User name/name: WaistingTime/Karen

Age: 47

Birthday: May 20

MARITAL STATUS: Married since 1987, husband does not work outside the house either.

Children/ages: 2 sons, 18 (HS senior) and almost 21 (college junior at school in PA)

HEIGHT: 5' 2.5"

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Red

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Blogging, reading, scrapbooking, biking

OCCUPATION: stay-at-home mom

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, MO

FAVORITE COLOR: Purple

FAVORITE FOODS: Maybe chocolate covered strawberries

FAVORITE EXERCISE: biking (outdoors or in class)

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Too many to name.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Not sure.

FAVORITE MUSIC: Soundtracks from musicals

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: yo-yo dieter, I clearly don't have a "normal" relationship with food

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I am no longer just lurking. I know that I have to commit to eating healthy all the time and cannot just diet until I lose the weight. I have reached my goal weight three times before with SB and regained some or all every time. This needs to stop!

User Name: Ruthxxx Real Name: Ruth

Starting weight/current/goal - Was 232 once but now 195 at 5'. Was just great at 140 but was also 30 years younger then! Current goal is 185 by mid-March 2010 for a Disney trip.

Location: Village in Eastern Ontario in a 1928 house built by my Grandpa when he retired from the farm. Grew up in Ottawa but visited here lots when I was a kid. Bought this house back into the family in 1985. My Dad cried!

Age: I'll be 72in mid-January. The only advantage to this age is discounts on air fares and other stuff. So far nobody treats me with respect but I'm waiting!

Marital Status:Widowed since October 2008 but coping fine. I am lucky to have a great group of supportive friends, plus financial stability.

Kids: Have two kids from my first marriage - Jim and Mary Ellen. They are both parents but live too far away for me to see the three grandbabies often. Jim is in Ottawa but his work schedule is nuts. Mary Ellen is way out West on Vancouver Island so I can't get to see her often enough. I try for at least one trip out there every year.

Pets: Used to raise Portuguese Water Dogs and loved them! Hershey and Lucy were wonderful dogs but are gone now. They are semi-replaced by Disney, my Katrina rescue dog, and Jazz, a Bolonka, who is still very puppy-ish. Both are well behaved dogs who do pet therapy with me weekly. I think I was a dog in my previous incarnation.

Work: Well, am supposed to be retired but I seem to be able to keep myself busy! I'm very involved in community and church work and have a full schedule.

Plan:South Beach Phase II suits me fine - feel good and finally have my blood sugar well under control now. I has a knee replacement in 2008 which was not completely successful. However, I am rising above it and, after 70 years of being a slug, I'm going to the gym for 90 minutes three times a week and trying to do treadmill the other days. The knee feels much better and I no longer have a limp.

Favorite diet cheat: red licorice - could be worse, I suppose. I'm also partial to wine and Scotch.

Hobbies: Gardening, sewing, cooking, theatre and music, dog breeding and adoration, reading good novels, entertaining friends, too darn much volunteer work, quilting, some writing!

Reasons for wanting to lose weight: I want to be a skinny corpse but no hurry! I am also Type II diabetic and need to keep that in control.

What else? I really do own a Chicken Purse. Had a metal bra which I made for a part in a play but it fell apart. Can whip up another one if anyone wants to put in an order.

