Reality Star
“The Biggest Loser” contestant Lisa Andreone reflects on the show that changed her forever.
Written By Blair Townley and Photo By Anthony Rao
Losing those extra pounds is hard enough but imagine having to exercise and fight food cravings in front of a camera crew?
Lisa Andreone, former contestant of “The Biggest Loser,” knows how the current contestants of the reality show’s eighth season are feeling as she endured the same elements. Belligerent trainers. Exhaustion from constant strenuous exercise. Facing personal issues with a cameraman trailing behind you.
“I think the concept [of the show] is good because America is so obese but they pretty much starved us to death and we were dehydrated all the time,” Lisa recalls.
Lisa was a contestant on the inaugural season of “The Biggest Loser,” a first season also for celebrity trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper as well as for the new wave of reality weight-loss shows.
Surviving through the blood, sweat and tears to make to the final five, Lisa was eliminated by the competition’s winner, Ryan Benson, but still had successfully lost 46 pounds in eight weeks.
It was an experience she will never forget and one that taught her how to take better care of herself in the long run.
Life and Biggest Loser
Lisa was approached at an Orlando Firehouse Subs by an NBC agent to be part of a then unnamed weight-loss show in 2004.
“God intervened [that day] because there is no way that would happen regularly,” says Lisa, who was at the time around 236 pounds.
She decided to go to the auditions in Lake Buena Vista, still not sure what this show would bring to her life. The auditions expanded out into a six-month period of frequent flights to Los Angeles along with camera crews at her home to film inside her refrigerator and lifestyle.
Lisa was finally asked to fly and stay out in Los Angeles for two weeks, where she and her fellow contestants were then blindfolded and taken to the show’s famous secluded ranch.
“At this point, I don’t know how many people are going to be considered for the show and was scared because nobody had a clue about the show,” Lisa says.
Being on “The Biggest Loser” seemed like the contestants had reverted back to childhood, having no electronic communication and being told not to talk to the other contestants. “They [the producers] wanted to save the drama for cameras,” Lisa says.
The 12 contestants were then split into two teams, Red and Blue, with their own trainers, Bob and Jillian. Their first challenge as the team was to pull a NASCAR-like car a certain distance while periodically trading steering duties among their teammates.
“I swear I couldn’t get out of the car [entering through the window] and everyone was thinking what are we doing here in sports bras and spandex?” Lisa says.
Inside The Reality
The time spent on “The Biggest Loser” was a roller coaster of emotions for Lisa and her fellow contestants as stress from trainers, producers and each other took a toll on everyone.
Lisa’s trainer was the exercise-conscious Jillian Michaels, a person Lisa felt was chosen for her because of their abrupt personalities.
“I knew producers wanted us together to butt heads but I had to have somebody who is bossy like me to get results,” says Lisa with a laugh.
Living on “The Biggest Loser” ranch didn’t bring any relief for the contestants from the intense trainers and exercise. Cameras were everywhere in the house, including the bathroom, and filming took place from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m at night.
“I threw up a lot the first week on the show and the camera shot a video of it which the producers showed to both teams to see if I was trying to cheat to lose weight,” Lisa says.
Contestants seemed at the mercy of the producers who even had one contestant with a fractured ankle take off his surgical boot to train during filming. Another contestant contracted shingles and was in the hospital for two weeks, an incident not featured on the show.
After The Show
Five years after filming ended, Lisa is 116 pounds lighter and studying to become a nurse in Orlando. She also has curtailed her food habits by eating small meals every two hours and hitting the gym when she can.
What she took away most from her time on “The Biggest Loser” were the lasting bonds with her fellow contestants who she stays connected with through the phone or facebook.
“It was an experience only the people in my season and I can understand, personal things we talked about and what we shared,” Lisa states.
Although watching “The Biggest Loser” can be difficult to watch, Lisa roots for all the contestants and hope they achieve the same personal success and appreciation for their “healthier” bodies as she has.
“People don’t believe that I was heavy but I tell them to go Google me and see,” Lisa concludes with a smile.
To see what Lisa looks like today, just click on http://thelakemagazine.net/archives/1338 to see her in LAKE Magazine’s Fashion Plate shoot.
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