Indigal's Bio....
 

NAME: Kitty

BIRTHDAY: Sept. 3rd

AGE: 44

MARITAL STATUS: Single

DOMICILE: I have lived in rural India for 16 years & eastern US.

TOP WEIGHT: 299

CURRENT WEIGHT: 260ish

GOAL WEIGHT: 150? (Maybe less when I get closer to goal)

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: Midnight Blue/Turquoise ( I think my natural hair color is light brown)

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Travel, Photography, Listening to Music (live & recorded)dancing

PETS: 2 dogs.. Mutts.. my girl is 14 & my boy is 9

FAVORITE COLOR: Hmm.. Blues.. All shades

FAVORITE FOODS: Indian, Mediterranean

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Squats to press combo is my current fave..

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Birdy,

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Game of Thrones, Castle,

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Omg.. Can't pick a fav. I love ALL music.. Pogues, Clash, Crass, Bob Marley, Hayden, Chieftains, Ani Difranco, Train, The Who, Queen, Aretha Franklin.. to name a few..

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I have tried my whole adult life to lose weight.. Portions is my biggest problem

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL:
my attitude... focusing on over all health & not numbers on a scale

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: No white flour, No sugar, No dairy, No processed food I can't recognize. & EXERCISE!!!

RELIGION: I'm a spiritual person...not religious, I follow an Indian spiritual master, Meher Baba.

PIERCINGS: Nose & multiple hoops up my ears

TATTOOS:Currently 2, a bracelet (dying rose with thorns, barbed wire & chain braided) & a spiritual emblem on my upper arm. I have many more planned when money comes & weight comes off.

NAME: Jamie

BIRTHDAY: September 13

AGE: 24

MARITAL STATUS: Single

TOP WEIGHT: 165

CURRENT WEIGHT: 140 - give or take 2 pounds a day

GOAL WEIGHT: 120

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Cars, Traveling, Driving through the country, anything outdoors, etc.

PETS: My pit. Chaos and my pug Ginger

FAVORITE COLOR: Pink

FAVORITE FOODS: Sushi, Annies Mac & Cheese, any pasta, pretty much anything

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Stair Stepper!

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Goodfellas, Casino, Blow, Nightmare Before Xmas (anything Tim Burton really)

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Weeds, Desperate Housewives, Nip/Tuck

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: I listen to anything and everything

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: When I crave something I just eat it, and then feel guilty afterwards. I sometimes think that because I kill myself at the gym I can make poor choices in my diet but I'm working on it

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I am definitely the most dedicated I've been this time around. I am actually sticking with it and even though I get frustrated, I'm not giving up

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Calorie counting, trying different things at the gym

RELIGION: Roman Catholic

PIERCINGS: Nose, Monroe, Snake Bites, Belly Button, Collar bone dermals, Tongue

TATTOOS: 12 total. "J" on my hand, "love & strength" on my inner wrists, 2 nautical stars on my wrists, half sleeve, quote on the top of my foot, anchor on my ankle for my dad, bows on the back of my legs, lower back tattoo, and hip tattoo

I'm definitely more alt than not. I tend to gravitate toward the social deviants, the artists, the gamers, the nerds, and the socially awkward.

Name. Marian, but I prefer Squid or Squid Vicious.

Age. 31

Marital Status: It's complicated? Mostly single? Married on paper?

Home. Philadelphia, PA

Work. Currently I'm bartending and waiting tables.

Weight. Ugh. Don't even want to think about it. Last time I weighed myself was months ago and it was in the 245 area. However, i've managed to drop most of a jeans size since then.

Stuff I like. Roller Derby, Video games, RPG's, Tabletop Games, LARP, Comic books, web comics, illustration, art, feminism, creepy weird poetry, beer, booze, boobs

Stuff I don't like. Organized Religion, patriarchy, sexism, drama, rap music (except nerdcore), pragmatism, logical thinking, regulations

Music: ThouShaltNot * Leonard Cohen * The Decemberists * Voltaire * Flogging Molly * Prem Joshua * Krishna Das * The Crannberries * Colin Malloy * Me First and the Gimme Gimme's * Bob Dylan * Billy Joel * Lady Gaga * Pink * MC Chris * MC Lars * MC Frontalot * Eminem * Jack Off Jill * Rasputina * Cruxshadows * KMFDM * PIG * Bad Religion * VNV Nation *

Books. All the books. Especially the graphic ones.

TV Shows and Anime: Battlestar Galactica * True Blood * Eureka 7 * Glee * House * Fringe * Invader Zim * Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy * Daria * Lie to Me * Ghost in the Shell SAC * X * Phineas and Ferb * Johnny Test * Deathnote (anime and live action) * Game of Thrones *

Religion. I believe in Karma and the Universe

Movies: Wall -E * Everything Miyazaki (I am working on building a complete collection.) * Amelie * Most things Pixar * Pan's Labyrinth * Helvetica * Iron Giant * The Millenium Trilogy * Star Wars * Star Trek * Transformers * Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind * I heart huckabees * King Corn * Devil Wears Prada * Monty Python * The Princess Bride * The Road * Zombieland * Watchmen *


Goals. Be a top roller derby skater, get a second bachelor's in illustration, write and illustrate a graphic novel, get a master's in fine art, win the lotto, lose 100 lbs, learn to play the piano, learn to sing, get a couple of half sleeve tattoos.

Politics. Liberal Anarchist? I believe everyone should take responsibility for their actions and be respectful of everyone. Mostly, I avoid politics because they irritate me.

NAME: D

AGE: 33

MARITAL STATUS: Married, 2yo son

TOP WEIGHT: 210 (unless were talking baby weight, then 240)

CURRENT WEIGHT: 205

GOAL WEIGHT: Not exactly sure, but would love to weigh 150 by Christmas (maybe not realistic, but that's what comes to mind)

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: I just finished my PhD, so I'm sort of rediscovering what hobbies/interests I have. I used to be a drummer in a punk band! I also play bass guitar and piano. I met my husband in drum corps. I go to Bonnaroo every year. I love researching events in my community and going on little mini-adventures. One fun example is our visit to the RC & Moon Pie Fest in Bell Buckle, TN. I love road trips! I love Just Dance (a wii game) and wish I could somehow turn that into a career.

PETS: 2 cats (1 crazy one, 1 grumpy one); 2 dogs (1 emo one, 1 Jack Russell)

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple and blue sparkle mix.

FAVORITE FOODS: Sushi, hibachi, lobster, fish tacos, fajitas

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Just Dance, P90X (esp Stretch and Kenpo), Tennis (I'm terrible), Slow jogging (aka shuffling), the weight machine circuit at my school gym

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): I love movies so much... so hard to pick favorites... I'll list some random ones that come to mind. Grosse Pointe Blank, The Invention of Lying, The Big Lebowski, The Bourne movies, The Men in Black movies, Brain Candy, anything by Matt and Trey, anything by Kevin Smith, anything involving Cameron Crowe

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Weeds, Desperate Housewives, Nip/Tuck

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Again, I love music so much, favorites are tough. Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, NIN, Nirvana, Faith No More, Pixies, Ramones, My Morning Jacket, Daft Punk, Ani DiFranco, Ben Kweller, Ben Folds

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Emotional/reward eating, general feelings of resentment that I don't deserve to be fat (unaccepting of the work I need to do), denial, never feeling full no matter how much I eat (psychological? chemical? not sure), having a toddler, grad school, etc. :)

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I am done with school. My child is in day care. I need to get a handle on this before I get a job and THAT becomes the reason I can't change my lifestyle. I'm ready. I'm not in denial. I still feel like it's unfair, but it's kinda like, "Well, okay. It's unfair. Life's unfair. Let's get to work."

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Intermittent fasting, limiting carbs, counting calories, doing one physical activity each day (whatever that means... I'm working on it)

RELIGION: Nope

PIERCINGS: Nope

TATTOOS: Nope

Hello there, I'm not sure whether anyone would ever class me as alternative. But I doubt anyone would ever class me as mainstream either. I sort of float out in the ether somewhere. I used to feel deeply uncomfortable in my own skin, but the older I become the better I feel and the happy I am to be the person I am... eclectic, a little odd, a book worm, political....

I'm 27, I'm about to finish my masters in Social Policy and am starting a Ph.D in September.I'm single and have no children. The single thing doesn't bother me particularly, but I desperately want children one day. My biggest fear is that I will never get the opportunity.

dieting/food: 2010 was, categorically, the worst year of my life. I went through some very upsetting and traumatic experiences and suffered profoundly. As a result I put on a significant amount of weight. In January 2011, I was jolted back into reality and became pretty obsessed with losing weight. I lost 28 lbs in 2 months - not healthy! After that I got a hold of myself, started going to therapy and started losing weight healthily. At around 145ish I got satisfied with my weight and wandered off the diet trail... but I am back to finish off the job!

