loss is a gain ‘Biggest Loser’ contestant By Cortney Casey STERLING HEIGHTS — An avid fan of “The Biggest Loser,” Helen Phillips often shed tears as she watched cast members battle their way from obese to svelte. “I’ve been watching since Season 1,” she said. “At home, I’d be sitting there with my family and watching it and really relating to all the other contestants.” Now she’s one herself. The 38-year Sterling Heights resident and her daughter, Center Line resident Shanon Thomas, were among six Michiganders tapped for the NBC reality series’ seventh season. The show premiered Jan. 6 with 11 pairs, including Phillips and Thomas, friends Joelle Gwynn of Southfield and Carla Triplett of Detroit, and father/son duo Ron and Michael Morelli of South Lyon. Participants compete in physical challenges, work with trainers and improve their eating habits to drop weight and become healthier. Though NBC forbids contestants from revealing how far they advanced in the competition, Phillips — whose starting weight was 257 pounds — hinted that her transformation has been dramatic. “I feel like I was a different person back then,” she said. “This changed my life. It saved my life. Now it’s like … I can touch the moon. I can do anything. I’m 48 years old, and now I feel like I’ve gotten a second chance.” As she watched past players’ triumphs from the comfort of her couch, pizza in hand, Phillips wished she could experience similar success but had become resigned to being overweight. Thomas, who began the show at 283 pounds, said she and her mother tried every diet imaginable. “We couldn’t find anything that worked for us,” she said. “I started feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.” Phillips could barely scale her stairs; walking the dog was a chore. Thomas’ clothes didn’t fit, and her weight hindered activities she once loved. The women seized the opportunity after learning of a Macomb Township casting call last March. At 599th in line, they waited eight hours for a brief interview. “When I got to the end, I thought, ‘I don’t care how long this line is. This is a chance of a lifetime,’” said Phillips. They made it to the next round, and after a whirlwind series of follow-up interviews, found themselves aboard a bus, heading for the fabled “Biggest Loser” ranch, proudly sporting their pink team shirts. “Oh my God — if I can’t make it, can I keep the T-shirt?” Phillips recalled thinking with a laugh. The premiere showed contestants wandering aimlessly into the 24 Hour Fitness Gym, instructed to cobble together a workout on their own. They fumbled with the equipment, awkwardly attempting to replicate techniques they’d seen on previous seasons, before trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels intervened. Phillips said she struggled to find the treadmill’s power switch and eyed the “bouncy balls” because they looked fun. “It was scary, because you’re looking at the equipment, and I don’t know how to use these machines,” she said. Cameras rolled as contestants underwent health tests revealing startling news about their conditions. Phillips was devastated to discover she had a biological age of 60, but “it actually lit a fire under me,” she said. After a visit to what Phillips dubbed the “monster scale,” teams falling below the dreaded “yellow line” based on weight loss percentage had to send half of their twosomes home at the premiere’s conclusion. If the remaining player manages to stay on the ranch for 30 days, the jettisoned contestant can return. Phillips urged Thomas to remain, but “Shanon’s like, ‘No, I want you to stay. You just make sure you bring me back, Mom,’” she recalled. “I cried for two weeks. I missed her.” On an average day, cast members wake up between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and eat a balanced breakfast before heading to the gym, where they spend eight to 12 hours daily, said Phillips. Though the workouts are broken into segments, it was initially difficult to adapt. “‘Oh my God, it’s only been 20 minutes,’” she recalled thinking. “‘Are you kidding? When can we eat?’ “The first week, I literally thought I was going to die,” she added, but now, lengthy workouts are second nature. Food isn’t the only addiction Phillips tackled. A smoker since age 17, Phillips abandoned cigarettes upon arrival at the ranch. “I know now that I’ve made this change for the rest of my life,” she said. “I’m never going to ever, ever pick up a cigarette again.” Phillips’ newfound mission is convincing others that they, too, can become healthy. She’s learned the importance of avoiding fast food, shopping regularly for fresh ingredients, instituting portion control and planning ahead for meals and healthy snacks. Treats are acceptable in moderation, she said, but “compared to how I used to eat before, my body is so clean right now that I don’t want it.” While ultra-competitive Vicky became the contestant audience members — and some fellow ranch-dwellers — loved to hate in Season 6, Phillips said such animosity is absent among Season 7’s ranks. “The people I have met here in this house, at this ranch, including the cast and people that work here … I am not kidding you, are the best people in the world,” she said. “I hope to be lifelong friends with many of them.” “The Biggest Loser” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. Staff Writer Maria Allard contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1046. |
