By Mary Beth Almond
C & G Staff Writer

BIRMINGHAM — Two of the newest contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Families” are relying on the personal trainers of CoachMeFit in Birmingham to help them shed as many pounds as possible before they head back for the show’s finale in December.

Similar to last season’s “The Biggest Loser: Couples” edition, the sixth season of the hit reality TV series showcases eight teams trying to lose weight through diet and exercise as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000.

The Biggest Loser 6, which was to premiere on NBC Sept. 16, features four husband-and-wife teams and four parent-child duos.

The mother-daughter team of Shellay and Amy Cremen, of Royal Oak, are among those competing for the grand prize this season. Stay-at-home mom Shellay, 51, said going on the show was the best thing she and her 27-year-old daughter, who now attends cosmetology school, ever did.

“It was an awesome experience to go out there. We were in a totally different environment, with strangers, and I can’t say enough about what it did for us. Our lives have changed, and you will see that if you watch the show. It’s quite intense at times, and sometimes you think it is the most horrible thing you ever did — but in a good way,” she said.

Derek DiGiovanni, who owns CoachMeFit with his wife, Kerrie, has been training the duo since they returned home from taping the show at “The Biggest Loser” ranch in Los Angeles this summer.

“When I got back, I called him and said ‘I’m back, we’re finished,’ and he said, ‘Great, let’s get going,’ so we’ve been training with him. He’s great. He really knows what he’s doing, and we’ve had great weight loss every week, which I attribute a lot of to him,” Shellay said.

The two women have been working out on their own as a team two times a day, and training with DiGiovanni three times a week to prepare for their final weigh-in during the show’s finale in early December.

During every season, NBC spokesperson Jill Carmen said, contestants compete for two prizes — a grand prize of $250,000 and a separate prize of $100,000 for the eliminated contestant who loses the highest percentage of body weight.

“Now that the taping is all over, everybody is back home, working hard to continue to lose as much weight as they can, because it is a contest,” Shellay said.

While working out at CoachMeFit, DiGiovanni said the pair typically does an hour of cardio, in conjunction with various strength-training exercises.

“I’m almost like the accountability guy. I keep them accountable for getting all their ‘homework’ done on their own. … We will probably get them pretty low by the final weigh-in in December,” he said.

Shellay and Amy Cremen encourage those in Michigan who watch the show to support their team.

“We are the purple team, so we want everyone to pass the word and say, ‘I support purple,’” Shellay said.

Upcoming episodes of “The Biggest Loser: Families” air on NBC every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Beth Almond at malmond@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1060.