'The Biggest Loser' trainer Dolvett Quince uses "trainer's save" on Tanya Winfield

The Biggest Loser eliminated no one during Tuesday night's third broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss competition's fifteenth-season.


Tanya Winfield, a 41-year-old restaurant franchise chief operating officer from Plainfield, IL, was supposed to be automatically ousted after her Red Team lost the season's third elimination weigh-in and she fell below the red line by posting the lowest weight-loss percentage of all the team's members.

However, her team's trainer Dolvett Quince chose to utilize his one "trainer's save" of the season to keep Tanya in the competition.

"Dolvett saw me worthy of a save, and I immediately turned back into the little girl who was waiting for someone to save me, and Dolvett showed up. For Dolvett to be placed in the position to be able to save me, and to use that save, it was full circle and it's something that I will never forget," Tanya said.

The Biggest Loser's fifteenth-season third episode began with an update on the weight-loss progress of previously-eliminated contestant Fernanda Abarca, a 32-year-old 3D animation artist and cake sugar artist from Montrose, CA.


Fernanda started The Biggest Loser weighing 250 pounds and has since dropped to 195 pounds. She said she doesn't hide her body from her husband Isaac anymore and has a new, positive outlook on her life. Isaac also admitted he began falling in love with his wife all over again. 

The 14 contestants then met The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney for an auction. Dolvett's Red Team, Jillian Michaels' White Team and Bob Harper's Blue Team were each given $500 to spend on a wide arrangement of gym equipment and machines. Ten items total were auctioned off, and whatever was purchased by a team would be the only equipment they could use to workout all week.

The Blue Team purchased dumbbells and weights for $100, the White Team bought treadmills for $250, and the Red Team purchased boxing equipment for $100.

However, the White Team also spent an additional $180 on a "mystery box," and they didn't know what was inside. Once Alison revealed its contents, the team learned they had bought bags of flour and sugar and a Biggest Loser voucher, which allowed them to trade the bags of baking ingredients for any other item previously purchased by any team. They opted to trade the bags of flour and sugar with the Red Team in exchange for their boxing equipment. 

After the contestants got to Skype with their loved ones at home and workout with their trainers, they arrived for the season's third elimination weigh-in.


Alison announced there would be a red line, so the person on the losing team to post the lowest percentage of weight-loss would automatically be eliminated unless a trainer wanted to use his save. Jillian had already utilized her "trainer's save" in Week 1.

The Blue Team weighed-in first.

Matt Hooper, a 38-year-old retail manager from Georgetown, MA, dropped from 325 to 319 pounds, losing six pounds. Hap Holmstead, a 26-year-old sales consultant and entrepreneur from Pleasant Grove, UT, lost five pounds after going from 373 to 368 pounds. Chelsea Arthurs, a 28-year-old clinical research professional and event planner from Raleigh, NC, shed three pounds and fell from 223 to 220 pounds.

Holley Mangold, a 24-year-old Olympic weightlifter and caterer from Columbus, OH, dropped from 325 to 319 pounds, losing six pounds. Bobby Saleem, a 28-year-old attorney from Chicago, IL, dropped from 328 to 321 pounds and therefore lost seven pounds.

Bob's Blue Team lost a total of 27 pounds and posted a 1.72% weight-loss percentage.


The White Team was the next team to weigh-in.

Craig Arrington, a 30-year-old pharmaceutical company warehouse supervisor from Wilson, NC, shed four pounds, dropping from 361 to 357 pounds. Marie Pearl, a 30-year-old senior staff accountant at a community college from Springfield, MO, fell from 235 to 229 pounds and shed six pounds.

Tumi Oguntala, a 41-year-old brand strategist from Clifton Park, NY, lost 10 pounds after falling from 297 to 287 pounds. Jay Sheets, a 38-year-old food company marketing associate from Farmington, MO, dropped from 263 to 253 pounds, losing 10 pounds as well.

Jillian's White Team lost a total of 30 pounds and was declared safe from elimination.

Lastly, the Red Team weighed-in.


Jennifer Messer, a 42-year-old clerk and bookkeeper from Abingdon, VA, lost four pounds after falling from 246 to 242 pounds. Rachel Frederickson, a 24-year-old voice-over artist from Los Angeles, CA, went from 231 to 224 pounds, losing seven pounds. David Brown, a 43-year-old construction company project manager and phone company social commerce leader from Edmond, OK, lost six pounds and dropped from 360 to 354 pounds.

Ruben Studdard, a 35-year-old singer from Birmingham, AL, fell from 431 to 428 pounds and shed three pounds. Tanya Winfield, a 41-year-old restaurant franchise chief operating officer from Plainfield, IL, was shocked to learn she lost zero pounds, staying at her previous weight of 242.

Dolvett's team lost a total of 20 pounds and posted a 1.32% weight-loss percentage. 

Therefore, Dolvett's team lost the weigh-in, and Tanya was the person to fall below the red line.

When asked whether he'd like to use his only save of the season, Dolvett announced, "She sounds like she wants to be here, so she's going to be here. I'm going to use my save."


Tanya was thrilled and said she'd certainly make the most out of her second chance.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski