DATE – July 8, 2014

USER NAME - Naiya

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME – Gaming nickname

REAL NAME - Teresa

AGE - 32

BIRTHDATE – July 26, 1982

WHERE YOU LIVE – Edmonton, Alberta. Canada

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - Andrew

ANNIVERSARY – Together since April 2008…Married since Oct. 20, 2012

KIDS - No

PETS – Two Chocolate Labs that are mischievous and adorable!

OCCUPATION – House Wife

STARTING WEIGHT - 415

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING – Healthy eating, portion control and no sweets

FAV. EXERCISE(S) – Seriously?! LOL LOL LOL

FAV. NO-NO FOODS – Jolly Rancher awesome twosomes…yes they really are awesome!!!

FAV.BOOK(S) – The Shack

FAV. MOVIE(S) – Little Mermaid, Dirty Dancing, Forest Gump, and Lord of the Rings

FAV. SONG(S) – So very many but at this time Hotel California by Eagles

FAV. QUOTE - Our Culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.
–Phil Robertson

DATE - 7/21/2014

USER NAME - ShadyLove

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - Very Personal.

REAL NAME - choose not to disclose.

AGE - 27

BIRTHDATE - June 1987

WHERE YOU LIVE - Chicago

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - I have one handsome man!

ANNIVERSARY - In february

KIDS - 0

PETS - 5

OCCUPATION - varies

STARTING WEIGHT - 340?

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - none yet, trying to find the right direction.

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - cardio

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - everything.

FAV.BOOK(S) - hunger games trilogy

FAV. MOVIE(S) - hunger games, scary movies like the purge, juno, italian job, pitch perfect, etc

FAV. SONG(S) - too many to list and its a variety.

FAV. QUOTE -

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - i hate feeling like i can't like girly things, sing girly songs, or choose pink bc i am fat and don't fit the profile.

DATE - 7-27-2014

USER NAME - Belinda0509

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - My name

REAL NAME - Belinda

AGE - 47

STARTING WEIGHT - 527

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - WFPB diet

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - Swimming

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - Pizza

FAV.BOOK(S) - When Food Is Love by Geneen Roth, The End of Diabetes by Joel Furhman,

DATE - 8/16/14

USER NAME - BestDaysAhead

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - My best days are ahead of me

AGE - 18

BIRTHDATE - June 1996

WHERE YOU LIVE - NC

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - Single

KIDS - None

PETS - 2 dogs

STARTING WEIGHT - 415

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - Eating smaller amounts, drinking mostly water and limiting sugars

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - Walking, exercise bike

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - Candy, ice cream, pizza, burgers

FAV.BOOK(S) - Anything interesting

FAV. MOVIE(S) - Drama, horror, romance

FAV. SONG(S) - I like rock, pop, country, r&b and some hip hop, a little of everything

FAV. QUOTE - ''The best way to predict the future is to create it.'' - Peter Drucker ''Why don't you start believing that no matter what you have or haven't done, that your best days are still out in front of you.'' - Joel Osteen

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - Like a lot of you probably, I've tried a few times and would lose some weight. I'd stick to it a few months at best, then gain it all back. I'm tired of it being difficult to find clothes to fit me, tired of being in miserable shape, and just not being the best version of myself. I got myself into this and I'll have to get myself out, but I don't think I'll ever just give up. I think everyone deserves to be healthy and happy, and if losing weight does that for you then keep trying.

DATE - 9/6/2014

USER NAME - Candidcamster

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - I nicknamed myself "The Camster" to friends and family (it is based on my real name) and the candid part is just because I am very open and honest about my life. In my opinion life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

REAL NAME - Too unique to share publicly on a board that is easily viewed by non-members .

AGE - 31 (will be 32 in a little over a month!)

BIRTHDATE - Libra/October baby

WHERE YOU LIVE - Houston,TX

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - Boyfriend, love him so much!

ANNIVERSARY - Sad to say I am not sure, lol been together about 5 or so months.

KIDS - none yet, but hope for some in the future.

PETS - 2 kitties & 2 plants lol.

OCCUPATION - small business owner, and a college student soon.

STARTING WEIGHT - 315.8 (as of around January of 2014, but my highest was 350 lbs.)

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - A diet of my own invention, I call it "Eat slim to be slim" or eat like a thin person, meaning using portion control. I am calorie counting, trying to eat foods that are conducive to weight loss, belly fat loss, etc. and I think it is working because I have a little bit of a waist coming through on my large apple shaped body.

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - Walking & dancing.

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - Oh gosh is there time? I love cheese stuffed Jalapenos, Haagen Daz Ice Cream (especially Coffee & Tiramisu flavors), Italian Creme Cake, Chips (especially Salt & Vinegar), Cheese & Caramel Popcorn mixed together, etc. I could go on...

FAV.BOOK(S) - I have tons, but to keep it simple I'll say any of the Harry Potter Books, especially The Deathly Hallows, and the Catcher In the Rye.

