'The Biggest Loser' eliminates Vanessa Hayden and the Red Team votes off Emmy Lou Munoz

The Biggest Loser: Glory Days eliminated one contestant for good and sent another to the show's new Comeback Canyon, where voted off contestants get another chance to potentially re-enter the game, during Thursday night's NBC broadcast of the reality weight-loss competition's sixteenth-season.


Vanessa Hayden, a 32-year-old child welfare specialist and former WNBA basketball player from Orlando, FL, was ousted from the competition for good after losing the weigh-in at Comeback Canyon against fellow contestant Andrea Wilamowski, 43-year-old vice president of operations for the Detroit Pride Cheerleaders and former high school cheerleader from Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.

At Comeback Canyon, veteran trainer Bob Harper works with two contestants, who get the boot from the ranch, every week. At the end of each week, there's a separate weigh-in after which the person with the highest percentage of weight-loss gets to stay at the canyon for another week and the losing contestant must go home for good. Eventually, Bob will take only one contestant back to the ranch so they can rejoin the original competition and resume competing for the grand prize.

Vanessa dropped from 352 to 347 pounds, losing five pounds and posting a 1.42 percentage of weight-loss. Andrea fell from 230 to 224 pounds, shedding six pounds and posting a 2.61 weight-loss percentage.

"Going home tonight, I definitely have my work cut out for me. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I know that I can do it and I will do it. Coming here made me realize that it's not just about being thin. It's not about just fitting in a wedding dress. I want to feel good in that dress emotionally because I know that I'm an athlete and an even better person," Vanessa said following her ouster.


Later in the episode, Emmy Lou Munoz, a 32-year-old teacher and former high school softball, volleyball and track and field standout from Woodson, TX, got voted off the Red Team led by veteran trainer Dolvett Quince after they lost the season's second elimination weigh-in and her teammates believed she was their weakest link. Emmy now joins Andrea at Comeback Canyon and will train with Bob.

"I feel like I've lost. There was more I wanted to accomplish. I really wanted to work on me. I wish I could've gotten more time on the ranch but it just didn't work out that way," Emmy said before being surprised by Bob.

The Biggest Loser: Glory Days' second episode began with the White, Red and Blue teams working out and then participating in their second challenge. Each team was required to knock down four walls each highlighting a different excuse -- food, work, responsibilities, and fear.

As a team, they had to take 60-pound punching bags and use them to knock down those walls. Afterwards, they had to navigate an obstacle course featuring a series of tires, a balance beam and a maze of bungee cords. Finally, they needed to hoist up a punching bag to ring a bell and declare victory.

The winning team would receive rights to the gym for the week, while the other two teams would have to find alternative ways to work out with their trainers. However, after the White Team won the challenge, they were given the choice to pick one team to join them in the gym. The White Team selected the Blue Team probably because they had lost the last weigh-in by a large margin.


Dolvett's Red Team ended up moving heavy furniture and running on a track for their workouts.

After last-chance workouts, The Biggest Loser's second elimination weigh-in commenced.   

Host Alison Sweeney revealed the team to post the lowest percentage of weight-loss would be sent to the elimination room, where they must vote one person off. However, the individual on the losing team to post the highest percentage of weight-loss would receive immunity for the week.

The six members of Dolvett's Red Team weighed-in first.

Blake Benge, an 18-year-old student and former high school soccer and track standout from San Clemente, CA, shed eight pounds, falling from 235 to 227 pounds.


Emmy lost five pounds after falling from 254 to 249 pounds.

Scott Mitchell, a 46-year-old bill collector and 12-year NFL veteran quarterback from Mapleton, UT, dropped from 343 to 333 pounds, losing 10 pounds.

Mike Murburg, a 58-year-old attorney and former Princeton University football player and wrestler from Darby, FL, fell from 361 to 352 pounds, dropping nine pounds.

Jordan Alicandro, a 32-year-old regional sales manager and former high school baseball standout from Surrey, BC, Canada, lost eight pounds. He dropped from 301 to 293 pounds.

Rob Guiry, a 26-year-old head rugby coach at Western New England University and former rugby player from Springfield, MA, shed 12 pounds after falling from 450 to 438 pounds.


The Red Team lost a total of 52 pounds and posted an average percentage of weight-loss of 2.67.

Newbie trainer Jennifer Widerstrom's White Team would weigh-in next and need to lose more than 52 pounds to beat the Red Team.

Toma Dobrosavljevic, a 33-year-old senior project manager and former high school soccer, football, volleyball and baseball player from Addison, IL, dropped from 316 to 308 pounds, losing eight pounds.

Sonya Jones, a 39-year-old PE teacher/coach and former All American softball player from Springfield, IL, stepped on the scale next. She lost seven pounds after dropping from 260 to 253 pounds.

Rondalee Beardslee, a 28-year-old nursing student and former high school basketball, football and softball player from New Lothrop, MI, lost eight pounds. She dropped from 266 to 258 pounds.


Matthew Miller, a 31-year-old business entrepreneur and former high school football standout from Grove, OK, fell from 363 to 353 pounds, losing a total of 10 pounds. 

Howard "Woody" Carter, a 46-year-old car salesman and former Arena League football player from Las Vegas, NV, lost 12 pounds, falling from 388 to 376 pounds.

Lastly, John "JJ" O'Malley, a 22-year-old bouncer and former Arizona State University football player from Scottsdale, AZ, fell from 378 pounds to 366 pounds. He shed 12 pounds.

The White Team lost a total of 57 pounds, posting a 2.89 weight-loss percentage. They beat the Red Team.

Newbie trainer Jessie Pavelka then watched his Blue Team weigh-in. They needed to lose more than 40 pounds total in order to avoid elimination.

Gina Haddon, a 41-year-old makeup artist/photographer and former cheerleader from Rowlett, TX, dropped from 228 to 222 pounds, losing six pounds.


Lori Harrigan-Mack, a 44-year-old director of hotel security and former three-time Olympic gold medal-winning softball player from Las Vegas, NV, dropped from 292 to 287 pounds. She lost six pounds.

Chandra Maple, a 26-year-old optometric technician and former high school softball and basketball standout from Dodge City, KS, fell from 334 to 325 pounds, losing nine pounds.

Jackie Pierson, a 36-year-old clinical care coordinator and former high school basketball MVP from Pacifica, CA, shed 10 pounds. She dropped from 283 to 273 pounds.

Damien Woody, a 36-year-old ESPN analyst and two-time Super Bowl champion from Mendham, NJ, shed 14 pounds. He fell from 381 to 367 pounds.
  
Altogether, the Blue Team lost 44 pounds and posted a 2.90 percentage of weight-loss.

The Red Team therefore had to vote one of its members off, however, Blake earned immunity.
    
Scott, Jordan and Rob all voted to oust Emmy, so those were enough votes to send her packing.

After Emmy arrived at Comeback Canyon, The Biggest Loser featured an update on Vanessa's weight-loss progress. She began the competition at 366 pounds and currently weighs 321 pounds. She lost a total of 45 pounds thus far and decided to play in an alumni game at the University of Florida. Despite competing in the WNBA and winning all types of honors and awards, Vanessa said she's never felt so successful in her life.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski