Tonight's finale of The Biggest Loser was amazing. The contestants looked so good -- I can't believe how much weight they lost.

Of course, there were a couple of things I did notice. First, I was not surprised in the least that Nick didn't participate. I was hoping he would, but after his "Diet Rite transformation" video (oh I love the product placements), it was clear he had a miserable experience. It's sad -- almost all of the other contestants really transformed their lives. I do say almost -- it seemed like Kathryn was really unsure of whether she wanted to be there. She looked miserable when she first came out -- probably because she saw how amazing the other contestants all looked. I wonder what happened -- why she wouldn't have at least continued the diet. I do give her a lot of credit, though, that she had the guts to still weigh in. She could have walked off the set, or not participated in the first place. But she went though with it, and I have a lot of respect for that.

Side note -- on a lot of the shows, participating in the reunion show is part of the show contract. I wonder if it was not part of the contract for The Biggest Loser (which I think is highly unlikely, considering they have a second competiton based on it) or if Nick just violated his contract. And what is the penalty for that? I am so curious...I'll be checking the web on this one!

Other than the amazing transformation of the contestants, the thing we really noticed was Caroline Ray. She usually looks so pretty and small standing next to the 300 pound contestants. But the contestants are all so skinny and toned now. And standing next to Caroline you could really tell. And to top it off she appeared to have made her hair bigger to try and counter that. I don't understand why she doesn't get in the gym and work out with the trainers now and then. She works where there is a gym! Oh dear...

Anyways, I was glad to see the final three were so close. They really changed their bodies and their lives. And even though the prizes were from Jell-o (again, got to love the product placement), it was great that all three got money. It looks like they all lost a lot more weight than the finalists on season 1 as well. (especially Suzy)

This was a great season -- I am inspired by them, and by the fact that they did this with diet and exercise -- no plastic surgery involved! I can't wait for the "special edition" (where it's families vs. families...they're not living on the ranch, and a new match-up each week) in January!

Ok, did tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser seem anticlimactic to anyone other than me? It just seemed like there wasn't a lot to it. No temptation this week; not a lot of time in the gym. Just a challenge, weigh-in, and a vote-off. Well, except for the oatmeal commercial...I sure hope the 4 contestants and Bob get some sort of cash for thei convincing performance as oatmeal lovers.

I did like the challenge. Well, the twist on the challenge, actually. When Caroline said that the winner would be the contestant with the fastest time, why didn't anyone ask "so, the person who gets to the top first wins, right?". The look on Matt's face was great -- his speed ended up hurting him in the end. Of course, he did get to have his coach and friend come in earlier, so what is he complaining for (Hasn't a visit from a friend been a reward in the past? How come only he got that?).

Even though I'm surprised that Andrea was eliminated, I'm glad Suzy will be in the final. She has a real shot at beating the boys...and it would be great to see a woman win!
Can't wait for the live finale next week...

It's The Biggest Loser: Matt edition! Matt gets his hair cut! Matt wins the challenge! Matt gains 12 pounds! Matt casts the deciding vote at elimination! Matt Matt Matt! Ok, they showed a little bit of Andrea and Shannon too (which is how you knew they would both be below the yellow line), but this episode was really all about Matt.

I do enjoy Matt. I know, I was tough on him last week with the crying (I mean, come on!), but he's a competitor, and is the man to beat. And after he let Suzy cut his hair, he looks like he's lost a lot of weight. It's shocking how much a hair cut can make a difference. He also wins the challenge -- biggest jump rope ever. Matt is definitely on a roll.

Oh my goodness -- I almost forgot about the temptation challenge. I am shocked that more of them didn't participate. 10 calories per throw? I burn about 100 calories per mile I walk on the treadmill. So for 18 minutes of extra workout (I walk slow), that's 10 throws. Why on earth wouldn't they take a throw or two? And really -- if 3 M&Ms is going to throw off your whole diet, you're doing something wrong.

Anyways, back to the Matt episode. I couldn't believe his "strategy" to gain weight for his non-elimination weigh-in. Aside from the fact that it will probably come back to bite him in the end, how on earth did he manage to gain 12 pounds in 7 days? Something doesn't quite jive. I mean, he lost a pound just in hair. I question the effectiveness of the Biggest Loser diet if he goes off the plan for a few days, and gains 12 pounds back. How on earth are these people going to maintain their loss in the real world of office birthday parties and fast food?

So, Shannon went home, and her "24 hours later" video was amazing. Now, I am not one to mock big families (and by big, I'm not talking about number of members). In fact, I come from a family of big-boned relatives. But Shannon's family was all overweight. I hope that she helps them to learn healthier ways to eat as well. She seems like someone who would...that would be a great outcome of the show.

So we have to wait another week to find out if Matt's plan backfires...next week will be good!

Ahhh...Tuesday night. The Biggest Loser and The Amazing Race. So good to have 2 shows at the same time! So, we'll start with The Biggest Loser. My friend Jim says that there is nothing so captivating as watching obese people on a scale. And I think he's right. Why else would I watch this show? There are more commercials than show, and the editing is horrible. But, I never miss it. And I even bought the book. Oh, the irony.

Last night's episode started strong...makeovers for everyone! Did I say strong? Because they didn't really get makeovers. Just a hair cut and some makeup. Lame. And we got to see more of Matt whining. Did he really say that he would rather be working out than getting a hair cut. That does explain a few things...

Anyways, I did like that they showed their "photo shoot" pictures alongside their starting pics. Wow, have they lost a lot of weight. It's shocking, really. I wish I could drop weight that fast. Of course, I also wish that my beloved Red Sox hadn't let Theo go, and that I could afford to sit behind home plate at Fenway. A girl can dream, can't she?

So next, we come to the challenge. Anyone who didn't see that one coming, please raise your hands. If your hand is up, you seriously need to get out more. You just knew that their loved ones were behind the signs. Although it was great to hear someone in the background say "wow, Dr. Jeff's wife is really young!" as he hugged his 16 year old daughter. I also was shocked that Seth was married, since last week it looked like he and Suzy were more of a team than the others, if you know what I mean. But while it was nice for them to see their families, I hated the challenge. There was no way the women could win. And the producers knew it too -- they put all three of them in the back of the pack to start. Hello...what was that all about? Oh well...Seth & Suzy won again...they needed that win, because they so should have been voted off long ago.

Finally, we got to the weigh-in. And here's where the producers bug me week after week. With all the tears from Andrea, you knew she and Mark would be "below the yellow line" (which might be the lamest catch-phrase ever). And why didn't the men take off their shirts this week? Did someone realize that with all the weight loss, Dr. Jeff jumping up and down on the scale was NOT a pretty sight? And yes, Andrea and Mark were "below the yellow line."

So when it comes time for elimination, we got to see Matt cry again (oh come on!), and Mark was finally eliminated. I can't believe I love this show...