Greetings Alternachicks!
 

I am getting back into the dieting thing after a hiatus of 7 and 1/2 years. This fat thing apparently is not something that is going to just go away on its own! I have tried not thinking about it, trying to slip into exercising, eating vegetarian, and even going vegan for most of a year, and but this darn fat just sticks around. I know that exercise is a key piece and the ball that I generally drop first so figuring out how to keep that one in the air is a major part of my strategy this go round. I am starting to track what I eat and plan to join a reputable gym by where I work that has various exercise classes. My last success (in 2001 and 2002) was with a combo of Weight Watchers and a gym membership. I may join WW online this time. We will see. I think the gym membership is more key at the moment.

Age 50

Weight 260

Goal 150

Virgo

Spirituality - Web of Life-focused, Quaker/Unitarian + Buddhism and various other mystic paths. Like Dr. Bronner, I believe that it's "All one!"

Liberal/Feminist outlook

Diet - mostly vegetarian/vegan

Married
Children (2 at home and 1 out of the nest)
Pets - 2 cats

Profession- Librarian/Geekette

Hobbies - Reading (of course!), watching movies, listening to music of all kinds, traveling, dabbler in gaming, and inner space exploration (IChing, Tarot, meditation, etc). I like to walk in gardens, nature preserves, scenic places, and large cities (when I can afford to travel to them).

Aj
 

NAME: Aj

BIRTHDAY: July 2

MARITAL STATUS: married

TOP WEIGHT: 222.

CURRENT WEIGHT: 220

GOAL WEIGHT: 160

EYE COLOR: grey

HAIR COLOR: dark brown/black

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Music

PETS: none

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Montana

FAVORITE COLOR: black blood red

FAVORITE FOODS: peanut butter, popcorn, red meat, ice cream

FAVORITE EXERCISE: i love to dance.

FAVORITE BOOK(S): thriller

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Tarantino films , classic flicks.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Reality TV junkie.

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Huge fan of alternative... esp bands like smashing pumpkins, Bush, nirvana, etc.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: commitment.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Diagnosed with Lupus, and I figure if I am fit, I can manage my lupus better.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: exercise and calorie counting.

RELIGION: athiest

POLITICS: liberal

PIERCINGS: Ears

TATTOOS: 4. I'd like many more. working on a sleeve

Of course I overlooked this thread last night and started my own all-about-me thread. Ah, well.

NAME: mel

BIRTHDAY: August 17th

MARITAL STATUS: married my high school sweetheart. I've been with him since I was 14 (11 years in March!) and couldn't possibly be more in love. I know, I know. But really.... he's fabulous. <3

TOP WEIGHT: 274 pregnant, 267 not pregnant

CURRENT WEIGHT: 220

GOAL WEIGHT: 170, I think. That will put me at a 'normal' or 'healthy' BMI. We'll see what happens when I get there. I do like being curvy (and boy am I curvy ;) ) but I want, more than anything, to be healthy.

EYE COLOR: brown.

HAIR COLOR: brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: I am totally into being a mom, and making the best choices for my kids (which in my case includes extended breastfeeding, babywearing, healthy eating, and a general respect for them as, you know, people.) I also love to cook (even when I'm dieting ;) ) and sew.

PETS: no thanks. We're all set as far as responsibilities go. ;) Of course, we did start feeding a family of 4 cats that were hanging out around our house and starting to look quite thin. They don't really count though. They won't let us near them. :rolleyes:

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: the 'Lowcountry' aka southern South Carolina.

FAVORITE COLOR: purple

FAVORITE FOODS: um... my husband is a chef. An amazing chef. My most favorite food is a creation of his - braised beef ravioli in a cream sauce with toasted walnuts, oregano, and lemon zest. It is amazing. Pretty much everything he makes is, though.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: I've been Wii Fit'in it lately. I like the majority of those exercises. Swimming will always be my favorite, though. :)

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Hmm. I read a LOT, but I don't really have absolute favorites. I've been reading a lot of Douglas Copeland lately, as my sister bought me 4 of his books for Christmas. ;)

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Well... hmm. I like a lot of movies, but again... not too many 'favorites.' I never seem to get tired of classic horror movies... or Steel Magnolias. I am aware that I'm a dork.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): we don't have cable, but we seek out the Office and Dexter. We also randomly got into Bones. Blues Clues is a hit around here. ;)

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: I can't seem to get enough Against Me! lately. I love Tom Waits, the Pixies... old *** country (Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly), old punk (Black Flag, Bad Brains, etc), southern rock reminds me of my childhood and makes me smile.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: None currently. :) My husband is not really overweight, but trying to get fit & eat healthy. Sometimes he has weaknesses... and sometimes I can't stay strong when he gets weak. Fortunately that doesn't seem to be a problem lately. :)

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm incredibly motivated. Even more than wanting to look good - I want to be healthy. I want to chase my kids around and not be out of breath afterwards. I will lose the weight.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: I eat what is good for you. I eat lean proteins and veggies with whole grains. I keep track of my calories/fat/carbs/protein, I exercise, and I am *always* aware of what does into my mouth. If it's going to keep me fat - I don't eat it. Plain and simple. :)

RELIGION: atheist. I'm also very active on an atheist/agnostic/freethinking parenting board, and have been for about 5 years. [That is the only other online community I am a part of.]

POLITICS: liberal

PIERCINGS: I actually don't wear any anymore. I've always had my ears pierced, and I had my eyebrow and a 'Monroe' for a long time. I haven't worn jewelry in almost a year though, and I took my eyebrow piercing out several years ago.

TATTOOS: one... which I just described on the tattoo thread. ;) My husband and I got matching tattoos when we got married - two skeletons embracing in a coffin. <3


Yep... I suppose that about sums me up.

Oh, right... and I clearly like to wink and smile. And roll my eyes. You'll figure that out with a quickness though. Hahaha.

NAME: lesley

BIRTHDAY: july 17

MARITAL STATUS: single

TOP WEIGHT: 305

CURRENT WEIGHT: 222.9

GOAL WEIGHT: 170

EYE COLOR: blue

HAIR COLOR: brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: i am very into music, video games, hiking, camping, books

PETS: 1 cat of my own, aj who is black and white (i call him my moo-cow kitty :D) and is 5 years old, a 12 week old beagle named gizmo, and my mom has two cats, sita who is 7 and zoe who is 8

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: jacksonville, fl (and i hate it sooo much. cant wait to get out of here)

FAVORITE COLOR: blue

FAVORITE FOODS: macaroni and cheese. it is my biggest weakness....

FAVORITE EXERCISE: i love to swim and used to be excellent, but i've let myself go and can barely do 50 meters without dying, but i'm starting the wii sports active challenge tomorrow

FAVORITE BOOK(S): harry potter. yes, i am a dork :)

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): the neverending story

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): i like dexter, cold case, the forgotten, criminal minds, and i am an investigative discovery adict

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: i like a lot of independent artists and local artists. so, tegan and sara, northern state, garrison starr, neko case, tori amos, madi diaz, american princes, incubus, we are scientists, an horse, the spazzys, sia, le tigre, smashing pumpkins, yeah yeah yeahs and there are loads more.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: motivation

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: i have set goals for myself, and i have my ultimate goal and that reward at the end

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: i don't really have one

RELIGION: atheist. i believe in god, but i don't associate with any organized religion

POLITICS: no party affiliation. i vote for who think has the best overall policies and plans

PIERCINGS: at one point i had 6 piercings, but now i am down to just my labret

TATTOOS: 14 and my reward for reaching my ultimate goal is my 15th tattoo :)

Hi, first post here. Can I join you guys? :)

NAME: Dayna

BIRTHDAY: Cinco de Mayo!

MARITAL STATUS: Married

TOP WEIGHT: 190

CURRENT WEIGHT: 185

GOAL WEIGHT: 135

EYE COLOR: Hazel (brown/green/yellow)

HAIR COLOR: It changes. Naturally dirty blonde.

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: I love to create...crafts, writing, art, etc. Love spending time with my kids, reading, camping, hiking, etc.

PETS: 2 cats. 4 chickens, 1 duck.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Southern California

FAVORITE COLOR: Green

FAVORITE FOODS: Starchy carbs...bread, pasta, etc.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Hiking, swimming, tennis...I don't do any of these enough anymore.

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Too many to name! I love David Sedaris, Jack Kerouac, Chuck Palahniuk to name a few favorite authors.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Again, too many to name! Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my all-time faves.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Dexter, Weeds, The Tudors, Glee!, Always Sunny

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Lots and lots of indie, folk, classic rock.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Lack of motivation, late night eating, exhaustion

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I hope this forum will give me some accountability!

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Better eating, more exercise

RELIGION: Agnostic.

POLITICS: Pretty liberal.

PIERCINGS: I had many but took them all out.

TATTOOS: One

Welcome to all the new members! :D

I've been lurking and reading for awhile. Just finally getting around to posting. :dizzy:

NAME: Melissa

BIRTHDAY: October 20th

MARITAL STATUS: Married for over 10 years.

TOP WEIGHT: 234 lb

CURRENT WEIGHT: 158 lb

GOAL WEIGHT: 140 - 145 lb

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Currently black and fuchisa

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Music and art.

PETS: None right now, but will be getting some kit-cats after we get moved in a couple of weeks.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Northwest US

FAVORITE COLOR: Black

FAVORITE FOODS: French fries, chips, and the occasional cinnamon roll

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Dancing, running

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Sacrament, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, Anything By Clive Barker

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Pink Floyd’s The Wall, High Fidelity,

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Don’t watch a lot of TV right now, but I’ll catch an occasional Mythbusters

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Green Day, The Ramones, rock, punk, pretty much anything to some extent (with the exception of country).

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Stress, I hate watching what I eat, I like drinking with my friends (musicians = free booze).

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Hopefully I’ll stick with it. I’ve found a place where I can maintain without obsessing over food, but I’d really like my clothes to fit again. Unfortunately those two aren’t mutually exclusive.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Whole, healthy foods with an occasional deviation.

RELIGION: N/A

POLITICS: The less stupid the better.

PIERCINGS: 4 active, 4 others closed

TATTOOS: A few. Currently working on half sleeves for both arms.

Just me!
 

This is definitely a support group for me! I've also contributed to the 100 lb. Club, and have been reading the 20-Somethings. They all fit!

My name is Jen, I'm turning twenty-five soon. I'm Aquarius.

Separated from a very badly thought out marriage, and getting divorced this year. I have been with my current boyfriend for almost two years.

I describe myself as a nerd/geek/gamer.

I have my ears pierced and gauged, and six facial/body piercings. Have many others that have closed.

I want tattoos, but, I don't want to get any before I've lost all of my extra weight.

I like metal, alternative, grunge, punk, classic rock, techno, pop, and... Well, lots of music.

I spend a lot of time on my laptop, reading forums, news articles, and just whatever I happen to Google.

My boyfriend and myself both play World of Warcraft in the evenings.

I like horror movies, a little anime, comedies, drama, and documentaries.

I'm agnostic.

I also have a daughter, who I'm probably spending time with if I'm not online. Studying with her to make her super smart! Ha-ha.

I love animals. I have three ferrets, and an anole. I pride myself in taking the best care of my pets that I can, and I'm not shy about providing useful information when it comes to pet care.

I love reading and learning new things.

I enjoy educational television shows ( Travel Channel, TLC, History. ), cartoons, reality shows ( Wife Swap! ), and court shows ( Judge Judy! ).

I'm currently unemployed, living with my single mom, my younger sister, and my daughter. I am actively looking for a job, and hope to go to school at some point, probably for nursing.

I have over 100 lbs. to lose at 230 lbs.

5'2".

I'm doing low carb/low cal.

My biggest downfall when it comes to weight loss is not having enough patience.

I'd love to talk to any fellow Alternachicks out there! I have AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN chat messengers. If you think you'd like to have a conversation outside of this forum, message me with what chat service you use, and we'll hook up! :D ( Edit: For some reason, I assumed that this forum had user-to-user messaging, but, I can't seem to find it. I'll be sure to add more of my contacts to my profile. )

We can talk about our diets, how much weight we've lost, our tips, tricks, how much it sucks to be overweight, how we can't wait to reach our goals, and we can keep each other on track! Or, you know, anything we feel like talking about.

Not interested in talking about religion or politics.