Basic facts
Name (real first name if you feel comforable):Kimberly, Kim
Gender: Female
Age (or general age group): 29
Where you live: Way out west, Texas (north of Big Bend National Park)
Where you grew up: San Antonio, TX
Other places you’ve lived: Kingsville, Austin, Round Rock, and George West, all in Texas
Do you have kids? How old? Still waiting on that blessing!
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? I'm the middle child with two sisters
Languages, beside English, you speak: I have a working knowledge of French
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? I live with my hubby and our two dogs; Toby an 8-year-old lab and Ranger, a 5-year-old dachshund
Current job or field of work / studies: I'm the Deputy Chief Appraiser for our county
Why did you choose South Beach? Because it isn't a diet, it's a way of life and it works for me!
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? Short term? Long term, I'd just like to get to a healthy weight and live a much more active lifestyle than I am capable of now. I'd also like to prepare my body for pregnancy (hopefully). Short term; I'd just like to make it through 1 month ON PLAN!!!
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)?Dh isn't on the plan with me, but he is my biggest supporter and my favorite workouts are the ones when he coaches me.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: The Circle Series by Ted Dekker, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Harry Potter Series, anything by Lori Wick and The Little House on the Prairie series
Favorite kinds of music / bands:The band 311 is my all-time favorite and other than that I listen mostly to indie (Regina Spektor, Stephanie Briggs) and Texas country artists (Highspeed Hayride, Reckless Kelly)
Favorite movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas, 50 First Dates, All the Harry Potters, anything Tim Burton
Favorite saying / quote: ""The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you thought optimism was dead." -Robert Brault, software developer, writer (1972- ), "Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." -Louis L'Amour, novelist (1908-1988)
Favorite holiday: CHRISTMAS!!!
Hobbies:Reading, Cooking, Disc Golf, Fishing, Hiking, Watching sports with DH
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I love hiking, but HATE camping in a tent.
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? VERY rural
The place you’d most like to visit: I couldn't pick between Ireland, Alaska, Hawaii and Japan since I have family ties to all of them.
Best thing that ever happened to you: Finding my prince-sometimes-charming.
Tell us something else about yourself that you want to share that not too many people know: I would love to go away for a year to a secluded cabin with my DH and no daily connection to the rest of society.

And now questions unanswered above from the original questionnaire:

BIRTHDAY: August 8

MARITAL STATUS: Married since 2004

TOP WEIGHT:225

SB STARTING WEIGHT: 225

GOAL WEIGHT: 129

HEIGHT: 5'

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Dark, dark brown

FAVORITE COLOR: Red and purple, though not as a combo

FAVORITE FOODS: Japanese anything, seafood, BIG salads with lots of variety and, unfortunately, rich sweets

FAVORITE EXERCISE:ZUMBA!, Cardio/strength combos designed by my dh, dance-oriented cardio dvds, jogging

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Just lacking the discipline to eat right and work out consistently. I do it in spurts.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: My goals for changing my lifestyle have shifted from being vanity-oriented to healthy living oriented. Wanting a healthier me is different than wanting a thinner me and is more motivating for me.

Basic facts:
Name (real first name if you feel comforable):Lexxiss/Debbie R
Gender:F
Age (or general age group):52
BIRTHDAY: March 4
MARITAL STATUS: Married since 1992
TOP WEIGHT:275 (at least)
SBD STARTING WEIGHT: 232
GOAL WEIGHT: 180 then I'll reevaluate
HEIGHT: 5'5"
EYE COLOR:Brown
HAIR COLOR: Brown

Where you live:Colorado
Where you grew up:Colorado
Other places you’ve lived:Hong Kong 1 yr, Michigan 1 yr, Alaska 23 yrs
Do you have kids? How old?No
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings?Middle, 1 Bro and 1 Sis
Languages, beside English, you speak:I've studied Mandarin Chinese
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)?My DH of 17 years, the pups Bing and Rudi, and Sophia, the kitty
Current job or field of work / studies:I currently co-own a family rental business with my Mother.
Why did you choose South Beach?Healthy eating/Weight loss combo
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? I wanted to LIVE a healthy lifestyle every day and get off the rollercoaster. Short term? I wanted to get off blood pressure meds (I have)
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)?My DH is supportive, he eats whatever I cook, and doesn't realize the coffee creamer doesn't have sugar! His insatiable cravings have gone away, too!

Beyond the facts
Favorite books:Cookbooks, I have over 200.
Favorite kinds of music / bands:I like lots of stuff, but my favs I play over and over are Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John and Indigo Girls....I have the family record collection which includes everything anyone in the family ever owned and many thrift store purchases by DH.
Favorite movies:Spy Game, Sound of Music, old movies w/Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Richard Gere.Favorite saying / quote:
Favorite holiday:
Hobbies: Cooking, canning and dehydrating produce, organic foods, knitting, gardening, jigsaw puzzles, animal rescue, reducing my carbon footprint, pet therapy, NPR.
Passions / obsessions:composting & recycling.
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I like camping again now that I'm losing weight, but also enjoy being pampered.
Got pets? All rescued, 2 dogs and 1 cat What kind? Bing is a Parti Cocker, Rudi a Bernese Mtn mix, and Sophia is a Ragdoll or Birmen.
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? A small, but progressive town in the mountains.
The place you’d most like to visit: I'd like to show my DH the East Coast. He spent his life in Alaska and has never been east of Denver.
Best thing that ever happened to you: Living in Hong Kong, and being able to take my DH to visit.



