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CNN Larry King Live
Encore - The Winners of "The Biggest Loser"
Aired December 29, 2007 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, from fat to fabulous. They transformed themselves and their lives by dropping hundreds of pounds. See the amazing results. Hear the inspiring stories and weight loss secrets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My team does not quit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Meet the weight loss runners up, their trainers and "The Biggest Loser" of them all.
Next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening.
Tonight we salute the biggest losers. And we begin with the winner of it all -- the biggest loser himself, Bill Germanakos, who lost over 150 pounds and won $250,000 in the process.
Bill, front and center.
We were supposed to see a video. But it wasn't up. Anyway, how did you come to enter this?
Mr. Germanakos is aboard. I believe we were supposed to see a video, but it wasn't up.
Anyway, how did you come to enter this?
BILL GERMANAKOS, WINNER, "THE BIGGEST LOSER," LOST 150 POUNDS: Actually, Larry, the -- the thought and the idea for this actually was my twin brother, Jim who, as you know, was cast on the show.
KING: We'll meet him in a minute.
B. GERMANAKOS: Yes. And, you know, we're both fans of the show. We both watched it. And he used to sit and say, you know, we could probably do that. You know, it would be great for us, if we could do that.
And when the time came to go to the casting for it, Jim said, hey, Bill, what do you say we go and try and get on "The Biggest Loser?"
And I said, hey, knock yourself out. I'm very busy. And he went through the whole rigmarole of the casting process. And as he was moving along, he mentioned, hey, you know, I've got a twin brother.
And they said, really?
You know, he's a police officer.
And they said, is he a police officer, too?
And he said, no, he's a white collar guy. And they said, that's perfect. You guys are opposites but twins -- and would he be interested?
And I really wasn't taking it seriously until he...
KING: How much did you weigh?
B. GERMANAKOS: I was 334 pounds.
KING: How much do you weigh?
B. GERMANAKOS: 170.
KING: How tough was it?
B. GERMANAKOS: Oh, it was very tough. You know, it was -- every day was, you know, it was work. It -- while we were away on campus, it was our full-time job. You know, it involved, you know, really being reeducated about diet and exercise. You know, I'm someone who -- I played sports my whole life. I was a lacrosse player in college. I didn't shy away from the gym. But I really didn't understand the whole fitness aspect of it as opposed to, you know, weights and that sort of thing.
KING: So you ate a lot?
B. GERMANAKOS: Ate a lot. And that's how I've got to that point.
KING: How long did it take to lose this?
B. GERMANAKOS: The process of being on "The Biggest Loser" took eight months.
KING: So are you in one place training for eight months?
Did you have to take off work?
B. GERMANAKOS: Yes. Yes. You know, we were -- we were shooting the episodes of "The Biggest Loser" on campus. And that was four months. And then from the time we finished shooting there, it was four months at home up until the finale -- which was just a couple of days ago -- it was exactly eight months.
KING: Now, if Bill could do it, guess what?
So could his twin brother, Jim. And before he joins us on the set, let's watch how he lost all those pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
JIM GERMANAKOS, BILL'S TWIN BROTHER, LOST 186 POUNDS, THE MOST WEIGHT LOST BY THOSE VOTED OFF: The fact that my brother and I had both grown up basically the same, we just sort of -- I guess we both sort of let ourselves go the same way. I look forward to getting back to where I can look in the mirror and say hey, you know, my wife's a pretty lucky girl.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
J. GERMANAKOS: My life has changed for good forever. It's a new, healthier way of life now. And I've included family in my training. I go running and bike riding with my wife. I'm 41-years-old. I feel at least as good, at least, as I did when I was 21. I'm a happier person now, definitely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your current weight is...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: All right, let's meet him, Jim Germanakos, Bill's identical twin brother.
This is the cop, right?
B. GERMANAKOS: Yes.
J. GERMANAKOS: How you doing, Larry?
KING: Welcome aboard.
How much weight did you lose, Jim?
J. GERMANAKOS: I lost 186 pounds.
KING: Did you finish second?
J. GERMANAKOS: I finished first amongst the people that are voted off and go home from the show.
KING: Oh, they vote off people.
J. GERMANAKOS: Right.
KING: So it's like the "American Idol," good bye and good luck.
J. GERMANAKOS: Correct.
KING: "Dancing With The Stars".
(LAUGHTER)
KING: How could you be that heavy and a cop? J. GERMANAKOS: Well, as they say, I carried it well. I managed to pass all the, you know, the physical tests when we did our defensive tactics, when we did our firearms training. I managed to get everything done that I was supposed to get done. And they never really bothered me that much, although they did want me to change, you know, my fitness levels just for my health's sake.
KING: What's the best thing about losing all that weight?
J. GERMANAKOS: Just feeling like a teenager, you know. If I...
KING: You look a hundred percent better.
