The TV Zone

Can't let day get away without another word on Tara Costa, or as I refer to her: The Person Who Should Have Won "The Biggest Loser."

Here's my wrap in tomorrow's paper:

Don't worry. She's happy.

Tara Costa, runner-up in "The Biggest Loser" though arguably the most memorable female contestant in the franchise's history yesterday said it's all OK.

Really.

She means it (she says) and (really), she sounds like she does, too.

In a phone interview from California Wednesday morning after the upset that saw Bethpage's Costa fall just five pounds short of winning the season title, said: "Yeah, I worked my tail off and it didn't work out to my benefit but I came to the ranch [where the show is shot] long ago just wanting to change my life and now I can smile ear to ear because my life is going to change forever. I'm healthy. I'm happy. I feel good about every single thing I did while I was on the show, so no regrets. I played the game for myself that's why right now I can't help but feel grateful."

Costa and Helen Phillips - the winner who dropped 140 lbs. or 54.47% of her original body weight to Costa's 155 lbs. or 52.72% of her body weight - were the seventh season finalists, while fans voted in Michigan college student, Mike Morelli, as the third finalist. Costa admitted that she and Morelli were perhaps a little surprised at the tenaciousness of Phillips - who had long claimed that she never even really cared to win, but to just change her life; they were also surprised when they later learned she had once weighed 120 (or close to her winning weight of 117). Costa said she's never been slight, and during her run on the show struggled at times to lose additional weight as she built her muscles.

But no regrets. "I can't wait to explore Long Island," said the one-time model and financial analyst with L'Oreal. "I want to go out to the Hamptons and go the beach finally. I live on Long Island but I've never been to the beach and now I can go and have a good time. It's things like that. I will not allow myself to be disappointed because I came on the show with the intention of changing my life and leaving a completely different person. I won't allow myself to be upset."

Next up? She's meeting with "a few agents" to figure out her next opportunity. That's followed by photo shoots with Us Weekly and In Touch. Then, she's back in Bethpage on Saturday.

"There are millions of other Americans who would love to have the opportunity I've been given and I want to share the experience with them, and help them believe they have the power to change themselves too."

(Kevin Sweeny/STUDIO D, for Good Housekeeping; the new Tara.)

Before/After. (NBC)

Not Tara.

Words cannot express the disappointment.

Except maybe these words: Not right. Not fair. Not reasonable. Not good.

Not good at all.

She won this show in every way, shape and form that counted - excepting that last frivolous stipulation, "weight loss percentage," as if this show should be called "The Biggest Weight Loss Percentage."

Oh, that would be catchy. Really rolls off the tongue.

Speaking of tongues, I bit mine in the newspaper wrap, which I posted below. I couldn't say how much this stinks, and how ridiculous this outcome is. I couldn't tell readers in the short space allotted that this was someone who gave everything to pull this down and - but for five pounds - did not. The weight loss percentage accountants are sticklers. Rules must be followed.

But still, not good.

Of course, of course, of course:Congratulations to Helen Phillips. She seems like a very nice woman. She worked hard too.

But the real winner - as far as I'm concerned - is Tara Costa.

The wrap:

" In a game of inches and (of course) pounds, Bethpage native and the surest of sure bets on this season's NBC hit reality show, "The biggest Loser: Couples" didn't lose quite enough last night.

"Tara Costa, 23, who spent the last eight months of her life sweating off 135 pounds - a regular season record for a woman - needed to shed a total of 160 pounds to win the $250,000. Instead: .She lost 155 off of her original weight of 294. So winner of the seventh season is Helen Phillips of Sterling Heights, Mich., who lost 140 pounds off of her original weight of 257, meaning she had a higher weight loss percentage than Cost, while in third place was Mike Morelli, "TBL'' youngest competitor ever who started at 388 and lost 207 pounds.

"A disappointment for Costa? What else? An NYU grad and former plus-size model who’s been employed as an analyst for L'Oreal in New York, she returned from the so-called ranch weeks ago to continue her weight loss regimen which involved (among other things) endless hours on the treadmill, giving her time to develop her own Karmic brand of what goes around-comes-around: 'Sometimes,' she said in one chat with Newsday a couple months ago, 'you [have] to allow yourself to be weak because you'll become stronger in those moments of weakness.'

Time to think about friends, too: 'I know I have my friends,' she said last night. I love you all and thank you for being with me.

A couple dozen of them gathered at B.K. Sweeney's Parkside Tavern on Broadway in Bethpage, including. Lisa Buonagura. who couldn't leave work for the finale; she and a friend 'watch with her mom every week.' Another pal, Christine Frost, said, '"She's been amazing, and an inspiration to everyone.'"