FORMER OCCUPATION: Semi-retired entreprenuer-I ran a sawmill, co-owned a travel agency and kitchen store in Alaska.
FAVORITE COLOR: Lupine purple and Fireweed fuscia.
FAVORITE FOODS: Shrimp, healthy pizza, pumpkin, true Chinese (I lived in Hong Kong), fruit (especially raspberries, blueberries and cherries), and big salads filled with every vegie I can find to put in.
FAVORITE EXERCISE: Water aerobics, water Yoga, and riding my bike..
PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: emotional eating, stress eating (especially work related),low self esteem, making poor food choices in general, and lack of regular exercise. Geez....that ought to cover it.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I have been on losing since 2005, but since starting South Beach I realize I have all the pieces of the puzzle needed to succeed; a healthy WOE, a comfortable regular exercise routine and a great support group here at 3FC.
-I wanted to start putting my pictures in the family photo albums after years of dodging the camera, and am grateful to be doing that again.

-I was quite a downhill skier being raised in Colorado. I haven't skied for years because of my weight, and will ski again this 2009-2010 season. I SKIIED AT LEAST 10 TIMES AND LOVED IT!

Got pets? All rescued, 2 dogs and 1 cat What kind? Bing is a Parti Cocker, Rudi a Bernese Mtn mix, and Sophia is a Ragdoll or Birmen.

User name/name: Pearlrose/ Rose

AGE: 44

BIRTHDAY: April 21

MARITAL STATUS: Married since 1988

Children/ages: 18 year old son, Michael and 2 daughters Megan 16 and Mackenzie 6

TOP WEIGHT: 252 lbs 9 months pregnant- 219 not pregnant

CURRENT WEIGHT: ? haven't weighed in for the week yet but hoping to be close to 199

GOAL WEIGHT: 170 for starters

HEIGHT: 5' 71/2"

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown with lots of gray coming will need to start coloring soon

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Working out/reading/spending time with my family and traveling

OCCUPATION: Team Supervisor at IT helpdesk for Healthsystem in St. Louis

HOME LOCATION: Trenton, Illinois

FAVORITE COLOR: Green

FAVORITE FOODS: Italian pasta

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Turbo Jam series

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: When I get bored I want to munch munch munch, so have to be careful about mindless eating.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: My head is in the right place so even though there is food not onplan around my house, I am not interested in putting that stuff in my body.

User Name: Schmoodle

Starting weight/current/goal - 245/195/145
Location: Maryland
Age: 46
Married: 17 years, but lived together for 8 years before that
Kids: 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy, the oldest is in college and the other two are in middle school.
Pets: 2 cats
Work: Engineer. I've got a great job and started telecommuting a few years ago, which saves me from sitting in DC traffic, but also makes it easier to snack!
Dieting history: Overweight to varying extents since the age of 8. Not much of a dieter, so I never yo-yo'd much, just a steady increase since kids started arriving. I am a major sugar addict and just the word "diet" tends to make me sweat. Last time I really dieted, I lost 30 lbs on the T-factor diet. That was about 20 years ago. Happy I found SBD, which really works for me when I work IT.
Favorite diet cheat: Sweets
Hobbies: Reading, sewing, surfing the internet, not much time for any of these lately.
Reasons for wanting to lose weight: Although I've always had weight issues, I never felt like it kept me from doing things I wanted to do, and so never worried about it too much. Then I started noticing myself not doing things for various made-up reasons, but the real reason is weight. My energy was getting pretty low from eating poorly and excess weight, so that even cleaning my house was becoming a real challenge. That creates a vicous cycle of trying to conserve energy and feeling less of it as a result. My world started to become smaller, and once I became a telecommuter, my big fear was that I'd become a huge, housebound person. I can totally see how that can happen!
__________________

Basic facts:
Name (real first name if you feel comfortable): Anne
Gender: Female
Age (or general age group): 53
Where you live: Iowa
Where you grew up: Iowa (I'm not very worldly!)
Other places you’ve lived: Born in South Sioux City, NE
Do you have kids? How old? Daughter 27 (Doctoral candidate at U of MN-Twin Cities), Daughter 24 (Living at home again), Son 22 (Senior at U of Iowa - Go Hawks!)
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Seven siblings. I am third, but the oldest girl.
Languages, beside English, you speak: A little Spanish at work
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? Husband of 28 years, DD2, DS when home on break, Doggies - Sophie (my avatar) & Harley (her sister) I love cockers.
Current job or field of work / studies: Nurse on Mother Baby Unit at large hospital for 35 years this month.
Why did you choose South Beach? A friend talked me into it. I was fed up with WW & wasn't keeping the weight off (like I am now). Tired of counting everything and wasn't making wise food choices on WW.
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? To maintain my good health and my happy weight as I get older. Short term? I really need to exercise more. I have been able to lose and maintain so far with very little exercise, but I know that can't last. I am walking a lot in my job.
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? Just you guys. DH will eat anything that's not nailed down.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: The Secret Garden, The Green Mile, Mysteries especially medical ones. I've read Les Miserables several times.
Favorite kinds of music / bands: I like music of the 70's & 80's and I love classical music. Really anything but rap & country.
Favorite movies: Jaws, The Green Mile, The Princess Bride, The Pianist, Contact
Favorite saying / quote: Don't really have one.
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Hobbies: Internet (obviously), puzzles, word games, reading. I used to love baking but don't do that too much anymore. I follow the Iowa Hawkeyes (who just won the Orange Bowl) as my daughter is an alumni & former marching band member & my son attends there now. Try to go to a few games a year.
Passions / obsessions: My dogs are only one year old & consume a lot of my time at home. It's like having kids all over again.
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? Definitely not a camping person. I would like to travel more when I retire, but I'll stick to hotels.
Got pets? What kind? (feel free to add some adorable photos) See my avatar.
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Suburb, work in a large city hospital
The place you’d most like to visit: Something tropical right now! Otherwise, Ireland when we retire.
Best thing that ever happened to you: My husband first, then my children.
Tell us something else about yourself that you want to share that not too many people know: As the oldest girl in my large family, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I am very involved in committees, projects and the like at work and I love learning new things.

Basic facts:
Name (real first name if you feel comfortable): Cyndi
Age (or general age group): 49
Where you live: Vermont
Where you grew up: Central NY
Other places you’ve lived: all around central NY, CA for 3 months
Do you have kids? How old? Daughter 29 who is a PA in the Boston area
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Oldest of three
Who do you live with? My wife and our two utterly insane cats, Luna and Sebastian
Current job or field of work / studies: I've worked in early childhood ed one way or another for most of my career. I am currently working with the AFT helping to organize early childhood educators.

Why did you choose South Beach? I woke up one morning sick and tired of feeling older than I was, getting winded up a flight of stairs and terrified that my aching knee meant impending replacement (I've been warned already). I had lost and regained 100s of lbs since I was a kid and knew I did not want to yo yo anymore so had to find something I could live with. I did a Google search for diet plans that fit our eating habits (whole foods, vegetarian, etc). Honestly I thought, based on the name, that it was a stupid vanity diet plan not a healthy way of eating. Imagine my surprise.
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? I do the cooking so this is dinner at our house (and lunch leftovers). The funny thing is my wife is now eating the way I do by choice so I never have veggies leftover and we go through huge amounts of refried beans every week!

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: I love books so whatever comes to mind first usually ends up on the list Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, The Fifth Sacred Thing, Hood, The Winter of Our Discontent, some of the Darkover series. Anything by Alice Hoffman, Chris Bohjalian, Emma Donohue, Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Pollan, Sarah Waters
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Depends on my mood. I have workout mixes of 60s, 80s and some new stuff my DD made me. I also enjoy a lot of jazz and classical music.
Favorite movies: It's a Wonderful Life, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,The Spitfire Grill, for pure escapism: The entire LOTR series (yes, I'm that kind of geek) , The Princess Bride, Tank Girl, almost anything by Pixar, and old black and white films
Hobbies: BIRDING!, gardening, dehydrating, hiking, riding my bike, reading though I don't seem to have much time for it anymore
Passions / obsessions: living sustainably and locally as much as possible, Syracuse University basketball
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? See hobbies
Got pets? What kind?The previously mentioned cats
The place you’d most like to visit: I have always wanted to go to Alaska long enough to really see it all.


