Patti Anderson - Purple

[Erika]

Patti

Age: 55
Height: 5'6"
Hometown: Lafayette, CA
Occupation: Business Owner

Patti remembers with sadness the song playmates sang about her: "Patti fatty two by four, can't fit through the bathroom door!" Although she put on a brave face with smiles and laughter, she was ashamed and broken-hearted. Patti's father died suddenly at age 55 and she was completely devastated. Patti is fearful that if she does not get her weight under control now, at the same age her father died, she will put her daughters in the same position. Patti wants to finally be the woman her husband deserves: healthy, energetic and fit. As the president/owner of a company in an industry dominated by men, Patti's determination and tenacity has been necessary to be successful.

The Team: Having been overweight almost all of their lives, this mother/daughter team is ready to finally break the cycle. Confident, determined and strong, Patti and Stephanie love competition -- especially winning. They come from a very close, loving and vivacious family. They are ready for any challenge or obstacle on The Biggest Loser ranch and will push themselves and each other to the limit.

Credit: NBC.com

[Erika]

Patti Anderson: Big first week 'The Biggest Loser' weight-loss a mistake

By Christopher Rocchio, 01/13/2010

Patti Anderson said that if she could do her The Biggest Loser: Couples' experience over again, she'd take a more strategic approach to the weigh-ins.

"It didn't occur to me after the first week of losing 23 pounds that I would have such a struggle the second week. But four pounds, that's a great weight loss for any week," she told reporters during a Wednesday conference call.

"But coming off that first week being so high, your body does what your body does. If I could have changed it, I would have lost less the first week so that I would have lost more the second and maybe it would have changed the outcome. But regardless, every week someone has to go home. So if it wasn't my time then, it would have been another time I'm sure."

The 55-year-old business owner from Lafayette, CA became the second contestant eliminated from The Biggest Loser: Couples during last night's ninth-season episode of the NBC reality weight-loss series.

Since Anderson previously posted the highest one-week weight-loss amount of any female contestant ever on the show, she said she was "surprised" and called it "disappointing" to only drop four pounds this week.

"I would have liked to of stayed longer, of course," she told reporters.

"But in the short time that I was there I learned so much. I really gained so much knowledge and I've been doing really good at home. The work is hard wherever you are, and I was fortunate to be there long enough to gain the knowledge I needed to succeed, and I am succeeding. I'm really happy."

While she is no longer on the ranch, her daughter Stephanie is -- and she's confident that her daughter will be able to keep going despite her absence.

"I have no doubt she will rock," said Anderson about her daughter.

"She has a strength and a determination, and she always has -- even as a little girl, as a teen, as an adult. This is just who she is and I have no doubt she will do fantastic."

Anderson added that she's also been able to do fantastic since returning home thanks in large part to the "outstanding" support she's received from family and friends.

"My daughter Pamela goes to the gym with me and pushes me. My future son-in-law Travis does the same. My husband, of course, has always been supportive and continues to be," she said. "So I do have a great support system and I need that. I'm very fortunate."

Another driving force behind Anderson's determination at home was the "overwhelming" health news concerning her diabetes that she received from Dr. Rob Huizenga on the ranch.

"It made me more determined than ever to succeed at this because I want to live. I want to be healthy. I want to be around for Pamela and Stephanie's babies, and with my history and finding out exactly how ill I was, there was no choice," she explained.

"It's time to really change my life. I'm just so grateful that I had the knowledge to start to get healthy."

Anderson said that she can already see the changes in her life on a daily basis.

"Everything in my day-to-day life has gotten better because I'm better. I have more energy, I have more stamina. I'm just focused," she said.

"Every part of my life has improved in one way or another. It's just a true gift that I finally had this breakthrough. The show propelled me, but I'm continuing to do the hard work."

Source: RTVW