Meet All 50 'Biggest Loser 3' Contestants

NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is coming back in September for Season 3

As one of the show's most supportive fans for Season One and Season Two, people are always asking me when the new and exciting return of the hit NBC weight loss show "The Biggest Loser" will be coming back for Season Three. Well, I have some very good news for all of you who are fans of the show -- your wait is almost over and you're never gonna believe what they've done to the show to make it even MORE appealing for people in all 50 states to watch this time around.



There are several changes for the new season of "The Biggest Loser," one of which is the conspicuous absence of the Red Team trainer Jillian Michaels. It will be interesting to see how NBC handles this on the air. While it is unclear whether Jillian decided to move on from the show on her own or not, she has since been replaced by a perky new fitness trainer named Kim Lyons who joins the very popular Bob Harper this season to motivate these contestants to victory over their weight problems. Perhaps I can do another interview with Bob or Kim later this year. We'll start working on making that happen.




One of the first things you will notice when the two-hour season premier airs on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 at 8/7c is the large number of contestants this year -- 50 of them, in fact, one representing each of the 50 states in America. That was a pretty ingenious marketing strategy to give the viewers at home at least one person to root for from their home state. We'll see how well that does in the ratings for NBC.



Of course, with that many contestants all in the same show, it will be a lot more difficult for the viewers at home to connect personally with any specific contestants like has happened in the first two seasons because the limited "face" time on camera that will have to be a lot less to accomodate the extra people. Even still, each of these would-be "losers" have a story to tell and I will attempt to introduce them to you right now going through the states in alphabetical order.

With a combined starting weight of 14,384 pounds, or an average of 288 POUNDS PER CONTESTANT, these people have a lot to prove to themselves and their loved ones becoming more physically active and to start eating better than the nearly 3,000-calories-per-day average they did in the week prior to beginning their journey on "The Biggest Loser."

It's time to meet all 50 of the "Biggest Loser 3" contestants:

ALASKA

Kai

This 27-year old has personality coming out of her ears and expects to buck the trend to become the first female winner of "The Biggest Loser."

ARKANSAS

Jaron

Another 27-year old who has eaten poorly his entire life and now he wants the buck to stop here. He hopes to one day compete in an Iron Man triathlon to inspire his family and America.

ALABAMA

Melinda

A hilarious 32-year old whose mouth will either get her into trouble and make her triumphant. She says she really hates running (guess what they'll have her doing the first day!), but she's willing to do what she has to do to lose weight.

ARIZONA

John

This shy 41-year old father of six kids desperately wants to be around for his kids and grandkids. He wants to increase his energy and feel better about himself to feel like he did when he was in a heavy metal band in his youth. When he loses the weight, he plans on taking his kids hiking up the Grand Canyon.

CALIFORNIA

Brian

A 32-year old father of twin girls who has hidden his face and body with a beard and baggy clothes because of the shame he feels from getting fat. His strong-willed determination and dedication to his family, combined with a timely sense of humor, will make him a player to watch.

COLORADO

Stacie

Affectionately known as "the fat kid," this 33-year old aspiring actor is tired of worrying about getting diabetes like the rest of her family has. She wants to make herself healthy through dedication to whatever she must do to lose weight.

CONNECTICUT

Chris

A 29-year old registered nurse, he has seen patients die right before his eyes because of their obesity. His greatest fear is to end up in the ER as a patient because of his unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. He hopes to lead by example with what he will accomplish on "The Biggest Loser."

DELAWARE

Timothy

This 29-year old middle-school history teacher was a college baseball star, but now he can hardly keep up with his students. But they will serve as a source of support for him while he is on the show.

FLORIDA

Mark

As someone who works with intellectually disabled children, this 39-year old man is ready to change his life forever with weight loss.

GEORGIA

Angie

A 32-year old mother of two whose weight zoomed after each pregnancy is looking to find her way back down to that size 1 she was in college. She wants to do this to teach her kids the importance of remaining active.

HAWAII

Elisha

A 34-year old flight attendant who never seems to find the time to eat, sleep or exercise the way she should wants and hopes to get rid of that title she hear passengers call her -- "the big one" -- so she can find Mr. Right in her life.

IOWA

Steve

A former professional baseball player with the New York Yankees, this 52-year old has been through tragedy early in his life when his wife died of breast cancer. To cover his pain, he used humor and ate more than he should which later led him to become diabetic. He hopes to get back into playing shape again.

IDAHO

Linda

This "over 50" contestant is a single mom who wants to fall in love and is coming on "The Biggest Loser" to put herself in a better position to attract the man of her dreams.

ILLINOIS

Katherine

This 34-year old had part of her thyroid accidentally removed when she was a child which made her rapidly gain weight beginning at the age of 10. She has always felt the real her is waiting to come out.

INDIANA

Pam

A 25-year old young mother of two will talk your head off, but her Southern personality will win you over in a second.

KANSAS

Alyssa

This 25-year old corporate sales work-a-holic is always eating on the run and has never found time to take care of herself. Now she wants to make that happen on "The Biggest Loser."

KENTUCKY

Jamie

This 40-year old had admittedly eaten the wrong foods and not exercised his way to obesity, but he wants to get his body back into his old state-ranked tennis playing days again.

LOUISIANA

Sabrina

A 29-year old has three goals in mind: wear a string bikini, run a marathon, and skydive. That's all! She wants to be thinner although most people tell her she looks fine. She knows better and wants to shock the world.

MASSACHUSETTS

Nelson

This tall 35-year old police officer is in hot pursuit of getting healthy for the sake of his career and his three daughters.

MARYLAND

Amy

A 26-year old who is confident enough to overcome any obstacle in her way, including her weight!

