The fall season of 'The Biggest Loser' ended just a few weeks ago, and we've got another one coming right up. 'The Biggest Loser: Couples' premieres Tue., Jan. 5 at 8PM ET on NBC, and the 11 teams are starting with a combined total weight of 7,236 pounds.

Life & Style magazine sat down with three of the contestants to talk about their inspirations and goals heading into the challenge. We've got exclusive excerpts from their interviews, plus read more in this week's issue of Life & Style.The fall season of 'The Biggest Loser' ended just a few weeks ago, and we've got another one coming right up. 'The Biggest Loser: Couples' premieres Tue., Jan. 5 at 8PM ET on NBC, and the 11 teams are starting with a combined total weight of 7,236 pounds.

Life & Style magazine sat down with three of the contestants to talk about their inspirations and goals heading into the challenge. We've got exclusive excerpts from their interviews, plus more in this week's issue of Life & Style.

Cherita Andrews
The cancer survivor, who's teaming up with daughter Vicky, hopes to reach her goal weight of 150 pounds. "Life just began to happen, and I started making poor choices," she told Life & Style. "Nobody opened my mouth and made me put the food in or made me not exercise. I'm taking full responsibility for it, and that's why I'm where I am today. It's going to take making different choices to get to a healthy, fabulous 50-year-old me."

Ashley Johnston
The 27-year-old spa manager from Tennessee is tired of being the "fat girl" who's embarrassed to run into old high school friends. "For me, my biggest thing about being overweight is that I can't wear what I want to wear," said Johnston, who's paired up with her mother. The big challenge will be to overcome emotional eating. "My father died when I was 16. Everybody deals with death and emotions in different ways. My way happens to be food."

Michael Ventrella
At 30, Ventrella weighs more than 500 pounds; he's the biggest 'Biggest Loser' contestant ever. But he may have an advantage since the competition is based on the percentage of pounds lost. "I'm the heaviest person who's ever been on the show, and it's not a record I want," said the DJ, who's teaming up with his mom, "but with that can come the record of losing the most weight. It's scary right now, but I can do it."

To read more, check out this week's issue of Life & Style.

Watch a preview clip from 'Biggest Loser: Couples' (season 9):