"I'd go to the gym for a while and then things would come up and I'd miss a week, and then another week," Ginn, one of 11 area residents involved in The Biggest Loser-Huntersville, says. "I'd eat pretty healthy for a while and then slip back into what I've always done. I think that's natural, but I wasn't able to make the changes I wanted to."

Now, three weeks into his participation as a TBL-H team member, Ginn says he believes this is the approach that will allow him to reach his weight-loss and lifestyle goals.

"I am really enjoying the program," he says, "and it has been a godsend for me and my family. We are all eating better and I've been reading and studying about nutrition. I guess I've turned into a little bit of an evangelist on the subject, but it really has had a big impact."

Ginn, 52, weighed 265 pounds at the Jan. 9 start of the local Biggest Loser event. At last Friday's weekly check, Ginn weighed 253.4 after a four-pound loss during the week. The 11.6 pounds he has lost in the first three weeks of the 10-week cycle are a sign of success, but Ginn is more excited about the overall change in attitude he sees in himself and his colleagues in the program.

"The group dynamic of this has been great," he says. "Sometimes it's hard to stick with it, but when you have friends, family and other people from the community providing support, it makes it easier to keep going."

The Biggest Loser-Huntersville program involves daily structured, supervised training at Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center and Fleet Feet in Birkdale Village, education and information about healthy living, access to nutritional advice and special food items at Earth Fare in Huntersville and medical assistance offered by Lakeside Family Physicians and Lakeside Physical Therapy.

The community program made possible by those various program sponsors, along with support from the Lake Norman Citizen, was inspired by Huntersville resident Emily Joy's ongoing participation as a contestant on the televised version of The Biggest Loser.

At HFFA and Fleet Feet, the 11 local residents — six women and five men — take part in 10 hours of supervised training each week and are also encouraged to adopt healthier eating and exercise habits in their home lives. Ginn says the combination of professional instruction and team spirit provides the motivation to work harder and stay focused on personal goals.

"Being a part of this has forced me to do the things I should have been doing and encouraged me to keep doing them," he says. "The consistency has been the most important thing. The trainers at HFFA and Fleet Feet are fantastic and getting to know the other people in the group has helped, too."

Ginn said the group concept has provided time for the TBL-H participants to share personal stories which show the similarities in their past struggles and current commitment.

"It has really been infectious," he says. "You want to achieve your goals, but you also want to encourage others to reach their goals, too."

So far, after three weeks of immersion in the program, the 11 TBL-H participants have dropped a total of 83 pounds. Last week, Howard Kaplan claimed top honors with a 4.4-pound loss. Kaplan, who initially weighed in at 291 pounds, is also leading the overall three-week weight-loss total with 15.2 pounds shed.

While the weight loss is the easiest change to measure, improvements in other areas are just as important, according to Dee Jetton, executive director at HFFA.

"Everyone reports feeling so much better," Jetton wrote in a TBL-H update. "The group has the most amazing confidence. One of the coolest things is the friendships that are developing and how comfortable they've all become in the gym.

"Everyone is making progress," Jetton continued. "Many of the team members are now integrating themselves into the "regular" Fleet Feet running groups ... and are well on their way to completing their first 5K."

As part of its involvement in the TBL-H program, Fleet Feet introduced participants to its "No Boundaries" 5K training program that includes other area residents exploring new exercise options. Ginn said having yet another support group has been a valuable addition.

"The Fleet Feet group is bigger, so that has expanded our contact with people trying to make their lives better," he says, "and it has introduced them to what we're doing."

Ginn added that while the level of support increases as word spreads about the group's effort, so does the determination to succeed.

"We all know each week when we weigh in that our friends, family and others are going to see the results," he says. "You know people are pulling for you and you want to show progress."

Last week, the TBL-H participants lost a total of 21 pounds. TBL-H candidates, listed with their initial weigh-in numbers, results of the week-three weigh-in and week-three's weight loss: Rick Christian, 265, 251.4 (3.8); Debbie Dirkse, 217, 213.2 (0); David Ginn, 265, 253.4 (4); Scott Hannay, 301.8, 293.2 (no weigh-in this week); Kaplan, 291, 275.8 (4.4); Susan Lamoureux, 234.6, 221.6 (3.4); Kris McCabe, 256, 251.4 (1.8); Maria Schubert, 204, 201.8 (2.2); Chris Wages, 272, 267.2 (0.6 gain); Stephanie Ann Weller, 239, 230.8 (1.2); and Kristen Winseman, 246, 243.4 (2.2).

Still a loser

Huntersville resident Emily Joy registered a five-pound loss for the week and is one of 12 remaining contestants on The Biggest Loser television show on NBC. Joy initially weighed in at 264 and has lost 34 pounds in the first five weeks of the show's season. The show airs Tuesday nights.