FAV. MOVIE(S) - I have several but I'll go with Gone With the Wind.

FAV. SONG(S) - I have tons, but lately I am loving James Brown "Get Up Off of That Thing" it is very motivational when exercising.

FAV. QUOTE - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. - Benjamin Franklin And also adding " It Takes 4 Weeks For You To See Your Body Changing. It Takes 8 Weeks For Friends And Family And It Takes 12 Weeks For The Rest Of The World. Keep Going" - Unknown

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - I'll get back to you! lol

DATE – September 10, 2014

USER NAME - duskwatcher

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME – Came from a Twilight community-Yes, I know *hangs head* It was a while ago

REAL NAME - Jennifer

AGE - 58

BIRTHDATE – Jan 9

WHERE YOU LIVE – Cape Cod MA

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - Rich

ANNIVERSARY – 30+ years, he's the love of my life

KIDS - 2 girls, 1 grandson and another on the way

PETS – One cat called "WizzBang" (She was a very rambunctious kitten)

OCCUPATION – Office Manager

STARTING WEIGHT - 305

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING – Currently working on 5 day Pouch test

FAV. EXERCISE(S) – Walking

FAV. NO-NO FOODS – Chocolate

FAV.BOOK(S) – Probably feminist sci-fi

FAV. MOVIE(S) – The Fifth Element, Groundhog Day,

FAV. SONG(S) – Anything by Bonnie Raitt

FAV. QUOTE - Today? One is too much and a 1000 is not enough.

DATE - October 8, 2014

USER NAME - marnielee23

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - first name, middle name, day of the month I was born

REAL NAME - Marnie Lee Madnikoff

AGE - 29

BIRTHDATE - 11/23/1984

WHERE YOU LIVE - Canoga Park, CA

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - none

ANNIVERSARY - n/a

KIDS - none

PETS - 3 cats, Ginxx, Tygriss and Meyer

OCCUPATION - Administrative Manager for a Construction company

STARTING WEIGHT - 361

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - haven't found one that fits me yet, but looking

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - swimming, aqua aerobics

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - cheeseburgers, fries, pound cake

FAV.BOOK(S) - Th Client, The Giver, any book about Zombie's and Serial Killers

FAV. MOVIE(S) - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

FAV. SONG(S) - Jump - Van Halen, I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis, Living Dead Girl - Rob Zombie

FAV. QUOTE - "Be Excellent to Each Other and.....PARTY ON DUDE!!"

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - hmmm, I don't know.

DATE - January 17,2015

USER NAME - Lily13

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - Lily is my cat and 13 is my favorite number.

REAL NAME - Karen

AGE - 49

BIRTHDATE - January 13

WHERE YOU LIVE - Louisville, Ky

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - Ron

ANNIVERSARY - April 19

KIDS - 2 adult sons

PETS - 1 dog- Toby and 2 cats- Lily & ClaraBelle (sisters)

OCCUPATION - School Library Assistant / EBD alternative school

STARTING WEIGHT - 365 lbs on July 5, 2012
By April 2013 I was down to 276 lbs, but was at a plateau. Later that same year in October my nephew passed away and I gained back most of the weight I had lost. BUT I am back now and ready to start again.

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - Hubby and I changed our eating habits to include more fresh fruits and vegetables, we've cut back on our sweets, joined the YMCA where I do water aerobics 3-4 times per week and he works out in the gym when I do my deep water class and joins me for anything in the shallow water .

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - AquaFit and DeepWater aerobics

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and honey twist fritos

FAV.BOOK(S) - my Bible

FAV. MOVIE(S) - any movie I can watch with my family

FAV. SONG(S) - Amazing Grace/ My Chains are Gone

DATE - 1/17/2015

USER NAME - tootsieroll81

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - I like the sweets, and couldn't think of another name.

REAL NAME - Annie

AGE - 33

BIRTHDATE - 6/10

WHERE YOU LIVE - US

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - My husband.

ANNIVERSARY - 6/22

KIDS - 3-2 boys, 1 girl

PETS - None

OCCUPATION - SAHM

STARTING WEIGHT - 300+

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - Currently none

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - Weight Lifting-Haven't been in a gym for a while.

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - Anything rich and sweet-like fudge

FAV.BOOK(S) - Diana Gabaldan Outlander series

FAV. MOVIE(S) - Almost Any comedy

FAV. SONG(S) - I like any music except for hip hop and rap.

FAV. QUOTE - "You want to be captain of this ship?... Well, you can't!"

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - Not really...