Books: Slaughterhouse Five, A Secret History, The Handmaid's Tale, The Shipping News, anything and everything by Richard Yates...

Movies: I like the indie genre, though I'm not fussy enough to require an indie budget... I like anything with Mark Duplass or Greta Gerwig in it, anything by Wes Anderson, Away We Go, Your Sisters Sister, Stranger than Fiction. I am also a fan of sillyness: Airplane, Groundhog Day...

TV: West Wing, Parks and Rec, Portlandia, Community, Mad Men, I love me a bit of Grey's Anatomy.... really enjoying Orange is the New Black

Random facts: I really like words that are an amalgam of other words - whatsoever, albeit, notwithstanding, hitherto. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love to write and sing and I just started decorating cakes.

NAME:Sharon

BIRTHDAY:July 19

AGE: 32

MARITAL STATUS: Married

TOP WEIGHT: 250

CURRENT WEIGHT: 233

GOAL WEIGHT: 150 ish

EYE COLOR: brown

HAIR COLOR: Black and depending on my mood, purple, pink, blue or red... right now black and red

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Loud music, video games, reading and spending time with my kidlets

PETS: My dog Tank and my cats Emily and Mitzi

FAVORITE COLOR: Pink..black. especially together

FAVORITE FOODS: tostitos and el paso cheese dip.... yummmmm

FAVORITE EXERCISE: walking

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Nightmare Before Xmas, Alice in Wonderland and The Crow

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Spartacus, Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, Game of Thrones

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Anything loud. Pantera will always be a favorite though

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I'm a "bored" eater. When I can't find something for my hands to do, IU'll eat. I've started keeping sunflower seeds near me just in case. You gotta work to get those buggers out of their shells before you can eat them, so it makes for a frustrating snack, and you don't eat as many!

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I really don't know. It just feels different.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Calorie counting, 30 day challenges.. being accountable for my actions

RELIGION: spiritual in my own way

PIERCINGS: Nose, tongue, labret, ears

TATTOOS: a skull and a pineapple on my one wrist, a hummingbird and morning glory on my forearm, eeyore on my hip, a cross on my calf, a maple leaf on my foot, a turtle on the back of one shoulder, and a red-eyed treefrog on the other... so...8??

NAME: Jenna

BIRTHDAY: July 22

AGE: 19

MARITAL STATUS: Single

TOP WEIGHT: 196

CURRENT WEIGHT: 168

GOAL WEIGHT: 140

EYE COLOR: grey

HAIR COLOR: sandy brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Comics, writing, tabletop RPG, feminism, science

PETS: sadly none :( pets aren't allowed in my apartment

FAVORITE COLOR: red

FAVORITE FOODS: Chinese, pizza, chocolate... you know, anything that's NOT good for you!

FAVORITE EXERCISE: walking

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Marvel movies, the Losers, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Star Trek, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Psych, Firefly, Star Trek (TOS), Elementary, Marvel cartoons (shh I'm an adult), How I Met Your Mother,

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: I really like power metal. For bands...Master Plan, Poets of the Fall, Three Days Grace...

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Binge eating *headdesk*

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I do the grocery shopping haha

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Calorie counting. Also (and this is kind of strange, but it really works) I tape a bunch of pictures of grumpy/disapproving superheroes to the fridge and cabinets. Nothing like a disappointed Captain America to make you think twice about eating those extra calories.

BOOKS: Any marvel comics, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Bell Jar, Harry Potter, Blood Meridian (I'm all over the place haha)

RELIGION: Complicated mixture of science and faith

PIERCINGS: Just my ears. I don't do needles well haha

TATTOOS: None, for the same reason as above, although I may just brave it anyway as a reward for making goal.

NAME:Debbie

BIRTHDAY:September 24th

AGE: 45

MARITAL STATUS: Married

Kids: 2 girls. 1 is following my footsteps - 15 has nose pierced & purple hair listens to all my old music! Ramones, Bauhaus and sometimes some Yaz. The younger is still finding her way. Dad takes them to some great concerts! Heavy metal - which I'm not really into.

