Screen Name: LandonsBaby (landon is my husband)

Age/Age Range: 25

Family Life: Married, no children yet

Occupation: Domestic Engineer (aka, housewife)

Hobbies and Interests: Message boards, photography, traveling, reading

Favorite Music: "alternative rock" from the 90's, some country, counting crows & fiona apple are two of my absolute favorites

Favorite Color(s): Deep red

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Weight training

What are your fitness/health goals? I would like to get to about 15%-18% body fat and have visible muscle everywhere. I want to look like a fitness competitor but not actually compete...i can't wear those outfits with a straight face.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Nothing in particular. I've known for years and I've lost and gained many times because I was trying to starve myself, duh, it doesn't work. Last year was stressful to say the least. I was put on antipsychotics which caused an extrememly rapid weight gain that I absolutely couldn't live with. I'm currently not taking any meds for my ocd. Its rough but I'll manage for a while, at least at this point I know what to expect and I won't pack on the pounds like crazy.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Chronic illness. I have fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue, low immune function, chronic infections, sleeping issues, low thyroid function, and ocd.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
1. staying on track with my calories
2. exercising (when i'm able, i do pretty well with this)
3. going to the doctor when i need to instead of putting it off

(Evil motivation) Who do you want to look better than? Everyone I know

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Itty bitty bikkini

Screen Name: judipurple

Age/Age Range: 47 (jeez, when'd I get here?!?)

Family Life: Married, 2 teenage boys, various furred critters - all in all, a good life!

Occupation: Mom, wife, schoolbus driver, thought-process facillitator (we home-school), artist, gardener, herbologist (unofficial), cook, cleaner, etc...

Hobbies and Interests: Creating polymer clay art, growing and using culinary and medicinal herbs, cooking creatively, reading, music (listening).

Favorite Music: Rock (mid 60's thru mid 80's), world, alternative, celtic, spiritual, praise

Favorite Color(s): Deep, intense purples, teals, blues

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: walking, hiking, still learning and pushing that part of the life...

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to live as long and as well as I am destined to - and be able to fully enjoy every second of it!

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Had too many of those thoughout my life - I guess it was just the realization that if I don't start this now, it just wasn't gonna happen. Being w/o insurance, I have to do all I can *now* to avoid ending up in the hospital (and subsequently, the poor house).

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Keeping on track, not slipping, pushing my lazy a** up and outa the house: moving, moving, moving!!!

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? See the answer to the question above ^

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

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? anything that won't make me looked like a stuffed sausage!!! And maybe, something that'll let me feel just the wee bit--(dare I say it ??)-- sexy!

Screen Name:jade235

Age/Age Range:23

Family Life:Wonderful husband Ryan, two rats (Rosie and Daisy), one pug (Bubbles)

Occupation:A/P Clerk

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, writing, video games, board games, card games, going for walks, organizing/planning

Favorite Music:Across the scale, even some rap and R&B but none of that gangster crap!

Favorite Color(s):Pink, Black, Red, Turquoise

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:Walking (when I can, injured right now). Looking forward to starting water aerobics class. LOVE Racquetball, longing for the day I have time and ability to play again.

What are your fitness/health goals? Lose 75 pounds total and heal my back

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I have been fighting this my whole life but just recently I have been having horrible pain in my back and leg. I have an inflamed, slipped vertebrae and have had back problems for years. I'm only 23 for goodness sake! Doctor said losing weight will be the best preventative measures I can take to heal and keep my back and leg healthy.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? A seemingly uncontrolable sweet tooth. I saw seemingly because I KNOW building new healthy habits will do wonders. Also time and effort, especially when I am feeling hurt all the time, it's hard to want to do something that takes HARD WORK and discipline when you feel tired and run down all the time.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Tracking my calories, exercising at least 5 days a week, expanding my food palate

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than?: Myself right now

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
A bikini for my husband. He would think I'm sexy in one now, but if I don't feel sexy I won't be sexy. Also feel better wearing skirts.

