The Biggest Loser - Makeovers Hot, Hip Fracture Not

Week 15 at "The Biggest Loser Couples" started with seven contestants walking into Macy's for makeovers, now it's down to six. Finale fever is spiking as hot as Ron's grip for control of the game. Makeover Week was full of style surprises and heart, tempered by the show's most serious injury to date. Read on for upside down BOSU tips, Jillian's musings on metabolism, a red carpet makeover and one seriously cracked hip.

10-Story High Cable Walk -- Loved this challenge, which Tara won in comeback mode for a $25,000 kitchen makeover and restocked fridge. But hey, I used to work on a high ropes course and rock climbing is my middle name. Ron couldn't complete this challenge, either. No Temptation this week, a good thing considering this season's track record.

Filipe Gets a Haircut -- Thank goodness, he looks much better now. Fashion guru Tim Gunn helped pick out seven sleek outfits for a surprise walk toward loved ones down the red carpet stairs. Mike blew me away, and Tara's former model self is back. Weight loss is contagious, she gave a big hug to her mom who's lost 40 pounds at home. Mike's younger brother Max was in tears as he saw his slimmer older brother, sobbing that he feels left out. But Mike assured him he could lose the weight at home, no show required. It's true -- whether you want to lose 10, 20 or 100 pounds, you can do it over time with effort and smart nutrition.

Why Did Laura's Hip Crack? -- Don't minimize Laura's stress fracture by saying "Well, Tiger won a championship with a stress fracture." It's a serious injury that requires rest and physical therapy under a doc's supervision. But what bothers me most is why. Biggest Loser-style fitness for the morbidly obese has been criticized as way too hard, too fast. Are overweight, out-of-shape bodies capable of withstanding this kind of immediate, extended pounding? After talking with my favorite physical therapist ever yesterday, I'm concerned. My p.t. stated that Laura's morbid obesity may also signal poor nutrition during her teen years -- key bone-building years. Also, she recommends 10 weeks of interval training (walk/jog) before ever continuously running. While your endurance may improve quickly, your bones take weeks to build up sufficiently to handle the impact of a lengthier run. She pointed out the 10-week mark is critical: it's about the time a stress fracture is most likely to occur if your bones weren't ready for running in the first place. But there's hope for couch potatoes, so read on.

Couch Potato to 5K -- Just because you're overweight doesn't mean you shouldn't dream of a 5K. Check out Couch Potato to 5K for a smarter, slower way to train and run your first race injury-free.


Don't-Miss-Trainer-Gems

• Jillian had her team performing standing squats and push-ups on their upside down BOSU balls. Cool. Check out Fitz's BOSU moves for incredible abs.
  
• If you're too busy for the gym, Bob says do Squat/Curl/Presses. With legs slightly apart/back straight/core tight, squat down, curl and stand up, finishing by pressing handweights up overhead. Shoot for a bunch of these during an entire commercial break.
• Managing your metabolism is critical, says Jillian. Metabolism is your biochemistry, and it functions best with the right nutrition. Drink milk instead of soda -- potassium is good for blood pressure and stabilizing electrolytes, calcium and vitamin D builds strong bones and protein stokes lean muscle to rev that metabolism.
  

No surprise Laura dropped below the yellow line this week, her hip fracture meant a three-pound gain. Kristin joined her with only a two-pound loss, while Helen amazingly lost more than four percent of her body weight during a distracting week. Ron justified the vote against Laura by claiming the injury required her at home under doctor supervision. Sorry Ron, I don't buy it. I'm guessing he wanted to break up the Tara/Laura two-vote team to leave father/son in dual control of their $250,000 destiny. That'll pay for Mike and Max's college tuition. Laura got the boot, but is healing happily at home with a wise goal to maintain her weight loss. Tune in next Tuesday for wisdom we all can use -- how to shop for healthy food on a budget. See you next week.