updated a little 1/2011

Username/name - cottagebythesea / Linda
Age - 58
Birthday - November 7
Marital status - Married since 1969 to Jake, my high school sweetheart
Children/Ages - Monica, 40, and Dustin, 38
Grandchildren/Ages - Caitlyn, 19, Amber, 9, Carley, 5, Tyler, 2
Top weight - 186
Current weight - around 155-160 I think. I don't have a scale but I know I've gained.
Goal weight - 135, and I'm going to get there this year!
Height - 5' 1/2"
Eye color - brown
Hair color - it was mostly brown before I started coloring it 11 years ago
Pets - none
Occupation - nanny
Geographic location - southeastern PA
Favorite color - I love most colors but I guess my favorites are shades of purple
Favorite foods - Ethnic foods and most vegetables
Favorite exercise - walking
Favorite books - the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, anything by Mauve Binchy, Margaret Pilcher, Luann Rice, Barbara Delinsky, Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts
Favorite movies - Gone With the Wind, Out of Africa, Sleepless in Seattle, It Happened One Night
Favorite music - oldies from the 50s, 60s and 70s, showtunes, classical
Favorite diet cheat - I'm addicted to ice cream
Why did you choose South Beach? - I was looking for a healthy lifestyle change that didn't include any fad or crazy meal plans. This plan is healthy, sensible, easy to follow, and includes the foods I enjoy eating.
Reasons for wanting to lose weight - First and foremost, diabetes runs in our family and I don't want to get it. I've reached this age without being on any medications, and I want to continue to be healthy and active and NOT dependent on prescription drugs ever.

Updated - September 2010

Username/name - Heidi58 / Heidi
Age - 52
Birthday - February 22
Marital status - Married 30 years.
Children/Ages - Elisabeth, 28, and Daniel, 26
Pets - Penny, an 11 year old dachshund
Top weight - 211
Current weight - 152
Goal weight - After maintaining 150 - 155 for almost 6 months I've changed my goal and now I'm working towards 135. That will give me a 'normal' BMI
Height - 5' 3"
Eye color - blue
Hair color - brown/gray
Occupation - kindergarten teacher
Geographic location - western Maine
Favorite color - red is my favorite, yellow is a close second.
Favorite foods - All of them - that's how I got into this mess.
Favorite exercise - walking, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking
Favorite books - Karen Kingsbury, Bill Myers, Terri Blackstock, Debbie Macomber, too many to list them all....
Favorite movie - It's A Wonderful Life
Favorite music - Contemporary Christian.
Favorite diet cheat - salty snacks: chips, crackers, etc.
Why did you choose South Beach? - To be honest, a friend talked me into it. She was starting SBD and wanted a 'buddy' and I was overweight and worried about my health so I grudgingly agreed. Once I read the book though I was sold on it. I got to my goal weight, kept it off for over a year but then foolishly made excuses/allowances for myself when I was going through some health problems and slowly gained it all back. When I came to my senses, I came right back to SBD because I know I can be happy and healthy eating this way for the rest of my life.
Reasons for wanting to lose weight - I want to feel good again.
I work with active 5 year olds, spend a lot of my free time working with the teens at church, and I've always enjoyed outdoor activities. Being overweight was starting to slow me down.

User name/name: FoodObsessed/Okie

Age: 26

Birthday: July 9, 1983

MARITAL STATUS: Single

Children/ages: None

TOP WEIGHT: 327

CURRENT WEIGHT: 317

GOAL WEIGHT: 130

HEIGHT: 5' 6"

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Black

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Reading, Cooking, Dancing, etc

PETS: None

OCCUPATION: Soon to be employed, I hope

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Bowie, Maryand

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE FOODS: vegetable soup, scrambled eggs

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Dancing

FAVORITE BOOK(S): The Bible, Harlequin novels, and Plato's Republic

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): The Princess and the Frog, Godfather Trilogy, and Harry Potter Movies

FAVORITE MUSIC: R&B, Hip Hop, Oldies, Top 40

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Eating myself to oblivion because of sad emotions

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: It's time. I don't want to be obese any longer.

Basic facts
Name (real first name if you feel comforable):Kara

Gender: Female

Age (or general age group): 33

Where you live: Germany, about a half hour from France and forty-five minutes from Luxembourg

Where you grew up: Palmyra, New Jersey (near Philly)

Other places you’ve lived: Durham, New Hampshire; London, England; Seattle, Washington; Lacey, Washington; McChord AFB, Washington; Landover, Maryland; San Angelo, Texas; Beale AFB, California; Cinnaminson, New Jersey; Songtan, South Korea

Do you have kids? How old? Connor Thomas (9 years old), Kadyn May (6 years old), Avery Claire (4 years old), and Lukas Kristian (born November 2010)

Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? I'm the oldest of five - three younger sisters (30, 28, and 26 years old) and then a brother (17 years old)

Languages, beside English, you speak: French and German; I also am fluent in American Sign Language

Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? I live with my husband and kids.