Screen Name: Piggy Buster

Age/Age Range:29

Family Life:live with boyfriend

Occupation:massage therapist/ trying to be 911 Dispatcher

Hobbies and Interests:they have greatly decreased as the weight as gone up! I still like hiking, camping, playing with my dog, scrapbooking, and photography

Favorite Music:country

Favorite Color(s):teal

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:used to LOVE kickboxing, now I just like to hike

What are your fitness/health goals?I need to lose weight because I have a bulging disk in my back that is getting worse.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? i hit over 200 lbs and didn't see an end in sight. I had told my boyfriend, who likes bigger girls , to tell me when I hit my "limit" and he told me I had! Reality is hard to face.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I love food, sweets and carbs. We also love to go out to dinner. I eat when I'm bored, happy, sad, doesn't really matter.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Well first I need to start exercising! I need to be consistant. I need to replace carbs with protein.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
All my girlfriends, we're all a little chunky. We call each other chunky monkeys.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? That I'm beautiful.
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Screen Name: lovinlife

Age/Age Range: 41

Family Life:

Occupation: educator

Hobbies and Interests: photography, reading, walking, blogging

Favorite Music: anything I can sing at the top of my lungs on my commute

Favorite Color(s): blue, purple, green (bruise colors? )

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: right now walking, want to start weight lifting, used to love biking and fantasize about running a 5K

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to feel like a girl again...not a blob, I want to be ready for hiking if someone suggests it and feel like I can say yes to playing tennis without the fear that I am going to look lame...or die of exhaustion in the first 2 minutes!

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I have had every trigger and aha moment known to mankind. I just really hate the way I feel right now.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? consistency...the all or nothing syndrome.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
My willingness to feel hunger, to not "medicate my life" with sugar, my willingness to push through pain and laziness.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : I want to look better to a certain someone...and then ignore him. Isn't that pathetic, evil, and fun!?

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
not sure...maybe a shortsleeved dress...I need to get either arms or calves that I can stand to show!

Screen Name: clear-skye

Age/Age Range: 18

Family Life: AWEFUL! haha. not too bad, sister and father only.

Occupation: umemployed currently

Hobbies and Interests: art, tattoos, music, rock, piano, walking, fun, reading, ect

Favorite Music: rock

Favorite Color(s): silver D:

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: cardio, dance!

What are your fitness/health goals? to eat healthy, FOR LIFE!

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?
Decmber 2007 I ended my diet, i was 220 lbs, and instead, did the stupid thing of NOT EATING. I became seirously ill, fasted for 11 days, 7 days, 9 days, its all a blur, i simply ate less than 200 a day, or didnt eat. i hated myself so badly. I'm recovering now, put on a bit of weight, only about 5lbs, but i need to find a lifestyle to live healthily so i dont revert back to ednos, and if that means veggys forever, so be it! I LOVE THEM!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
hair loss, period loss, bruises, faint heart, urm... mostly self esteme

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
eating more genrally, trying to up my calories to 1500 seems daunting everyday, but it has to be done, small amount of excersize, genraly keeping it together.
(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
my sister but i already am! **** yeh

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
when i was eating disordered, all i wanted to wear was size zero, but heck, i dont even like the look of size zero! I'd like to fit into a top i own, its pretty damned cool, i bought it too small for me for motivation, now im loosing healthiy... i think i can, even if 1 ana week is 2 months healthy loss, i can!

Screen Name: BellaHTH

Age/Age Range: late 20's

Family Life: My housemate (aka. my cat, who is more like a roommate than a pet)

Occupation: designer

Hobbies and Interests: painting, reading, movies, spending time outdoors (now that it is getting warmer)

Favorite Music: rock mostly, but a bit of everything across the board, and some bands are Brand New, Silverchair, Incubus, Bob Marley, Dave Matthews Band, Matthew Good Band, Jeff Buckley, and a mix of whatever grabs my attention.

Favorite Color(s): black, glow-in-the-dark, pea green, yellow ochre, and EVERYTHING else (I'm a designer)

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Elliptical, exercise bike,

What are your fitness/health goals? Get healthy, lose weight, be happy (mental health)

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I wanted to die, and realized that I could either take action on this or take action to NOT want to die anymore.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? It feels too overwhelming, depression, low self esteem.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Plan better, try new foods that are healthy, start weight training

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? Myself, 12 years ago.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Jeans, tank tops, shorts

Screen Name: thebeautywithin

Age/Age Range: almost 30

Family Life: married, two cats (Cleo & Sadie) and my boxer (Moab)

Occupation: Consumer Goods

Hobbies and Interests: reading, playing guitar

Favorite Music: its a mix ... mostly country or contemporary Christian, but I also like several rock and pop artists

Favorite Color(s): dark blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: elliptical, treadmill, free weights

What are your fitness/health goals? be healthy in order to help prevent the diabetes and heart disease the plagues my family

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? the day my wedding ring no longer fit

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? the fact that I travel a lot and don't always make good decisions

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? be more diligent about exercise, realize that every bite I take counts and have a healthier self-image

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? myself when I got married 7 years ago

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? the skinny pants in my closet from 3 years ago and to finally find a pair of shorts my legs look good in

Screen Name: Nursechic

Age/Age Range: 38

Family Life: Married, homeschool 2 kids

Occupation: Nurse

Hobbies and Interests: Anything medical

Favorite Music: Classic Rock

Favorite Color(s): Blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking

What are your fitness/health goals? Lose weight, tone

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Weighing, seeing a picture of myself.

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? Exercise!

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : ha ha ha I can't think of a couple of people.....

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? A bathing suit, cute clothes
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screen name - theycallmemom (becasue everyone does)
age/age range - 44
occupation - peon in lil cafe
hobbies and interests - arts and crafts, scrapbookijng, reading
favorite music - love all music except screaming
favorite color - yellow
favorite exercise/workouts - walking
what are your fitness/health goals? - to loose weight, have more energy and feel better about myself
what was the trigger or incident that made you decide it was time to loose and become more fit? no one particulare trigger, been yo yo dieting most of my adult life and enough is enough
what do you strugle with most on this journey to health? emotional eating, eating out of bordom
what are three things in the area of diet and exeercise you need to inprove? exercise, moptovation and binge eating
(evil motovation) who do you want to look better then? my sisters
what can you not wait to wear when you are at your goal weight? a short dress, or a backless dress

Screen Name:bumblebee27

Age/Age Range:38

Family Life:Married for 5 years, 2 year old daughter

Occupation: Web developer

Hobbies and Interests: Family and friends, volleyball

Favorite Music: James Taylor

Favorite Color(s): Green

Favorite Exercise: Elliptical

What are your fitness/health goals? Lose 40 pounds so that people recognize me at my high school reunion

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? My high school reunion is coming up, and I want to look something like what I used to look then at least

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Staying committed.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Sticking with it even after I mess up, eating more vegetables, drinking more water

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? All of my old clothes - none of them fit any more

*Screen Name: Spiders from Mars, but you can call me Nataly!

*Age/Age Range: I'll be 21 on July 2nd.

*Family Life:
Engaged. My fiance has a 3 year old son that stays with us 2 weeks every month. Oh, I have a GSD named Penelope, two deaf ferrets named Slinky and Panda, two rats named Algernon and Madeline, and a royal queen of a cat named Delilah (all rescues, whew!). It's a full house.

*Occupation:
Student, for now. My major is Psychology.

*Hobbies and Interests:
BOOKS. My favorite relaxation is a bubble bath and a book. I read everything from classic literature to chick lit, fantasy to nonfiction. I like to be outdoors: any time I'm by the ocean I am a happy chick indeed. I like to write, and exercise (which I've recently discovered doesn't have to be torture).

*Favorite Music:
Favorite band is Tool. I love hard rock, alternative, girl music (old Liz Phair, Ani DiFranco, Alanis), techno and electronic, classic rock, grunge, and I love opera and classical.

*Favorite Color(s): Greens, greys and blues, ocean colors. Black and brown as well. I'm starting to like red, but orange, pink and yellow are iffy.

*Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Strength training, swimming, jogging, pilates. I would like to try yoga and maybe a spinning class.

*What are your fitness/health goals?
I would like to reach 130-140 (I'll know when I get there), and learn to successfully maintain. I really want to increase my endurance for cardio, as I am a wimp and HIIT KILLS me.

*What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight permanently?

3FC. Honestly. This is the first time in my life that it "clicked" and i feel ready to be healthy for life. I don't know if it would have happened if I hadn't started reading 3FC. I've been 220 at my highest, and 168 at my lowest, and I'm ready now.

*What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
Binge eating. Loss of motivation on "fat days." I'm happy to say that neither of those happen much anymore. I haven't had what I would call a binge in over 2 months, and even on bad days, I still count calories and remain honest with myself.

*What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
*Stop munching late at night
*Reduce carbs a little bit, maybe increase some good fats and a little more protein.
*Cardio endurance! I want to run for more than a minute!

*(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
My stepmom. She's always been naturally small, but not necessarily in the best shape. My dad told me when I was very young that I'd never get to be skinny like her, so the best I could do was try to be "less fat." Psh!