J. GERMANAKOS: Thank you. I agree. And so does he. You know, the best part about it is just looking forward to a life of better fitness and being there for my kids. And we lost our dad at a relatively young age from obesity-related illnesses. And I just didn't want that, you know, my family to go through it.
KING: Are you married, Bill?
B. GERMANAKOS: Yes, married with three beautiful children.
KING: Are you married, Jim?
J. GERMANAKOS: Yes, sir.
KING: Is everything about life better?
Is sex better?
B. GERMANAKOS: It sure is. You know and...
KING: Well, it's a fair question.
J. GERMANAKOS: Sure, sure.
B. GERMANAKOS: Absolutely. I consider it that we're giving our wives the husbands that they deserve, you know?
KING: Yes.
B. GERMANAKOS: You know, why not -- you know, why not have they enjoy it -- them enjoy it, as well?
KING: It was very rigorous, was it not, Jim?
J. GERMANAKOS: It sure was. I lasted five weeks. I was the first one eliminated from my team. And we knew that that was going to happen because of the whole twins alliance thing. And anybody who watches reality shows where people get eliminated, once there's a strong alliance, they try to break it. And they knew that we had an alliance that was not going to be broken. So we knew that one of us was going to go quick. And that's when I -- when I was eliminated, we expected it.
KING: Therefore, you had to keep losing weight after you left the program?
J. GERMANAKOS: Right. I lost about 130 pounds at home.
KING: So you were that inspired by the program?
J. GERMANAKOS: Absolutely.
B. GERMANAKOS: There's a lot that goes on behind-the-scenes at "The Biggest Loser" that no one in America sees. But the education that we received, as far as, you know, learning the right ways to eat and the fact that we've got access to professionals, dietitians and nutritionists that let us know, you know, that if we need help with the program and if we needed to be reeducated, what's that they're there for.
So, you know, we're not just there and working out every day and just eating the same things. We're -- it's a whole new life. It's a whole new program. And fortunately when we leave there, if we can take it with us and live the life that we lived on campus, then we had great success in that regard.
KING: Do you fear going back, Jim?
J. GERMANAKOS: No, I don't have any fear of that at all of that. I've worked really hard for this. My family suffered a lot. My wife gave up everything to help me. She quit her job. She became the chauffeur and the cook. My wife Valerie was everything to me in this process.
KING: Wow!
J. GERMANAKOS: I had a fantastic trainer, who was a former bodybuilder, a gym owner. He gave up his job to help me, as well. His name is Anthony Badalamenti. And he just did a hell of a job with me.
KING: Where are you a police officer?
J. GERMANAKOS: I work in Freeport -- the Freeport Police Department.
KING: New York?
J. GERMANAKOS: And they're very happy for me.
Yes, that's in Long Island.
KING: Yes. I know it well.
Jim, thanks for joining us.
J. GERMANAKOS: Thank you, sir.
KING: Bill will remain. Bill will be with us throughout the program. He's "The Biggest Loser" winner.
I don't know how to say that. J. GERMANAKOS: He's the biggest loser.
KING: He's the winner of "The Biggest Loser".
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You are the biggest loser.
B. GERMANAKOS: Thank you very much.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: We'll be...
(LAUGHTER)
KING: There's more ahead on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE.
Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're a size 54.
Bill, what do you -- what's your size now?
B. GERMANAKOS: I'm a 32 waist right now.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the two of you are going to need to help me, because I think you and your twin brother, Jim, could fit into them now.
Jim?
J. GERMANAKOS: What did...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get over here.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's look at our first ever biggest loser twins.
What do you think of that there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think of how your brother looks?
(APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jim, what do you think of how your brother looks?
J. GERMANAKOS: He looks great. Congratulations.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you've (INAUDIBLE) bring it. Bring it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to the finals elimination. Tonight, we're going to find out who's joining you, whether it's Hollie or Neil. Whichever one of you receives the most votes will be asked to leave "The Biggest Loser" campus immediately.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's Neil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Neil.
For the first time ever in "Biggest Loser" history, we have one team represented in the final four -- the black team. I can't wait to see you four at the finale, where we'll find out how much more weight you've all lost.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Welcome back.
Joining us momentarily, you're going to meet the other finalists in "The Biggest Loser".
Standing by is the runner up, Julie Hadden.
Let's watch some of her amazing experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
JULIE HADDEN, RUNNER-UP, "THE BIGGEST LOSER," LOST 97 POUNDS: I want to change the fact that I don't feel happy with myself. I feel like since I had stepped on "The Biggest Loser" campus, I am a completely and totally a different person. You know, the first day I was embarrassed of my weight and I felt like I was this shell of a person. And now I feel strong and I feel like I'm in control. Learning to believe in myself and to work hard for everything that I want has set me up for the rest of my life.
You're going to be the biggest loser.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: OK, meet the amazing transformation. Here is Julie Hadden. Julie, front and center.
Oh, my gosh. You were a blimp.