Current job or field of work / studies: I work for our church as the Religious Education Coordinator.

Why did you choose South Beach? It seemed vegetarian-friendly.

What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? Short term? I want to focus on maintenance so I can cut out this 10 pound yo-yo nonsense.

Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? The whole family eats Beachy, but I don't use artificial sweeteners.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: I love Clive Cussler books and I've just recently gotten into M.C. Beaton's mysteries. Harry Potter will always hold a special place in my heart. Other favorites are _Bridge to Terebithia_, _Jonathan Livingston Seagull_, _The Giver_ and _Number the Stars_, _To Kill a Mockingbird_, and pretty much anything else I had to read in school.

Favorite kinds of music / bands: I like pretty much everything except hard rock and rap.

Favorite movies: "The American President", "The Sandlot"

Favorite saying / quote: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving

Hobbies: Scrapbooking (although I haven't had time since Kadyn was born), sewing, quilting (again, little time), reading, exercising

Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? Definitely!

Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Rural but close to urban

The place you’d most like to visit: We have SO many to-see places on our list! This year we are going to Holland, England, Scotland, Spain, France, Australia, and New Zealand.

Best thing that ever happened to you: Meeting my husband.

Tell us something else about yourself that you want to share that not too many people know: I was a competitive gymnast for 14 years, through elementary school, high school, and college.

And now questions unanswered above from the original questionnaire:

BIRTHDAY: 26 July

MARITAL STATUS: Married since 1999

TOP WEIGHT:148

SB STARTING WEIGHT: 148

GOAL WEIGHT: 125

HEIGHT: 5'4"

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Brown

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE FOODS: Indian

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Elliptical, P90X, step aerobics classes

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Not believing that I can stick to it

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Determination

Username/name - TwynnB/Tammy
Age - 38
Birthday - April 19
Marital status - Married since 2001
Children/Ages - Ethan, 7 and Grace, 5
Top weight - 145
Current weight - 128
Goal weight - 124-5
Height - 5' 3"
Eye color - blue
Hair color -strawberry blonde
Pets - Reesie Pup, dog; 4 cats: Merlin, Gordon, Pickle, and Nutmeg (aka Freak!)
Occupation - vet
Geographic location - central Pa
Favorite color - Hmmm... what's my favorite now?
Favorite foods - dark chocolate. SBD did that to me!
Favorite exercise - running (well, I'm slow enough...jogging!)
Favorite books - I like thrillers.
Favorite movies - what's that? Silence of the Lambs, Harry Potters
Favorite music - 80's!!
Favorite diet cheat - Ice cream!!
Why did you choose South Beach? - A friend mentioned it to me once, so I thought I'd try it. It makes a lot of sense to me...if you can grow it, eat it (in the amounts you can grow it in! Lots of veggies, small fruit, small meat, small nuts). I feel SO much better when I follow the principles. It's not always easy to stay on it (esp. with young children!), but it's easy to go back to it!
I also feel better, since my dad is a diabetic and stroke victim. I don't want my life to end as his has.

Name (real first name if you feel comforable): grneyedmustang/Paula
Gender:F
Age (or general age group):34
BIRTHDAY: April 26
MARITAL STATUS: Single
TOP WEIGHT: 282
SBD STARTING WEIGHT: 278
GOAL WEIGHT: 190
HEIGHT: 6'0"
EYE COLOR: Green/hazel
HAIR COLOR: 1B/33! 1B/27! My real hair is dark brown.

