Hi everyone,
Well, that was quite a feisty elimination. Some of the stress and the emotion of being at Camp Biggest Loser is really starting to show – some cracks are appearing. I think we’re starting to see the contestants that have the mental strength to succeed, and those that don’t.
The Perth girls, Jarna and Lisa, seem to have it – never underestimate a couple of older and wiser mums – and so do the Dads. I think Daina's got what it takes to succeed, although she doesn’t have that much weight to lose, but I'm not sure about Caitlin.
I'm also not sure about Chris and Shannon. I really hope I’m wrong, but to me they don’t seem to be making the most of this amazing opportunity. At times, these contestants, Caitlin, Chris and Shannon, seem to be clinging to their demons, holding on to the excuses that helped them gain the weight in the first place.
Remember that moment in Masterclass last week, when Sharif looked at the image of his former self, and was still hit by the emotion of it? I feel the same way whenever I see myself in my bra and knickers on the ads... it’s not my former shape that upsets me as much as the mental state that it represents. It reminds me of how little I expected of myself and how I could have easily gone for the rest of my life believing that that was all I was capable of being.
I think those three contestants still have that type of unhealthy mindset, although Caitlin is showing signs of breaking through – her effort with the Waratahs was amazing! Training with a group of hot footballers probably had something to do with it. I’m sure that would have made me run a little faster.
The thing is, every one of us has an excuse, every one of us has a sad story, but at the end of the day there comes a time to stand up and say that sad story is no longer something that defines me.
Watching the others
There are a few things that make me question the dedication of Shannon and Chris. First, there are the excuses, then there are the actual numbers they’ve been pulling, and then there are the looks and comments from the other contestants in the elimination room.
The other contestants have been watching them.
I don’t think you can tell from watching the show how much the contestants take note of what everyone else is doing – watching out for who is exercising first thing in the morning and what the others eat for dinner... that sort of thing.
We watch out for two reasons. First, to look for an edge – it’s a game after all, and the second reason is because The Biggest Loser really is an amazing opportunity and it’s annoying to watch people who don’t take full advantage of that opportunity. If someone's not pulling their weight they don’t deserve to be there (this changes later on in the game when the people not pulling their weight are the ones to keep around!)
The Commando
The Commando is one person who can help people break through barriers and see what they're really capable of. He burst onto the scene for the first time last week.
I’ll let you in on a secret... I hesitated to apply for The Biggest Loser because I was terrified of the Commando, but training with him ended up being one of the best experiences I had in the House.
I was in absolute shock when I first saw him, in fact, I was almost in tears, but during the session something happened. I realised he was not there to hurt me, he was there to show me what I was capable of. I was on a total high afterwards.
I think it was probably the same for the contestants last week. They had a big task, but a great reward at the end – the letters from home. To me, those letters represent the reward we all get when we challenge ourselves.
As I mentioned, I used to underestimate what I was capable of. It’s easy to do and I meet many people that do the same. The truth is, if something is new or different, it’s easy to admit defeat before even trying. So I want to leave you with the lesson the Commando taught me: You have to test yourself to find out what you are capable of.
These days I attempt anything... I get scared, and sometimes, I’m really bad at the things I try... but sometimes I’m rewarded by discovering something that I’m good at and enjoy.
Believe in yourself.
Ali
Video highlight
If you missed any episodes you can catch up on The Biggest Loser TV show. For me one of the most moving segments of last week was, Sharif’s Masterclass visit...