Screen Name: Flower (fl0wer on the blogs)

Age/Age Range: 38

Family Life: Married with 4 sons

Occupation: sahm

Hobbies and Interests: scrapbooking, beading, reading

Favorite Music: 80-90-00 rock

Favorite Color(s): royal blue, copper

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: walking, swimming in ocean

What are your fitness/health goals? to get under 150 to start

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? After each child I have the same reaction, but I am done with making babies, so it is time to get the show on the road.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? staying on program, onc eI stop the excercising, the calories go up, up and away.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? excersicing DAILY, eatting more greens, cutting out the sugar

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

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? a 2 piece bathing suit that shows some skin.
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Screen Name: SusieCakes

Age/Age Range: 52

Family Life: Empty Nester

Occupation: Probation Officer

Hobbies and Interests: Fishing, boating, sewing, reading, hanging with hubby

Favorite Music: Country

Favorite Color(s): Blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking, or Leslie Sansone videos

What are your fitness/health goals? Lose 20 lbs is realistic

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? My husband was driving, I was sitting there minding my own business with my pants pushing my belly up and the seat belt pushing it down. My husband reached over and patted the roll that could not be hidden.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
Not eating my favorite foods.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Focusing on my abs, strength training, daily duration

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? I don't have real high bar on this one, I am too old to look like Angelina Jolie, but looking better than the woman on the beach with all the cellulite would be enough for me.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Bathing suit.

Screen Name: Bobbie Wickham

Age/Age Range: 29

Family Life: Single, but with a cobbled together urban family of close friends (plus my wonderful family back in my hometown)

Occupation: Press secretary

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, politics, music, Trivial Pursuit and trivial pursuits

Favorite Music: Though I hate the label... indie rock/pop. Beulah is my all-time favorite band.

Favorite Color(s): Warm tones, especially red

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: If by favorite you mean "least objectionable", dance-based routines, swimming, walking

What are your fitness/health goals? To lose the fat, gain some definition and actually have a healthy 29 year-old body.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? School is starting again, my weight is at an all time high and I shudder when I see photographs of myself.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Impulse control. I just love to eat. It's not even just the food, but the whole experience of eating--trying new things, sitting down to dine, dinner parties with great food and fun conversation...

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? The aforementioned impulse control, long-term as opposed to immediate gratification, and being much more disciplined about working out.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than?: I'll freely admit that I'm petty, so pretty much everyone I dislike.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Premium denim/fashionable jeans--7, Rock & Republic, etc.

Screen Name: ZDMorrow413

Age/Age Range: 26

Family Life: I am married with three little boys (2, 4 and 6)

Occupation: Components Engineer (Read office job)

Hobbies and Interests: Reading, Spending time with my boys. I would love to travel but don't really have the time.

Favorite Music: I am really eclectic when it comes to music.

Favorite Color(s): Blue, purple and green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:I like the tread mill, I also like dance and anything that doesn't 'feel' like work.

What are your fitness/health goals? I would like to get down to a healthy weight, feel more confident and accomplished. I also would like to have more energy.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I lost my confidence. I use to feel good when I got dressed up, now I mostly feel blah. I hate that. I want to feel sexy again.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Time. Eating right takes planning which means time, exercise takes some planning, again finding time. With work, three kids, laundry, cleaning the house, I feel like there isn't enough time in the day.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? 1) I need to exercise more frequently and plan it out better. 2) I need to have patience, I didn't gain this weight over night and I won't loose it over night. 3) I need to take time to take care of myself, I am always putting everyone else first.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : I would like to look like my 15 year old self. (wouldn't we all?)....honestly, If I get back down to a size I a comfortable with, I will feel sexy again and that will feel good.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
A cute short skirt.

Screen Name:Soontobe - real name Sarah

Age/Age Range:34

Family Life:Happily married to the most wonderful man on the planet and mom to two great kids and one weird cat!

Occupation:I work part time at a grocery store and full time taking care of my family.

Hobbies and Interests:I love to read and watch movies. I have recently discovered the joy of going to the driving range.

Favorite Music:I love all kinds of music

Favorite Color(s):green, brown, red...basically earth tones

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:walking..I think because it doesn't feel like a work out!

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to lose 63 pounds and just be healthier overall. I want to be able to spend lots of time outdoors with my family without getting so worn out like I do now.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? My husband just recently started working as a doorman at a bar on weekends and he has been asking me to come down and visit him and keep him company. I have been making excuses to not go and I finally admitted to myself why I was doing that. I was so afraid that if I would go down there that I would embarrass him because of how I looked especially compared to all the tight young bodies that are in there. I have been aware all along that I was overweight but this is the first time I have really felt ashamed about it
(In my husband's defence, when I told him how I felt he was shocked and told me that I could never embarrass him because he loves me so much and would never be able to find another woman like me!)

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?Overeating for sure...or at least binge eating. I crave the worst foods too. I also eat not because I'm hungry but because I love the taste of good food.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? I need to work on my motivation, on being able to have patience that I will lose the weight but that it isn't going to happen overnight and I really need to stick to my guns about eating in a healthy way.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : I sounds so horrible but I want to look better than my mom and my sister. They have always struggled with their weight and I was always the one who didn't have to worry about it and now I am 63 pounds overweight. So I guess it doesn't really have anything to do with them as much as I want to get back to the old me but better. On a purely superficial level I would love to have a body like Catherine Zeta-Jones...that woman is gorgeous!!!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Tight jeans and tight t-shirt to ride on hubby's motorcycle with him! Also really sexy lingerie

Screen Name: Rachel19

Age/Age Range: 19

Family Life: My boyfriend and I have two beautiful daughters together.

Occupation: I am a secretary for an attorney.

Hobbies and Interests: I play co-ed softball and I love playing with my kids.

Favorite Music: I like pretty much all music as long as it is new and not the old old stuff.

Favorite Color(s): red

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Well playing softball gives me a workout, but I love to ride an exercise bike and swim.

What are your fitness/health goals? I would like to lose about 20 pounds and eat a lot healthier so I can teach my kids to eat healthy.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I was looking at the nutrition facts on the coke and bag of chips I was eating this morning and it was 740 calories for just those two things!!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Not drinking coke all of the time.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? I need to exercise more and eat more often and less food. I eat only twice a day and I pig out when I do.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : My best friend Lauren.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? I want to get back in my skimpy little outfits (just to make the man happy. lol)
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Screen Name:LeedaRenee

Age/Age Range: 26

Family Life: Married w/ one year old son

Occupation: Former NICU nurse, now SAHM

Hobbies and Interests: Quilting, TV, Scrapbooking, Running

Favorite Music: All kinds

Favorite Color(s): Blue and Red

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Running, yourself Fitness

What are your fitness/health goals? Get down to a size 8, feel healthy

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Just realizing that it was almost 6 months since I'd had a baby and that I'd gained weight instead of lost since then

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

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
Keeping count of what I eat, drinking water

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? I want to look better than I did back when I lost this weight the first time.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Form fitting pants and tops

Screen Name: 1redhed / real name: Dee

Age/Age Range: 47

Family Life: married to a really great guy for 16 years this month, no kids (do my 7 kitties count?)

Occupation: I work at the biggest TOY StoRe in the US

Hobbies and Interests: reading, music, my computer, crafts, my kitties =^..^=

Favorite Music: all kinds except rap

Favorite Color(s): purple and green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds

What are your fitness/health goals? to lose 55 lbs (for a start) and be healthier

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? pain in my legs and feet

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? keeping the weight off

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

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : myself as I do now

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? anything size 16 or less
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Screen Name:
want2btrue

Age/Age Range:
39

Family Life:
busy, differing schedules, 3 college age kids and busy husband too

Occupation:
paralegal

Hobbies and Interests:
Running, 5K races! (again soon!), stretching, bicycling. yoga, literature, photography, celeb mag's, drama, art.. etc.

Favorite Music: All kinds

Favorite Color(s):
yellow. Blue! ..No, red....

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:
Comprehensive, intentional stretching or yoga first, to prepare, calm, protect, nurture!, esp. w/Rodney Yee!
Then: running! Bicycling! Weight Lifting: Bringing it back soon!
New: Tennis! Someday try again: rock climbing.
5K races!! Love them and want to race again within a couple of months.

What are your fitness/health goals?
To Feel Like a Princess in My skin.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? :sum o:
It was a state of misery that culminated into a deafening roar. The decision was painful. I had to humble my impatient self and surrender to make the decision to recognize
1. It's a journey before results count;
2. To stop interrupting that journey;
3. And to submit, humbly and in faith, to the sometimes oh, so subtle process of change.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health?
My impulsiveness without thought to cause and effect. And... my living in a "wish" world rather than dealing with REALITY.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve?
1. Honor that every bite, whether planned or "on the fly", has a cumulative effect.
2. Learn that eating huge for a day or even a week does NOT mean that I'm back at square one. That is the BIGGEST lie that has kept me from growing.
3. Don't put off exercise if you can do it right NOW.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
Oh, I can't reveal that! What a mortal secret, even to myself!
Ultimately, I want to look better than my current best.
That's in my control!!

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?
Holy COW. A pair of size 3 jeans. A sizzling swimsuit. An evening dress that looks positively svelte!

Screen Name: curseofcurves

Age/Age Range: 21

Family Life: Still living at home, saving up money in order to pay for university.

Occupation: Off work right now for mental health reasons.

Hobbies and Interests: Writing, biology, guitar, computers, psychology, etc.