And still is.

Meanwhile, Jerry Hayes, won the show's at-home prize of $100,000.

- Pat Burson contributed to this story.

As you know, "TBL/Couples" wraps Tuesday (Go Tara), and I'd be remiss not to post this...this one comes from the imitable (and formidable) Corris Little, of Newsday.com.. It's a look at last week's marathon - which Tara ran, and Mike walked.

Did I already say - "Go Tara?" In case I haven't, I'll say it again: Go Tara.

So "Biggest Loser/" Tara Costa fans: What about tonight? A big night? A Tara night? A night that will set the field for next Tuesday's finale and which may see Tara IN that finale?

All of the above. Spoke with Tara this morning, on the eve of her trip out to LA for next week's endgame - all contestants, as you may be aware, head out tomorrow.

Said she, after this eight-month long journey: "I'm just ready to start my life. Really, I feel good, but I just want to start living now, to have that balance in your life and be able to give back, and to help others who are struggling."

How does she feel? "Tired...tired."

And there's reason for that. For the last few months, since taping ended, Tara's been on a relentless work/exercise/diet routine that would crush a lesser mortal; when we talk, she's usually on a treadmill, with phone on speaker; her voice is often breathless or full of fatigue. She's a workhorse, and next week, the pay-off arrives, I predict.

From the beginning she had a singular balance to achieve - losing weight and building muscle strength. But too much of the latter tended to fight the former; the stronger Tara got, in other words, meant the harder it was to lose weight.

"It's one of those things where you push your body, and keep pushing; it's kind of where your body will go, and that's it. After that, it's out of your hands. You reach that plateau. I feel good now. It's more about muscle definition." How does she look? "I look good AND feel good. but I'm not going to hurt myself. I'm not going to tear my muscular tissue."

For Long Island fans, tonight's a key night: Tara goes home to Bethpage, and meets with a new set of challenges there (namely, her old life). There's also a "kitchen makeover," with Tara and mom; Tara hanging out with pals; and finally...

Tara's biggest moment of the entire season.

I won't tell you what happens - you have to watch. But tune in next week.

Tara will be back.

Do I have to add? Vote for her, too.

Ah, Tara - the makeover continues, and dramatically on this week's edition. She gets the full Tabatha from Tabatha (of "Tabatha's Salon Makeover") and same with Tim Gunn. But Laura Denoux - Tara partner, pal, former colleague, and staunch ally - is also gone.

Per Tara, "Laura had partial stress factor in her hip and the doctor said didn’t think she could stay on the ranch. I didn’t know how severe it was, because I wasn't in the room when the doctor told her; she told me she could swim, and as soon as she said that, then [I said] you know I'm going to fight for you to stay here. Basically, Laura is the kind of person where she will push through [but] little did I know if she did go [forward] then she'd get a severe stress factor...so she went home, but [I'm] a new person basically and have her to thank...Would I have gotten this far without her? No. Having her there to have that shoulder to lean on...we became that much more united as team..

The makeover: "Once you work so hard for something and then see the change mentally and physically and emotionally, and then see the image portrayed [on TV] is special. I’d love to be able to help people to get to that point because seeing the transformation IS so special.”

Laura? She told TV Guide this week: "My hip is still fractured, but is doing much better. I actually have some lesions of a pre-stress fracture in my knee. I'm still having some restrictions with my workouts and what I can do.

Had a chat with my bud Tara Costa earlier today - Tara, who is wasting away to nothing, survived another challenge this week, ate 4,000 calories, had the worst sugar high of her life, and still...still...still is battling away on "The Biggest Loser." She had some reasonably interesting news. She's on the cover of this week's OK magazine, on stands today. Go to the jump for a look, and it is pretty much not to be believed.

Yup, this is makeover time for Ms. Tara, and on next week's episode of "TBL," we have Tim Gunn: "It was like a dream come true, pampered for a full day. I'm not saying it was not easy - it was still hard work [but] I got his expert advise which [included] 'don't be afraid of color.' I was [long ago and far away] so heavy that I never chose bright vibrant colors, but always wore black." The color she chooses next week: "It's green, of course."

How much longer will Tara Costa last on "TBL?" I don't ask and don't want to know; this morning when we spoke, she was working out, as usual..."It's like you just want to do everything you possibly can to put your best foot forward and to not give up...Hopefully, I can have no regrets..."

And if you didn't yet know about Tara's Facebook...here it is...worth checking out...

(Pix: You are correct - I do need a new picture of Tara Costa...so head to the jump for one...)

Continue reading "Tara of 'Biggest Loser' poses in pictures for OK mag" »

Okay gang, it's Tara Time.

