Disappointed. Very disappointed. I am not a fan of alliances at the best of times but Meaghan’s decision to eliminate Sharif, a privilege she earned last night by taking the Walk, was an example of game play at its best.
Meaghan is playing with her head and while I understand her desire for self-protection, I am sad that she didn’t send Andrew home instead.
The ‘little brother’ was very gracious and a true team player when he offered to sacrifice his place in the house, explaining to Meaghan that from a mental perspective Sean and Sharif need to be there more than him.
By ignoring Andrew’s plea, Meaghan proved that the parent/child alliance will be ruthless in their race to the finish line. But what goes around comes around and, as Tiff accepted, soon they’ll be faced with voting off each other… so I’ll try not to get too worked up about it now!
In the meantime, I want to congratulate Sharif on everything he’s achieved. What an amazing contender! His journey has been an emotional rollercoaster and that’s the sort of journey that really resonates with me. He has played the game with respect, integrity and a whole lot of dignity. As Sharif himself said, “For every kilo I’ve lost I’ve gained self-respect”.
Seeing Sharif at home with his gorgeous wife, Fleur, eased my disappointment somewhat – my goodness he looks amazing! While it’s not easy going home at this late stage in the game, I have no doubt that Sharif will be able to incorporate all of the learnings and life lessons he’s experienced in the house into his world at home.
On the subject of life lessons, Shannan’s training session with the girls earlier in last night’s show got me a little choked up. He asked them to write down on paper the negative feelings they’ve had about themselves in the past and the mental barriers that have held them back. Then they kicked them to oblivion!
When you’re overweight your natural defence mechanism is to put up a barrier to protect yourself from getting hurt while, at the same time, you attack yourself for not embracing life, for letting yourself go. Thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” to use Tiff’s example, or “I’m just fat, I don’t deserve it,” in Sammy’s case, undermine everything you do and play a big part in keeping you overweight.
The girls really need this sort of mental training right now. Shannan is preparing them for life back in the real world where they won’t have the house or the trainers to protect them and catch them when they fall. He’s also ensuring that the physical changes they’ve made are reinforced with mental transformation. It’s very important work.
The mental edge is going to be important when the contestants face off in tonight’s gruelling spin bike heart rate challenge. They're playing for immunity so be sure to tune in at 7PM at TEN.
If you missed last night's show, you can watch the full episode at The Biggest Loser TV show website.
I highly recommend taking a moment to watch Shannan's training session which I mentioned above. If you've ever had anything in life that has held you back, you'll find it inspiring and liberating.
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Alison Braun is one of the most-loved contestants in Biggest Loser history. Since losing over 55kg during Series 3, she has kept the weight off with the help of The Biggest Loser Club and, more recently, The Biggest Loser Club Meal Replacement Program.