HADDEN: Yes, I was big. Let's just be honest.
KING: How did you get to be that heavy?
HADDEN: You know, I think it was just years of not paying attention. Sometimes I think stay at home moms, or just moms in general, are so busy taking care of everybody else that they don't take care of themselves.
KING: How much weight did you lose?
HADDEN: Ninety-seven pounds.
KING: It looks like 100 more.
HADDEN: Yes. Thank you.
KING: No, it does.
Because at your top, what was your weight?
HADDEN: Two hundred and eighteen pounds.
KING: You just ate all the time?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: I mean what did...
HADDEN: Well, most of the time. Not all of the time. I did sleep occasionally.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: So you were the second runner up. Explain this.
You were the second loser?
HADDEN: Right. I was the biggest female loser. And I lost to Germanakos here.
KING: You lost to Bill?
HADDEN: Yes.
KING: But you could have won, right?
B. GERMANAKOS: We had a healthy competition.
KING: There -- so you win money, too, right?
HADDEN: Yes. KING: Where do you live?
HADDEN: I live in Jacksonville, Florida.
KING: Next, another finalist and another incredible weight loss story. You're about to meet Hollie Self.
First, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
HOLLIE SELF, "THE BIGGEST LOSER" FINALIST, LOST 105 POUNDS: I always made excuses.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
SELF: I've always known I've been bigger, but I didn't mind. It was kind of a scary path and I don't want to live my life like that.
JILLIAN MICHAELS, TRAINER, "THE BIGGEST LOSER," TRAINED ALL THE FINALISTS: Yes, Hollie!
SELF: Jillian really wants me to push beyond my limits.
MICHAELS: Go! Again!
SELF: What I am most amazed by is -- is not just my physical transformation, but my mental transformation. I'm more confident. I'm definitely a lot happier with myself. And I'm a different person than I was when I started.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Let's meet the amazing transformation that is Hollie Self.
Wow!
SELF: Hi.
KING: How much weight did you lose?
SELF: A hundred and five pounds.
KING: How did you get to be that heavy, as you look back at it and you watch yourself?
SELF: I think for me a lot of it was just, you know, putting everyone before myself. I worked long hours as a schoolteacher and a coach. And I did whatever was convenient. And for me, that was, you know, grabbing that food really fast and not taking the time for myself.
KING: But what was it like when you looked in the mirror?
What did you see? SELF: When I looked in the mirror, honestly, I don't think I realized that I was 255 pounds. You know, I kind of rationalized a lot of it away, thinking oh, I don't -- I'm not this big, I'm not that unhealthy. And to look at it in hindsight, it's -- it's really a completely different experience.
KING: Did you do that, Bill?
B. GERMANAKOS: Absolutely.
KING: Deny it?
You, Julie?
HADDEN: Absolutely.
KING: How -- the show really worked for you, right?
SELF: Absolutely.
KING: Are you going to keep it off now?
SELF: Absolutely.
KING: No doubt about it?
SELF: Well, I have a little doubt, but I think that fear is what's going to keep me going.
KING: I mean when you pass strawberry shortcake, do you want it eat it?
SELF: Of course. Of course. That doesn't mean I'm going to but...
KING: Will power.
SELF: Yes, exactly.
KING: Another finalist about to join us right now Isabeau Miller.
Before she walks out, let's watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
ISABEAU MILLER, FINALIST ON "THE BIGGEST LOSER," LOST 113 POUNDS: I've never had the full facts of being a knockout. I've had the facts of being the fat girl with a pretty face. I can't wait to feel beautiful. (INAUDIBLE).
But I have a really uphill battle to climb. I'm the heaviest female contestant in "Biggest Loser" history.
I've changed by leaps and bounds since the first week. I feel actually a little bit little. I want to make it to the finale as the first female "Biggest Loser" more than anything. I want a woman to stand up there and other women in America to know that this can be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Let's meet her now -- Isabeau Miller.
Look at this.
MILLER: Hello.
KING: I said Isabeau.
It's Isabeau, right?
MILLER: Isabeau. You've got it.
KING: How come your name is Isabeau?
MILLER: I had creative parents.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: How much weight did you lose?
MILLER: I lost 113 pounds.
KING: So you're glad you entered this?
MILLER: More than you will ever know, yes.
KING: What was it like to be that heavy?
MILLER: Painful. I mean, I think you take so many things for granted that we never got to experience. We -- you know, when we flew on airplanes, some of us had to have seat belt extenders. We couldn't shop in normal stores. You just felt like an outcast a lot of the time. And I think, know, to feel normal is a gift for all of us.
KING: Did you try to diet?
MILLER: Yes. I think we all did. I think we all have our horror stories of, you know, our fad diets. And none of them worked.
KING: Why did this work?
MILLER: Because it was a lifestyle change. And that's really what it's about. It's about changing your life. It's not -- it will never end. There's no finish line. Tomorrow we're going to wake up and go for a run and eat right and make good choices every day for the rest of our lives.
KING: When we come back, the woman who shows no mercy, trainer Jillian Michaels. She's next.
You'd better shape up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC) MICHAELS: Go! Go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
MICHAELS: This is it!
And here we are, the last -- last chance workout. I have to find the energy, they have to find the energy.
Harder, harder, harder!
Because this is it. Like this just needs to be blown out. It has to go down now.
And jump. Good. Let's go to 13/5.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
MICHAELS: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't.
MICHAELS: Yes, you can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jillian, I can't...
MICHAELS: A hundred percent. Yes, you can.
How can you say that to me right now?
And after 14 weeks, when I tell you you can do something, you should believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
MICHAELS: I'm Jillian Michaels. I've been a trainer for 17 years. I train people very intensely because when they learn how strong they are physically, it transcends into every facet of their lives. Being back on "The Biggest Loser" after a year away feels like coming home.
The black team could not be more suited for me. I will accept nothing less than the best and I will show them no mercy. (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: This panel is assembled.
They are Bill Germanakos, winner of "The Biggest Loser"; Julie Hadden, runner-up on that show; Hollie Self, a finalist; Isabeau Miller, a finalist. And we now welcome Jillian Michaels, the trainer of "The Biggest Loser" who constantly, by the way, trains all the winning teams. (LAUGHTER)
KING: What is your secret?
MICHAELS: What is my secret?
Luck. I am very lucky. I get very determined, disciplined contestants and...
KING: You train men and women?
MICHAELS: Train men and women, yes. And...
KING: Any difference, by the way?
MICHAELS: A significant one, actually. Men, biochemically, have an ability to lose weight, obviously, in a much easier fashion than women do. It's easier for men to lose weight.
KING: Any danger in losing weight too fast?
MICHAELS: It depends on how it's done. If it's done through starvation, then absolutely. You risk gallstones, heart problems. But when it's done with diet, you know, eating the right amount of calories and the right foods and exercise, none whatsoever.
KING: Now, what's this -- and by the way, "The Biggest Loser," the next season premieres on NBC Tuesday, January 1st, at 800 p.m. Eastern. Tuesday, January 1st, the next season. It will be the sixth season.
MICHAELS: The fifth season, actually.
KING: The fifth season of "The Biggest Loser".
MICHAELS: Yes.
KING: All right.
What is the secret of "The Biggest Loser?"
What does it do to create these...
MICHAELS: There is no secret.
KING: No secret?
MICHAELS: You know what?
The secret is this -- quite honestly, it's Bob and myself in that gym with these contestants from the crack of dawn, literally, until midnight every night. It's pure hard work and discipline. That's the secret.
KING: What was the hardest thing for you, Bill? B. GERMANAKOS: Well, you know, last chance workouts, we used to call them. On the last day before our weigh in, Jillian would come in with a whole myriad of new beatings for us. And we were expected to take them and continue them every week. But those days were always extremely hard to deal with. But it was so great when they were finally over, I'll tell that you much.
KING: What was hardest for you, Julie?
HADDEN: I think just believing in myself. You know, when we showed up here, we were a group of people who felt like we were out of control and hopeless. And I kind of felt like David against a much of Goliaths, you know, and I -- because I was the smallest girl.
KING: How long did it take to overcome that?
HADDEN: Well, you know, I think anybody who knows me knows my faith is God is, like, the strongest thing in my life. And I knew that if he had done it once, he could do it again. So it took probably about five weeks to convince me.
KING: Hollie, hardest thing for you?
SELF: The hardest thing for me was, I think, just being on an actual game show. It was -- it added a lot of stress because we...
KING: That you were being telecast?
SELF: Yes, that it was being televised that -- you know, someone had to be voted out each week. It was hard on all of us. And I think that's why the four of us were left standing at the end, because loyalty was really important to us.
KING: Was there pressure in voting people off?
SELF: Oh, there was absolute pressure in voting people off.
KING: Did you like that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
SELF: No, not at all.
KING: Unless you're a sadist.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Isabeau, hardest thing for you?
MILLER: I think the hardest thing was acknowledging that this will never end. This is not -- there's no finish line here. And I think unless you allow yourself to make that mental transition, it's always going to be difficult for you. And I think we all came to the conclusion that this is forever.
KING: Do you have a love/hate relationship with Jillian, though? (LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can see it in their eyes. They're like oh gosh.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: She's helping you but working you hard. It's like this drill sergeant in the Marines.
B. GERMANAKOS: Well, you know, I -- at first, when we first started working out, we were just happy to survive, you know?
But there's -- and I'm sure I can speak for the rest of us, that, you know, Jillian, if you knew her personally, you know that she is the most gracious, the most caring and generous person. And believe me, there's no hate involved.
She really is like a big sister to all of us. And her job was to get us fit and to help us win this contest. But, you know, she went so many steps beyond that and became one of our family. So it's all about love for Jillian.
KING: Why does this show work, Jillian?
MICHAELS: I think it works because the contestants are ready. And when they come to that place where they have the epiphany that they need to change no matter what, they're open to the information that the trainers can give them and able to utilize it, put it to work and then the magic happens.
But if somebody's not ready to change, then no matter what trainer you have, no matter who you're working with, then nothing will happen.
KING: Yes.
So they have to be ready?
MICHAELS: They have to be ready. Otherwise it's pointless.
KING: You can't make them ready?
MICHAELS: I cannot make them ready. I can't make them lose weight. They do it all on their own -- with information that I provide them. But they're the ones that put it to work.
KING: This group will be back in just a moment.
We may squeeze in a phone call or two.
And then later, more guests on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE.
By the way, tomorrow night, Brad Pitt and Celine Dion. Now, there's a quinella.
Don't go away.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BIGGEST LOSER," COURTESY NBC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERMANAKOS: When you think about yourself last, then all of a sudden, look in the mirror, 15 years later, and this is what you see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations, Bill, you've lost 100 pounds.
GERMANAKOS: Thank you.
After living my entire adult life obese, this place has given me the strength and the knowledge to know that I can do it. Just about everything has changed about me. I'm a much happier person. Not happier in life, happier with myself.
The "Biggest Loser" campus is a place where hope stays alive and where dreams come true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are our new biggest loser!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Like a rock show. Amazing. That was an amazing video. Let's take a call. Redding, California. Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Bill, I just wanted to know, how is it -- or how does your wife feel about all this weight loss, and did it spice up your romance?
GERMANAKOS: Well, you know, I'd like to say that I did. I guess, we'd have to ask her. It definitely gives us a chance to be closer, you know? Because beforehand, it was like living life with a truck tire around my waist. You know, I'd like to think that it did.
KING: You weren't exactly Mr. Svelte.
GERMANAKOS: Svelte was never put into the dictionary.
KING: Julie, are you married?
HADDEN: I am.
KING: What has it done for your marriage?
HADDEN: It's been amazing for my marriage, simply because -- It wasn't like we had a bad relationship before, but all of a sudden I felt difference about myself. When you feel different about yourself, you feel sexy and alive for the first time in a long time, which makes your relationship even better. KING: Isn't he more romantic towards you?
HADDEN: He is.
KING: Let's be logical.
HADDEN: At least, now, he's more touchy feely, let's just say.
KING: Why are you laughing at that, Julie? I'm giving you a logical male response.
HADDEN: I appreciate your candor.
KING: Hollie, are you married?
SELF: I am not married.
KING: Do you have a boyfriend?
SELF: I do not have a boyfriend.
KING: Do you find men more attracted to you now?
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's had a couple marriage proposals since the show.
KING: Have you felt more desirous?
SELF: I definitely feel a lot better about myself, and that's great. I think that kind of radiates through my personality.
KING: Isabeau?
MILLER: Isabeau.
KING: Isabeau, you've got a weird name. You've got a weird name.
MILLER: I know. It's all right. I do. I have a fantastic boyfriend who is actually a personal trainer. So we have --
KING: You're kidding.
MILLER: I know, right? So we have connected on --
KING: Did he encourage you to come to this?
MILLER: Absolutely. He has been nothing but supportive, and it's allowed us to connect on a whole new level and have a whole different part of our relationship that I don't think we ever would have had otherwise.
KING: So it's improved a great deal?
MILLER: Oh, leaps and bounds.
KING: How do you stay in shape, Julie? How do you stay where you are?
HADDEN: I think the one thing that we're going to have to do is continue to do what we've been doing, maybe not in excess. You know, the doctors told thus we need to work out probably at least five days a week, an hour to an hour and a half. That's what I plan on doing. That's my life from here on out.
KING: What size are you?
HADDEN: Well, today, I actually had a photo shoot, and I was wearing a size two.
KING: What were you?
HADDEN: A 22.
KING: Hollie?
SELF: I went from a 22 to an eight.
KING: To an eight? And do you have to work out every day?
SELF: Absolutely, six days a week. We're going to shoot for 90 minutes a day. It's something that women, we've all been there; we know what we could potentially go back to. We have to stay committed.
KING: And you?
MILLER: I started --
KING: Isabeau.
MILLER: I started at a size 26, and I'm now in a size 10/12.
KING: Do you work out every day?
MILLER: I do.
KING: Do you keep in touch with former contestants?
MICHAELS: Absolutely. I mean, some don't keep in touch with you. And those are the ones that sort of fall off the wagon and you reach out, they don't reach back. And these guys know that I'll kill them if that happens. They're very well aware that they will stay in touch with me no matter what.
KING: What do you do when you have a craving, Julie?
HADDEN: Usually, if I have a craving, then I'll eat it, and I don't have cravings anymore.
