First name:: Nicole

Geographical location: Time is split between New Jersey and Virginia

Age: 20

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Student; cashier at a movie theater

Pets: A cat, and a little beta fish

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, writing, walking

Height: 5'4''

Eye/Hair Color: Light brown/brown with a red tint from when I dyed it red

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: Tonight.

Starting Weight: 200

Present Weight: 198

Goal Weight: 120

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: The motivation to eat right, and getting over the temptation to eat all of the garbage out there.

Following any specific plan: Trying to follow weight watchers, even though I really don't have the money to necessarily join it.

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I'm tired of feeling like the "black sheep" whether I'm with friends or family, and I also just want to be as healthy as I can be for the rest of my life.

Anything else you would like to share with us: Nothing, really.

First name: Sterling

Geographical location: Spokane, Washington

Age: 22

Marital Status: In a Relationship (Saving Money to Get Engaged and Married!)

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Substance Abuse Prevention Professional

Pets: 3 Birds & 1 Standard Poodle

Hobbies/Interests: Video Games, Body Modification, Stretching My Ears, Knitting, and Road Trips! I'm also really wanting to learn how to longboard!

Height: 5' 7''

Eye/Hair Color: Both Dark Brown

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: Today!

Starting Weight: 279

Present Weight: 279

Goal Weight: 160

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: Procrastination, Binge Eating, and Negative Thinking!

Following any specific plan: Watching My Caloric Intake, Lots of Cardio

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I met the love of my life and I want to be healthy so I can enjoy the rest of my life with him!

Anything else you would like to share with us: I've been on here for a while, but rarely visited! I decided that there is no time like the present to start my weightloss journey and meet some great internet friends to be in this adventure with!

First name: Morgan

Geographical location: Maryland

Age: 22

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: 1 little boy, 15 months

Occupation: Administrative Assistant

Pets: Australian Shepherd, Freckles & a tortoise, Daisy

Hobbies/Interests: Being healthy!! And of course sewing, reading, writing

Height: 5'2

Eye/Hair Color: Eyes, Hazel, Hair, Light Brown (Blondish)

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: 6/17/11

Starting Weight: 148

Present Weight: 142

Goal Weight: 120

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: Not eating junk and the motivation to exercise 5 to 6 day a week

Following any specific plan: I am following the South Beach Diet for my food guidelines. My exercise, I do whatever I can fit in and find time to do. I jog, do Jillian Michael's DVDs, and pilates

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I am focused, I am sick of being sick and tired.

First name: Amanda

Geographical Location: Pennsylvania

Age: 21

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: One 4-year-old son

Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom

Pets: 1 ferret, 1 dog, 5 cats (one momma & 4 kittens)

Hobbies/Interests: Playing video games (World of Warcraft!), reading, walking, drawing

Height: 5'2"

Eye/Hair Color: Green eyes, blonde & burgundy hair

Starting Date of Weight-loss Journey: For this time around, April 24, 2011

Starting Weight: 151lbs

Present Weight: 136lbs

Goal Weight: 123lbs

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weight-loss: Portion control!

Following any specific plan: Power 90 & eating 1500-1700 calories/day

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I've actually managed to stick to it!

First name: Habsfan (actual name too unique to post on here)

Geographical Location: Quebec, Canada

Age: 22

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Student

Pets: None

Hobbies/Interests: Singing, cooking, reading, watching hockey

Height: 5'4"

Eye/Hair Color: Brown eyes with dark brown/black hair

Starting Date of Weight-loss Journey: July 18, 2011

Starting Weight: 148

Present Weight: 148

Goal Weight: 125

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weight-loss: Busy schedule

Following any specific plan: Eating healthier food with portion control and exercising regularly

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: First attempt, really.

I really only have another year of being a 20-something, but I've decided to take this diet thing by the balls since coming back from Korea, and getting serious about getting fit, so hear I go.

First name: Jennifer

Geographical Location: Decatur, GA (about 20 min southeast of the big ATL)

Age: 29 (turn 30 in January, oy!)

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Working as a support associate at a group home for four ladies with intellectual disabilities currently, and serving at banquets for extra cash. The first job I love, the second, not so much. I'm going to be in grad school for Speech Pathology and Communication Disorders this spring.

Pets: None

Hobbies/Interests: Writing, reading, all crafting, yoga

Height: 5'7"

Eye/Hair Color: Green eyes, red hair from a bottle. Naturally dark honey blonde

Starting Date of Weight-loss Journey: April 16, 2011

Starting Weight: 196

Present Weight: 182

Goal Weight: Shooting for 145

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weight-loss: busy schedule, working all the time, chocolate, in that order. LOL.

Following any specific plan: I'm following South Beach currently. Lost 8 lbs in two weeks worth of phase 1. Maintaining during phase 2 currently, for four weeks. Maybe time to go back to phase 1 and get some more things straight.

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: Doing it with the support of this community!

6 more months till I'll be 20. =[ No place for me here. lol

First name:Renisha

Geographical location:Louisiana

Age:23

Marital Status:Engaged

Children/Ages:2

Occupation:Full time student

Pets:0

Hobbies/Interests:Shoe shopping, clothing shopping, maybe just shopping

Height:5'9"

Eye/Hair Color:brown

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey:June 19, 2011

Starting Weight:203

Present Weight:194

Goal Weight:160-175

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss:finding time to exercise outside because its either raining or too hot!!

Following any specific plan:less in, more out

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past:I am focused. I have never been so focused.

Anything else you would like to share with us:Its hard because my fiance stills likes to eat unhealthy. He supports me however, he refuses to give up the fried foods and everything else. My journey would be easier if I had a workout buddy. I havent been talking to many ppl because sometimes ppl can be so negative. I think I am so focused because many ppl dont think I can do it. I know Im not fat but Im not healthy. I am ready to start living again instead of hiding!

First name: Danell

Geographical location: Ohio

Age: 24

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Full time student

Pets: 3 small dogs

Hobbies/Interests: reading, listening to music, shopping

Height: 5'7"

Eye/Hair Color: blue/brown

Starting Date of Weight loss Journey: July 25

Starting Weight: 240

Present Weight: 240

Goal Weight: 135

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weight loss: myself

Following any specific plan: no specific plan, just follow basic health formula - regular exercise, healthy food choices, portion control, etc.; I will be calorie counting/measuring until I can trust myself to make the right choices.

First name: Nicole

Geographical location: New York

Age: 23

Marital Status: Engaged

Children/Ages: Not Yet!

Occupation: Special Education Teacher

Pets: Dog

Hobbies/Interests: Video Games, Reading, Web Design, Shiny new tech

Height: 5'2"

Eye/Hair Color: Brown/Brown

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: December 2010, restarted May 2011

Starting Weight: 200

Present Weight: 167

Goal Weight: 136 to start, will go from there.

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: I love to eat!

Following any specific plan: Nothing really, just trying to eat right and exercise more!

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I ate wayyyy too much before. I'm cutting down my portion sizes drastically.

First name: Emily

Geographical location: Pennsylvania

Age:20

Marital Status:In a relationship

Children/Ages:None yet, thank goodness.

Occupation:Student

Pets: Three cats - Charlie, Roma, Ruby

Hobbies/Interests:Psychology, writing, reading, video games, traveling, anime, other dorky things

Height:5'7"

Eye/Hair Color:Blue/brown

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey:On this site, July 24th 2011

Starting Weight:195

Present Weight:195

Goal Weight:155

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss:Unconscious eating.

Following any specific plan:None with a fancy brand name. Gonna do what I did last time.

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past:Past efforts have worked.. just I went on a college diet and gained it all back again. :P

Anything else you would like to share with us:I play StarCraftII (badly) so if anyone here plays, I'd love to challenge (be defeated by) you in a match.

