Biggest Loser - Spoiler

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361

Tara has done unbelievable. I bet she’ll keep the weight off. Ron, however, will be back to his old self in no time.

I don’t like Tara. I never have. I also just do not think it is “fair” for her to be in this group this year (or her partner). Maybe my thinking is flawed, but, it is what it is. Here is my rationale:

Tara was “normal size” for almost her entire life. She was born average, grew up average, and did plus-size modeling as an average, healthy-sized woman. It was only in the last few years that she got huge. Not sure of all the reasons, but, she went from average to huge. She did it.

All the other contestants (especially Mike) grew up huge. They have been huge their entire lives. They have never known anything different. Mike is the classic example. That kid never had a chance. They have never been active and have never known what it is like to EVER have been in shape, unlike Tara.

Tara is moving back to her former self. For the other contestants, this is a first. They have never known this before. I think this give Tara a huge, and unfair advantage. This is the biggest group they have ever selected. I do not think it was right of them to put Tara in that group.

Just my view, but, I don’t think it is “fair.”

362

I disagree. I think they need a variety of “stories” on there to make it interesting. If she was a plus-sized model, then she was probably a size 12 or 14 most of her life. That’s overweight by most indicators. That’s a situation where a huge majority of people are throughout their lives. Many people start there and then add 5 - 8 lbs a year over time. Even if that’s “thin” compared to most people who go on TBL, it’s still not healthy.

In any case, when she started the show she was huge. Wasn’t she the first woman to drop 100 lbs on the ranch? That’s a big accomplishment. She is a very tough cookie and that’s the sole reason she’s doing so well and winning the challenges.

I hope it comes down to Mike and Tara. I like both of them.

I was hoping they’d keep Filipe if only for the additional challenge he’d give them. However, it is conceivable that Ron could sneak through as the winner. He still has lots of weight to lose and I would think it would be easier for him to lose it than Tara.

I love what Filipe is doing with his family, especially for the kids. Hope he keeps it up.

363

I disagree. I think they need a variety of “stories” on there to make it interesting. If she was a plus-sized model, then she was probably a size 12 or 14 most of her life. That’s overweight by most indicators. That’s a situation where a huge majority of people are throughout their lives. Many people start there and then add 5 - 8 lbs a year over time. Even if that’s “thin” compared to most people who go on TBL, it’s still not healthy.

In any case, when she started the show she was huge. Wasn’t she the first woman to drop 100 lbs on the ranch? That’s a big accomplishment. She is a very tough cookie and that’s the sole reason she’s doing so well and winning the challenges.

I hope it comes down to Mike and Tara. I like both of them.

I was hoping they’d keep Filipe if only for the additional challenge he’d give them. However, it is conceivable that Ron could sneak through as the winner. He still has lots of weight to lose and I would think it would be easier for him to lose it than Tara.

I love what Filipe is doing with his family, especially for the kids. Hope he keeps it up.
Agree 100%, what Tara has done is nothing short of spectacular. Who cares where she started - I dont really see how that has anything to do with it. Watching the before/after videos last night was shocking. I think she looks absolutely amazing now.

364

I can’t stand any of the final 4. But I really hate Helen and Ron.
Tara, Tara, Tara… You get the point. The first 30 minutes of the show were actually fun to watch. I love the old me, new me stuff.

365

Sorry, I don’t buy it. Tara has been overweight for a total of less than 3 years of her life. There is no way in hell it is “fair” to have her competing with people who have never been “normal” or “healthy” weight. She has a huge advantage b/c her body is not “programmed” or “set” to be overweight. Plus, her body knows how to funtion at a normal weight, unlike the other contestants.

Here is her background:

Tara Costa is the “girl with the pretty face” on this season of The Biggest Loser: Couples. She’s a part of the Green Team with friend Laura, and they are labeled the “former models”. So, we are all wondering- how does a girl who used to get her picture taken for a living get up to 300 pounds?
She’s worked as a plus-size model, but The Biggest Loser: Couples contestant Tara Costa admits that stepping in front of the camera eventually became a nightmare for her. “I wouldn’t want to take pictures because I knew that once I saw them, the truth would be in front of my face,” the 5-foot-9 Tara tells Life & Style, who first weighed in at 294 pounds on the show. “I was in complete denial. I only wanted to see myself as I once was.”
*In fact, as her clothing size went up, Tara, who says she gained about 110 pounds from May 2006 to the start of the show, even stopped weighing herself. “Before that, I was at a healthy weight,” says Tara. “I was working, modeling, finishing up college.” While Tara, 23, can’t pinpoint why she started packing on the pounds, she attributes much of it to her emotional state. “I think there were many factors � leaving college, starting a new job, being in a relationship that wasn’t the best for me,” says Tara. “I don’t think I was a happy person. I’m realizing that more now as I lose weight.” *
Well, good for her. It could probably happen to most people, but it’s so sad that at age 23 her weight had already gotten out of control and her life filled with bad habits. Hopefully the show will help her kick start her weight loss and fitness goals and she won’t gain the weight back!

http://backseatcuddler.com/2009/01/21/the-biggest-loser-couples-how-tara-got-fat/

366

Ok, I’ll give you that point that it might not be “fair”, but it’s a freaking reality TV show so “fair” is not what they’re looking for when they decide the cast. I’m still glad she’s on the show. It’s nice to see a woman kick butt on all the physical challenges.

