Season 9, Episode 9
This Week, the Black and Blue Teams faced tests of skill and will. Their battles weren't their usual grueling physical face-offs; they were mental ones. From a trivia game contest to a cooking competition, Week 9 forced the contestants to really show and prove in order to win the challenges. The stakes were high. The winners got to enjoy killer prizes; the losers had to pay with their sweat and tears. Which team was able to stand the heat? Which contestant had a family emergency and left the Ranch? Wait until I break it all down for you.
Games and Grime: The contestants hit the gym and found more than fitness equipment waiting for them — they found Alison Sweeney and two podiums. Ali explained that if the contestants wanted to change their bodies, they first had to change their minds. (This is the message to all patients of Wickham Simonds) For this week's Pop Challenge, the teams would go head-to-head in a trivia game that would test their knowledge of nutrition and wellness. One by one they would face off against the opposite team. If they got the question right, they'd earn a point. If they got it wrong, the other team would get a chance to earn the point by answering it correctly. The first team to earn three points would win and immediately hop into a limo headed for the Four Seasons Hotel. They'd live the good life: staying overnight in plush rooms, getting pampered with luxurious spa treatments, and dining on world-class (yet healthy) dishes. Meanwhile, the losing team would have to clean the filthy kitchen and the gym at the Ranch! That's beyond disgusting. Seriously, do you know how many messy meals and sweaty last-chance workouts those places have seen? The Blue Team knew their stuff. They came out the gate strong with the correct answers, but then my Black Team evened up the score. Finally, Michael broke the tie and the Blue Team won. His team got to get their spa on while the Black Team got their scrub on!
Cooking Light and Right: After a relaxing hotel stay, the Blue Team's Michael received some devastating news about his grandmother, who had practically raised him. She was gravely ill, so he left the Ranch to be by her side. His teammates were concerned about him and missed him — especially since this week's challenge involved one of his favorite pastimes, cooking! Alison explained that they would all face off in a cooking competition. Each team would have to make an appetizer, entrée, and dessert using only 12 ingredients. Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone would judge the meal and, if they wanted to win, they had better make sure that it was 1) nutritious and 2) delicious! After all, the prize was a FIVE-pound advantage. Whoa! Time was not on either team's side — they only had 30 minutes. The Black Team feared they didn't have enough time to cook their wild rice and the Blue Team worried that the pork tenderloin that Daris prepared was overcooked and dried out. At the judging, Curtis commended both teams for their efforts. The Blue Team learned that they had underestimated the calories in their spinach, feta, and pomegranate salad, but scored a victory with their tasty pork and cauliflower main dish. The calories in the Black Team's salmon and wild rice entrée turned out to be more than twice as high as they estimated — 557 calories! Black still won the challenge with their shrimp ceviche appetizer and pear, goat cheese, and strawberry drizzle dessert. After last week's Black Team loss, I was happy and relieved to hear the news. Still, there was no way I was going to let them take their 5-pound advantage for granted! Besides, Bob was more determined than ever that the Blue Team was going to make up the difference in pounds by pouring out even more sweat and tears than usual. He really put them through the wringer during their last-chance workout. It was game on, so of course I delivered my beatings as usual!
Weigh-in Woes: Michael returned to the Ranch and informed his teammates that his grandmother's health hadn't improved, but he had worked out twice a day while he was away. They still feared that all of their hard work wouldn't be enough to beat the Black Team. At the weigh-in, the Black Team started off with a bang. Andrea lost 5 pounds. Sam lost 8 and Ashley, 7. Sherry was disappointed with her 3-pound loss, as was Stephanie, who lost 2 pounds. In total, they lost 30 pounds, a 2.50 percent total weight loss. The Blue Team had to lose more than 45 pounds to win the weigh-in. Apparently, Bob's killer workout paid off. Each teammate dropped major weight! Lance lost 8 pounds; Sunshine, O'Neal, and Koli each dropped 9; and Daris lost an impressive 10. The team's fate was left in Michael's hands. He had to lose just one pound, but it was anyone's guess how his stressful trip and at-home workouts would affect his weight-loss efforts. The scales definitely tipped in their favor. Michael dropped a whopping 11 pounds! Together, the Blue Team dropped 56 pounds, a 3.11 percent total weight loss, and they won the weigh-in. And my Black Team was headed to the elimination room again! Since Sam had the highest percentage of weight loss, he was safe for another week. His teammates Ashley, Stephanie, Sherry, and Andrea all pleaded their cases so they could stay at the Ranch. In the end, Sherry was sent home — which upset Ashley and split up the last remaining mother-daughter team at the Ranch.
Back at home in Knoxville, Tenn., Sherry has rediscovered her zest for life — something she had lost after the death of her beloved husband several years ago. She's gone from 218 to 138 and hopes to reach her wedding-day weight (from 30 years ago) by the finale. She's has already achieved her goal to fit into a kayak and is excited to enjoy her life again!
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