First name: STAR

Geographical location: ATL,GA

Age:28

Marital Status: SINGLE

Children/Ages: 0

Occupation: DISPATCHER

Pets:1 PITBULL NAMED SHUGA (THATS MY BABY OF 9 YRS)

Hobbies/Interests: TRAVELING AND SINGING USE TO BE SHOPPING WHEN I COULD WEAR ANYTHING IN THE STORE(LOL) IM GETTING BACK THERE THOUGH!!! BELIEVE THAT

Height:5'6".5

Eye/Hair Color: BLACK HAIR BROWN EYES

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey:7/25/11

Starting Weight:218

Present Weight:218

Goal Weight:165

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: EATING BREADS

Following any specific plan: JUST COUNTING CALORIES ONLY

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: IM DETERMINED....

Anything else you would like to share with us: MOTIVATION MOATIVATION...... STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
__________________

First name: Bethany

Geographical location: Ontario, Canada

Age: 21

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Student - BA in Communications with a minor in Business

Pets: Well, my roommate has an adorable and slightly insane kitty, Bandit... my parents have a cat and dog, Scamp and Friska, who I consider to be mine as well :-) can't wait to have a puppy of my own!

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, movies, music, playing piano, I'm interested in learning guitar but haven't taken any steps to make it happen, lol... I will pretty much try anything once, I love doing so many things

Height: 5'4"

Eye/Hair Color: Blue/dirty blonde

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: I don't even know, there have been so many "restarts". I think February, 2011 was when I started counting calories, so I'll go with that.

Starting Weight: I think I was around 230 in February

Present Weight: 221.3

Goal Weight: Shorter term - 170... ultimately 135-145, although I have a difficult time imagining myself being that small

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: My tendency to be really self-defeating, I'm my own worst enemy. Also binging, I love food tooo much

Following any specific plan: Just counting calories

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I'm trying to lose the mindset that I "deserve" treats, and accept that losing weight is going to mean sacrificing things sometimes

Anything else you would like to share with us: Nope :-)

First name: Cheri

Geographical location: Phoenix, AZ

Age: 25

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Occupation: Social Worker

Pets: two adorable puppies... Molly and Mason. They are ****zu/poodle and ****zu/maltese mixes. They are like my children!!! haha

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, movies, music,... since graduate school took up so much of my time, I have to find new interests now

Height: 5'7"

Eye/Hair Color: Brown/Brown (with blonde highlights)

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: yesterday 7/25/2011.... but if i was honest, I've always been on a weightloss journey

Starting Weight: 168lbs

Present Weight: 166.8lbs-- hey! its only one day in!! whoo hoo!

Goal Weight: 130... im going to make it this time!!!

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: Myself. I wish I had someone everyday to kick me in my butt and make me move!

Following any specific plan: South Beach and i'm working out to Jillian's 30-day shred! Grrrr baby!

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I'm fed up. Period.

Anything else you would like to share with us: feel free to ask!

First name: Ingrid

Geographical location: Chicago

Age: 26

Marital Status: Single

Children/Ages: None

Pets: A terrier who thinks she's a cat

Hobbies/Interests: Finishing graduate school! Besides that I spend time watching movies, shopping (even though I can't afford to buy anything!), and watching all sorts of TV

Height: 5'9

Eye/Hair Color: Blue eyes/Brown hair

Starting Date of Weightloss Journey: 04/2010

Starting Weight: 205 lbs

Present Weight: 165 lbs

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Biggest hurdle to overcome in weightloss: Overeating!

Following any specific plan: Nope. Just count calories and try to work out 5 times a week.

What is different this time in your weight loss efforts than in the past: I find that I stay motivated when I have very clear goals in mind and clear dates that I hope to accomplish them by. Just generally trying to loss weight never worked for me in the past. I'm also more open with friends and family about my weight loss efforts. The more support the better!

Anything else you would like to share with us: I've just joined here because I am dealing with some stress in my family and at work. I'm hoping that keeping in touch here will help me stay focused so that I can reach my ultimate goal by Jan 1, 2012.