Kim Stone

This week, the contestants are faced with a temptation involving their favorite foods, with the winner gaining game-changing power to arrange the two teams however they like - and remain anonymous. After an unpopular decision is made to switch up the teams, tensions rise and suspicion grows about the real identity of the temptation winner. Then the red and black teams race against time and each other to assemble a giant puzzle on top of eight-foot tall blocks, with the winning team getting a very special prize. Later, after a drama-fueled weigh-in and elimination, another contestant is sent home. Alison Sweeney hosts the series, and trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince also star.

This week, a surprising turn of events shakes up the competition, and the contestants compete in a rough and wild short version of a “Tough Mudder” competition. But they won’t be doing it alone - with them will be the show’s three most recent winners John Rhode, Olivia Ward and Patrick House. Host Alison Sweeney helps motivate the remaining contestants by telling them the player with the highest percentage of weight loss at the weigh-in will win a Ford Escape SUV. Later, the players stroll down memory lane with the trainers and watch video journeys of how far they’ve really come from their first day on the ranch before an emotional weigh-in determines which player will walk away with a brand new car.

This week, the 11 remaining players put what they’ve learned to the test when they all go home for 18 days and are given the chance to gain immunity by losing 5% of their body weight. They’ll also compete individually in a home rowing challenge that will earn the winner $10,000 when they are revealed at the weigh-in. While some contestants struggle with being back in their home environments, others prove they can stay on track, especially with the support of family and friends. Later, the contestants return to the ranch for grueling last chance workouts with trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince before the weigh-in reveals who lost enough to gain immunity. Then another player goes home in the most emotional elimination so far this season. Alison Sweeney hosts the series.

The eight remaining contestants head to the tropical paradise of Hawaii for an action-packed week that will address the excuse "I can’t lose weight on vacation." After being warmly welcomed to Oahu with a luau, the players compete in a trivia challenge that awards the winner a cash prize which can be spent on a menu of items. Next it’s off to the breathtaking Kualoa Ranch where "Jurassic Park" was filmed and there the contestants race through a challenge involving tikis and leis for the coveted prize of immunity. Later, a young woman who epitomizes "no excuses" - real-life "Soul Surfer" Bethany Hamilton - teaches the contestants and trainers how to surf. Then at Pearl Harbor, with the USS Missouri in the background, the contestants weigh in to reveal whether they were able to lose weight on vacation before another player is sent home. Alison Sweeney hosts the series and trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince also star.

In this season of "no excuses," this week's challenge addresses the excuse "I can't lose weight on my own." Trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince are suspended over water in a wild dunk tank-like challenge in which the red and black teams have to use their strength to keep a weight from landing their trainer in the pool. The losing team has to do without their trainer all week until the last chance workout. Once the losing team is determined, one contestant admirably steps up to lead their group while their trainer is away, with none of them aware that he is secretly watching how they do in his absence. Later, a very heated elimination sends another player home after a tense weigh-in to see how both teams did this week.