By Carrie Falquist of realityofweighting.com

The Biggest Loser Couples show started this week with a vote off.   Maggie's departure did not come as a surprise, because I had seen the photos of Brittany's Prevention Magazine shoot online.   Since the photo shoot had not happened yet, I knew Brittany was safe for another week and Miss Maggie was getting the boot.
 
The remaining contestants were shuttled off to Macy's, where they learned they would be clothes shopping.   As they are standing there, in walks Tim Gunn from "Project Runway" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style", to help them shop.  Can I just say that I love Tim Gunn?  He's got this amazing dry wit, and is a fashion GENIUS.  He spent time with each of the contestants, getting a feel for their style, and picked outfits for them to wear for a Prevention Magazine photo shoot and runway show.
 
This was a pretty emotional process for many of the contestants, who had never been able to shop in a department store, or to buy a normal size.   Kelly had the hardest time looking at clothes, going for the safe, and as Tim called it, "dowdy" old lady dress.  She was still seeing herself as the woman who came to the ranch at 279 pounds.  Dan, on the other hand was preening, talking about looking like a rock star about a hundred times.  During parts of his dialogue, I'll be honest, I fast forwarded, and could still read his lips saying "rock star" as he tossed his hair.
 
Each of the contestants got to see the outfits that Tim Gunn picked for them.  Taking their personal style into consideration, he picked some hot clothes for them to wear, including a very sexy, cut down to the waist dress for Brittany in a stunning pink.   Then it was off to the salon, where Brandon, a fabulous hairstylist that some might remember from a couple of seasons ago on Jonathan Antin's "Blow Out", gave the contestants makeovers.    Everyone was enjoying themselves, and even Dan, who seemed unnaturally attached to his golden locks decided *gasp* to cut his hair off!  Yes, you know it's a big day in Biggest Loser world when a good 10 minutes of a two hour show is dedicated to the fact that a contestant cut his hair.   All I have to say, is thank goodness for Tivo and the fast forward button.
 
Moving on to the runway show, I will say that the cast looked stunning.  Not sure what was going on with Alison Sweeney's outfit, though.  She looked like a flight attendant in her little black pantsuit with a ribbon tied around her neck.  I doubt Tim Gunn picked out that look!
 
The men of Biggest Loser cleaned up nice, wearing suits and jackets that complimented their new thinner selves, but the women stole the show.  Kelly looked so beautiful with her normally curly blonde hair blown straight, fresh makeup and a very flattering black dress with a wide v-neck, and criss cross piping on an empire waist.  I think finally, this makeover gave Kelly the confidence she has been sorely lacking to date.
 
Ali's little spaghetti strapped dress with delicate black accents showed off her tiny shoulders and collarbones.  Her hair, cut to a flattering just past the chin inverse bob, looked fabulous, and really set off her smile.  Brittany rocked that sexy dress, and looked incredible.    Wearing that, Brittany proved to a lot of self-doubters that you don't have to be at your goal weight to wear something that revealing.
 
Following the runway show, the contestants met with their trainers, who made all the appropriate noises about the fabulousness of their makeovers, and there was yet another 2 minutes dedicated to Dan and his hair.  I swear, by the time Bob was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Dan's Disney Channel rocker haircut, I was so over it, I left the room to get a snack.
 
This week's reward challenge looked like so much fun!  The cast of BL walked backwards on treadmills suspended 10 feet over a swimming pool while wearing dorky white helmets for safety.   Every 10 minutes, the treadmills would increase in speed and incline.  Mark and Ali were the last ones standing, going at it for over an hour.  Mark won, and his prize was a week long stay at a fitness resort in Utah.
 
Weigh ins were up and down this week.  Dan lost 8 pounds, probably 3 of which was from cutting his hair, and Kelly hit a milestone of reaching the 199 mark.   I think that one is going to be a contender in weeks to come.  She seems to have hit her stride.  Ali, itty bitty thing that she is, lost an amazing 5 pounds.   Roger and Mark dropped big numbers as well, leaving Brittany's two pounds and Jay's three at the bottom of the pack.
 
No one, not even me, was shocked that Brittany was the one sent packing.  The blue team banded together, probably shooting themselves in the foot, because Brittany is much less of a weight loss threat than Jay, who has the numbers to beat them all.   My own little jaw dropping moment came when Ali voted Brittany off.  Not sure what the strategy there was, because if she thinks those blue team members are going to align with her, she's going to have a rude awakening.
 
Brittany looks great now, and has been working hard at home.  She even celebrated the same way I did last year, by skydiving.  There is something so liberating about leaping out of a plane knowing that at the start of this journey, you were above the weight limit, and would not have been allowed to jump.  You go, Girl!
 
Next week looks like the drama will continue.    With only two women left, Ali and Kelly have something to prove.   It promises to be an interesting episode, and who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and Dan will talk about his hair some more!   One can only hope.


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