DATE - 03-08-15

USER NAME - Cindylh

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - First name, middle initial and last initial - I'm so imaginative lol

REAL NAME - Cindy

AGE - 54

BIRTHDATE - 03-24-61

WHERE YOU LIVE - Upstate NY

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - My wonderful husband, Bud

ANNIVERSARY - 10-06-12

KIDS - Stepkids and step grandkids

PETS - 1 beautiful senior cat

STARTING WEIGHT - 338

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - South Beach

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - too many to list lol

FAV.BOOK(S) - Anything by Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, Dean Koontz or Stephen White

DATE - 3/8/15

USER NAME - the_magpie

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - I'm into shiny things, mischief, and distractions. Also, I really like magpies.

AGE - mid-30s

BIRTHDATE - January

WHERE YOU LIVE - USA

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - yes, a super supportive spouse

ANNIVERSARY - 10+ years since we started dating

KIDS - none

OCCUPATION - I make websites.

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - Ideal Protein - my goal is to get down to a size 14 or 16 on IP, and then if I continue losing afterward, that's fantastic

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - walking, elliptical (but not on IP), biking, water aerobics

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - pizza, ice cream

FAV.BOOK(S) - so many! I like urban fantasy and paranormal romance. I read a lot of young adult fiction (Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Vampire Academy), for an adult.

FAV. MOVIE(S) - action, sci-fi, anything that passes the Bechdel Test

FAV. SONG(S) - anything by Cake or Guster; lately I'm really into cello & piano covers of pop songs, for some reason

FAV. QUOTE - "I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - I'm making a real effort to be more positive about everything in life, including myself. I have arthritis, of an autoimmune variety (rather than the wear-and-tear kind most people think of), and that means I take scary medicine every week--medicine that is also used in chemotherapy. Part of why I want to lose weight is to decrease my arthritis symptoms and maybe, with them, my dose of that medicine. My life is harder, now, than it was before arthritis, and that medicine may end up making it shorter; so I'm going to do everything I can to enjoy it!

DATE - 3/8/15

USER NAME - shan84

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - Nickname and birthdate

AGE - 30

BIRTHDATE - July

WHERE YOU LIVE - China

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - yes, a super supportive boyfriend

ANNIVERSARY - April 2nd (Almost 1 year now)

KIDS - none

PETS - none

OCCUPATION - International teacher- a real one! Master's degree and all.

STARTING WEIGHT - 421

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - DANDR- Extended Atkins Induction

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - walking, swimming, zumba

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - tortillas, beans, chocolate

FAV.BOOK(S) - I read a lot of YAL due to my job but on my down time I really like what I call chick lit. Favorite authors: Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich

FAV. MOVIE(S) - Dirty Dancing, The Green Mile, The Notebook

FAV. SONG(S) - anything country but started off when I was 8 years old with Travis Tritt with "Anymore" and "I'm Gonna Be Somebody"

FAV. QUOTE - "I have faith in you" Mom

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - I'm 56lbs down so far and this is the second time I've been through losing weight like this. I had great success with calorie counting when I lived in Korea. Went back to the USA, lost my mom and everything went to ****. Now I'm returning to normal and working hard to get back to where I was. Happy to be having success and have many things to look forward to this year.

DATE - March 21, 2015

USER NAME - MaeCrochet

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - One of my old managers used to call me Mandy Mae (not my real middle name!) so I started using it as a user name. Crochet because I LOVE to crochet!

REAL NAME - Mandy

AGE - 29

BIRTHDATE - January 16, 1986

WHERE YOU LIVE - Southwestern Illinois

KIDS - two Godchildren, Christopher and Hannah. No biological children.

PETS - two dogs, a Pit Bull mix named Jemma and a Boston Terrier named Jack

OCCUPATION - Customer Service Representative

STARTING WEIGHT - 347.6 (current weight 341.0)

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - Weight Watchers

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - walking, biking

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - sweets and carbs!

FAV.BOOK(S) - too many to list! I'm a book junkie!

FAV. QUOTE - My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Philippians 73:26 (ESV)

DATE - 3/31/15

USER NAME - arysse

SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR USER NAME - long story

REAL NAME -

AGE - 50

WHERE YOU LIVE - Michigan

SIGNIFICANT OTHER - No one, because I'm too self conscious at this weight.

KIDS - none

PETS - Dobermans and cats.

STARTING WEIGHT - 296.8

WHAT PLAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING - My own based on a lower carb and calorie counting combination.

FAV. EXERCISE(S) - Biking with my dogs

FAV. NO-NO FOODS - Everything I'm not supposed to have.

FAV.BOOK(S) - Too many to list.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU - I've struggled with my weight since I was a child. There were times throughout my life I was a little overweight by maybe 20 lbs at the most but kept it fairly consistent for the most part (albeit not without a struggle). A serious illness about 10 years ago changed all that. I was put on high dose steroids for a year which causes weight gain and depression. The illness was ongoing and left me with some devastating after effects. That combined with depression over the last 10 years has caused my weight to spiral out of control. My whole body hurts, my social life has ground to a halt, I have no contact with life-long friends, and all of this is due to morbid obesity and depression. I am here to get my old self back as I do not recognize the one I have become.