Ruby is not only taking charge of her own weight loss, she’s now mentoring others. In this week’s episode of Ruby, on the Style Network, Ruby and her so-called fashion guru Anthony go shopping for a new dress, when they stumble upon a brochure for a plus-size teen beauty pageant called Plus Teen U.S.A.

The pamphlet sparked a memory of a teen girl named Christina that Ruby met at a weight loss camp. This girl was so damaged by the ribbing she took by her peers that she dropped out of school and began being home-schooled.

So, Ruby recruits Christina to enter the pageant, which is in Texas, as a way to boost her self-esteem and get her out of her shell. There’s a short conversation to convince her to enter. But, when Ruby said she’d come too, Christina instantly acted more open to the idea.

This week’s Ruby began with Ruby chatting with her ex-boyfriend Denny on the phone, which is then followed by one of her “Women’s Fat Night” meetings with some of her heavy friends discussing sex. Then, the bombshell was dropped: Ruby is a virgin.

The declaration opens up all kinds of intrigue and speculation. Sure, the most obvious is wondering what kind of depth of emotional pain one must have to be a virgin at 47. Secondly, how could someone be in a relationship for more than eight years, as was the case with her ex Denny, and not have sex? Their relationship is already intriguing in that you’re looking at a fit guy with a woman who was once 700+ pounds.

While some people may not want to actually say it, that certainly must make most of us wonder. Could he have been a genuinely good person who saw her for who she is on the inside, and not minded her physical shortcomings? Sure. But, the realist – or perhaps cynic – in me has to wonder about his motives. Not that they were necessarily bad, but everyone has to be surprised by the relationship.

I must confess that until this week’s episode, I have only seen Ruby sporadically, and usually only parts of each episode that I stumbled upon. My first impression was that she was so sweet. She has the stereotypical Southern charm, and such a sweet disposition that you can’t help root for her.

Ruby’s show is a 180 from The Biggest Loser, in that it doesn’t share the same combative nature or personalities that are antagonistic. It’s not a competition, rather a sort of open diary as you watch Ruby go through daily struggles and triumphs.

The early drama in season three of Ruby is her struggle with repressed childhood memories – her entire first 13 years. This episode, she and her friends took a road trip to her childhood home in Mississippi. The interesting twist is that she is facing her demons in more ways than one. Not only is she investigating her mysterious childhood, but Mississippi is also the heaviest state in the country, and in Ruby’s case, filled with dietary landmines.

Image via The Style Network

Ruby Season 3 premieres this Sunday, February 14 on the Style Network.

This season promises to have all of the heart, struggle and charm as the two previous seasons in addition to new breakthroughs and challenges as Ruby Gettinger continues on her transformative weight loss journey.

From purchasing her first pair of jeans in years to coming to grips with some very difficult personal questions and answers and from considering plastic surgery to deal with the loose skin from her weight loss, Ruby Season 3 will continue to inspire and motivate.

The season premiere finds Ruby in high spirits, but plagued by recurring nightmares. 

Tune in this Wednesday, February 3 to the Oprah Show when weight loss reality series star Ruby Gettinger appears on the show to discuss her weight loss revelations.

Ruby is the star of Ruby, her own self-titled, Style Network reality series. The show’s third season starts on February 14th and will continue to chronicle this Southern belle’s weight loss battle. At her heaviest, Ruby was classified as morbidly obese and once topped the scales at 715 pounds. Since the show’s debut in 2008, she has lost an astonishing 400 pounds.