Favorite Music: Anything aside from country. I listen to a lot of alternative rock from the late 80s and 90s.

Favorite Color(s): Blue.

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Walking, dancing, Carmen Electra's "Fit to Strip" DVDs.

What are your fitness/health goals? I'd love to feel more energetic. As well, I'm trying to lower my cholesterol. It tested as being a bit higher than normal recently, so I'm trying to bring it back down.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I've wanted to lose weight for a long time, but recently I've been more motivated. I'm not really sure what triggered it, but I think it might have something to do with breaking up with my ex-boyfriend in July.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Skipping workouts and binging on Chinese food.

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Getting more calcium, being less lazy about exercise and not giving into carb cravings.

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : "T", a girl I used to be friends with until she showed her true colours by back-stabbing a very close friend of mine. She is NOT as hot as she thinks.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size?: A bikini, shorts (I HATE my legs), and a cute little mini-dress.

Screen name:losinitin07
Age:soon to b 39
Family Life:Married to a wonderful man.
Occupation:Social worker/Nurse
Hobbies & Interest: I like to Kayak,scrapbooking,plastic canvas ,gardening
Favorite music: The Newsboys,Casting crowns,
Favorite exercise /workouts: Walking,walk away the pounds,kayaking
What was the trigger or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I don't feel good and clothes are hard to find that fit right ,and seeing the pics from my daughters wedding.
What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health.JUNK food of any kind and sugar,also eat when stressed,bored or tired.
What are three things in diet and exercise I need to improve: Motivation and will power. Evil motivation: I just want to be fit and healthy I have motivation clothes I just can not wait to get into

Screen Name: Cookie_Monster

Age/Age Range: 27

Family Life: Have been married to highschool sweetheart for 7 years and have 2 wonderful children ages 5 and 2...oh and 1 full grown Golden Retriever "puppy" that drives me crazy on a daily basis!

Occupation: Mom

Hobbies and Interests: Sewing, Decorating, Spinning, Running, Weights

Favorite Music: Favorite Musicians - Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, Feist

Favorite Color(s): Sage Green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: Spinning, Working out with my Trainer

What are your fitness/health goals? Complete a 5k without walking, become a certified spinning instructor, and I wanna look good naked

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? When I stepped on the scale and saw 195...the last time I weighed that was when I was 9 months pregnant. I had to intervene before it got to 200+

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Not over indulging in sweets/chocolate

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Not obsessing over the number on the scale everyday, not beating myself up for missing just 1 day at the gym for a truly legitimate reason, and not being scared of eating out

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : Everyone at my 10 year highschool reunion next summer!

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

Screen Name:Cheryl

Age/Age Range:54

Family Life:

Occupation:Administrative Assistant

Hobbies and Interests:singing, dancing, drawing

Favorite Musicldies

Favorite Color(s):brown, green, blue

Favorite Exercise/Workouts:none

What are your fitness/health goals?walking/weights

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

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

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

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? :
my pictures now.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size short sleeves & belt?
________ __________

Screen Name: Markstar

Age/Age Range: 28

Family Life: girlfriend

Occupation: student (*sigh*)

Hobbies and Interests: computer

Favorite Music: Trance

Favorite Color(s): black

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: working the remote control

What are your fitness/health goals? I want to lose 20kg (41 pounds) and start sports again.

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? Clothes don't fit any more, just feeling fat.

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? I LOVE to eat!!!

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Get off my butt more, don't allow my girlfriend to cook, be strong

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : Oh, no, not possible.

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? All those cool shirts that I bought when I though "Alright, now all I need is lose a few kilos" (and instead gained another 8!)

Screen Name: misschris531

Age/Age Range: 21

Family Life: I live @ home with my mom & dad, and I have one sister away at college

Occupation: student, majoring in math & bio

Hobbies and Interests: reading, knitting, blogging

Favorite Music: I like a variety, but mostly indie, pop-punk, and 90's alternative

Favorite Color(s): blue & green

Favorite Exercise/Workouts: walking at a moderate pace for 30 mins

What are your fitness/health goals? I would like to lose 85 pounds and fit into a size 8, as well as become an athlete

What was the "trigger" or incident that made you decide it was time to lose weight and become more fit? I was starting a vlog and I was horrified at how terrible I looked on camera. The camera doesn't lie!

What do you struggle with the most on this journey to health? Late-night binging

What are three things in the area of diet/exercise you need to improve? Make time to exercise every day, control late-night eating, do not deprive myself of delicious and tempting foods (instead, eat them in small quantities)

(Evil motivation ) Who do you want to look better than? : I don't want to look better than anyone, but I really want to tell an ex-boyfriend who treated me like crap "EAT YOUR HEART OUT!"

What can you not wait to wear when you are at goal weight or size? Gap jeans (love them!), a swimsuit, tank tops