367

But the show is not just about people who have been heavy all their lives. So many of the obese now are just like Tara, or Ali Vincent for example:

*The winner of NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser Season 5, and the first ever female winner, Arizona native Alison “Ali” Vincent is a dynamic and inspirational speaker. *
*A former champion synchronized swimmer, Ali set foot on the Biggest Loser ranch weighing 234 pounds. After weeks of hard work and dedication to health and fitness on the ranch and at home, Ali stepped on the scale at the finale weighing in at 122 pounds- 112 pounds less than her starting weight. This successful weight loss was enough to earn Ali the title of Season 5 winner and the first ever female winner. *
**

Think back to your college or high school days. How many friends put on the “freshman 15” and kept going? Are they any less worthy of help than those who have been heavy all their lives? Both are stuck in a struggle they seemingly can’t win on their own. Both suffer from the same health related issues and problems. Maybe it was just the exhuberance of youth that kept them at a healthy weight. Lord knows my body changed at 30 and at 40, and I have had to learn to adjust each time. So, I don’t think that just because you were necessarily skinny in your youth that you somehow possess this hidden knowledge on how to stay that way through your adult years.

368

Ok, I’ll give you that point that it might not be “fair”, but it’s a freaking reality TV show so “fair” is not what they’re looking for when they decide the cast. I’m still glad she’s on the show. It’s nice to see a woman kick butt on all the physical challenges.

Understood, but don’t give me that bullshit about what an inspiration she is to have changed her life. All she did was undue 3 years of absolutely irresponsible living (by her own admission). She is not “changing her life.” She only changed 3 years.

Regarding her “kicking butt on all the physical challenges,” to me that’s no more inspirational than watching one of the women on this site go on BL and win all the challenges. Apples to oranges. She is not on a level playing field with the other competitors, so, I see nothing inspirational about it.

Other contestants are talking about WALKING a half mary distance for the FIRST TIME in their lives. You never hear comments like that from Tara b/c she was never there.

369

But the show is not just about people who have been heavy all their lives. So many of the obese now are just like Tara, or Ali Vincent for example:

THIS YEAR it was, or at least it was supposed to be. Go back and look at the promos and the intro on the website. This is the biggest group they have ever had. This was supposed to be an “epic journey” of people who “struggled with weight loss thier entire lives.”

My point is, in THIS GROUP, Tara is not on a level playing field with the others. Her story and her dedication is nice, but, in THIS GROUP, it is not inspirational, it is unfair. Tara should have been on two years ago or even last year.

BL wanted to up the ratings and break the records, so, they took the biggest group ever, the youngest contestant ever, and two women who should have had success getting back to “normal weight.” It is stagged for tv. I get it. But, I am tired of hearing how incredible Tara is when they compare her to the others on this show who have done something much more incredibly than she.

370

Three years ago she was still heavy if she was a plus-sized model. So, she wasn’t perfect 3 years ago. She has probably been on the heavy side all her life.

I don’t watch BL all the time, but I would think that most women on there have a disadvantage on the challenges due to their lack of muscle compared to the men. I think Filipe or Mike should have won last night given what they had to do. The only reason Tara did, I think, is because she’s a bulldog. She’s been behind in many of the challenges (like the one where they had to cross the rope across a valley), but fought hard and won it. That’s inspiring to me.

371

However, it is conceivable that Ron could sneak through as the winner. He still has lots of weight to lose and I would think it would be easier for him to lose it than Tara.

The magic number is always 50% or real damned close to it. Ron is currently at 33%. He would need to lose another 100 lbs to get there. Tara is currently the leader at 43% and another 20 lbs or so to get there. Mike is right behind her at 42%. He needs around another 30 lbs. Helen is currently at 40% and needs another 25 lbs.

Based on the above, its probably a coin flip between Mike and Tara. Helen doesn’t have enough to lose and Ron has way to far to go. If I had to pick a winner, I think Mike will edge out Tara, but in the end I think it will be really close.

372

Three years ago she was still heavy if she was a plus-sized model. So, she wasn’t perfect 3 years ago. She has probably been on the heavy side all her life.

