Jerry Lisenby is the oldest contestant that NBC's The Biggest Loser has ever had.  He also lost the most weight in a single week, dropping 31 pounds in his first week.  He became the captain of the blue team, choosing Kae, Neil, Patty, Nicole, and Ryan.  His team turned on him this week, voting him out of the game after they lost the weigh-in.  Jerry had suffered an injury during a workout, forcing him to take it easy.  That resulted in a low weight loss number.  His team said that they felt he could continue on at home but he knew they saw him as a threat.  Since leaving the ranch, Jerry has lost a total of 88 pounds and continues to lead a healthy life.  Today, he talked to BuddyTV about his time on The Biggest Loser and the changes he brought home with him.

Hey everybody this is Gina from BuddyTV and I'm talking to the latest contestant to be eliminated on The Biggest Loser, Jerry. Thanks for doing the interview, I appreciate it.

Oh, tickled to death to do it.


What's life been like since you've been home?

Oh you know just, making sure that I stay focused, eating the right thing. Got a lot of support here. They advised me to get a trainer and I got a trainer and Stephanie is as tough as Bob.  She's like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.  She can do anything anything I can do and do it backwards, like a dance partner. Everybody is real positive and the whole thing. NBC was positive, the Biggest Loser, the producers, the trainers, the doctors, treated with the utmost respect and kindness and ... it's just been such a plus for my life, you know, to think about that ... I used to wonder if if I'd see my grandchildren go to kindergarten and now I want to see them graduate from college, you know.


Were you upset that your team ended up voting out their captain so early on?

Oh sure. That's hard enough to ... uh ... I tried to act as calm as I could but I was crushed and hurt because they weren't voting me off for the right reason.


What was the reason they gave you for wanting to vote you out?

Well their reason, what they said but it wasn't the reason, was that they thought that I could go home and continue, which is true, because I was focused from day one. I never thought about the money, I never thought about anything other than doing what I was told to do and responding to what they had told me to do.

If Patty hadn't won that pass and she wasn't the biggest loser for the week, would she have been the one to go home?

If she hadn't have eaten, they wouldn't have been mad at her. I think that she would certainly should have been looking over her shoulder. I would have probably lost another 10 or 15 pounds that week, but you know, I mean that was a major, major injury.


There was a lot of talk on the internet about that Injury. How serious was it? How long did it take for you to get back to 100%?

To 100% was about .. three weeks. The whole week I was there I was at, Id say 15% because I just ... it was painful ... you don't know.


When you left The Biggest Loser campus what's the biggest challenge you faced when you first got home?

Oh, the biggest challenge was ... I think it was calming down. I was such a high for the time that I was out there that I had to get into a routine. I was so used to being focused on just me that I wanted to make sure that, I not only worked out and got my work-out in, but that I could give other people my time.


And what's been your families reaction to the new and improved Jerry?

Oh everybody's tickled to death. But people were supporting me 100% to do this and then once I did it and kept on it, my daughters go with me. My daughter just had a baby six weeks ago and she works out with me everyday. And my oldest daughter, who's a nurse, she works out with me. My son came home and swam with me in the pool and my grandkids, I get out there and kick the soccer ball with them instead of watching them.


It sounds like the show has really brought your family together. It's given you more things to do together.

Oh, you know just the life style has been great. I'm just tickled at the opportunity to be able to deal with them now.


Well we can't wait to see you on the finale. I loved you on the show, Jerry, and I'm sorry you went out so early.

Well, Gina, I'll tell you I'm tickled with the opportunity and if there's anyone I can help I don't care what age group. I've talked to people from 70 to 35 who have called and got a hold of me. They can do it, I did it, anybody can do it. It's a matter of saying that age is just a number and that's the name of my bicycle tour next year riding across the United States is. I'm making a flag up that "age is just a number and you can do it"


Well you're a great role model, I'm glad we got to see you on the show.

Well, I hope I get to meet you sometime, Gina.


Thank you, Jerry, have a great day.

Okay!


- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)