by Gina Scarpa

 

This season, on The Biggest Loser, Arthur had a plan - get rid of Jen and Jay at any cost. His opportunity to strike at the father/daughter team came in the form of a temptation challenge, where he ate 35 chocolates in order to swap Jay and Jen out for the red team's Deni and Sarah. Jay was eliminated the next week, followed by Deni... and Arthur's dad, Jesse. Jay had been traveling but recently returned and we caught up with him in an exclusive interview to find out his thoughts on his Biggest Loser experience.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You were great to watch this season. Were you proud of the way that you and Jen were portrayed?
A. Jay: It felt great that Jen and I were either number 1 or number 2 for the greatest percentage of weight loss for every weigh in on the ranch and the fact that we were portrayed as a very strong team.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the wakeup call that made you both realize that you needed The Biggest Loser?
A. Jay: Fearful that there was no end to how high the scale would go, Jen and I had our fingers crossed 10 times over hoping we'd get the chance of a lifetime to get on the show. Jen had lost a little weight before the show [she almost topped the scale at 300] and I lost a little weight before the show [my highest weight before the show was 435 lbs]. Once you realize that your mindset and body has the ability to gain to gain a ton of weight, it's very scary to think that you can get even bigger and bigger. If you can break through 300 and 400 on the scale, why not 500? Hey, at one time I was only 65lbs away from 500!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Can you describe the bond that you had with your team and Bob and Jillian prior to being switched to the unknowns by Arthur?
A. Jay: Jen and I never hesitated when we won the opportunity to choose training with Bob and Jillian over getting 4 weeks immunity. We loved training with Bob and Jillian, and to say the least Bob, Jillian, and our entire team was quite upset with Arthur when he switched us to the unknowns. Why, because we were two of the strongest people on our team with consistently high 5s of weight loss and none of us [other than, obviously, Arthur] wanted to break up our team.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Arthur said that didn't trust you or Jen. Is there any reason that he would feel that way or was he just threatened by the two of you?
A. Jay: We came to learn that Arthur had a lot of trust issues and for some reason, he had it in his mind that, given the chance, Jen and I would vote him or his father off the show which the truth be told was never in our mind. In fact, let's face it. It wouldn't look good to even be known as a person who voted off one of the contestants that needed to be on the show the most.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Jen seemed to have made peace with you leaving the ranch at the elimination ceremony. What was the conversation that the two of you had beforehand?
A. Jay: Once we got switched to the unknowns, Jen and I knew that as long as we were on their team, we were always at risk for elimination. Not because we wouldn't lose enough weight, but because were told by all of them that if someone was going to get eliminated because our team lost Jen or I would be the first to go. They had a pact between themselves and we weren't part of the pact. So after Q gave himself up and I had another chance to stay at the ranch, I had a talk with Jen about the fact that might time might be numbered because I would offer myself up before her if the red team lost another weigh in. I let her know I really wanted to stay to the end but if I had to go that I felt confident enough that I had had enough weight loss success on the ranch that I would be fine at home. So Jen knew what I was thinking well in advance before my elimination.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you feel like, even though it was unfortunate that you had to switch teams, it helped you for your weight loss journey at home because you got to experience different types of workouts?
A. Jay: Honestly, I never liked Brett's or Cara's style of training, and yes I learned a few new things training with them, but the things I learned from Bob and Jillian were more of the things I felt I could keep doing on my own at home.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was the toughest part about your transition home?
A. Jay: Just knowing that my journey on the ranch was over, and that all of my friends, and especially my daughter still had the opportunity to train with the best, Bob and Jillian and my journey with them was over. Staying on plan with what I learned on the Ranch wasn't hard, but knowing I wasn't going to have the opportunity to stay till the end was tough to take, also because I got eliminated because f game play and not because I had trouble pulling good numbers.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You're on a mission to win the at home prize at the finale. What are you doing to prepare for the final weigh-in?
A. Jay: Training strong 6 out of 7 days, eating right and using my BodyBugg everyday to make sure I'm always on point!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you believe that Jen still has a shot to make it to the finale or are her days numbered with the red team?
A. Jay: I know Jen can make it to the finale because of her efforts, but whether or not she can make it to the end, as long as she's on the red team, is going to be hard because s long as she's with them she's next on the short list for elimination. I'm just hoping she can somehow, someway, get back on Bob and Jillian's team.

 

 

The Biggest Loser airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa