[MrsJim]

Stream of my unconciousness (such as it is)

8 pm...jeez for a second I thought the local station was going to preempt for election results but naw...
Flashback from last week's show...then this week's last season flashback contestant is...DAVE...who is looking really buff...(yes I did think he was rather a butthead last year...but he's lookin' good...)

Love the side-by-side 1st episode/8th episode pix of the remaining contestants - it really shows how far they've come! What a diff!

8:03 - okay...no one knows wassup (except for us since we saw the previews and know that it's EVERY MAN/WOMAN FOR HIM/HERSELF)
Everyone in the gym, where Caroline annoucnes that the game is changing and everyone is looking out for themselves, no more teams.
Matt is cool with that.
The percentage of weight thus far is tabulated...

1. Matt <85 lbs> 25.07% lost
2. Dr. Jeff <86 lbs> 23.24%
3. Suzy <47 lbs> 20.70%
4. Seth <59 lbs> 20.27%
5. Shannon <49 lbs> 19.07%
6. last is Andrea <36 lbs> 16.36%

Shannon and Andrea are below the yellow line; however numbers will only count for each week which means that even though Matt is ahead now, he could have a crappy weight loss percentage for that week and be under the yellow line (for example).
Andrea's motivated to kick butt this week.
After this, the trainers get together with the remaining contestants.
Jillian is very sad that Mark is gone...crying...but relieved that it's now an individual contestant game rather than teams.
This week's temptation - time to let off some steam!
I was wondering where Bob was...he's sitting on a chair in the dunk tank.
Wow Bob has some really cute abs there.
Everyone gets a chance to dunk their trainer - but for each chance taken the contestant must consume a 10 calorie candy. (M&M's apparently)
Matt figures his calories for the day so far and takes 13 candies for 13 tries.
I think it's his 3rd shot that dunks Jillian!
Andrea takes a couple shots and dunks bob.
Is it just me or does Suzy not care for Andrea right now??? She's getting competitive...as we cut into a commercial.
8:14 pm - Matt's getting his mop chopped, courtesy of Suzy (hey I thought Andrea was the hairdresser...)Wow - Matt looks GREAT. You can see his face and everything!
He says it's his first do in 2 years. Well at least he didn't go Pauly Shore on us (remember "In the Army Now" where Pauly gets buzzed...? )...

yo it's Challenge time...Something to do with jumping apparently.
Bob tries to get the girls to jog up the hill - Suzy goes with him, but Andrea and Shannon hang back. Shannon has something wrong with her foot - maybe it's plantar fasciitis - I know from agonizing personal experience that it hurts like a mo. She starts YELLING at Bob - Bob don't play that though - and he gives it right back (justified I think). Shannon COULD have been a bit nicer about it.
Meanwhile Jeff is kickin' *** on the BOSU - remember it was just a few weeks ago that he could barely balance on it!
So here we are at the Challenge site.
Caroline loves Matt's new do...
The winner of the challenge gets IMMUNITY as usual along with the exercise bike from the temptation a couple weeks back.
So here's the thing - it's like a giant jump rope. Each contestant must jump over the bar without breaking it (looks like it's made of styrofoam or something).
Shannon NEEDS that immunity so she's going to try and ignore the pain.
Okay they start...Jeff is the first one out, next is Andrea, now Suzy.
The rope goes a bit faster...now Shannon is out and it's down to Matt and Seth (once again). The rope is going still faster as we break into a commercial...

8:25 pm - Both Matt and Seth still going...Matt is sweating but I think he just sweats easily.
Finally, Seth breaks his which means that Matt has immunity this week.
Seth is bummed out but he couldn't expect to win immunity EVERY week.

We're coming down to the final workout before weigh-in; Jillian is worried about Dr. J, worried he will plateau since each week he's had double-digit losses. Can't go on forever. So she kicks his butt in the gym
Meanwhile, Matt is taking it easy and eating a big ol' steak since he has immunity - it's a bodybuilder's trick.
Everyone else is kicking *** big time in the gym. It's every man for himself and it seems as though they are all working harder than ever!
Commercial time...

8:32 pm - time for the weigh in...the two players with the lowest percentage of weight (except for Matt) are up for elimination.
First, Matt gets on the scale...feels he'll probably gain.
But I bet he wasn't expecting TWELVE POUNDS GAINED. YIPES!!!
I'm betting that's water weight though...he says in a sidebar that he's done this before when he was a wrestler - part of his strategy.
So he's up 4.72%.

Andrea weighs in at 179 <-5> which is 2.72%
Seth weighs in...219 <-13> and 5.6%
Suzy loses a BIG TEN POUNDS and is at 170!!! Her lowest weight since NINTH GRADE - Andrea looks a bit pissed (I get the feeling there's no love lost between Suzy and Andrea, despite all the "Women power" remarks).
Suzy's percentage 5.56% just a hair below Seth
Shannon is at 200 <-8> and 3.85%
Andrea looks worried...she's below the yellow line now.
Time for Jeff to weigh in (I can tell they're getting ready for one of those annoying commercial breaks...) he must lose 11 lbs...he gets on the scale and we segue into a ...commercial
8:40 pm - back to Jeff...who is now down to 270 and lost One Hundred Freaking POUNDS WOO HOO Dr. J!!! WTG!!!!
His percentage is 4.93%...so either Shannon or Andrea will be eliminated.

Back in the gym - Jillian is ECSTATIC over Dr. J's 100 pound benchmark!! Who can blame her?? (I was thinking about Mo of last year - who had a disappointing loss in comparision, weird huh?)

meanwhile Andrea is resigned to going home. Bob gives her a pep talk and we go to the ELIMINATION...
Suzy is first -she feels alone about being the only woman voting...but chooses Shannon because she views her as a threat.
Same with Seth, who votes for Shannon as well.
As Jeff votes we go into a COMMERCIAL...
8:54 pm - Jeff votes for Andrea...
down to Matt now...I'm thinking that Shannon was his partner so of course he'll vote for Andrea. I think both Andrea and Shannon are thinking the same thing...but after voting for Mark last week he seems to have resigned himself to strategy and votes for Shannon...so she's outa here...
shannon says that for the first time she feels she is in control of food...hugs all around...she's going home having lost 57 lbs.

24 hours later - she's home to a warm welcome from friends and family, esp her daughter. Her sister is inspired!

I love the "Today" clips...she weighs 170!! and she looks GORGEOUS, like a diva

Next week's show...what will Matt do is the big deal...his strategy (personally I think that was water weight for the most part and he'll lose most of it unless he blows it!).

Two episodes left....

Unfortunately...I will be out of town next Tuesday and will not be watching the show (I'll be at a business dinner in NYC). Hoping y'all will keep me posted!!!

[chick_in_the_hat]

Seems like Suzy and Seth having immunity before panned out for them. What a brilliant game! DH is bawling more than me!

[Amarantha2]

Thank you for this, Mrs. Jim; I had to work and don't have a VCR or TIVO and TBL website is slow on producing highlights!

Dunno about that "water weight" thing on Matt, though. Seems like a lot of water weight, even for a wrestler, but could be, I guess. I'd freak out if I gained 12 pounds in a week ...

[Indiacatz]

I would have preferred that Andrea left.. none of her losses have been all that great and I t hink Shannon worked harder at it... and I do love Suzy.. even if she cries so easily, I cant imagine the stress they are under.... My guess is, Andrea is on her last week, anyone agree???? India

[ambabs]

I was so surprised that Andrea is still there but I guess that's all part of the game. Shannon proved she could push through the pain, even if she didn't win the challenge, and that made her too much of competition.

Matt OMG! Really shocked me. I know he cut back on workouts and upped his calories but 12 pounds in a week!?

[Jen415]

It's all a game of strategy...while Andrea may have "deserved" to go home because of her low percentage, it was Shannon that was perceived as the bigger threat of the two.

On the subject of Strategy...what on earth was Matt thinking?? I really think he has shot himself in the foot on this one.

I was SO HAPPY for Dr Jeff!! 100 lbs is a huge victory! And Suzy's loss was monumental for her too. That is the part of the show I love!

Shannon looks GREAT! I bet by the time the reunion show happens in a few weeks she will look even more awesome. I laughed when she asked her sister "is my butt still big?" LOL...she definitely has a J-Lo booty!

[blondevt]

Hi everyone-

Well i have to agree i thought this week andrea was going home. When it got down to Matt and his vote. I thought he would have voted her off, since he was teammates with Shannon, which would mean Andrea would go cause she was the lowest.. So i was surprised when he didn't vote to keep Shannon.

Also what in the world was he thinking? 12 pds!! WOW!! Wasn't he the one a couple of weeks ago that weighed in with 0 pds lost and he lost it. I know it is a game but why chance it. We all know it is easy to put weight on but not as easy to lose it.

WAY TO GO Dr. JEFF!! I think that is incredible and keep it up. He is totally inspiration to everyone watching the show!!

Blond-E

[MrsJim]

Well...Matt didn't start relaxing and increasing his calories until he got immunity - I don't know how close to the weigh-in day they hold the challenge but I really believe that most of that was water weight. Remember, he's an experienced athlete and from the little I know about Olympic wrestling, bodyweight is a major factor (just like a lot of sports - boxing, horse racing, etc).

I figure that most if not all of the contestants probably don't drink much water the day of the weigh in, or even eat that much (that's probably what *I* would do in that situation - they weigh at night not in the morning). I would bet that Matt probably ate and drank 'normally' on the weigh-in day and, with ramping down on the workouts, retained water and had food digesting in his system, where the others did not...there is no way he could have gained 12 lbs in just 2-3 days, IMO.

[MTHead]

Regarding Matt, aren't they using week-to-week weights now that the teams & pairs are dissolved? So, won't he likely have a really big loss next week if he is up so much this week (especially if it is mostly water)?

[KO]

I was really hoping Andrea would go home this week she seems like a conniver.
MATT! It was good DH wasn't home B/c Matt Looked HOT~! (this is from a girl who doesn't like Chunky guys)
It will either be Dr JEff (i hope not) or Andrea next week
I think it will eventually come down to Suzy and Matt

[chick_in_the_hat]

Originally Posted by MTHead

Regarding Matt, aren't they using week-to-week weights now that the teams & pairs are dissolved? So, won't he likely have a really big loss next week if he is up so much this week (especially if it is mostly water)?

BINGO! The same reason I think Seth and Suzi had such large losses this week.
Matt mighta gone a little too far, though...12 lbs has to have him a little worried.

[christineu]

I am so into this show- I'm rewatching it right now on my computer (I have a Sony Vaio media center computer). I've saved all the shows and when the season is over, I plan on transfering them to a DVD so I can pop it in when ever I need some inspiration. I might even save some screen shots to transfer to my PDA (just got a new, color one- WooHoo!)...that way I have them with me when ever I'm tempted to eat something i shouldn't.

Since MsJim will be unavailable next week, I'll volunteer to try to do a recap...no promises on how good it'll be, but I'll do my best. I'm on EST, do I have to wait until it airs out west to post the recap or can I post it before as long as it labeled?

[Jen415]

Burgie: Did I miss it? Does your dad know Matt?

[ledom]

My favorite part of this weeks show were the workout scenes. I liked seeing what it looked like for Dr. Jeff to do mountain climbers and jump on the bosu. To watch Suzie doing kicks and hanging onto something to keep her balance while doing them. I think it would be great if they showed more, what it looks like when overweight people exercise because I have some of the same issues those folks do.

As far as eliminations, etc. I can't begin to predict what will happen. I don't have a problem with any of the remaining folks, maybe a little w/ Matt, but basically I just like to see them on there succeeding. It seems like the longer they get to stay on the show the better they do when they get home. Shannon is a babe. I thought she handled herself well at the elimination.

[Looking4TheWayOut]

I must be the odd man/woman out. I didn't like Shannon at all. Too much 'tude. Matt acts too nutso to me as well.

I'm still favoring Dr. Jeff.

Ledom, I'm with you ... I LOVE watching the workouts!