Biggest Loser Families hit the catwalk over at The Tyra Banks Show this week with amazing confidence, style and beauty, thanks to a hair and fashion makeover in NYC. Designer Christian Siriano hooked each contestant up with beautiful new outfits that complemented their shapely new figures. Contestants were shopping for standard off-the-rack sizes for the first time in years. Post-Tyra, contestants ran into Big Brother trainers Bob and Jillian on the Times Square big screen, reminding them it was time to head over to an NYC 24 Hour Fitness and take that six-mile jog around Central Park. Tyra was fun, but this episode's real lessons emerged off the catwalk.

Lose The Weight, Hello Living - Watching Renee jog with her fit husband Roderick across the Brooklyn Bridge slammed home the difference losing 68 pounds can make in your relationships. Roderick was in shock at Renee's transformation, and they reveled in working out together as equals. This was my absolute favorite moment in the show -- marriages are enriched when you spend fitness time together. My husband and I actually pay a babysitter so we can head to the gym, then enjoy dinner out. It's that important to us.

The Biggest Loser Families started off with an NFL bang this week with a surprise appearance by San Francisco 49ers retired stars Steve Young and Jerry Rice. It was great to see these NFL Superheroes put the remaining six contestants through football drills to win $10,000 to donate to a school of their choice, but the Football Reception Challenge was boring. No contestants tackling each other, no suspense, a big yawn. Vicky continues to prove she's got game -- she swept the drill and challenge with cool strategy. Many viewers may not like her, but when there's big money on the table, honor doesn't always rise to the top.

It's About Being Better Than Yourself, says Steve Young, the guy who sat patiently in Joe Montana's shadow for years. Work toward improving your own goals instead of doing 50 push-ups like the next guy. Don't let a size double zero keep your size 10 body from striving for a size eight. Stay focused within at the gym and you won't waste energy on outside comparisons.

Both waistlines and teams continued to shrink this week as The Biggest Loser Families voted off Amy P., leaving her with a dark fridge and a disappointed husband alone at the ranch. The ugly side of strategy became especially apparent as Vicki's smug 'I'm safe in my alliance' attitude diluted her effort in challenges and earned her a tongue-lashing from Trainer Bob. At least this is how the producers edited the tape. From cool new challenges, including Black's day on a high ropes course, Blue's Cirque du Soleil-ish workout at the LA club Absolution, and a visit with a doctor to celebrate the immense health benefits of losing major weight in six weeks, contestants continue to prove it is possible to say goodbye to their morbidly obese lifestyle. Here are a few lessons from the show:

Face your fear and do it anyway -- I garnered insights from this book with a similar title years ago, and it was life-changing. We all feel fear, yet it's how we manage it that matters most. When Coleen faced her fear of heights and jumped off that high ropes ledge anyway, she set herself up for a transformational moment. I used to be a high ropes facilitator in my mid-20s, witnessing dozens of clients learn they do have the strength to attempt a difficult move, even when engulfed by spine-tingling, knee-shaking fear. Just as Coleen affirmed herself on the ledge with "I control my body," you can grab the wheel and U-turn toward a healthier lifestyle.

The Biggest Loser Families continued this week with a two-hour episode featuring the longest challenge in the show's history -- climbing up and down a mountain from sunrise to sunset. Besides being all-day mountaineers, the game took a turning point as contestants were assigned individually to Blue (Trainer Bob) or Black (Trainer Jillian) teams by Heba. She walked into the captain's role by eating a couple glazed donuts in a pitch black room -- whoever ate the most calories was awarded power to choose the teams. Heba played a good strategy -- those donuts swamped Phil's two peanut butter cups and Amy's brownie for top spot, while the rest chose inaction, swallowing nothing.

To me, the best part of the game is watching the contestants drop the weight. Ater five weeks of intense workouts and stellar eating habits, you can't miss dramatic body changes. Player strategy is critical now, but mental and physical fortitude are two wild cards that can swing the game. Here are a few fitness and weight loss lessons from Week Five:

You don't have to be happy to work out hard and lose weight: A cohesive team is powerful, but Heba proved you can still lose weight even when relationships are dicey. Heba made enemies when she resentfully sent peanut-butter-cup-thief Phil to the Black team, but she still lost an amazing eight pounds anyway. Michelle, enmeshed in her parents' divorce, is lighter by seven pounds even with a heavy heart. She nearly fled the ranch, but good 'ole Jillian's been investing major psychological energy to keep her in the game.