ALEXANDRA VOTED OFF IN THE FIRST WEEK

The Biggest Loser wasted no time in starting to shape up a new group of contestants in the first episode of Season 8 on Tuesday night.

Contestants expected the Biggest Loser bus to deliver them to the show’s ranch, but instead the bus pulled to a halt at a beach location where everyone was greeted by The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney. One by one they emerged from the bus, whopping and dancing – clearly excited to begin their challenging weight-loss journey.

As the contestants all gathered together, Sweeney revealed that this was the same location where last season's contestants actually completed a marathon. And she told these contestants that their first challenge was to trek what previously represented the final mile.

But as the group tried to meet this challenge, 37-year old homemaker Tracey became exhausted and fell to the ground – only managing the final yards at the urging of her new friends. But she was clearly in distress and in need of medical attention. Soon medical help arrived and a helicopter transported her to a nearby medical facility.

Rudy, a 31-year-old engineer, was frightened and lamented, "It is serious to see how unhealthy we all are.”

The contestants divided into pairs – Daniel and Shay; Allen and Abby, Rebecca and Amanda and Antoine and Sean. Others were Rudy and Dina, Liz and Danny, Alexandra and Julio and Mo and Tracey.

When the group arrived for their first weigh-in, Shay quickly confided, “Oh, my gosh. Everyone is going to see every bad choice that I have ever made.” And, as it turned out, she weighed in at 476 pounds – the heaviest contestant to ever appear on the show. And as contestants and judges watched the scale signal her weight, coach Bob Harper exclaimed, “Oh, my God!”

After the weigh-in, the contestants waited to be divided into teams to work with either coach Bob Harper or Jillian Michaels. But Michaels announced, “You will all be training with the both of us.”

Exercising in the gym found nearly everyone struggling – but it was especially difficult for Shay who actually at one point quit. However, after some soul-searching with head in hands, she realized, “If I stop now, nothing is going to change.” Despite Shay’s difficulty with exercising, Michaels showed her tough love, saying, "Are you ready to work? This is nothing to be ashamed of. But I will not accept anything less than one-hundred percent.”

The contestants went through a series of physical examinations and medical tests. Danny, who was the only contestant returning from last season, remarked, “I have never met with so many doctors in my life.”

And 29-year-old Shay, who was told that her inner age was 45, in tears said, “I can’t go backward. I can only go forward.”

The teams had their first weigh-in that would result in one contestant leaving the show. Amanda and Rebecca, the second team to be weighed, kept sliding down the leaderboard as more and more contestants were weighed, and they worried that they would have lost the least weight of all.

But after all couples were weighed, 20-year-old college student, Alexandra and 40-year-old mortgage loan officer Julio – who each lost 13 pounds – were at the bottom of the board. Julio made his case to the group, saying, “I beg you to allow me to stay for my children and my family.” And Alexandra told the group, “I worked hard every day. I did a good job.” But the group had to decide to send one of the pair home.

The voting was even for Alexandra and Julio until it came to the final vote. And Alexandra was reluctantly voted off. It seemed that the group sympathized with Julio's explanation for wanting to stay -- to get healthy for his children. And several of the group said that they thought that Alexandra would continue to lose weight even if she went home.

Alexandra clearly was disappointed and did not want to end her weight-loss journey in the very first week, but she very sweetly remarked that her time there had been valuable – that she believed “success is the determination that you have in your heart.”

And when the show flipped ahead in time, Alexandra, from Harrisburg, PA, was shown back at home – having continued with the weight-loss routine and lost 60 pounds! She said that she was excited to return for the final weigh-in when she will be even slimmer – and revealed a secret, that she has a crush on one of the guys in the group! She didn’t say who, but hopefully before the season is over, we will find out!