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‘The Biggest Loser’: Getting to ‘Know Your Number,’ some game-playing and a sacrifice

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What did we learn in this cursed Week 2? Just how sick these contestants really are with their ‘Know Your Number’ analysis. Dr. H. delivered the news: Michael has 260 pounds of extra fat on his body.

Cheryl is 51 but has an inner age of 75 thanks to the ‘truly evil duo of cigarettes and obesity.’ Perhaps the most startling: Ashley has 260 pounds of extra fat. She’s 27, but her inner age is 57. ‘This is by far and away the most unhealthy ... group we’ve had,’ Dr. H said.
But here is the real question: Do you want this kind of medical insight about yourself? Dr. H urged you to do just that with the ‘Know Your Number’ kit that just hit the market. Will you do it? (I did, but I have to say it was after weeks of dragging my feet -- and eating and drinking my way through the holidays -- before I finally stopped with the procrastinating, filled out the simple questionnaire and provided a blood sample via a quick poke to the finger. Am now anxiously awaiting results.)

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--Melissa is a game player. Have we ever seen game-play crop up by Week 2? If memory serves me, Tracey didn’t start doing her thing until Week 3 last season. Bob called her out on it, too. Here’s what I still do not get, though, about this tactic: The goal of the game is to lose as much weight as possible and win $250,000. If you have any concerns about your ability to lose weight, why would you effectively take yourself out of the game for a week? That just puts you behind. What do you think? Is this a brilliant maneuver? Am I just missing some genius strategy here? It also just seems disrespectful to B&J.
--Was Bob for real? Or just making a point? Should Michael have continued competing in the balance challenge when his mom fell face-down into the concrete? Michael pulled himself out of the game to accompany his mother, bloodied and moaning in pain, to the hospital. The result was a two-pound penalty at the weigh-in. Luckily for the White team, it did not matter. They lost enough weight to keep themselves safe this week. But Bob ripped into Michael for putting his mom first. I appreciate Bob’s perspective -- and he’s trying to make a larger point about Michael’s focus. But man, it seems cold-hearted to place your mom in an ambulance, alone, in a strange city and when you have no idea how seriously injured she could be, and immediately go back to the game.

--We have a little insight into Jillian’s personal philosophy. She seemed to suggest that Maria brought about her own injury by being so terrified -- she manifested her own worst fears. “This is why overcoming fears is so important,’ Jillian said, ‘because if you don’t overcome them you bring them about.” Truly moving to see Maria bounce back -- and learn to ‘swim’ (or, at least not drown in four feet of water.) Jillian also expanded on her ‘beat-’em-down-to-build-’em-up’ philosophy: Work the contestants ‘until they are so physically exhausted they can’t hold their emotions back.’

The weigh-ins were as to be expected in Week 2. Patti and Stephanie fell below the line, and it was no surprise that Patti, who is such a sweetheart, pleaded to be sent home so that her daughter could stay longer. And because we are still in that wonderful honeymoon stage, everyone complied.
And has fast food ever looked as revolting as when Jillian was trying to choke it down to prove a point to the Orange team?

This week’s quote of the week? Again from Bob, when one of the contestants apparently thought she was telling Bob something new when she complained about how much the workout hurt.
Bob scoffed: ‘Like I don’t know it hurts, Lord.’

-- Rene Lynch
On Twitter @renelynch

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