female the first week, but wonder if I had lost less, maybe week 2 would have been higher, keeping us above the yellow line.   I worked really hard week 2 but it just wasn't enough.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: It seems like the red team is starting to incorporate some gameplay into their strategy?  Did it bother you that they purposely took it easy because they had immunity?

A. Patti: We began this journey with the mindset that we wouldn't worry about what others did or didn't do, we would never take a temptation, and that we just needed to stay above that yellow line.  I was shocked, however, that Melissa gained a pound and, fortunately for her, it didn't result in her elimination.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the biggest wakeup call from Dr. Huizenga when you met with him?

A. Patti: The fact that I was so sick and on my way to an early grave.  I've had type 2 Diabetes for 20 years and have really done nothing about it.  The testing done on me and the knowledge learned propelled me even harder to make changes in my life and to actually do what was necessary to save my life!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the proudest moment that you had on the ranch?

A. Patti: Everything I accomplished on the ranch made me proud.  I suppose, though, the proudest would be when I finally crossed the beam during the pool challenge.   Having neuropathy (numbness in my feet) due to diabetes made this challenge almost impossible to do... but I did it!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How has the transition home been and what challenges do you face?

A. Patti:  The first week or so at home from the ranch was hard for me.  I was scared I hadn't been at the ranch long enough to succeed at home and was a bit depressed that I had to leave so soon.  But I'm happy to say that I was so right when I asked to be the one to go home (rather than Stephanie) because the support I have at home with my husband Karl, daughter Pamela and all my dear friends and family members along with my 24-Hour Fitness trainer Omar have ensured my success.   

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What are you doing in preparation for the live finale?

A. Patti: I am working hard each and every day.  I work out at the gym intensely about 2-3 hours six days a week.  I walk our Lafayette Reservoir (about 3 miles) a few times a week, I take yoga and zumba classes and my husband and I dance as often as possible.  Another key element is nutrition and eating the proper amount of calories each day.  I'm never hungry and I never feel deprived!

 

 

The Biggest Loser airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

 

Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

 

For more Biggest Loser links, visit SirLinksALot.net


  


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