Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Episode 13: “In Full Gear”


With Tony voted off, only 5 remain in the Villa. Nothing much is being said, as the 4 ex-Blue teammates and Carlo sit down to dissect the evening. Carlo can sense that Tony’s departure has left a void for the former Blue team, but he also feels that there was strategy at work at the concluded elimination.

"To a certain extent, the former Blue teammates aren't thinking about Blue team anymore. If they were, they would have voted off Martha because Tony had a better chance of overtaking me. Perhaps we will see more of a 'every man for themselves' sort of attitude in this last week."

Everyone is clearly divided on his or her own opinions. David is upset with Aaron for voting Tony off, and feels that he unfairly sent home someone who deserved to stay.



Martha is still upset that Tony is no longer around while Marilyn voices her own despair, knowing that at the end of it all, it was her immunity ticket that sent him home. She encourages Martha to work harder than ever before, for Tony's sake. Martha agrees to do whatever it takes to get ahead and promises to follow Carlo's routine, so that she can mirror his success on the scales.

Back outside, the boys are still in discussion and David acknowledges Carlo's incredible weight loss and tells him "Out of all the Red team members, you deserve to be here." But beyond the admiration lies fierce competition. David minces no words as he makes it more than obvious that the 4 remaining Blues will be gunning for Carlo with single-minded focus this week.

The next morning, the contestants are taken on a surprise trip to Kuala Lumpur! Their destination is a gym where Dave and Kristy are eagerly waiting for the last 5. As they all walk in, the former Blue team members are dragging their feet, as they are not looking forward to telling Dave about Tony's departure. Carlo on the other hand is all smiles. Kristy cannot contain her happiness as she sees him still in the game, and gives him a big hug.

Kristy gushes, "When I saw Carlo finally walk in I just couldn't help myself, I had to give him a big hug because I knew how hard we both had worked that week in order to get him across the line."

Kristy's mood is a direct contrast to how Dave greets his former Blues. Here, Aaron reveals that at the end of the day, he has to think of himself and that is why he got rid of Tony.

Dave tells the 5 gathered in front of him & Kristy, that the time to leave all second thoughts and regrets has passed and the time to look ahead and keep the grand prize in mind has come. He explains to them that the session planned for them at the gym is designed to equip each of them with skills that will help them in the real world - beyond the walls of the Biggest Loser camp.

The training session that follows is intense, but it also forces the contestants to realize that their trainers will not be around for them when they go back home.

At the end of the session, Kristy throws another surprise at the contestants. They all head to the Toni&Guy Salon to get a special makeover. They are all smiles as the staff welcomes them to their personal pampering session.


The five are more than pleased at the end. Their fresh faces, trendy hairstyles and completely transformed looks mirror their new lives that lie in front of them.

Carlo declares, "I feel ten years younger man. If I could go home to my wife and my family looking like this, I think my wife's jaw is going to hit the floor when she sees me."

The contestants exude a new confidence as they walk towards the last challenge of the competition. Sarimah greets all of them by a pond in the Afomosa Resort and explains the task at hand.

Giant clear Zorb balls are lined up by the shore for each of them. Each contestant is required to get into these life-size balls and roll their way to the finish line on the water where the first contestant to reach the finish line will be declared the winner of the thrilling challenge. Winning the challenge too means that he or she will get a golden immunity ticket that will land him or her a spot at the finals, on top of a RM$1000 shopping voucher.

On Sarimah's cue they each tumble into the water and try their best to control the ball. Scrambling, rolling, crawling - they each try a different strategy to get the ball to move towards the finish line. But of all 5 struggling contestants, the only one person who manages to crack the secret formula to control the ball is Martha. She gets on all fours and starts a frantic crawl inside the ball. This clearly gives her an edge over the others and before anyone else is able catch up with her, Martha crosses the finish line.

An elated Martha is thrilled to get a spot in the finale, "When I actually crossed the finish line, the feeling was like, finally, I won a challenge and it was the most important one!"


Sarimah congratulates her on her hard fought win and as she announces the first finalist to make it to the grand finale of Biggest Loser in Asia. And so it's hard to ignore the fact that, the girl who has been below the yellow line each week since the singles weigh-in started, is now closer than ever to the big prize.