Where you live: Dallas, TX
Where you grew up: All over (I'm a military brat) - but my home is Atlanta
Other places you’ve lived: Kansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, South Korea, Georgia, Florida, Texas
Do you have kids? How old? No children
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Middle, 1 Bro and 1 Sis
Languages, beside English, you speak: I can speak enough Spanish to "get by"
Who do you live with? 6 fish
Current job or field of work / studies: IT Consultant
Why did you choose South Beach? I wanted to kick my sugar habit once and for all while losing weight. While I believe that I will always love sugar, my sweet tooth is more tame now
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? I'd like to get off my blood pressure medication. I'd like to be (comfortably) out of the plus sizes, right now I'm hovering in that gray area between plus size and not plus size.
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? I have support besides 3FC, I have a group of friends all on SB.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books:Fictional Trash and "Reality Trash/Chick Lit" books (i.e. Chelsea Handler, Jen Lancaster, etc.).
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Lounge/chillout, Smooth Jazz, Old School Hip Hop, Old School R & B, Pop
Favorite movies: Money Talks, American Pie, The Hangover, Crash
Favorite saying / quote: "It is NOT about Me!" (currently my favorite)
Favorite holiday: Any holiday involving food, drinks, and friends
Hobbies: Cooking, music, reading, driving, PS2 (my new hobby!)
Passions / obsessions: The beach!
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I like both. I haven't been truly camping since Girl Scouts but I'd love to go!
Got pets? No pets except six fish. I love cats though, I've had three of them.
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Urban. I live in the heart of downtown Dallas now, and I LOVE it. I hardly drive anywhere and I have a gorgeous view of the city!
The place you’d most like to visit: I really would like to go back to South Korea. I'd also like to visit the South Pacific, the UK (or Europe in general), Africa, Canada (in the summer!), I could go on and on, I love to travel.
Best thing that ever happened to you: Living in South Korea. I think growing up in a military family gave me a broader outlook on different cultures.

FORMER OCCUPATION: IT Support Manager
FAVORITE COLOR: Blue, Purple, Indigo, Black
FAVORITE FOODS: Steak (or cow in any general form - burgers, cheesesteak, etc.), Wings, Chocolate, Pizza, Caesar Salad, Grilled food (in almost any form), Cookies
FAVORITE EXERCISE: The elliptical, Spin class, and maybe a lil' runnin'
PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: emotional eating, stress eating (especially work related), low self esteem, and alcohol. I love to have drinks with the girls, but I have to stop if I want to continue to lose weight.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I have been on a "lifestyle change" since 2004. I did weight watchers back then and it worked, but in 2007 I had a major "lapse" and went back to my old ways of eating. I also didn't really tame the sugar monster back then. So I figured that there was a piece of the puzzle I was missing, which was getting control of my sugar addiction. SBD helped me tame my sweet tooth and has helped me get rid of 50 pounds. I got a little comfortable during the holidays and regained about ten pounds, so I am getting my butt back in gear before I have to repurchase all the clothes I have gotten rid of! I have also cut out the hard liquor completely, and that along with Spin class has got the scale moving again.

User name/name: Natasha1534/Natasha (creative, no??? LOL)
Age: I will be 34 on Thursday.
Birthday: June 24th.
Marital Status: Single, never married.
Children/ages: None, none wanted.
Top Weight: 346
Current Weight: 301
Goal Weight: 180ish. I have a large frame and don't think I'll be able to go much lower...but if I could get to 150 - 160 I would be STOKED!!!
Height: 5 foot 6 inches
Eye Color: Hazel (changes w/ the seasons...blue in Summer, green in Fall, gray in Winter, and bluish-grayish in Spring)
Hair Color: Red
Hobbies/Interests: Music, Traveling, Photography, Geocaching, Swimming, etc.
Pets: 1 fat princess dog named Shadow.
Occupation: 911 dispatcher (Assistant Supervisor - Rank of Corporal)
Geographic Location: Warner Robins, GA
Favorite Color: Green...or pink...hmmmm, okay, green
Favorite Foods: My mom's pot roast (lots of potatoes and carrots) over rice OR my mom's cubed steak w/ gravy and mashed potatoes.
Favorite Exercise: Swimming.
Favorite Book(s): Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Nights in Rodanthe, Star, The Street Lawyer.
Favorite Movie(s): The Outsiders, American History X, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, A Clockwork Orange, Super Troopers, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Slingblade, House of 1000 Corpses, Devils Rejects.
Favorite Music: Rehab, Maroon 5, Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Rihanna, Pink, System of a Down, No Doubt, Bare Jr., Kid Rock, Jewel, Sublime, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Reel Big Fish, Al Green, Sam Cooke, Metallica, Wyclef Jean.
Problem in Weight Loss: I've been fat for so long I'm not sure I remember how to be skinny...but I'm sure willing to learn!!!
What is Different This Time That Will Make You Successful: This time I have an actual diet plan and I've never had that before. And I'm seeing results this time and it's encouraging me to keep on going.