TOP WEIGHT: 171

CURRENT WEIGHT: 163

GOAL WEIGHT: 130-ish

EYE COLOR: brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown - but dying it dark red burgundy brown in about an hour. :D

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:Camping, hiking, biking, embroidery (check out sublime stitching - I love her stuff!)

PETS: A cat, a dog, 2 snakes & a bearded dragon. (The turtle & leopard gecko died about 2 months ago) It's a zoo here.

FAVORITE COLOR: Orange & black

FAVORITE FOODS: Mexican food

FAVORITE EXERCISE: hiking

FAVORITE MOVIE(S):anything by Tim Burton.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Portlandia, Arrested Development.

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: It varies. Right now I'm loving Skillet

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS:Portion control. If it tastes good I want more!

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I have a partner in this - my husband.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: I've gone gluten free since January 1, 2013. Found that it wasn't the pasta sauce giving me heartburn - it was actually the pasta. Now that I've cut out gluten I feel so much better!

RELIGION: Christian

PIERCINGS: ears

TATTOOS: 2. A green elephant and a daisy - different places on my body.

NAME: Reese!

BIRTHDAY: February 11th

AGE: 25

MARITAL STATUS: ~Single~

TOP WEIGHT: 222 lbs

CURRENT WEIGHT: 173 lbs!!

GOAL WEIGHT: 140 lbs for now, possibly lower once I hit 140

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Way dark brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Oh gosh, idk, I like a lot of things. Reading, writing, running, running to the zombies run app especially omg, LGBTQ activism & in general keeping up with the community, feminism, I love music & am constantly on the prowl for new songs to throw into my run playlist, baking is super fun, so is gardening, looove science & science news, sharks & shark activism, also drawing, though I've been feeling so lazy on that front for awhile, but art in general is still a big interest for me regardless

PETS: I've got three goofy dogs, 2 yorkies and 1 maltese

FAVORITE COLOR: Orange! Or red. Maybe yellow. Turquoise is also a very nice color. Chartreuse on occasion.

FAVORITE FOODS: P i zz a, froyo, and manicotti

FAVORITE EXERCISE: I love to run & swimming is super fun, too

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Hmmmm.. Monty Python & the Holy Grail, D9, the Cornetto Trilogy omg, To Wong Foo, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Stonehenge Apocalypse, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Cutthroat Island, What Dreams May Come, Captain Blood, The Birdcage, and The Good the Bad and the Weird

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Supernatural, Elementary, Hannibal, Community, Breaking Bad, Pushing Daisies, Firefly, The Walking Dead, Dexter, Psych, Teen Wolf, X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chuck, Twin Peaks, Dead Like Me, and The Wire

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Q U E E N, if I could only listen to one band ever again, it'd be Queen.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Attempting to tell my cravings NO and giving in regardless has been my biggest hurdle. Boredom snacking, too

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I've been focusing on health this time, rather than self hate & punishment, and forming a support system for once

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Mostly just eating healthier & more frequently, while monitoring calories, sugar, & portions, as well as keeping super hydrated. Plus running 3 times a week

BOOKS: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, all of Discworld by Terry Pratchett, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Demian by Hermann Hesse, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and of course, Harry Potter, just all of it

RELIGION: I'm an atheist

PIERCINGS: I used to have so many piercings, but I've retired all except for my lobes, which are both 1/2"

TATTOOS: Only two so far, one on my ankle and one on the back of my neck. I'd love to have more, but I think I'll save for a big piece as a reward for hitting goal. Maybe a nice thigh piece, or you know, I've always kind of wanted half sleeves & possibly chest plates

NAME: Bridget, but prefers Mori

BIRTHDAY: November 14

AGE: 30

MARITAL STATUS: non existent ;)

TOP WEIGHT: 286

CURRENT WEIGHT: 268

GOAL WEIGHT: 150 ish, but probably be happy to get out of the 200s

EYE COLOR: Blue-green grey

HAIR COLOR: natural is medium brown, current is dark brown but have been red, blue, green, purple and black

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: makeup, macabre and goth/punk stuff

PETS: none

FAVORITE COLOR: black, but also likes purple and blue

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Chicago, IL

FAVORITE FOODS: Chinese, pizza, soda

FAVORITE EXERCISE: elliptical and swimming

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Inglourious Basterds, Thor, Little Miss Sunshine, Drop Dead Gorgeous