Tara - our heroine from "The Biggest Loser"...Long Island's own...the next winner of "TBL"....the woman whose middle name happens to be "Unstoppable."

Yes, Tara Unstoppable Costa.

Big night last night. Had a tearful head-to-head with Jillian, and went on to drop another six pounds, to end at 189. Her thoughts on last night? In a brief phone chat a little while ago, she said this: "The emotional break? I was basically having a mental block - it's extremely difficult when you've never been something before to actually see yourself become something new, and I realized I can be something new and I CAN change as long as I believe in myself and let go of the game. Then the weight will start coming off."

Come on, TC! What's the deal here? You've been mentally/physically strong this entire season. So why now? "Think about it. For weeks I had been fighting with this hundred pound barrier, and was having a hard time getting past 200 [but] I'm not stressing anymore but doing the best I can and that's got to be good enough, and you know what? It will just happen. I'm putting in the hours [but] it was me not being mentally strong enough...

"Sometimes you [have] to allow yourself to be weak because you'll become stronger in those moments of weakness. Those are where you'll gain the strength you need. So I let myself break down and I learned about myself in the process...I realized it was OK that I didn't have to be the strong one because no matter what, when I do falter, it's going to make me a stronger person, and you need to be strong to lead the life I want to lead" after the show ends...

Welcome, sports fans, to the Tara Costa watch.

What - inquiring sports fans want to know - is a "Tara Costa" watch? Only the best place on the planet to catch up with Tara Costa, who will be the third contestant from Long Island to Win it All: The grand prize on "TBL."

I say this without knowing, of course, that she'll win. Will she? Well, let's put it this way, noncommittally: We'll see, won't we? Tara, clearly, has few friends, and friends are good - if not essential here. She's also learned that she's got enemies. Enemies are bad - if not essential here. What matters most, I imagine, is her commitment to win. If she's committed, she will. If she wavers, balks, lets her emotions get away from, then she won't. It's pretty simple.

So, here's what the "Watch" will do: Every Wednesday around this time, I'll do a post-game catch-up with TC, who'll relay her thoughts, emotions, observations about the night before.

Let's get straight to it: Last night, everyone ganged up on her, and loaded 257 pounds on her car, because - duh - they WANT HER TO LOSE. But she didn't. She pulled the car like it was a Matchbox, got immunity (again) and lives to win another week. But from last night, there were lessons learned. And here's what she told me:

"I remember just feeling like wow this is absolutely insane. I didn't realize how much everyone saw me as a threat and I didn't realize what types of bonds certain people had in the house."

[Last night was taped, by the way, seven weeks ago.]

As she said on the show, that was a big blow, and "I don't want to be in a place where other people don't want me to be..." But a little reality check from pal Laura told her that was a pretty damned silly way to feel...,

"I like to please people but it's not about pleasing people in this game. It's about pleasing yourself , and I remembered why I came here. I let the game part get to me and I didn't see the bigger picture."

And she didn't lose that extra pound, either, to get to a 100 off - the first woman to do so (Kristin, instead, did.) Disappointed? Yeah, sure, of course, but she hasn't been at this weight since she was 13 or so...and there is more to come, one would reasonably assume.

The lesson from last night: "When...you don't have protection...you work harder, and if you work harder, you have better results. I have never relied on the alliances to save me. Just do the hard work and what you put into it you'll get out of it..."

The finale: May 12, and we'll see what Tara gets out of it by then.

Haven't paid that much attention to this season's resurgent "The Biggest Loser," but that's about to change - looks like Tara Costa is heading to a win. Tara, 23, is a former plus-size model from New York - though, of greater relevance for a writer from Newsday and a fact which officially supersedes all others: She's from Bethpage.

Go 'page. Go Tara.

The show doesn't make much of her provenance, but last night, it was pretty much unavoidable. While much of the nation's eyes were trained on "DWTS" or "American Idol," Costa went home to face a vast spread of food laid out before her; the idea was to resist, which she did. And though I missed the weigh-in, I think she lost a total of 100 pounds, which I don't believe has been done before at the ranch...

Looks like Ms. Bethpage is now the one to beat.

Here's NBC's quickie bio on Tara, followed by last night's Temptation scene, and another quick refresher on TC...

"Tara is a very charming young lady who carries herself very well. She's a "real" person, doesn't sugarcoat it, and is easy to relate to. Growing up in a small town, Tara developed her loud and sparkling personality. In a single parent home, Tara's mother taught her the necessity of self-achievement and independence. Since those lessons, Tara has become a plus-size model for a top New York modeling agency, graduated from New York University with honors, and accepted a financial analyst position at L'Oreal. "