[VaKimi]

Screen Name: VaKimi

Age/Age Range: 26

Family Life: married 3 kids (18, 16 and 12)

Occupation: At home phone rep

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, movies, online games and cooking

Favorite Music: mainly country but a little of everything

Favorite Color(s): blue, purple and green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: clicking my mouse on netflix

What are your fitness/health goals? to not be tired so easily

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Got made fun of in public at a concert

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? my self esteem

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? tendency to emotional eat

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my husband's friends wives hehe

[UpNorthSue]

Screen Name: UpNorthSue

Age/Age Range: 45

Family Life: Married 20 years. No kids.

Occupation: Self-employed psychotherapist

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, bad sci-fi shows, hiking, music, cross country skiing, crossword puzzles, dogs.

Favorite Color(s): Purple

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking, jogging, skiing, swimming

What are your fitness/health goals?
Lose weight, feel more comfortable in my body, more energy, less pain

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?
Clothes not fitting, and I'm tired of feeling self conscious. Can't afford to buy another size up.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Feeling unmotivated. I sometimes resent the pressure to look a certain way (age has mellowed me-when I was younger, I would use the phrase '**** your fascist beauty standards'). I find great comfort in eating and I feel anxious when I can't snack.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
More consistent exercise. Less snacking

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? Truthfully, it's hard to see myself looking better than anyone. I have pretty good looking friends. I guess I want to look better than my sister in law.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
Sundress

[kellrell]

Screen Name: KellRell

Age/Age Range: 26

Family Life: newly wed with an 8 month old beautiful baby girl

Occupation: Psychiatric Nurse

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, watching tv, playing with my daughter, walking

Favorite Music: I dabble here and there. Favourite is alternative an Indie Rock

Favorite Color(s): Pink/Purple

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: I love the treadmill. But I want to start Yoga

What are your fitness/health goals? To be healthier, to lose 90 lbs and be able to play with my children (present and future) without getting tired.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? watching the scale go up for the last 7 years. But right this moment, was realizing my jeans were getting tight and I couldnt bear to go to the store to buy size 20.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I put myself down way to easy and I give up incredibly fast when something doesnt go my way.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Mindless eating, actually doing the exercises and not making excuses, planning my meals ahead of time.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my ex bestfriend. and secretly my now best friend. skinny Biatches lol

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
I can not wait to wear some of my old clothes. but my favourite thing to wear would be my size 7 jeans again. I bought brand new jeans and hadn't even gotten to wear them (it was summer and too hot) and when I could wear them I had gained already and they didn't fit.

[Em Coconut]

Screen Name: Em Coconut

Age/Age Range: 23

Family Life: Married, no kids

Occupation: no job at the moment

Hobbies and Interests: travelling, music, movies, hanging out with friends...

Favorite Music: hard rock/metal

Favorite Color(s): Black, blue, hot pink.

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: cross trainer, weight machines

What are your fitness/health goals?: I just wanna look hot and feel good

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: When I realized that I had gone from happy and cheery to depressed and wanting to hide away from all people.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: lack of patience...

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: Less snacks, more veggies, and actually going to the gym.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : Honestly, all the girls i know

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?: Skirts, dresses, shorts, and tops that don't hide my arms!

[Fatness]

Screen Name: Fatness

Age/Age Range: 26

Family Life: I live with my husband

Occupation: Student @ Capella for MS clinical psychology

Hobbies and Interests:PlayStation 3, family time, traveling to Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan,St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Morocco.

Favorite Music: African, Arabian,Spanish,electro, opera and old classic American music from the 1920-1950s

Favorite Color(s): Pink.

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:Elliptical and jogging

What are your fitness/health goals? to be healthy

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Once the doctor told me I was 278; and that my weight was why i could not have a period. That's when I knew I had to do something.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Food!!!! While I can eat what I want; The question is I'm I willing to stay in the gym to burn it off!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Feeling unmotivated.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
I only have one and that is to eat a little more!

(Evil motivation ) There is no one; my husband say I'm the most beautiful woman in the world to him! So, blank the rest! However, I have never compared my self to anyone. I love everything about me, but i do want to lose weight to be more healthier.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? I can't wait to ware this Whorish dress my hubby got me! It is so sexy and I can't wait to put it on. I can get in it now, but it will look better with no belly! lol...

[Rocky Horror]

Screen Name: Rocky Horror (Oh Rocky!!)

Age/Age Range: 25

Family Life: Three beautiful dogs!!

Occupation: Substitute teacher/eternal student

Hobbies and Interests: Belly dancing, singing, musical theatre, acting, reading, writing, travel, exercise

Favorite Music: Musical theatre, rock, punk rock, and techno

Favorite Color(s): Red!

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Belly dancing and walking

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to achieve a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I am at my highest weight and it is affecting me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am also on the verge of Type II Diabetes (I am hyperglycemic).

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I am an emotional eater and I struggle with an eating disorder.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Better choices and more movement

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : My old self!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? A gorgeous dress

[Learning 2 Live]

Screen Name: Learning 2 Live

Age/Age Range: 30

Family Life: Unmarried, no children.

Occupation: Let's just leave that for later...

Hobbies and Interests: Watching movies, working out, spoonyexperiment.com, Gelato

Favorite Color(s): Dark Grey

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Working out with my trainer, Nia, Zumba, trying to get into jogging. Love swimming, but too embarrassed to get into a swim suit in front of others, so I don't swim.

What are your fitness/health goals? Get rid of all these fat rolls, increase endurance, be able to do dumbell push ups, jog 3 miles with ease, and eat healthy

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I'm just so tired of being so lumpy and embarrassed of myself. I look like the damn Michelin Man and I want to be smooth, hot and smexy. And I want the outer me to match the inner me.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? My diet. I've found a great group of women to work out with so I don't feel so alone in this. But I've watched the other women transform their bodies over the past 4 months and I look the same. While I can exercise, my diet has been atrocious and so I haven't lost any weight. It's HARD for me not to eat. Because when I'm not eating I'm more aware of how disappointed I am with myself and my life and I become anxious and angry. Also, I can't actually visualize myself at my target weight. I know that focusing on the goal is a big part of motivating yourself, but I honestly can't picture myself at that weight. Last time I was 160 lbs I was 13 years old. How am I supposed to imagine myself as a grown woman at that weight?

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Eat way more vegetables, drink way more water, add more cardio.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? I want to look better than Beyonce, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez combined!!!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
OMG, A TENNIS DRESS. I don't even like tennis. I have no interest in playing tennis. But, oh do I want to wear a tennis dress with... get this, the NY Yankees symbol on it. And I don't even like baseball! That and of course swimwear.

[Natlyne]

Screen Name: DougsGirl

Age: 31

Family Life: Commited, Long Distance Relationship, No Children

Occupation: Manufacturing/Desk Job

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, Cooking/Baking, Video Games

Favorite Music: Anything that makes me feel good!

Favorite Color(s): Rich Blues, Purples, Greens, Browns

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking

What are your fitness/health goals? To get 60minutes of exercise a day/To lose 80lb

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Seeing the scale hit 241

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Emotional Eating

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Getting exercise daily/Not using food for comfort/Reducing Sodium

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? Hmmm, I dunno!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Regular size clothes!! I cannot wait to walk into ANY store I want and buy some pretty clothes!!

[Blue Jeans]

Screen Name: Blue Jeans

Age/Age Range: 30’s

Family Life: Married, 5 kids

Occupation: stay at home mommy

Hobbies and Interests: love animals

Favorite Music: hard rock/metal

Favorite Color(s): blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: walking, Leslie Sansone

What are your fitness/health goals?: feel great and get some of that energy back

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: when I realised I was on the brink of being overweight

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: over eating

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: Less snacks and munchies

[Kopuiylopiu]

Screen Name: Kopuiylopiu

Age/Age Range: 20

Family Life: In a relationship with a lovely man <3

Occupation: Medication Technician

Hobbies and Interests: Photography, Hula Hooping

Favorite Music: Everything really, except country.

Favorite Color(s): Turquoise, Green, Purple

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking

What are your fitness/health goals?: Lose weight, tone up, feel great.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: I went to a doctor for a physical, and she made it apparent to me that I was slightly overweight. Before that I really didn't notice, but now its completely obvious to me.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: over eating, not excerpting enough, and breaking diets

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: My thoughts about food, my attitude about myself, and I need to get over the fact that exercise is not fun for me. Ha.

[akm0036]

Age: 32
Family Life: married
Occupation:Stay at home with 2 kids (2 yrs and 2 mnths)
goals? To loose 50 lbs.
Trigger: My friend slipped and said she was hotter than me. For the past five years I have let myself go due to depression, pregnancy and fertility treatments. I even booked WLS and I have decided to cancel it and try on my own first!
Struggles? Over eatting, eating out and mayo.
Three things to improve? 1. stick to something. 2. stop drinking so much wine 3. stop eating out.

[CircClerkJen]

Screen Name: CircClerkJen

Age/Age Range: 41

Family Life: Married 20 years to super supportive man and have two boys- 20 & 17

Occupation: Circulation manager for public library

Hobbies and Interests: crafting, watching TV (reality junkie), family time

Favorite Music: whatever is current rock, pop, alternative

Favorite Color(s): Pink, pink and more pink

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Treadmill, elliptical, any Walk Away the Pounds DVD

What are your fitness/health goals?: lose weight, gain energy, and just feeling better overall.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: One day getting ready for work, trying to stuff myself into my clothes and looking in the mirror- “That’s it I have got to do something!”

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: portion control, exercise, and motivation- a few years ago I got down to 209 and then complacent and the weight came all right back. I don’t want a repeat performance of this again!!!

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: Healthier eating, more consistent exercise, and realizing this is a “marathon and not a sprint!” When I fail I just need to pick myself up and keep on going- I am worth this!

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? I have always been larger than my husband, so I would love to be able to put on a pair of his jeans and one of his shirts!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
a swimsuit of my choice and not one that would just fit

[LaurelRenae]

Screen Name: LaurelRenae

Age/Age Range: 27

Family Life: Married one son, two horses, two dogs, chickens and ducks, two barn cats and one chinchilla.
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Hobbies and Interests: Running, horse back riding, reading and cooking.

Favorite Music: Alternative

Favorite Color(s): Pink and Blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Running, horseback riding, Zumba on the Wii

What are your fitness/health goals?: lose weight

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: I once weighed 193 lbs and lost over 60 lbs. Once I hit 154/155 lbs, again, I knew I had to do something! I know if I don't change things now, its only going to get harder.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: Portion control.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: More veggies, exercise more, and consistency with all of it.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than?: To be honest, I've had someone that was really mean to me recently. I'm already in better shape than her but I'd like to look healthier the next time I run into her.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Shirts that are more fitted. I'm planning a shopping spree when I reach my goal!

[YaYaGirl]

Screen Name: YaYaGirl

Age/Age Range: 35

Family Life: Two kids, one husband

Occupation: Restaurant owner

Hobbies and Interests: Being a mom, reading, movies

Favorite Music: Pop, rock

Favorite Color(s): Black and aqua

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Zumba and yoga

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to be able to keep up with my kids

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I am headed towards my highest weight and I get winded picking up my one year old. Enough is enough!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I feel like I don't have time to track and make health foods.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Get moving, plan my menus, track consistently

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? Me, right now

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Skinny jeans!

[OhThePlaces]

Screen Name: OhThePlaces

Age/Age Range: 28

Family Life: Married for 6 years. We have a 3.5 year old and a 1 year old

Occupation: Teacher

Hobbies and Interests: The gym, dogs, fashion, movies,

Favorite Music: Hip hop, pop, country

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Zumba, treadmill, elliptical

What are your fitness/health goals? To lose 10 pounds and tone up

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? My clothes were no longer fitting

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Not seeing quick results. Now that I only have a few pounds left to lose, they're holding on for dear life!

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Emotiobal eating, eating less processed food and hopping back on the wagon when I fall off.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : All of my husband's co-workers wives. Haha