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): American Dad, The Walking Dead

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: lots of goth and punk. Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, etc. I also like newer bands like The Knife, Austra and some Lady Gaga.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Binge eating, snacking, portion control

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Tired of being overweight and having lack of confidence

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Calorie counting, intermittent fasting, portion control

BOOKS: The Hunger Games, What Was She Thinking?, John Dies At The End, and this biography on Carl Von Cosel (a necrophiliac)

RELIGION: atheist

PIERCINGS: My ears, but had both nostrils pierced and had snake bites not they are no longer there. I am getting my septum pierced as soon as I get $$

TATTOOS: Eye of Horus on back, geisha with cherry tree on left forearm. I will be getting a chest piece next year.

NAME: Midge

AGE: 27

MARITAL STATUS: Married

TOP WEIGHT: 65 kgs (143 lbs)

CURRENT WEIGHT: 56 kgs (123 lbs)

GOAL WEIGHT: 50 kgs (110 lbs) note: I'm tiny, around 5'2"

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: reading detective stories

PETS: none

FAVORITE COLOR: Black, maroon, purple

FAVORITE FOODS: carbs :)

FAVORITE EXERCISE: running, aerobics

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): blue velvet

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): black books, bbc's sherlock, it crowd, coupling,

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: sneaker pimps, muse, the organ, oasis, garbage, gossip, depeche mode, sonic youth, david, bowie, iggy pop, lady gaga

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I am too lazy for doing resistance training, and being on a budget doesn't help when you try to eat healthy. Oh, and I have a history with eating disorders, so I have to be careful with dieting.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: determination

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: eating more protein, less bread/ramen/potatoes, drinking less

RELIGION: I was raised as a roman catholic

PIERCINGS: 3 in left ear

TATTOOS: none

am I really an alternachick?
 

Name: Fiona, but you can call me Fi (pronounced "fee")

Birthday: February 22, 1955 (Pisces sun, Pisces moon, Aquarius ascending)

Age: 58

Appearance: Think Scandinavian, except short...Long, slightly wavy, naturally blonde hair (varies from light to darker depending on sun exposure) w/ scattered strands of silver that no one but me can see, greyish-blue eyes, semi-fair skin that easily tans to golden brown. I usually wear oversize tees w/ leggings & long skirts, like black rock-band tees w/ black leggings, also tie-dye & wearable art, long bead necklaces and silver jewelry, plus Birkenstocks all year 'round (socks w/ sandals? you bet!), black work boots in snow & ice.

Status: Married for 35 years to a botanist (trees) and all-round nature lover who has naturally multihued hair (brown, blond, copper, & silver) that is even longer than mine and a beard that was once red but is now mostly white. We are childfree by choice. Think of us as hippies/bohos and intellectuals, and you won't be too far off the mark.

Pets: None currently, but we are deeply committed to living with oriental shorthair cats: we've had two consecutive pairs of them, always littermates, brother & sister, and are currently awaiting the birth of our third pair.

Weights: See under avatar.

Career #1: Academic psychiatrist (M.D.) with special interests in teaching longterm psychoanalytic psychiatry, research in psychiatry/neurology overlap (mind/brain duality), & psychatric issues of medical/surgical patients.

Career #2: Nonfiction writer specializing in book reviews, essays, author interviews, & columns in horror literature & true crime.

Career #3: Collage and mail artist.

Interests: Mind/brain issues, horror literature, sailing, sharks, dinosaurs, rocks & fossils, art (mostly late 19th, 20th & 21st centuries), collage, mail art. I like writing long letters w/ a fountain pen, making envelopes by hand & decorating them with collage. I'm getting into languages these days: currently teaching myself French & Sanskrit.

Colors: Black, purples, blues & greens. But I love all colors, including red & orange. I look best in black, royal blue, turquoise, bright red, & sage green.

Exercise: Currently doing daily non-weight-bearing leg exercises to rehab an injured knee, plus light free weights for upper body. Plan soon to add swimming & walking. After I get into low 200s, will join a gym for body shaping/building. I want muscles!

