So this is the episode that we get separated into teams which was a really stressful time for a lot of the contestants.  I think when you get really connected to your trainer, it becomes very difficult to change.  I know that I’m not a big fan of change at work so I understood.  Jillian and I have been working together for such a long time that we decided that we would continue to work with one another so Black & Blue would stay connected.  I was so happy that the Black team gave Jay another chance because he really deserved to be there.  I was so sad for Arthur because of the weight that he had to lose, I believe that he could have also benefited by that “golden ticket”, but I gotta tell you that Arthur is doing so well at home and he is gonna blow us away at the finale….just wait!!!

Now let’s talked about that MESSED UP weigh in.  The fact that Kaylee thought she was done at the ranch and her trainer was supporting that decision made me nuts.  We have done such amazing work with so many people on The Biggest Loser Ranch and when people think that they are ready to go home, it is my job to remind them that they need to stick this out and continue to learn about themselves, which is really hard for so many people.  When people get up there to “throw” the weigh in, it just puts a bad taste in my mouth and slaps the face of Biggest Loser.  So when the Green Team decided to do what they did, it completely threw the balance off of the house and what ultimately happened is that someone went home that didn’t deserve to go home.  It was just one of the lowest moments in Biggest Loser history for me.  The hardest part after that night, for me, was to move on and not dwell in the past.  I really believe that our past can really hold us back from growth, so the best thing that we all could do after that night is MOVE ON and NOT DWELL.

I think that  the biggest lesson about this episode is to finish something that you started with everything that you’ve got.  It is so easy to start something and lose motivation.  The motivation has to come from within to help you push through when things get tough and you feel like you are ready to quit.  Never give up on yourself and the dreams that you have for yourself and fight that urge that tells you that you’ve had enough and you are ready to quit.  DON’T EVER QUIT!!!

Okay everyone, I have got some big news for you that I’m really excited about sharing…

I’m coming out with a supplement line called Bob Harper’s Smart Success and before it comes out, I wanted to talk to you about why I wanted to do this and what really sets mine apart from anything else out there.

When I first started thinking about this project I had a very long laundry list of what I wanted for my products. Namely, I was looking for clinically proven key ingredients. I wanted it to be vegan and vegetarian friendly. It needed to be gluten free and dairy free. I wanted veggie caps. I wanted supportive ingredients like natural goji berry & pomegranate. The list went on and on – and the world-class company I teamed up with delivered on every single item.

Now comes the most interesting part.

I wanted to make sure that people understand that when it comes to losing weight, getting in shape, and living a healthy lifestyle, you gotta make good food choices and you’ve gotta exercise — supplements can work much more effectively when you combine them with a healthy lifestyle. I have always promoted this way of living and this had to be two of the main pillars of the whole Bob Harper’s Smart Success. I was so excited about coming out with a supplement line that hit every must have on my list and totally fit with my philosophy on health.

So here is the bottom line…

I wanted to help create a supplement line that, with diet and exercise at the forefront, will give people that extra boost. And now I’m gonna get to share this with you. You are going to be able to find my supplements in most stores across the country starting late April and I can’t wait to hear all of your feedback…xoxox

Learn more at www.facebook.com/mysmarterchoice, on 3/15/11.

So this week was all about picking Team Captains, which I’m still trying to figure out exactly what this was supposed to do.  I understand team building but these teams seem to be very connected so I didn’t really get it, but I’m not a producer so what do I know.  One other thing that I thought was funny is that I have worked with Jillian for so long and she and I are very similar in many ways… and one of our shared feelings is that we are the only team captains on our team at all times so it was funny to think that Marci was going to take that power… hahahahahahaahahahahahahhaahaha!!!

Okay, I gotta talk about the one thing that really stands out from last night’s episode and it was Arthur in the weigh in.

Let me give you a little backstory and a bird’s eye view that I have had with Arthur. This guy came into our house having lost over 100 pounds on his own, ready to make a difference but he continued to make these bad choices from a place of fear. I am in no way saying that Arthur was a saint and did he make some “game play” moves that benefited him and hurt others, YES! Absolutely. Fear makes you do some dumb things and Arthur was no stranger to making bad decisions. He was a man that ate his way up to almost 700 POUNDS!!! That is complete madness to a lot of people and maybe foreshadowing to some.