KING: You will? HADDEN: I will. You know, this is the rest of my life. I'm not in prison. And I think the best way to do it is to have a small portion of what you want and move forward with the next day.
KING: Eat a smaller portion.
HADDEN: Yes.
KING: What food do you miss the most?
HADDEN: Pizza.
GERMANAKOS: Why did we know you were going to say that, Julie?
HADDEN: I love pizza.
KING: You can have one or two slices.
HADDEN: Of course.
KING: What do you miss the most, Hollie?
SELF: Being from Arizona, I mess Mexican food. I miss tortillas and bread and all that good stuff that goes along with it.
KING: But you could eat just chicken and refried beans, couldn't you?
SELF: I do definitely modify my recipes with chicken and black beans.
KING: What do you miss?
MILLER: I'm a chocaholic. Guilty. But fortunately, my --
MICHAELS: My little girls.
MILLER: Fortunately my trainer has taught me --
KING: Do you like the low sugar dark chocolates?
MILLER: I do dark chocolate. I do organic dark chocolate, and I eat dark chocolate every day. I have a certain calorie allowance for it, and I never go past it, and I never miss it.
KING: What do you miss, Bill?
GERMANAKOS: I was a major pizza eater as well. But, you know, on our diet, we're counting calories. So it was always taught to us by Jillian, listen, if you have to have it, count the calories. And just make the calories count. Because, you know, better to eat good calories then empty calories. But if we have to have a slice of pizza, we'll count them.
KING: Bill remains. Our three beauties leave. And when we come back, another trainer and the host of the "Biggest Loser" joins us, next. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB HARPER, "THE BIGGEST LOSER": Now look at you. That is a good, steady pace for you now. Look at how strong you've gotten, Neil. That's how far you've come in three and a half months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way Bob and I are looking at it from here on in is we have a lot of hard work to do, and no one is going to get in our path from getting to the end.
ALLISON SWEENEY, "BIGGEST LOSER": Welcome to the "Biggest Loser." I'm Allison Sweeney. I just have one question; are you up for this challenge?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARPER: I'm Bob Harper, and I've been a trainer for over 15 years. For me it's not so much about just getting the weight off, getting the weight off. It's about changing their lives.
My blue team is going to have to realize it's going to be tougher than they could ever imagine.
I like to jump into the deep end. I go full on, full out.
But the one thing that they've got going for them is that I will be there every single step of the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: All right, Bill Germanakos, the winner of "The Biggest Loser" remains with us. We're joined now by Bob Harper, trainer on "The Biggest Loser," Allison Sweeney, host of "The Biggest Loser," and remaining is the other trainer, Jillian Michaels. By the way, Jillian and Bob have a DVD called "The Biggest Loser, the Workout." It's now available, as we said, on DVD, with exercise routines adopted from the show.
How did you get to be the host, Allison?
SWEENEY: They approached me last season, at the beginning of season four, and asked me if I'd be interested in stepping in and being a part of what has turned out to be an unbelievable journey. It's an amazing show to say that you're a part of, and these two are incredible.
KING: You're an actress?
SWEENEY: Yes, I'm an actress on "Days of Our Lives." I've been there for 16 years.
KING: Sixteen years?
SWEENEY: Sixteen years.
KING: You host this show, you can't gain weight.
SWEENEY: I know, believe me, especially with these two around.
KING: By the way, Bob, do any of these people -- I know there were accusations last year -- get any plastic surgery. Is there any plastic surgery involved?
HARPER: Oh, absolutely not. I mean, our show is all about just doing it the good old-fashioned way of diet and exercise. The only time is that after the show, there have been contestants that have gotten, like, body lifts because of the excess skin, because the skin can only go back so far.
KING: Did you hear those stories last year?
SWEENEY: I did not.
HARPER: I've never heard that.
MICHAELS: yes, I did not hear that, but it's simply not the case, regardless.
KING: So no one --
HARPER: I bet some of the contestants wish they could have that easy way out.
MICHAELS: We've actually fixed contestants that have had their stomachs stapled. We had, on a family show, contestants that had a gastric bypass, that were still huge. It's no solution. It's quite barbaric, and we're absolutely against it.
KING: I thought the gastric bypass works for a lot of people.
HARPER: For short term. The thing about it is, it's a way that people think they can just cut out a problem. When it comes to working with overweight people, you've got to go into the head, because you can't just go into the stomach.
KING: What's the hardest part?
HARPER: I think the hardest part is just getting started for a lot of people. People see themselves as just, like, a hopeless case. And they think, I just -- I can't do it. I've got too much weight to lose. I've got over 100 pounds to lose. I've got 200 pounds to lose. And it's just getting them to realize, you know what? You're worth it enough to just start today.
KING: What's the hardest part for the trainer?
HARPER: The hardest part -- the hardest part for the trainer, I guess, would just be going on this journey with them every single time and just, like, keeping them motivated. And it's difficult. But with that said, I love what I do. So it's just -- it's just a good way for me to be in a group of people and control them at all times.
KING: Isn't it harder, Jillian, to train someone who's very overweight, than opposed to someone who's really health conscious and is into training every day and has got those abs and --
MICHAELS: I don't think so, not for me.
KING: No?
MICHAELS: I think personally for me, because I've struggled with food issues and struggled with my weight as a kid, it's very natural for me, because it's how I deal with myself. So I just apply those things to my contestants. It's a very different animal, no matter how you approach it, dealing with someone that's overweight. And I find it to be second nature at this point.
KING: Do you get attached to the trainer, Bill?
GERMANAKOS: I sure did. I got attached to all of them, because they were all so motivating out on campus. It came to the point where we were actually looking forward to seeing Jillian come on campus and, you know, she said, make sure you have your hour of cardio in because I'll be there. We were up and Adam, just waiting for our beatings. That's what we used to say.
KING: All this was in L.A.?
GERMANAKOS: Yes, in and around the area.
KING: What's the kick in hosting it, Allison?
SWEENEY: What's the what?
KING: The kick in hosting it.
SWEENEY: Oh, it's such a thrill to see them succeed and be a part of that emotional journey, just like Bob said. I had no idea how emotionally attached I would become to them, because I don't get to be like Bob and Jillian, with them every day, and helping them train and work out. But I came to the gym a couple times and worked out with them.
MICHAELS: She shows up on her off days, which she has very few, and trains with the contestants. She spends time after and talks to them about how they're feeling. It's kind of amazing.
SWEENEY: And to see Bill on the scale when he broke a 100-pound weight loss, it affected me so strongly.
KING: You get emotional.
SWEENEY: Of course you do. Of course do you.
KING: We'll be right back with our dazzling group. They are all part of "The Biggest Loser." Right now, we turn it over to a winner, Anderson Cooper, the host of "AC 360." He'll be with us at the top of the hour. What's up, Anderson?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Larry, tonight on the program, new allegations that Hillary Clinton is playing dirty politics with the Iowa caucuses just two weeks away. We'll look at reports of a pair of new attack websites, her response and most importantly the facts.
Also, tonight, Governor Mitt Romney in the spotlight for something he said he saw. The problem is, it was never there for anyone to see. It never happened. Wait until you see the knot he twists himself into trying to explain, kind of something like something another politician said about the meaning of the word is is.
Also tonight, a racially charged confrontation, a deadly shooting. It all started with a hoax, a hoax created online. Tonight's crime and punishment segment, a new danger that you and your kids need to know about on the Internet. Larry?
KING: Anderson, you ever get the feeling this campaign is running too long?
COOPER: I do, just about every night, as a matter of fact.
KING: "AC 360," 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, and we'll be right back. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why weren't you chosen?
HADDEN: Because I wasn't strong enough.
I just have changed so much, and I'm happy with the changes that I've made. I was weak, and now I'm strong.
SELF: The first day in the desert, like, I literally was, you know, crying because I didn't think I could do it. But this time it was just one foot after the other, and there was no fear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isabeau, you want me to buy you a ticket home right now?
MILLER: No, I want you to buy me a first-class ticket to the finale when I win.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Easy now, isn't it, Bill?
You guys went from 6 of the 18 not chosen to 4 of 5 still standing. Good job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Bob Harper, would you recommend anyone severely overweight to try to get on this show? HARPER: Oh, absolutely. The opportunities are boundless at "The Biggest Loser." I mean, you get to have trainers like us and Allison that just care so much that they will do anything for you. So I think it's a good start for a lot of people that need that start.
KING: How much overweight should you be, Jillian?
MICHAELS: I would say don't press higher than 450 pounds because the game moves at such a fast pace. At that point I think that you would be susceptible to injury. Not bigger than 450.
HARPER: We have a contestant this coming season that started at 436 pounds. He's now the biggest guy. He's a big guy, but fit.
KING: So someone who weighs 200 pounds and is 40 pounds overweight.
HARPER: Oh, too small, yes.
MICHAELS: Too small.
GERMANAKOS: The game works by percentage of weight loss. And generally now everyone's thinking about, can this person lose 50 percent? I started out at 334. And essentially I wasn't picked for the teams at the beginning of the season because they said, well, we don't think you're big enough. We don't think you've got enough weight to lose. But I was able to get down to 49 percent of my weight.
It's all about percentage, not pounds.
KING: Allison, you hadn't hosted a show before, right? You're an actress.
SWEENEY: Yes.
KING: What do you like about it?
SWEENEY: I love -- it's such a different experience than acting when you're taking on a role and doing something that someone else wrote. And this is just me out there with these people, learning, changing their lives and being a part of what is truly an overwhelmingly inspiring experience.
And it's a lot of fun. I mean, there is part of it that you get to just stand up there and ask them the questions, just like you do, and get into their minds a little bit. I mean, Bill will tell you in the elimination rooms, we would talk a lot about what the week is like, what it's like training with the trainers and stuff.
HARPER: And we don't have to get on the scale like they do.
KING: No, you don't. Let's take a call. Morganfield, Kentucky, hello.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. My question is, how do you deal with the emotional issues that come along with excessive eating?
HARPER: Well, I mean, when I talk to overweight people all the time, it's about their relationship with food. And I think that's the key. Our show is not about get a six-pack in six weeks. It's about changing your life. So we even have a "Biggest Loser" online club that you can join and get tons of information. People need information.
KING: How do you deal with it, Bill? The emotional issues.
GERMANAKOS: Well, you know, it's not easy. You know, throughout the show, while we were shooting, I really got help from everyone here, you know? Because it's good to be able to talk to people that -- you know, that both have had the experience before and that know what we're going through, because it's not easy.
I was away from my wife and three kids for four months. To go along with the emotional aspect of the diet and changing your life, you know, there's an aspect of being away from the people you love, and, you know, being locked up.
SWEENEY: It's why it really works. It does give you a chance by yourself on campus with people you don't know who are looking at you for the first time, and you don't get to play any of the old games. You don't get to have people that enable you or are part of the problem. You have to think about it. You have to examine who you are, you know, and change.
KING: Ever been overweight, Allison?
SWEENEY: Yes, I've struggled with my weight my whole life.
KING: Really? Still do?
SWEENEY: Still do every day. I think Isabeau said, it's almost like alcoholism. Every day you look in a mirror and say, I would really like to have six cupcakes today, but that's not a good idea. So I'm going to have something healthy.
KING: We'll be back with our remaining moments on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE. Don't forget, Jillian and Bob have that "Biggest Loser" workout DVD. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back, and these are the DVDs that are available from "The Biggest Loser," hosted by our guests, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. The next season starts June 1st. You did the finale Tuesday night live, right?
SWEENEY: January 1st we're starting the new season.
KING: But what was the live show like? Was it fun to do live?
HARPER: It was fantastic. I mean, everyone that was on the show came back, and they all looked so good. It was just such a celebration of what we try to create from the beginning of the series.
SWEENEY: And it reinspires us, I think, for the next season to see that they've changed, that it works.
KING: Holiday season a big problem in weight gaining?
MICHAELS: Actually, that's a bit of a myth.
KING: Really?
MICHAELS: People say that the whole seven-pound thing is kind of a lie. It's really like one or two pounds. I think weight is an issue all year round. So I don't really buy into that. I think it's a ploy to get people to buy weight-loss products. I know, I've seen them marketed. I'm just being honest.
KING: You agree?
HARPER: I come from the south, and we've had a lot of great southern Christmas parties. I've seen a lot of people in the south gain weight during Christmas.
SWEENEY: It's always more available at Christmas parties. It's everywhere.
HARPER: There's food everywhere this time of year. It's everywhere.
MICHAELS: I think it's everywhere all the time. I struggle with it every day. It's not just Christmas for me.
KING: Bill, chime in.
GERMANAKOS: I think that become everyone's resolution is always to lose weight, then they take especially -- they take special note of what the weight is. They say, well, gee, the last time I weighed in, I was seven pounds lighter. I figure I'm not going to eat any more or less. I was just eating too much all the time.
SWEENEY: Me, too. Exactly.
HARPER: People are thinking that it's going to be the first of the year, I'm going to go on that diet for January 1st, so up until then I'm going to be eating whatever I want.
KING: Are we going to see some interesting contestants?
SWEENEY: Oh, yes. It is a great season. This season, we've paired up two people coming to the campus together. We have teams of two, like mother and son.
KING: Like couples.
SWEENEY: Best friends, couples.
HARPER: Ex-husband and wife. KING: Ex husband and wife?
SWEENEY: A divorced couple who come to the campus together to lose weight.
KING: What you're looking for is every known possibility of two in the world.
SWEENEY: It's interesting because you see the dynamics of parents and their kids. You see husbands and wives.
KING: Thank you all. You were terrific. Congratulations, Bill.
GERMANAKOS: Thank you so much.
KING: Before we leave tonight, I want to recommend, "The Great Debaters." It's directed by Denzel Washington, produced by Oprah Winfrey. A stirring movie about education, family and hope, just got a Golden Globe nomination for best picture, and perfect for the holidays.
And a book recommendation too; Jill Rappaport (ph) and her sister Linda Suliman (ph) have written "Mazel Tov, Celebrities Bar and Bat Mitzvah Memories." It offers affectionate and revealing looks at celebrities as they speak about their faith, the family and their childhoods. I'm in it.
As always -- I had little Bar Mitzvah once myself.
As always, head to our website, CNN.com/LarryKing and you can check out what's coming up on our show. Right now, it's time for "AC 360" and my man Anderson Cooper. Anderson?
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