Books: The more the merrier! My house is absolutely stuffed with them. Titles I read over and over again include Edgar Allan Poe's collected works, T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets, Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Don DeLillo's White Noise, Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano, Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Stephen King's The Shining and The Stand, Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, Suttree, and Blood Meridian. Favorite authors not already mentioned include Oscar Wilde, James Salter, Jorge Luis Borges, George R. R. Martin, Sylvia Plath, Patti Smith, Wallace Stevens, William Gay, Joe R. Lansdale, Flannery O'Connor, and whoa...too many more to list. I love just about all of horror literature. Currently reading the Civil War novels of Howard Bahr. I also like alternative comix, like Herriman, Crumb, Larry Marder, Jhonen Vasquez, and a bunch of graphic novels. My husband is a manga otaku.

Music: Ever since hearing her perform on my college campus in 1976, I'm been a huge fan of PATTI SMITH, all through her career. I was a teenager in the 1960s and early 1970s, so I love old rock-n-roll, early rock, and psychedelic rock. Also blues, blues rock, 1980s New Wave, industrial, grunge, garage, alternative. Too many favorite artists to list, but top faves include Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Allman Brothers, Talking Heads (plus David Byrne's solo career), Laurie Anderson, REM, Phish, Foo Fighters...I've been avidly listening to rock radio w/ live deejays ever since I was 9 yrs. old, including decades of alternative/college radio. Now I listen to Sirius XM, especially the channels called Deep Tracks, Jam On, B. B. King's Blues, Tom Petty's Buried Treasure, and Little Steven's Underground Garage.

Movies: Lots of sci-fi, horror, foreign, suspense thrillers, shoot-em-ups. Flicks I see over and over include everything by David Lynch, James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein (see avatar), Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Ghostbusters, Fight Club, the Alien(s) series, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. But most of all I like splatter pics in the tradition of Herschell Gordon Lewis, like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive and Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2. Every summer for over 20 years now I hold a splatter festival with fellow splat fans, watching around 23-25 flicks in a five-day marathon.

TV: Not much actually, but I've been an ardent fan of The Twlight Zone, Star Trek (all the series), Twin Peaks, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad.

Religion: Pagan (Indo-European wiccan/druidic with a significant dash of Hinduism.)

Politics: Lifelong Democrat on the far left end of the spectrum, Populist, Socialist, Progressive.

Activism: Peace, fat acceptance, shark conservation, civil rights, gay rights, animal rights, anti-commercialism, against power-seeking & money-seeking of all kinds.

Abiding Passions: Patti Smith, sailing, the ocean, omnivorous reading, sharks, Dada.

Piercings: Just two in my earlobes right now, but I've had others in the past. I'd like to have an eyebrow piercing, but have fears about rejection.

Tattoos: None yet, but I plan to get a Sanskrit tattoo of "shanti" (inner peace) three times on my inner forearm after I reach goal weight, and probably more.

Problem in Weight Loss: Emotional/compulsive eating of sweets. Also not very motivated because I genuinely like being fat.

What's Different This Time: I'm taking a vacation from my Big 3 problem foods (see sig), and I'm highly motivated because of some health problems that have arisen.

Weight Loss Plan: Atkins "induction" phase with all-organic veggies & dairy products, and meat that is humanely raised w/o antibiotics on organic feed.

Parting Thoughts: The Alternachicks section needs a regular chat thread! I hope we can get one started.

NAME: Chelaina

BIRTHDAY:January 11

AGE: 22

MARITAL STATUS: Single

TOP WEIGHT: 266

CURRENT WEIGHT: 263

GOAL WEIGHT: 160

EYE COLOR: Blue/green

HAIR COLOR: It's dyed brown right now, but it's naturally blonde

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Geeking out about books, movies, TV shows, my favorite actors (and cosplaying/meeting them when I can). I like to do crafts but I'm not artistically or musically inclined.

PETS: two dogs and three cats

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue. Like the color about half an hour after the sun sets, when it's that deep dark color

FAVORITE FOODS: a lot of things that are terrible for me. currently fighting my love for microwave popcorn.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Just Dance/Zumba. And I'm learning how to love running.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Moulin Rouge, Shawshank Redemption, almost any GOOD book to film adaptation, lots of others.

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): Supernatural is my all-time favorite, but Doctor Who, Pushing Daisies, Merlin, Scandal, Sherlock, Game of Thrones, Teen Wolf, almost any crime show (except CSI, tbh), Halt and Catch Fire, Legend of Korra and lots of others are definitely up there as well.