So did I sympathize for him?

You’re damn right!

I believe in karma and I think the universe has a way of evening things out and Arthur’s game playing was probably karma and I see that.  I just remember standing in that weigh in room and everyone was getting so emotional and Arthur was standing up there with his red shirt on, crying and it was killing me. I knew right there and then that Arthur would be eliminated because he had no alliance on the Red Team.  That is exactly why I said what I said on TV last night.

What you didn’t hear because it, for whatever reason, ended up on the cutting room floor was that I recognized his bad behavior and I understand how this game works BUT I also believe in the bigger picture and that it shouldn’t just be about alliances and who your friends are in the house.  It should sometimes be about people that come into our house that are knocking on death’s door and need to be forgiven for their past behavior. Sometimes people deserve another chance and that is what I thought about Arthur. When I watched that episode last night, it just almost brought tears to my eyes. That man was so broken, unhealthy, and in need of help and I understand that everyone deserves to be there but sometimes there has to be levels of need and Arthur’s level of needing to be in the house ranked extremely high.

With that said, I know that Arthur will do well at home, I just wanted him to be there longer to really tackle the demons that live inside of him for a little longer. I said a little quiet prayer last night for Arthur and I’m really working on my tools for forgiveness. I’m asking you to do the same.

Congratulations Mandy!!! Keep up the GREAT work! xoxo..Bob

________________________________________________

Dear Bob,

I sincerely hope that you are able to read this because the single most important thing in my life (besides my family) has happened to me because of you. My story could be anyone’s story, because honestly I’m your average mother and military wife. My husband is in the United States Marine Corps, and I adore him. We have 2 beautiful boys together, ages 4 and 6 months. I am 26 years old, and I can say that I love my life for the first time in those 26 years. We are moving to Japan in 3 months and starting a new journey together!

I learned at a very young age how to emotionally eat. Fueled by my parents’ divorce, I turned to food to cope. I’ve never been obese though, until I had my first child. I don’t know what happened to me, I don’t recognize the woman in this picture. I was 210 pounds, and I’m only 5’1! I was past obese, I was morbidly obese. I worked out for 2 years solid, and was a yo-yo on the scale. I was up to 150 again when I got pregnant with my 2^nd child in 2009. After he was born, my weight was 174.6. It wasn’t so bad, I thought…I was smaller this time than after my last pregnancy. Then my husband and I had a talk that changed my life. It was my wake-up call. That’s when I found you.

I started with your workouts, and well, it was tough! I listened to you though, and read your book. I realized that my problem was internal, and if I was ever going to change I would have to face the demons of my past. I realized that I’ve never been the person that I thought I was supposed to be, because I was afraid of her. I don’t know who the skinny version of me is. It’s been 5 months and 3 weeks of intense therapy and sweat, but I’ve gone further than I ever thought possible.

Bob, with your Inside Out DVD’s, I have lost 50 pounds, and went from a size 18 to a size 6! A SIX! I have never in my life been a size 6. On the BMI scale, I went from “obese” to “normal” in less than 6 months. I am completely blown away! I want to run my first marathon here on Camp Lejeune for the Wounded Warriors foundation in May before we leave for Japan. It’s a goal that I have because of you, Bob. I know that I can do anything, and be anyone that I want to be now. I am no longer defined by my weight. I can almost keep up with my husband who is a US Marine!

I wish so much that I could meet you before we leave for Japan. I am starting my new life this year as we leave for a new country! I am a new me, a healthier me, and I’m finding out now who I really am and who I should be. It’s changed me so much that my husband and I are completely in love again. Learning to challenge myself, dedicate myself, and be a better me has healed my marriage. Even more though, the struggles that we went through together as I was changing and growing in new ways brought my husband and I closer together. For that, Bob, you have changed my life and I owe you everything.  Thank you for cutting the string of my yo-yo and giving me a new life! I look forward to being in a bikini on the beaches of Okinawa this summer!!

Semper Fi!

Mandy