Ordinarily, I’m not a big fan of reality TV. Strike that: ordinarily I absolutely, wholly and truly despise reality TV.

Then along came Ruby, whose show on Style Network I stumbled across while doing some Nyquil-induced channel surfing last week. If you haven’t caught the show, it’s about a woman (named Ruby, not surprisingly) and her quest to slim down from almost 500 pounds.

Ordinarily, that number alone might make some folks tune into the show, some out of a morbid fascination as they wonder how she got to be that size (a question which Ruby, like every woman who gains a significant amount of weight, asks herself), and some in the hope of finding tips and tricks to their own weight loss (which is what first got me hooked).

After a couple of episodes, though, it’s pretty clear there aren’t any magic secrets behind Ruby’s persistent and impressive weight loss — she’s under 400 pounds in just a few months! It’s all about the same thing most of us overweight folks try to avoid: eating less and exercising more. Ruby has a personal trainer, a nutritionist, an obesity specialist and a psychiatrist working with her, and while it’s easy to think that losing weight must be more simple with such a team, the fact is that she encounters the same problems the rest of us do. After all, the experts can’t eat (or not eat) for her. That’s all on her, and she’s doing such an impressive job.

Within just a few episodes, I was hooked not just on the inspiration that Ruby provides but on Ruby herself. Between her Southern drawl and her sunny outlook, she’s the kind of woman that everyone wishes they knew. And she’s got true Southern grit. Then again, taking her weight loss journey public like this pretty much means she’d have to, ya know?

Thanks to Ruby, I’m exercising again… though it’s pretty light right now since I’m suffering from strep throat and other maladies. I’m TiVo’ing every Ruby episode that airs and watching it while walking slowly on my treadmill. Hey, I figure if Ruby can find the gumption to do it, then so can I!

Check your local listings to find the Style Network in your area. In the meantime, don’t miss Ruby’s blog!