FAVORITE BOOKS: This one is just mean. Harry Potter will always be my first and best book love, anything by Tamora Pierce, the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, anything by Dickens or Fitzgerald (esp. A Tale of Two Cities and Tender is the Night). I really like fantasy novels, and I'm still all about the young adult genre.

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: I listen to mostly alternative/pop punk. Right now my most played artists are probably Wild Cub, Bleachers, and Hozier.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I have a tendency to binge, and on the most unhealthy food I can find. I also struggle with anxiety and depression, which make getting up and exercising very difficult.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm finally facing the real problems that I have, instead of ignoring them. I have to address my core issues before any of that weight is going to come off.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Taking it one step, one day, one goal at a time. Starting with water intake and cardio.

RELIGION: Agnostic, but spiritual

PIERCINGS: lower lip, belly button, cartilage, and double lobe.

TATTOOS: only 2... so far ;) Part of my weight loss goal is to be healthy and fit enough that I can get all of the tattoos that I want (like chakras down my back, or a couple thigh pieces) I have "Her time has come" on my right inner forearm, which is the first line of one of my favorite books. And the Fearless rune from the Mortal Instruments on my left shoulder.

Really happy and excited to meet all of you :)

NAME: Di

BIRTHDAY: Nov 20

AGE: 38

MARITAL STATUS: Engaged

TOP WEIGHT: 250

CURRENT WEIGHT: 233

GOAL WEIGHT: 125

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: Red Brown and starting to grey

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Leathercrafting, Soapmaking, Canning, Building wee tiny robots (playing with electronics) Reading, Comics, Video games, Tabletop RPG (playing and GMing), Origami, Collecting hobbies.

PETS: None at the moment. Too soon since the last one.

FAVORITE COLOR: Green

FAVORITE FOODS: Salty Snacks. They're my kryptonite.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: That's funny.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Labyrinth

FAVORITE TV SHOW(S): n/a

FAVORITE BAND/MUSIC: Prog Metal, Industrial, Goth. Stratovarius, Sabaton, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Symphony X, Dream Theatre, Two Steps from ****, Between the Buried and Me, Amon Amarth, Xandria, Revamp, **** Yeah, Ministry, Frontline Assembly, Grendel, Mindless Self Indulgence, Steam Powered Giraffe, Prodigy, Sisters of Mercy, and many others that come to mind if I sit and think about it.

&&& Really? H E (two tetris elbows) is censored? Consider the warm place to the south (no not Florida) inserted into the above censored asterisks. &&&

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Lack of motivation. We'll see if I can keep up the drive for this.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Not sure yet :) Never cared enough to make a real effort at taking it off before.

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: Weight Watchers

RELIGION: Personal.

PIERCINGS: Nada. Even the ears grew over.

TATTOOS: Tribal turtle on my right ankle, about 6 inches square

NAME: Anna

BIRTHDAY: March 27

AGE: Close enough to 40 to just say 40

MARITAL STATUS: Confirmed spinster

TOP WEIGHT: 210

CURRENT WEIGHT: 150ish

GOAL WEIGHT: 125

EYE COLOR: Amber (that sounds cooler than light brown)

HAIR COLOR: Dark brown with grey roots because I've gotten too lazy to dye them

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: reading, cooking, hiking/walking, weightlifting, yoga, crosstitch

PETS: two cats, Sinclair and Lucinda Williams (Lulu)

FAVORITE COLOR: blue/green, red/orange

FAVORITE FOODS: pizza, ice cream, cake, beer, wine, vodka, cured meats, cheese, french fries (Any idea yet why I'm here?)

FAVORITE EXERCISE: hiking, weightlifting

FAVORITE MOVIES: Hot Fuzz, Jaws

FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Broadchurch, Twin Peaks, How I Met Your Mother, Law & Order, Nashville, Doctor Who (but 9th and 10th Doctor only)

FAVORITE MUSIC: Loreena McKennitt, Emily Barker, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, Lucinda Williams, Gretchen Wilson

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Food is awesome and I love it. Lots of it, all the time. Also, binge eating disorder. And alcohol has calories.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN: intermittent fasting

RELIGION: batty self-created combo of Christianity/neo-paganism/bhakti yoga

PIERCINGS: Five in left ear, two in right. In a previous life, nose and eyebrow

TATTOOS: inner forearm - black ohm; right shoulder - 4 point star in Celtic knotwork; back - tiger face with orange lily border (I call it my tiger lily.)