I don’t watch BL all the time, but I would think that most women on there have a disadvantage on the challenges due to their lack of muscle compared to the men. I think Filipe or Mike should have won last night given what they had to do. The only reason Tara did, I think, is because she’s a bulldog. She’s been behind in many of the challenges (like the one where they had to cross the rope across a valley), but fought hard and won it. That’s inspiring to me.

Maybe not perfect, but, healthy. They have shown a number of pictures of her. She was quite a bit smaller than she is right now (at this point in the show).

On the last challenge, she had much less weight to carry than the guys. I hate the challenges where they have to carry the weight they lost.

On the other challenges, again, she has only been huge for 3 years out of 23. So, for 20 years, her body was used to functionng at a lower weight and functioning well. The others have never experienced that. At some point, that will help you.

I always go back and look at guys like Greg LeMond and Eddie Merx. LeMond has some disorder that is causing a great deal of weight gain, but, I road with him 3 years ago and he kicked my ass. Eddie Merx was HUGE a few years ago and has dropped all that weight. I know these are extreme examples, but, they examples where the retained knowledge of the body kicked in when the individual did certain activities. Tara has that same type of advantage (albeit much less) than the others.

373

Tara has done unbelievable. I bet she’ll keep the weight off. Ron, however, will be back to his old self in no time.

I don’t like Tara. I never have. I also just do not think it is “fair” for her to be in this group this year (or her partner). Maybe my thinking is flawed, but, it is what it is. Here is my rationale:

Tara was “normal size” for almost her entire life. She was born average, grew up average, and did plus-size modeling as an average, healthy-sized woman. It was only in the last few years that she got huge. Not sure of all the reasons, but, she went from average to huge. She did it.

All the other contestants (especially Mike) grew up huge. They have been huge their entire lives. They have never known anything different. Mike is the classic example. That kid never had a chance. They have never been active and have never known what it is like to EVER have been in shape, unlike Tara.

Tara is moving back to her former self. For the other contestants, this is a first. They have never known this before. I think this give Tara a huge, and unfair advantage. This is the biggest group they have ever selected. I do not think it was right of them to put Tara in that group.

Just my view, but, I don’t think it is “fair.”

Oh boo hoo, give me a break. She was almost 300 lbs to start with. It doesn’t matter if she used to be more fit. In the end, the challenges all come down to who wants it the most. The girl has focus and drive during the challenges like nobody that has even been on that show before.

If you want to whine about fairness, what about sticking an 18 year old in the mix. Generally its almost always easier for a young person to lose weight simply due to their metabolism. The fact that he is way younger than everybody else gives him quite an advantage. To his credit, he was not wasted the opportunitiy, but its not really fair to have him competing against people that are anywhere between 10 and 40 years older than he is.

374

She didn’t really have to carry that much less weight - but that’s not the point. How much weight was it as a % of her weight? 160lb girl carrying 110lbs (or whatever it was) is a lot different than a 220lb guy carrying 100 lbs. I’m guessing at the #s just from what I remember from last night.

But agree to disagree - I still love Tara and hope she wins.

I’ll be honest, the thing that bothers me the most about this show is they appear to be working out in cheap cotton t-shirts. Couldn’t they get Under Armour to spring for some 4XL shirts with their logo on it?

375

Oh boo hoo, give me a break. She was almost 300 lbs to start with. It doesn’t matter if she used to be more fit.

You really believe that? You really believe that someone who has only been overweight for 3 years of her life has no advantage over someone who has been like that since birth?

376

Oh boo hoo, give me a break. She was almost 300 lbs to start with. It doesn’t matter if she used to be more fit.

You really believe that? You really believe that someone who has only been overweight for 3 years of her life has no advantage over someone who has been like that since birth?

Tell us again how long she has been fat. How many years?

We will all see at the finale who is the best, but all that succeed will be the winners in my eyes. Not a huge difference between 50% and 52%.

There are so many factors that you could throw in as arguments. Her being obese for a less time than the others is less of a factor if you ask me. Other factors are age (younger is an advantage), weight (heavier is an advantage) and gender (male is an advantage).

377

Tell us again how long she has been fat. How many years?

Three years. That is 3 years. Only three (3). THREE. III.

Three years out of 23.

As opposed to 18 years out of 18 (Mike). Only 5 years separate them in age, but, 15 years difference in being overweight.

Every other contestant this year has battled being overweight for his/her entire life. Only two (2) members are different – Tara and Laura.

Any other questions?

378

I’m impressed with how upset you get about this show. Are you sure it is good for your blood pressure?

379

I’m impressed with how upset you get about this show. Are you sure it is good for your blood pressure?

I need help. I am trying to get into a 12 step program. It’s a disease …

380

I think you should skip next seasion. Seriously, I worry about you.

:wink: