‘Biggest Loser’ run ends for local man

FARMINGTON — The road to being named the Biggest Loser came to an end for Jay Sheets of Farmington on Tuesday night.

The contestants traveled to Park City, Utah, where they had the opportunity to meet and train with Olympic athletes , including Apollo Anton Ohno.

During the week’s weigh-in, Sheets found himself on the plus side of the scale-gaining one pound and sending him below the yellow line used to determine which contestants will be put up to a vote for being sent home.

Joining Sheets under the yellow line was Bobby Saleem, of Chicago, who gained two pounds during the week in Utah.

Before the vote each was given an opportunity to address the six fellow contestants … stating the reasons they should be allowed to return to the Biggest Loser ranch and continue on toward the prize of $250,000.

Sheets told the six voting contestants he was honored to know each of them. He added he understands “this is a game” and they have to vote “with your heart and your brain, too.”

Sheets said he had one remaining goal as a contestant on the ranch — to make it to the makeover week where contestants are given head-to-toe makeovers.

“I hope you can find it in your hearts to let me finish this thing out and achieve that goal,” he concluded.

Saleem told the other contestants since Sheets stated it is a game, they should think strategically about which of the two of them would be their biggest competition.

“He is second highest percentage-wise (on amount of weight lost among the contestants). He is a strong competitor,” Saleem said. “I still have weight to lose. I need to be here.”

Sheets received three votes right away from contestants Tanya, Jennifer and Rachel. Marie, Sheet’s former teammate on Team Jillian, would cast a vote for Saleem.

When it came time for David to cast a vote, he put himself in the shoes of which contestant he most closely related with to decide.

“The person I related to where they’re at in their journey because I have a lot of weight to lose is Bobby,” David shared. “It is only for that reason that tonight I vote for who I think is the biggest winner of this season and that is Jay.”

After the vote, David expressed his regrets in having to make the decision to send Sheets home.

“There is nothing I can say to Jay to tell him I’m sorry. I am. I’m literally sending my buddy home,” he added.

Sheets told host Allison Sweeney he was “not surprised” to see a plus-sign on scale.

“It’s a little discouraging, but at the same time I’m so thrilled with what I’ve accomplished here and where I’m at that I’m not going to let that define me. It’s just another hurdle,” he said.

In his 12 weeks at the Biggest Loser Ranch in California, Sheets lost an impressive 104 pounds.

At the time he was voted off, he said he was only eight pounds away from the goal weight he set for himself.

Sweeney reminded Sheets he will return for the Biggest Loser finale in February and is eligible to win the $100,000 at home prize for contestants who continue on their weight loss after elimination.

In episode 11, Sheets was awarded $25,000 worth of gym equipment from Planet Fitness, including a hydromassage bed after winning a kettlebell challenge.

“I’ll be riding into the live finale, ripped, feeling healthy and looking great,” Sheets said at the end of the episode.

Watch for more about Jay Sheets in a more in-depth story in the upcoming issue of the Farmington Press.

Jay Sheets of Farmington, shown running up a sandy slope on right, was eliminated from competition in the Biggest Loser on Tuesday night. Jay was made eligible for elimination after gaining one pound during a trip to Park City, Utah. Jay and the other contestants trained with Olympic athlete Apollo Anton Ohno,  shown with Jay on left, during their visit. In his 12 weeks at the Biggest Loser camp, Jay lost a total of 104 pounds.

Shawnna Robinson is the managing editor for the Farmington Press and a reporter for the Daily Journal. She can be reached by calling 573-756-8927 or srobinson@dailyjournalonline.com