Screen Name: coinlee (my childhood nickname)

Age/Age Range: 34

Family Life: married, with children (2); live far away from my mother/father/brother/sister and miss them everyday

Occupation: information services

Hobbies and Interests: cooking, writing, coffee, computers, finding ZEN

Favorite Music: dance, country, rock, you name it...I'm not into jazz, though

Favorite Color(s): purple, midnight blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: walking, stretching

What are your fitness/health goals? I need to drop 50lbs by the end of this year

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I bought the audiobook "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. It is extremely motivational and teaches you to take control of your life. I HIGHLY recommend it

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? exercising, activity, stress (I work, am a mother, and am a senior in college)

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? getting up earlier, eating smaller amounts -- slower, and validating myself (self-confidence)

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my husband !!!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? I have a brand new sparkly skirt and jeans that I've never worn and are a size 10 -- just waiting with the tags on for me to slip into them.

Count me in!!! Can't wait to get to know all of you!!

Screen Name:noranoranora

Age/Age Range:52

Family Life:married, 2 adult children, 3.5 grandchildren

Occupation:tradesperson at a nuclear plant

Hobbies and Interests:gardening, stained glass, bridge

Favorite Music:it's all my favourite

Favorite Color(s):love 'em all

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:swimming, walks

What are your fitness/health goals? I'd like to fit comfortable in an airplane seat and ride the roller coasters again.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I've never been so depressed and disappointed with myself in my whole life. I'm so GD tired of being fat.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?Keeping the creaky old arthritic knees moving...

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? I need to be more diligent with tracking, not so easy to give in to temptation and I really need to walk more. I alos need more discipline so I can plan my diet out better.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : Me.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? A nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
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Screen Name: BlackCherry

Age/Age Range: 20

Family Life: In a relationship (4 years) with my bf, living with him at my parents house, with my sister and her bf (full house lol)

Occupation: Sales associate technically, but I have a desk job now with the same company, they just neglect to change titles officially lol

Hobbies and Interests: I don't honestly know what hobbies I have lol. I like watching movies and reading and all that fun stuff, but I don't think I have a real hobby. I should get one.

Favorite Music: I like most anything but country or rap...though there is the odd song in both those categories that I don't mind. I'm not really picky.

Favorite Color(s): Pink and black

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking/running on the treadmill, lifting weights (not free weights though), kickboxing (though I haven't done it in ages)

What are your fitness/health goals? Lose weight, get fit, and be comfortable in my body.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I had lost weight before and was trying to ignore the fact that I was gaining it back, and finally I looked in the mirror and saw what I really looked like now and I'm completely unhappy with myself. I'm not sure why I let myself go back but I'm not impressed.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I'm an emotional eater and a very emotional person, so I need to learn to find a different way to deal with my emotions.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? I need more motivation to actually get out and move my butt, I'm a bit lazy.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : everyone! lol. I know realistically I'm not going to be the most attractive person everywhere I go, but I want to be comfortable enough with body that I feel like it.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Dresses. I'm not really a girly person, I live in jeans and hoodies, but the only reason I'm not girly is because I feel too fat to wear anything else. There are dresses and skirts out there that I'd love to wear, and I want to be able to do it and feel good in it. Right now I'm looking forward to having my black strapless dress fit again.

Screen Name: Runundefined

Age/Age Range: 43

Family Life: Wife, married 9 years- very happily

Occupation: Jewelry Designer

Hobbies and Interests: Beadwork, Wirework, Fashion (love glossy magazines), Reading (currently everything I can get my hands on about French Culture)

Favorite Music: I love all music.. depending on my mood.. currently listening to old school Madonna -High energy dance (just finished my workout)

Favorite Color(s): I LOVE color! Everything bright.. fav. are yellow, green, red and purple..

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: my main exercise right now is walking and listening to books on tape.. additionally I do 1-2 varied workouts on DVD a week.. I like it all and get bored easily...

What are your fitness/health goals?
Right now I want to have much more energy.. some day I would like to run 3 miles easily.. right now I can only run 2 blocks!

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?
I really just want to age gracefully! I want to look less "matronly".. truly it's more about my health now..

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
I LOVE to cook.. I am also very much a foodie.. I love fine food and wine. I wanted to be a pastry chef (famous for my cakes and decorated cookies).. I am such an all or nothing person.. I have pretty much had to take my focus off of food.. and learn to eat to live.. not live to eat..

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Each day is an improvement for me..

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
Myself at 25! (134 pounds) - perfect body then..

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
I don't really have a goal size.. just a vision of me at my goal..
I use this vision allot.. I live in Orlando and am surrounded by beautiful women- in great shap.. to me.. it is actually motivational.. you would think it would be depressing.. but it's not.. it keeps me on the road to where I want to be..

Screen Name: jokemo

Age/Age Range: 25

Family Life: Married since 2001, one daughter (age 2)

Occupation: CNA at the moment

Hobbies and Interests: Internet, sleep, music, and tattoos

Favorite Music: Hard rock, 80's and 90's alternative, some metal

Favorite Color(s): Red, pink, chocolate brown

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Right now, it's walking

What are your fitness/health goals?: I want to be thin and in shape. Also, I have PCOS, so hopefully losing weight will make all of my symptoms disappear

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: I just got sick of looking at myself every day, and always wearing the same 3 outfits every week because nothing else fits.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: Portion control. I have always loved food.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: More cardio time, more veggies, and more protein

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

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

Screen Name:Miette

Age/Age Range:35

Family Life:Happily Married, 4 kiddliwinks

Occupation:SAHM

Hobbies and Interests:attachment parenting, writing, reading

Favorite Music:Dave Matthews, XTC, REM, U2, Zero 7... etc... on and on

Favorite Color(s):Black (for clothing), white for just about everything else

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:I like pilates and yoga...I have a love/hate thing with my eliptical. grr.

What are your fitness/health goals?To be in control of my body. To have a healthy relationship with food and fitness.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I was diagnosed with Diabetes and had to have a hysterectomy due to menorrhagia.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? shame and guilt

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? I need to 1) move more 2) avoid bad carbs 3) not hate myself when I screw up

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my mother

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

Screen Name: cjc92802 - Carrie!
Age/Age Range: 28

Family Life: married to Mike for 4 1/2 years, 3 kids - 2 year old Lela, and 4 month old twins, Laurel and Olivia

Occupation: SAHM, breastfeeding and keeping the peace
Hobbies and Interests: hiking, camping, flyfishing, babywearing, homebirth

Favorite Music: bluegrass for listening, but poppy bubble gum music for working out!

Favorite Color(s): green, teal/blue for clothing, but because of a weird skin pH thing, I "bleach" blue natural fiber clothing, I think my skin much change the dye - I'm human litmus paper

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Curves, just started a couple weeks ago, gets me a good, well rounded, low impact workout in a short amount of time

What are your fitness/health goals? 140lbs is on my ticker, but mainly I want to be healthy for my 3 beautiful girls and be a role model so they won't ever have to yo-yo, starve and have low self-esteem like I did/do.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? After the twins were born, I discovered I had no clothes. I was/am still wearing maternity clothes. I broke down crying to my husband (who is thin and cute) and he encouraged me to join a gym, because I couldn't do it on my own. He is so awesome.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Sugar addiction.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? 1. drink enough water 2. stop the sugar/carb cravings 3. loving myself and taking control of my life

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my sister!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? all the out of style clothes that are too small that I've been holding onto. I can't wait to fit back into them, and then donate them to GoodWill.

Screen Name: sockmonkey70

Age/Age Range: 21

Family Life: I have a fiancee and two dachshunds. The best family ever!

Occupation: Full time student, double major in Graphic Design and Nursing

Hobbies and Interests: Music, Art, Animals, Movies, Dancing, Reading, Traveling..

Favorite Music: Hard Rock, Alternative, Industrial

Favorite Color(s): Sky Blue, Purple, Black

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Elliptical!

What are your fitness/health goals? To get toned, and lose about 65 lbs.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Going up to a size 20 in pants

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I love food

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Less fat, no fried foods, excercise 5-6 days instead of 4/ week

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : This girl in all my classes who every guy drools over and falls in love with only to be crushed (and she isn't even that pretty). ARRRGHHH.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? swim suit!! I miss swimming.

Screen Name: ulapie

Age/Age Range: 27

Family Life: single and mother of one sweet cat

Occupation: office manager / bookkeeper

Hobbies and Interests: traveling in Latin America, going dancing with girlfriends, eating all kinds of unusual foods, reading, hanging out with the family

Favorite Music: Reggae and hip hop

Favorite Color(s): Green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: I love to jog but injured my leg, so I'm stuck walking. I LOVE lifting weights! It's so cool how fast you can see results from strength training.

What are your fitness/health goals? I don't want to be thin; thick and curvy yet healthy is the goal. I want to get to a healthy weight and maintain it. Emphasis on the maintaining since I've yo-yo'ed in the past. I'd also love to run some races... 5k's and maybe a marathon someday.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Ok, really shallow, but I think being heavy was keeping me from meeting men and getting dates. That is shallow! Actually, it hasn't gotten any easier now that I'm smaller, but that was the initial idea.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I don't like drinking water, hate eating fruit and although I like veggies, I don't eat enough. The big struggle right now is dealing with a leg injury which is keeping me from the exercise that I'm totally addicted to now.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Drinking water, eating fruits and veggies.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than?: I don't have anyone I want to look better than. I'm sure I have other evil motivation if I really think about it though.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? A bikini! I wore one for the first time last month and I want another one and I want to look cuter in it. Also, I'm wearing jeans in a snug size 12 and I'd like to be more comfy or even a size 10.

Screen Name: gotworktodo

Age/Age Range: 21

Family Life: College student, lives with 4 girls who are like my sisters

Occupation: looking for a student job with the American Cancer society

Hobbies and Interests: I love playing sports, I'm pretty athletic and you can put me up against any guy or girl and I will work my butt off

Favorite Music:
Christian hip hop, country, Christian alternative, anything that resonates the love of Christ and makes my ears and heart sing
Favorite Color(s): hues of purple, blue and green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: depends on how I feel but I have done and enjoyed TurboJam, running, stairmaster, yoga

What are your fitness/health goals? To slim down and lose weight for life

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I have wanted to for so long but then I get complacent and then busy with school that I don't have time to do anything. The weight clings to me and I am tired of not being fit.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
My eating and letting it ruin my motivation. But I know that I rule my hunger, it is ot going to rule over me.
What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Journaling what I eat each day. Exercising each day. Eating meals and not snacking during the day or while I make my meals.
(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : Noone

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
I can't wait to wear anything and everything and feel great in it.

Screen Name: See left<<

Age/Age Range: 18

Family Life: University Student, Live with two other girls in an apartment, awesome!

Occupation: Part Time Drama Tutor for 7-12 year olds!

Hobbies and Interests: Drama, Reading, Music, Dancing, Havng fun!

Favorite Music:
Everything from Johnny Cash, to System of a Down, to Christina Aguilera, to...Kings of Leon!

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking to Uni, Gym occasionally, plan to start running.

What are your fitness/health goals? Same as above, To slim down and lose weight for life

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I hate being fat and unfit, I hate not looking perfect in clothes other girls do. My trigger was probably visinting home and realising I had gained 2kg in 6 weeks. I'm naturally so tiny, and it just makes me sick to think how much fat could be covering a fabulous body! Also the moment I became ashamed of letting my lovely boy see my body...I decided i had to change.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
Peer Pressure. Giving in to temptation and binging,letting my past unhealthy weightloss habits get to me.
What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Not Binging, Exercising more for toning, Not Giving up after 2 weeks!

Who do you want to look better than? : Christina Aguilera Nah...just equal to her body!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
A Bikini at the beach!

Screen Name: Luc's Mom

Age/Age Range:35

Family Life: married 17 yrs, dd 15, ds 12, ds 9

Occupation: caregiver & small business owner

Hobbies and Interests: crafts & reading

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: eliptical machine & swimming

What are your fitness/health goals? workout 30 minutes a day 4 days a week & get my energy back & loose the achy body!

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? 1)When my 'fat' clothes no longer fit me, 2)when I saw myself in a bathing suit, 3)when I realized I was almost twice as big as my husband! And finally, I realized my weight is making me unhappy & unmotivated to live life to its' fullest!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? exercise & binging!

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : myself 5 years ago!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? All of my skinny clothes hanging in closet & a Bikini again!!!!!!!

Screen Name: Wayless09

Age/Age Range:29

Family Life:single/ no kids

Occupation:LPN

Hobbies and Interests: computers, reading

Favorite Music:R&b soul/ soft rock

Favorite Color(s)urple

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: WATP

What are your fitness/health goals? Move freely

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? got tired of the "stares"

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

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? not sure

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? my sister

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

Screen Name:mascara

Age/Age Range:teens

Family Life:live at home with dad mum and brother

Occupation:none im still at school (i know you have the right to be jealous)

Hobbies and Interests:i love love love art and music or music in art or arty music anything especially writing music and designing clothes

Favorite Music:rock, heavy metal, "emo"

Favorite Color(s):green pink and silver

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:walking and strength

What are your fitness/health goals?: to be able to share clothes with my friends

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?: starting secondary school (hah its been almost 3 years already and i STILL haven't done it!)

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?: not comfort eating

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?: less junk food, walk more, running

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : my friend libby but not in a vindictive way i'd love to look the same as her actually

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