Photo courtesy of Dave Bjerke at NBC Amanda Arlauskas arrives at “The Biggest Loser” ranch in Los Angeles, weighing 250 pounds, during the first episode of the eighth season.

By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer

BIRMINGHAM — Like the other 15 contestants on “The Biggest Loser,” Amanda Arlauskas is under pressure to wow audiences with a svelte physique during her final weigh-in next month.

A proud member of the pink team, the 20-year-old patient care technician from Butler, N.J., is quick to mention the past three contestants to win the title of “The Biggest Loser” have all sported pink shirts — which she says only adds to the stress, along with the fact that America voted her onto the show during Season 7.

“The past three winners have all been pink girls, so when I first got my shirt and I picked Rebecca (Meyer) to be my partner, I looked at her and I said ‘One of us has got to win this thing, because we have to keep that legacy going.’ But it’s also that added pressure, because you have big, big shoes to fill,” she said.

Similar to previous seasons, the eighth year of NBC’s hit series follows 16 contestants as they compete in physical challenges, work out with trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, and learn the basics of a healthy diet, in the hopes of claiming a $250,000 grand prize by losing the highest percentage of body weight. Those who are eliminated compete for a separate $100,000 prize at the finale by losing the highest percentage of body weight from home.

This May, when Arlauskas arrived at the “The Biggest Loser” ranch in Los Angeles for the start of Season 8, she had already managed to shed 20 pounds from her former 270-pound frame, simply by cutting out soda. As she stepped off the bus, confident the show would be her “miracle pill,” Arlauskas said she was not at all prepared for what was in store for her.

“My first workout was brutal. I had never worked out before, so to get in that gym for six hours in a row and just be beaten down, you are just pushed to your absolute limit,” she said. “Anytime I was struggling, Bob would say ‘America chose you Amanda. Show them they made the right choice,’ and I would use that as motivation. That’s what kept me going a lot.”

At the end of week 10, Arlauskas was still standing as one of just five finalists, having weighed in most recently at 193 pounds.

When she returned home from taping the show this summer, Arlauskas was immediately distracted.

“All of a sudden you have family, you have friends, and you have food. On the ranch, you didn’t have family, you didn’t talk to your friends, you didn’t have computers, and you had no cell phones. All you did was sleep and workout,” she said. “I got home and I jumped right into a relationship and all of a sudden I was just like ‘Wow, Amanda, you cannot forget that this is not over. You’re back home. You’re enjoying life way too much right now.’”

Arlauskas’ self-described stubbornness continued to get the best of her when she started training in her hometown to prepare for the Dec. 8 finale.

“I thought my trainer wasn’t good enough because I had been spoiled with Bob, and with Jillian. Because of my relationship with Bob, I felt like I could never be that close to another trainer. I worked at home in New Jersey for a month and a half, maybe two months, and finally I realized that I needed to focus more,” she said.

With only four weeks left before she returned to California for the series finale, Arlauskas decided to come to Michigan and put her faith in personal trainer Derek DiGiovanni — who owns CoachMeFit with his wife, Kerrie, in Birmingham.

DiGiovanni has a proven track record of helping contestants shed as many pounds as possible. Two years ago, he helped former mother-daughter team Shellay and Amy Cremen, of Royal Oak, prepare for the Season 6 finale.

“Of course, I have been on the show since May, so I know how to lose weight on my own. I don’t necessarily need a trainer, but to have a trainer is just icing on the cake. Yes, I can workout five hours a day, but if I can throw in a sixth hour with a trainer, I can get my heart rate up a little higher than I would if I were alone,” Arlauskas said. “Derek is so supportive …  and it’s just nice to be involved with someone that’s been through this before and is genuinely a good person. I’m grateful for it.”

In preparation for the Dec. 8 finale, Arlauskas follows a specific diet, gets about five to six hours of cardio a day on her own, and trains for one to two hours with DiGiovanni.

“We’re making up for lost time,” DiGiovanni said. “She’s working out every day, and we’re focusing on strength training and cardio. I’m teaching her things so that once she’s done, she’s able to bring that knowledge home with her.”

Although NBC forbids contestants from revealing their fate, Arlauskas made it clear that she is confident in her new skin.

“At the finale, you’ll see how great I look,” she said. “I love myself for the first time, and I’m the happiest and most confident person I’ve ever been in my entire life. I have gotten my life back, and I cannot wait to start it,” she said.

Upcoming episodes of “The Biggest Loser” air on NBC every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Beth Almond at malmond@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1060.