Big Week for the Yellow Team

This week's The Biggest Loser started off with the revelation that whoever lost 2 percent of their body weight first would get immunity. The catch was that you had to time it right before you hit the big button that sounded the siren that you were going to way in. Do it too early and you might not have hit the goal. Wait too long and someone else might beat you to it. I got a chuckle early on when Daris commented on the noise the siren made. "In Oklahoma, you hear a siren like that, it's time to grab a mattress and jump in the bathtub because a tornado's coming." Okay, so maybe I didn't need to hear that since we're officially in tornado season now.

Dr. Huizenga also paid a visit to the house to tell the contestants to be smart about their weight loss so that they were losing fat and not muscle, bone or water.

Victoria, hoping to ensure herself another week and still a bit gun shy about getting sent home, hit the button too early on Day 2. She'd only lost 3 of the needed 6 pounds.

On Day 3, there was a swimming challenge where the contestants had to swim 100 pounds, 2 pounds at a time, to their bin. When they finished, they were allowed to help other contestants if they wanted. Sam and Sunshine were neck and neck, but it was Sunshine, a good swimmer, who was victorious and won a two-week trip for two to Fitness Ridge. She, then Sam started helping O'Neal, who was sitting in last place. As others finished, they started helping Michael. The only person who didn't get any help was Melissa, who came in last and thus was saddled with the 1-pound penalty at the weigh in. This sent a clear message about how everyone felt about her being back in the game.

Early in Day 4, Sam pushed the button and stepped onto the scale. As the pounds slowly ticked up, everyone held their breath. He needed to have lost 6, but when the scale paused on 5, I got a little worried. But then it ticked up to 6...and kept going! In only three days, he'd lost 10 pounds, winning immunity. This was a big deal considering he was below the yellow line last week.

I really liked the trainer tips they did before commercials this week. Bob's was to eat bigger meals earlier in the day and downsize them as the day goes along. Jillian's was to give your body mixed signals by being strict on your calories two days a week, moderate three days a week and to relax a little on the weekends. This keeps your body from going into that survival, hold onto the fat mode.

Okay, on to the weigh in. The big numbers went to Victoria with 11 pounds (she seems so genuinely happy to be given the opportunity to be there), Michael with 9 (and hamming it up a bit), and O'Neal with 8. It was a big night on the scales for the yellow team (or I guess they're a former team now that we're into individual mode). O'Neal's loss pushed him past the 100 pounds lost mark, and Sunshine's 7-pound loss got her below 200 pounds. She's looking great. Personally, I think she and Sam would make a cute couple. Hey, what can I say? I write romance. :)

Falling below the yellow line this week, despite really hard workouts, were Drea with a 2-pound loss and Melissa with 3. Somehow I missed that Melissa was a lawyer, but it all makes sense now. She's trained to make arguments to get people to come to her way of thinking, and she tried it again tonight. But the rest of the contestants weren't having it, sticking to their "no game play" ideals, and voted her out. Now, honestly, I think game play will have to come into the picture at some point. I think they just didn't like how overt she was about it.

Even so, I think Melissa has benefited greatly from being on The Biggest Loser. She and Lance both say that their marriage has improved, and that's a huge deal. I liked seeing them running the half marathon together in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. It was also nice to hear her say that when she came to the Biggest Loser ranch, she was lost, sad, etc. -- and that she's not that girl anymore. That's so much more important than winning a big money prize. What good is money if you're unhealthy and hating life?

What were your favorite moments of the episode? What messages really hit home for you?