The biggest loser started this week. No not that Biggest Loser, the Federal Way Biggest Loser.

About 80 residents signed up and joined the Federal Way Community Center’s Biggest Loser challenge, which, like the TV show, is geared at helping competitors lose a great deal of weight.

But in this competition no one will get voted out.

“We don’t want the drama,” Kimberly Shelton joked. Shelton is the Fitness and Athletics Coordinator at the community center.

At the kick off party Monday night, the contestants also got a surprise when the winner of the second season of the popular NBC show, “The Biggest Loser,” Matt Hoover, and his wife, Suzy, who happened to place third that same season, showed up in Federal Way. The two met on the show and now live in Des Moines. Suzy just recently gave birth to their second child.

The two, who had been in hiding behind a door in the back of the room, brought out exclamations of excitement from the crowd. They both gave the audience advice and encouragement for the upcoming three months.

“The number on the scale — whatever,” Matt said. “It’s all about being healthy.”

Both have gained weight since the show finished, Suzy because of her pregnancy and Matt has put on “sympathy weight,” as he called it. However, both plan on working hard in the next three months to lose that weight and will attend the final weigh in for Federal Way’s Biggest Loser.

“We want to come back and see a lot less of you and hopefully you will see a lot less of us,” Suzy joked.

The Federal Way’s Biggest Loser challenge groups participants into teams who train twice a week for 90 minutes with a trainer. There are weekly weigh ins and before and after fitness testing. Each contestant must work out on their own time as well as with the trainers, who will be giving homework. The winner will receive a six-month pass to the community center, as well as a few other prizes, including a photo shoot.

“You want to show off the new body,” Shelton joked.

The runner up will receive a three month pass.

Federal Way Biggest Loser participants Kari Beuthien, 50, and her son Scott, 15, have agreed to let the Mirror follow their progress during the challenge.

“We are avid watchers of the show,” Kari said. “We said gosh we wish we could have that chance.”

Kari, who weighed in on Monday at 189 pounds, has set herself a goal weight of 135. Scott, who is 234 pounds, would like to get down to around 150-160. He said he would like to get skinnier and be more fit.

“I am at an age where people say you just have to settle (with who you are),” he said. “I don’t think you do. I am out to prove to myself that I can do it.”

Kari and Scott have already gotten a jump on their fitness. Although their first training session with their red team captain isn’t until Saturday, they have already began going to the gym every day. Every other day, they warm up with 30 minutes of cardio then move on to weights. On the other days, they do an hour of cardio, then abdominal work and then two hours of swimming.

“We know we have a good start cause everyone of our muscles hurt,” Kari said.

“I don’t really like the cardio,” Scott admitted. “But I’ll go with the flow.”

As for the surprise of Matt and Suzy Hoover?

“We were just astounded when they showed up,” Kari said. “We watched that whole season. Our eyes were as big as quarters. We got an opportunity to meet them in person, it was such an honor. We chatted about that all the way home.”

A’ndria Salcedo is also competing in the Biggest Loser. Salcedo is 28 years old and currently weighs 203 pounds. Her goal is to lose 50 pounds by the end of the competition. Salcedo cites a busy schedule, full-time school and full-time work, for compromising her physical condition. However, now that Salcedo has graduated with a Masters degree, she wants to spend this time getting back into shape.