'Biggest Loser Couples' Hope To Inspire Americans To 'Million Pound' Weight Loss

"The Biggest Loser" giving you two for the price of one

Only two weeks removed from the confetti falling on Season 4 of the hit NBC television weight loss reality series "The Biggest Loser" where Bill Germanakos was declared the big winner, the show is coming back in a two-hour season premier tonight with Alison Sweeney, Bob Harper, and Jillian Michaels again ready to help another group of contestants just in time for New Year's resolutions. You'll watch them invest lots of blood, sweat, and tears for their chance to change their lives forever as they pursue that $250,000 prize and a healthier life! And this time America will join the contestants on this journey to shed the pounds and get healthy, too.

MSN Health & Fitness and "The Biggest Loser" are teaming up beginning today for what's being called "The Biggest Loser" Million Pound Match-Up. Starting January 1, 2008 and running through March 11, 2008, a public challenge has been put out to people who live all across the United States to cumulatively lose 1,000,000 pounds! You'll be paired up with a buddy, get updates on your fitness goals, receive messages from the trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, and become eligible for some really cool daily prizes.

This challenge is FREE and will allow anyone who uses Windows Live Spaces to document their weight loss, hook up with fellow contestants who are participating in your area to support each other in your journey, and have a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles, California for the grand finale of "The Biggest Loser Couples" in a few months! Additionally, the winning team will receive a luxury fitness trip for two as well as their very own personal trainer for one year. WHOA!

So don't just watch this new season of "The Biggest Loser" featuring couples wanting to shed the pounds--do it yourself too and the payoff will be so worth it! Don't forget to sign up at the official "Biggest Loser" Million Pound Match-Up web site for all the details. And if you live in or around the cities of Chicago, Houston, Miami, Wichita, Kansas, and Mesa, Arizona, then be looking for representatives from this challenge raising awareness about what they are doing to tackle obesity!

So who are these couples vying to compete against each other in the new and exciting season of "The Biggest Loser?" Let's meet them now:

PINK TEAM: BETTE SUE and ALI



Bette Sue joins her daughter Ali both from Mesa, Arizona to see if they can collective shed the pounds and get back into shape again. Ali was an world championship swimmer as a teenager representing the USA in competition, but she now hopes "to wear sleeveless shirts" again. Likewise, mom Bette Sue wants to let that big personality of hers be the only thing large about her as she pursues having "only one chin."

BROWN TEAM: CURTIS and MALLORY



Husband-wife team Curtis and Mallory from Los Angeles have three daughters and they both want to live long enough to see them grow up. Curtis lost his father to heart disease when he was only 52 years old, so he knows the pain that obesity can cause. He's been fat his entire life. Mallory picked up some of Curtis' bad fast food eating habits and is now ready to get back to living healthy again.

YELLOW TEAM: PAUL and KELLY



A Florida native and 43 years old, Paul is trying to break a trend in his family--his father died at 47, his grandfather at 49, and his great-grandfather at 51. Not wanting to face that inevitable fate is his major motivation for being on the show. He's teaming up with--GET THIS!--his EX-wife Kelly who is a nurse desperately wanting children. Could their experience together on "The Biggest Loser" rekindle the flames of love?

BLACK TEAM: JAY and MARK



Brothers Jay and Mark from New Bedford, Massachusetts will be ones to watch this season. Both are in their 30s and have a whole lotta weight to lose. But Jay already admits he HATES exercise (hoo boy, don't let Jillian or Bob hear him say that!) so this might be an uphill battle. Even still, The Big Boned Brothers as they like to be called might have enough to be this season's "Biggest Loser" champions.

GREEN TEAM: LYNN and JENNIFER



The father-daughter team of Lynn and Jenni from Ohio will be a fun one to watch. Like Jerry from Season 4, Lynn is 62 years old and ready to do this with his 31-year old daughter.

Father and daughter Lynn and Jenni will make up this season's green team. Lynn is the oldest competitor on the show this season, at 62 years old. He spends so much time taking care of others that he has forgotten about himself. His 31 year old daughter, Jenni, is hoping that this experience will ultimately define who she is. A former college wrestling champion, Lynn hopes to get back into shape for the twilight of his life. Meanwhile, Jenni hopes to fight her depression by melting the fat.

GRAY TEAM: ROGER and TRENT



A strong brotherhood is formed when you become college football teammates and that's exactly what happened to Roger and Trent. But that was nearly two decades ago and time has certainly packed on the pounds. These former athletes are ready to hit the weights again to get their weight and health back in order. I wouldn't count these guys out when it comes down to the final players this season.

PURPLE TEAM: MAGGIE and JENN



How'd you like to be a young 20-something weight loss camp counselor in New Jersey and suffer from obesity yourself? Well, that's precisely what both Maggie and Jenn are which is why they hope "The Biggest Loser" can whip them into shape so they can serve as an example for the people they talk to. Overcoming their emotional eating habits so they can attract boyfriends is a major motivating factor for them.

ORANGE TEAM: DAN and JACKIE



This Frankfort, Illinois mother-son duo Jackie and Dan expect this experience on "The Biggest Loser" be a family affair that they can take back into their regular lives later on. Helping needy kids through her non-profit organization, Jackie knows she has to change her lifestyle to continue the great work she is doing. As for Dan, he's an aspiring country/rock singer who could possibly get his big break if he loses the weight.

WHITE TEAM: NEILL and AMANDA



The husband-wife team of Neill and Amanda from Oklahoma City will test their marriage like nothing else they've ever done to become the mother and father for their 2-year old son they need to be. In fact, Amanda says her motivation for being on the show is "to get thin before my son realizes I was fat."

BLUE TEAM: BERNIE and BRITTANY



How'd you like to be teamed up with a complete stranger for the first-ever "Biggest Loser Couples" season? That's what they did with Bernie and Brittany. Bernie is a 27-year old teacher from Chicago who is scared of dying young. Brittany is the 22-year old "pretty girl" who now wants to become "steamy hot" (she reminds me of Hollie from Season 4).

There they are! Your contestants appearing on "The Biggest Loser Couples" are ready for you to get to know them a little better over the next few months. I'm sure this will be an exciting season to watch and I wouldn't be surprised if the producers of the show have a few tricks and twists to share along the way to make this well worth watching every single week. I know I will be! Will THIS be the season we finally see a woman crowned "The Biggest Loser?" We shall see!

By the way, I have been working very hard behind-the-scenes to put together a series of interviews with at least 10 of your favorite contestants from "The Biggest Loser" Season 4, including the big winner Bill as well as his brother Jim who won the at-home consolation prize of $100,000. I'm still working on sending questions to them, but I hope to begin running those interviews beginning very soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out all my "Biggest Loser" posts if you are a fan of the show! Don't miss a single episode if you want to see real people changing their lives forever. :)