Martha then goes on a shopping spree with her reward money. With her old clothes no longer fitting her, she is eager to pick up some new threads. It isn't difficult for her to spend the prize money as she walks into different shops and tries on new styles. Because of her former plus size, Martha hasn't bought clothes off the rack for a long time and she thoroughly enjoys this experience.

Back at camp, Marilyn & Aaron are both pushing themselves beyond their capacity to make sure they are far from below the yellow line. And it is Aaron who notices, "Since winning immunity, Martha has not really slacked off but has decreased intensity during training sessions."

Life at the villa in the last few days has a different feel to it. The remaining four people who are hungry for a spot in the final four are doing their bit in watching their diet. But not Martha who is eating pretty much anything that she can lay her hands on.

For the final "Last Chance Workout" Kristy & Dave come up to the villa to take the contestants for a workout that will not only burn calories, but also remind them about this incredible milestone they have achieved. The workout is a run around the entire campsite. And the run turns out to be a moment of reflection for all the remaining 5 contestants. As they run with their trainers, they each remember why they wanted to be here in this competition and what they have learnt while being on this journey.


And soon it's time for the penultimate last Weigh-In. Martha is the only one who has a smile on her face as they all walk in to find out the truth - whether they have made it to the coveted final four list or not.

"I want this. I want to be in the final four. I worked so hard and I'm just this close. I'm just praying very hard now that I don't go below the yellow line," says Marilyn, echoing the thoughts of the men on the team.

Sarimah welcomes them to this crucial Weigh In and reminds each of them about the journey that they have all been on to reach this "fitter, healthier" version of themselves. Sarimah then catches the contestants completely by surprise by inviting the trainers - Kristy & Dave into the Weigh In room. The reason for this is that this Weigh In is going to be slightly different from all the previous Weigh Ins. This one will end with one person going home immediately - this is going to be a Weigh-In Elimination!

As the contestants digest this news, Martha lightly steps onto the scales with a smile on her face. As a "1" appears on the board, Martha bursts into laughter - "I was happy with the I kilo loss because honestly I was expecting a gain. I've been slacking off for the whole week because I had immunity."

Even with a weight loss of 23.62% Martha is safer than she'll ever be. King David, the undisputed leader of most Weigh Ins is next in line. Having started the competition with 157 kilograms as his weight, David stands proud on the scales. He is more than just pleased with his 4 kilo loss for the week as that makes his total weight loss stand at a whopping 55 kilograms. Top of the weigh loss rankings for a fourth consecutive week David's total weight loss percentage of 35.03% seems unbeatable. For now... And just before stepping down, he gives his trainer, Dave a big hug, thanking him for all that he has done for him.

His archrival, former Red team member Carlo follows David up on the scales. He is reasonably happy with his 3 kilo weight loss for the week, but is most eager for his total weight loss percentage to show up, as that will determine how far or close he is to the yellow line. He is satisfied with his total weight loss percentage of 31.82% and is hopeful that it will be enough to give him that much desired spot in the final four. A person who has been nervous about falling below the yellow line a second week in a row, Marilyn steps up on the scales. Standing in her usual, confident 'hands on hips' pose, Marilyn is a little disappointed as she sees a 3 up on the board indicating her weight loss for the week. Her 26.58% percentage of total weight lost seems to make her disappointment even more acute.


And the pressure is now on the last man in line - Aaron. His eyes are shut as the numbers are scrambling on the board and he seems to be praying hard for a decent weight loss for this crucial week. As the 2 appears on the board, Aaron's face falls. He isn't sure if his percentage is enough to keep him in the game. The tension in the room is palpable and is dispelled only with the appearance of 28.93% on the board.

This immediately pushes him just below Carlo, to the third spot in the weight loss rankings. And with this, Martha's name goes below the yellow line. But she is the one with the golden ticket. She is the one who cannot be sent home. And with that Marilyn's name moves below the yellow line.

With tears flowing down her face, Marilyn accepts Sarimah's instructions and leaves the Weigh-In room with a heavy heart. She walks out of the competition knowing that she did her best and at the end of the day she has a lot to look forward to back at home.

She says, "Even though I have lost so much I want to be slim before I want to have children so that I can be healthy for them, have more energy for them. And be a better role model as well."

And with that Sarimah bids them farewell and wishes them luck for this final chapter of their journey - a chapter that will have temptation, and hardship and lack of support from their trainers. As they walk out of the gym for the last time, they are each hopeful that they have learnt enough here on the Biggest Loser camp to survive it all.

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