NAME: Nay

BIRTHDAY: June 22

MARITAL STATUS: Quite single.

TOP WEIGHT: 277

CURRENT WEIGHT: 265

GOAL WEIGHT: 175-ish

EYE COLOR: Green

HAIR COLOR: Uh, thats a hard one. Its in the process of growing out from years of black dye jobs and a few failed stripping attempts. So its black, red, blonde, brown, a bit of orange. It goes to my waist, so growing out the natural blonde is going to take a while...

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Music, art, computers

PETS: My little black pomeranian, Gizmo. <3

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Colorado

FAVORITE COLOR: Black or purple

FAVORITE FOODS: Hot wings, burn your mouth and make your eyes water hot wings. :D

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Biking, walking, cardio

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Too many to name, favorite authors are Poppy Z Brite, Laurell K Hamilton and Edward Lee

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Any good horror movie.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Simpsons, Family Guy, House, Bones

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Super eclectic tastes here, but my favorites are Skold, KMFDM, Gothminister, Static X, Rob Zombie, Tool, Dope Stars Inc, Hanzel und Gretyl.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I get over emotional or stressed and all I want to do is binge.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm finding new ways to cope with my emotional levels - one big one is working out until I'm calm and tired. I've got a lot invested emotionally and financially to losing the weight this time.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Metabolic Research Center

RELIGION: Agnostic. Grew up in the church and once I was old enough to have my own say, I decided it just wasn't for me.

PIERCINGS: Lip, eyebrow, 8 holes in each ear lobe, vertical industrial and tragus in left ear, horizontal industrial in right ear.

TATTOOS: Just one that covers my right forearm. When I reach my goal my gift to myself is going to be another tattoo.

NAME: Jaimie

AGE: 23

MARITAL STATUS: Single

TOP WEIGHT: 290

CURRENT WEIGHT: 272

GOAL WEIGHT: 130-135

EYE COLOR: blue

HAIR COLOR: natural- dark blond, current- pink w/ purple highlights, next- chestnut brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: reading, photography, scrapbooking, sewing, swimming, music, movies, shopping

CHILDREN: none and undecided if I want any

PETS: 3 dogs, 2 goldfish

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Southeast Michigan; Detroit Metro Area

OCCUPATION: unemployed, going to school for Psychology

FAVORITE COLOR: blue

FAVORITE FOODS: pizza, pasta, garlic, bread, homemade cookies

FAVORITE EXERCISE: swimming

FAVORITE AUTHOR(S): A few...Jane Austen, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Laurell K. Hamilton, Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Keri Arthur, Stephanie Meyer, Katie MacAlister, Stephanie Rowe, Jacquelyn Frank, Kerrelyn Sparks, Lynsay Sands, Meg Cabot, MaryJanice Davidson, Claire Delacroix, Colleen Gleason, Lara Adrian, Eloisa James, Susan Carroll, Anne Rice, Mary Shelley, Phillipa Gregory, Charlotte Bronte, Nancy Mackenzie, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Juliet Marillier, Kim Harrison, Yasmine Galenorn, Colleen Gleason, Cate Tiernan, Kelley Armstrong, P.C. Cast, Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead and Lauren Willig

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): The Princess Bride, Robin Hood Men In Tights, Pride & Prejudice, Trainspotting, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany's, the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles, Garden State, Almost Famous, Elizabethtown, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mean Girls, Kill Bill 1 & 2, The History of the World Part 1, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, The Raiders of the Lost Arc, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Mystic Pizza, Casino Royale, The Devil Wears Prada, Walk the Line, Knocked Up, Superbad, Talledega Nights, Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, Wedding Crashers, The Dutchess, Some Like It Hot, MASH, Blazing Saddles, The Philidelphia Story, Ghostbusters, There's Something About Mary, Animal House, Caddyshack, Father of the Bride, Good Morning Vietnam, Roman Holiday, An Affair to Remember, My Fair Lady, The African Queen, It Happened One Night, To Catch A Thief, The Bridges of Madison County, The Addams Family, Hocus Pocus, Hot Shots, Star Trek

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Don't watch much TV live, but I TiVo, Hulu, or get them from Netflix...Psych, Ghost Hunters, NCIS, Alias, Buffy, Gilmore Girls, True Blood, Castle, Chuck, 90210, Project Runway, Royal Pains, and Top Chef

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: here are some that I like...AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, Bach, Bayside, The Beatles, Beethoven, Beyonce, Billy Squire, Black Sabbath, Blink 182, Blue Oyster Cult, Bob Dylan, Bob Segar, Bon Iver, Boston, Brad Paisley, Brand New, Britney Spears, Carrie Underwood, The Cars, CCR, Cheap Trick, Christina Aguleria, The Clash, The Clientele, Coconut Records, Coldplay, The Cranberries, CSN, Damien Rice, Damien Rice, Death Cab ,for Cutie, The Decemberists, Depeche Mode, Destiny's Child, Dolly Parton, The Doors, The Eagles, Elton John, Enya, The Flaming Lips, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, The Four Tops Garth Brooks, George Strait, Godsmack, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Hawthorne Heights, Heart, Interpol, Jack's Mannequin, Jack Johnson, J.Geils Band, Jay-Z, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Eat World, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Josh Turner,Journey, Kansas, Keane, Kenny Chesney, Kings of Leon, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Letters to Cleo, Lynyrd Synyrd, Madonna, Machester Orchestra, Marvin Gaye, Michael Buble, Modest Mouse, Mozart, Muse, Nelly, Neil Young, Nirvana, No Doubt, Oasis, Paramore, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pete Yourn, Phantom Planet, Pink Floyd, The Postal Service, Queen, RHCP, Regina Spektor, REO Speedwagon, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Ryan Adams, The Shins, Silversun Pickups, Simon & Garfunkel, The Smiths, Something Corporate, Spencer Davis Group, The Starting Line, STP, The Stills, Straylight Run, The Strokes, Sufjan Stevens, The Supremes, Supertramp, Taking Back Sunday, The Talking Heads, Taylor Swift, Tchaikovsky, Ted Nugent, Tegan & Sara, The Temptations, Ten Years After, Tim McGraw, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, U2, Van Halen, Vivaldi, The Weakerthans, The White Strips, The Who, Wings, The Wreckers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, .38 Special

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I have a carb addiction....

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I want to spend the second half of my 20s happy and not be held back because of my weight

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: I've joined WW and follow the points system, but will switch to the Core program eventually. I'm trying to eliminate overly processed foods, cook at home more, and I've eliminated beef and pork from my diet.

RELIGION: I was baptized Catholic when I was a child, but lean more towards spiritual and pagan.

POLITICS: semi-liberal

PIERCINGS: ears for now, nose and lip soon :D

TATTOOS: none yet, but when I reach goal, it's something I've promised myself that I will get done

NAME: Lisa

AGE: 28

MARITAL STATUS: Single

TOP WEIGHT: 225

CURRENT WEIGHT: 225

GOAL WEIGHT: 150

EYE COLOR: green

HAIR COLOR: light brown with blonde streaks

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: music - going to gigs, bad tv, watching sports, glassware/antiques, tattoos

CHILDREN: none yet, one day!

PETS: 2 cats, 1 dog

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Sydney, Australia

OCCUPATION: unemployed, studying Primary teaching in 2010!

FAVORITE COLOR: green

FAVORITE FOODS: chocolate anything!

FAVORITE EXERCISE: swimming

FAVORITE AUTHOR(S): Hmmmm that is a hard one, i usually ready biographies and autobiographies particularly about musicans. have read a few by marian keyes

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): The Notebook, Oceans 11/12/13, The Castle, Bridget Jones Diary, Love Actually, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Grease, Dirty Dancing...........

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): usually the trashier the better, luv reality tv! also documentaries on social issues, sex and the city, seinfeld, the news!

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: sooo many but a few favourites, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Fiona Apple, Cat Empire, ac/dc, them crooked vultures, eskimo joe, sarah blasko, the doors, neil young, elton john, powderfinger........

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Exercise phobia and binge eating....

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Tired of carrying this extra baggage, time to move forward and feel confident in myself for the first time in many years.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Calorie watch and exercise

RELIGION: nil really. although not atheist

POLITICS: semi-liberal

PIERCINGS: ears

TATTOOS: 5 tattoos, on back wrist and ankle. cannot wait til i reach my goal weight and i can get another! would like my back to be a full piece eventually.

Hi, I'm Karen. :wave: You may have seen me elsewhere. ;)

Although I've been posting in a few different forums on this site, I've been lurking around all over the place trying to figure out where I might fit in. I used to be a bit of a goth girl myself way back in the mid-90's (was "goth" even a term back then?) but strayed away from it out of self-consciousness, I think. But at the same time, I never really felt I fit in with the "norm" and have been told I'm a "free spirit." Maybe this is a good home for me? :dizzy: I've lately hit a slump with my weight loss and have spent a lot of time looking within for answers.

I've always considered myself an artist and have often teetered on the quirky side. I love to draw cartoonish, pin-up style girls with the curvy type of figures I'd love to have myself, lol . . . I'm an apple so I feel like I've got all my curves in the wrong places. :p

I'm 5' 8" and currently in the vicinity of 250 pounds. I hit 360 at my highest (possibly more) so I've lost over 100 pounds. :) I'd like to lose another hundred though and I'm especially eager about the next 30 since I suspect that might get me out of plus sizes. ;)

I used to dye my hair burgundy but I've been at my natural brown for a few years now. I have blueish/greenish eyes and love having very fair skin. I've been known to sunburn in fifteen minutes or less, and here I am, living in the desert! I do pretty well to stay out of the sun though.

I'm originally from the midwest, but moved to Vegas to be with the special guy I met online a couple years ago. It's been an emotional roller coaster but he's been good to me and I haven't regretted a moment of it. :D No kids yet but I've got a tuxedo cat named Koji.

I used to want to get a tattoo and my nose pierced when I lost weight several years back, but I feel like I'm getting too old for that kind of thing and will probably chicken out! Or maybe it's more like . . . well, I'm picky, and I don't know if I could ever settle on a specific tattoo and be happy having it for the rest of my life . . . what if I don't like it ten years from now? :o

As for movies and TV, I'm really into animation more than anything, but my overall interest has waned more and more in the past few years (I sorta went through a lot with my ex and I think it changed me). I like all sorts of music; Tori Amos, The Wallflowers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, and tons more. I guess my favorite genre would be the 90's though, purely for nostalgia purposes. ;)

If I ever seem withdrawn, it's because I have agoraphobia. It's pretty easy to hide since I'm online, but even then it can affect my posting habits. At my worst point I had severe panic attacks, had no clue what was wrong, and couldn't even leave the house on my own. I'm doing much better now that I know what the real problem is; knowing has allowed me to look for support and find ways to cope. Something that's helped is forcing myself out to be social again in the form of a YMCA membership and TOPS meetings.

Anyway, this looks like a cool place to hang out . . . so here I am getting my introduction post out of the way. ;)

NAME: Kelli

BIRTHDAY: August, 25

MARITAL STATUS: Married almost 3 years

TOP WEIGHT: 184

CURRENT WEIGHT: 177

GOAL WEIGHT: 130

EYE COLOR: Grey

HAIR COLOR: Dark blonde with highlights and black underneath

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Drawing, painting, reading, video games

PETS: Three boxer dogs.. one of which is a rescue from Austin

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Southeast Texas.. booooring!

FAVORITE COLOR: GREEN!

FAVORITE FOODS: Anything chocolate, cheese, pizza.. mmmm

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Just got into doing 30DS.. other than that I hate it!

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Series by Catherine Feehan – “The Dark” series

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Too hard to pick just one.. love too many.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): NCIS, Weeds, Bones, Inuyasha, Cowboy Beebop.. to name a few. I love anime!

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Same with movies.. I like it all!

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Enjoy eating wayyyy to much.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Its not only about looking good, but its also about my health.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: LA weight loss.. worked in the past, but I quit 

RELIGION: Raised Southern Baptist. I am a Christian, but not quite sure on some things.

POLITICS: Eh.. I vote for the best “candidate”. Or I just don’t vote.

PIERCINGS: 7 in my ears, 1 in my nose and bellybutton, but I don’t wear jewelry in that one.. belly roll hurts it. LOL

TATTOOS: Only one, but I want more! Just too picky to decide on something.

Glad to see new chicks joining!!!!