MAINE

Matthew

This 30-year old father of three is a devoted youth pastor who gained 100 pounds since getting married by eating too much and not exercising enough (in fact, he's too heavy for his treadmill now!). He wants to be a physical and spiritual example for the youth of America to follow.

MICHIGAN

Kally

A 35-year old hairstylist who wants to be "hot" now after enduring years of painful weight gain following the tragic loss of a close friend when she was younger.

MINNESOTA

Jennifer

A former plus-size model, she is worried about being around for her kids and is ready to lose weight once and for all.

MISSOURI

Marty

This 25-year old former high school athlete and class clown drives around in a car with a license plate that proclaims "I'm Fat!" A compulsive eater, her wants to be a better role model for the kids he teaches at his school.

MISSISSIPPI

John

A 24-year old son of a baseball umpire following in his father's footsteps hopes to inspire his own parents to lose weight.

MONTANA

Mark

This 42-year old motorcycle police officer gained weight following an accident when his bike was hit by a car. He wants to shape up for his bride-to-be so he can get back to doing those things he loves the most.

NORTH CAROLINA

Ken

A 40-year old author and motivational speaker learned how to overeat when he was asked to gain weight as a college football player. But he never stopped eating. Now he needs some motivation to whip himself into shape.

NORTH DAKOTA

Adrian

This 21-year old University of North Dakota senior started gaining weight as a freshman and can't seem to stop it. A hard-working, determined young woman she is ready to do this and get her life back.

NEBRASKA

Evelyn

A 38-year old yo-yo dieter has to overcome her adoration for fast food and Mexican food to begin eating better and to stop using food as a way to comfort herself. She wants to take up salsa dancing after her weight loss on "The Biggest Loser."

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Wally

This 37-year old father of three is a fun-loving guy who endured tragedy right after college when his father died suddenly. That experience shook him to the core and led to his weight gain. He says he is now ready to be "Mr. Popular" again.

NEW JERSEY

Poppi

A 33-year old wears black to hide her size, but wants to get skinny and healthy enough to run in a marathon for her dad who has cancer.

NEW MEXICO

Mitzi

This 34-year old Home Economics teacher tells students about cooking and wants to help make heathier recipes for her students. She wants her students to see the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

NEVADA

Joscelyn

A 22-year old real estate agent hopes to be in a bikini contest someday and even bungee jump!

NEW YORK

Erik

This 35-year old deli owner works long hours to support his family and is as competitive as they come.

OHIO

Nikki

A 34-year old teacher who gained weight in college and realized her need to lose weight when she couldn't ride in a roller coaster. Her dream is to run a four-mile trail in 40 minutes and ski the mountains of Colorado.

OKLAHOMA

Jason

This 28-year old insurance agent wants to be noticed by that special woman someday.

OREGON

Tim

A 33-year old tattoo artist/pastor says his new baby on the way has helped him reevaluate his life.

PENNSYLVANIA

Valerie

This 34-year old Army helicopter pilot was actually one hour away from having gastric bypass surgery and walked away from it thinking there's a better way. She hopes to be a fitness motivation instructor someday.

RHODE ISLAND

Erin

A 30-year old mother of three who gained weight during her pregnancies and wants that "blur" called life to slow down enough for her to regain control of her life.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Latorria

This 21-year old cosmetologist and rap artist has a long family history of weight problems, but she wants to be the one to buck that trend.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Dru

A 21-year old college student who was active in high school got overweight by eating junk food and slacking off on the exercise in college. She feels ugly with the extra weight and avoids people she knows like the plague.

TENNESSEE

Bobby

This 31-year old father of two very young children cooks the food for his firefighter buddies and contributes to his own weight problem.

TEXAS

Tiffany

A 26-year old single mother of two loves to run, but needs a swift kick in the pants to get her going.

UTAH

Heather

This 35-year old gained weight just in the past few years and is ready to make a permanent lifestyle change to stop the inevitable weight gain.

VIRGINIA

Jennifer

A 32-year old doctor who has always had trouble with her weight, she said her divorce made her turn to food to deal with the stress and emotions. She hopes to use her success on "The Biggest Loser" to start an obesity prevention practice that focuses on natural weight loss without the need for pills or surgery.

VERMONT

Ginnie

This 26-year old hasn't weighed herself in 13 years because she has always hoped her weight problems would just go away on their own. But the weight can piled on her steadily because of a regular diet of junk food.

WASHINGTON

Ken

A 43-year old father of two teenagers, people remember him as much for his weight as they do that strange hairstyle he has! Back injuries have kept him from exercising like he wants to, but he wants to make his health #1 in his life again.

WISCONSIN

Kevin

This 31-year old has been self-conscious about his weight, but he is confident he will shed the pounds and become the winner of "The Biggest Loser."

WEST VIRGINIA

Christopher

A 23-year old whose family is all big, he generally dines on fast food as part of his busy job as a college recruiter. But his grandmother's death due to obesity got him rethinking the way he lives his life.

WYOMING

Sarah

This 25-year old full-time student and future bride has a personality that attracts people to her. But she wants to become healthier and more attractive to herself by losing weight on "The Biggest Loser."

WHEW, did I get all FIFTY contestants in there? Man, that's a lot of people, but in just a few months their lives will be radically changed for the better as they all seek to become the winner of Season Three on "The Biggest Loser." I know I'll be watching to see them compete and I hope you do as well. Whether you need to lose weight or if you know anyone who does need to lose weight, I cannot recommend this show highly enough as a way to motivate and inspire you to great success.

And feel free to come back to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog for lots of hope and encouragement anytime. :)