*What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
I don't care what it is, as long as I feel confident enough that I stop adjusting and tugging at my clothes long enough to have fun!

Screen Name: Ailey 60- Ailey is a celtic derivative of my actual name and 60 is the year i was born

Age/Age Range: as in 1960

Family Life: Married for 11 years this September with one child a 9 1/2 yo girl. We also have an almost 14yo b/w male cat-Sweet Pea and and 11month old giant Golden Retriever puppy-Ella

Occupation: work part-time at my church as an Asst. to the Rector

Hobbies and Interests: love to read and listen to books on CD, love the ocean, mountains and trees which works out nicely since we are now from the great northwest; have taken up knitting in the past few years and do pretty well with it but just haven't been in the mood for some time now

Favorite Music: Classical-Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn; Pop/folk/-James Taylor, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Indigo Girls, Sara MacLachlan, Stevie Wonder, Motown

Favorite Color(s): Blues, greens reds, yellows

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: I like Curves because it gives me strength training and cardio vascular, but i prefer going out and dancing to Motown hits, Stevie Wonder, dance music of the late 80's, etc. I also enjoy canoeing, although i haven't gone in years, used to love taking a dance class-modern, jazz, afro-haitian, but it's been years with that too. I also enjoy folk dancing but haven't found a group out here yet.

What are your fitness/health goals? To improve my eating habits while counting calories and make 3times a week workouts at Curves and 3 days a week brisk walks or bike rides a new good habit, the combination of the two new sets of habits resulting in bringing my weight down to 135 or less (a healthy BMI), and toned slim body.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit?
I've read a ton about different diets and experimented with a few that seemed more reasonable but couldn't deal with "phase ones" or stick with any of them without a community of support. I've belonged to Curves for almost 3 years and have been off and on with my workouts. Most recently after finding a home club out here in Western, WA i decided to make my first goal, once again, working out the 3times a week that Curves recommends, but i just couldn't make that stick. Then, strangely enough, it was my husband bringing me home a new raincoat that he got at a sale at his workplace that, of course, was too small and not something that could be returned, that pushed me over the precipice. That really was just the rock slipping out from under my feet that sent me over that precipice. Really a combination of knowing that my weight was creeping too close to 200lbs and me being unwilling to let my weight go that high, knowing that my blood pressure is border line and wanting to be around and healthy and active for my 91/2 year old daughter that makes me want it. Fortunately a good friend of mine joined Jenny Craig and is also working at building more exercise into her life so i'm hoping we can support one another too.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? The planning and organization and journaling associated with eating healthy foods in appropriate amounts and getting myself to those 3 workouts a week.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Planning, preparation and planning/preparation

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : It's not so much who as its the desire to "show those people" from high school and my last place of employment/daughter's school (before moving here) that i can be 50, at a healthy weight, in good shape and looking good.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Some of my dresses that i've saved and to wear a swimsuit and not feel so horribly self-conscious

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Screen Name: fancy daisy

Age/Age Range: 22

Family Life: I live with my parents who have been married for 32 years. I have a brother who is 30.

Occupation: Currently unemployed.

Hobbies and Interests: Photography, Scrapbooking, Camping, Outdoors, Computers, and random others.

Favorite Music: All...I LOVE music!

Favorite Color(s): Blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: I love to walk.

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to become healthy so that I can help my family realize that anyone can do it.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? My "big" pants are snug on me.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Lack of exercise, depressive eating, no positive role model to look to for help.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
1. Diet
2. Exercise
3. Attitude

(Evil motivation) Who do you want to look better than?: Those Skinny girls that have no curves.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? I want to wear a white tank top and jeans with no bulges.

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Screen Name:Aprilcp12344

Age/Age Range: 19

Family Life: I live with my Fiance and my father. We have one dog, a dacshund named Minnie.

Occupation: Super K-Mart until College in the fall.

Hobbies and Interests: Baking, cooking, walking/jogging, fishing, camping, computer, this site, writing, reading, and weight training.

Favorite Music: Everything, but mostly country.

Favorite Color(s): Yellow.

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking and weight training.

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to get into better shape, and lose the evtra weight that I have put on.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I realized that I had more "pudge". Lol.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Injuries and the heat make me want to skimp on exercise.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
1. Intensity
2. Variation
3. Supper time.

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

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Cute little summer dresses.