Name (real first name if you feel comforable): Shannon
Gender: Female
Age (or general age group):30
BIRTHDAY: September
MARITAL STATUS: Single
TOP WEIGHT: 351
SBD STARTING WEIGHT: 351
GOAL WEIGHT: 150 lbs
HEIGHT: 5'7.5 (always get my 1/2 in there!)
EYE COLOR: Brown
HAIR COLOR: Brown

Where you live: Southern California
Where you grew up:Cali girl, born & bred
Other places you’ve lived: NYC
Do you have kids? No
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings?Only child
Languages, beside English, you speak: Spanglish. Okay, nothing else.
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? Currently back at home with ma!
Current job or field of work / studies: Unemployed Writer, hence: (see above)

Why did you choose South Beach? Had leg pains; in 2006, dug the book out of a drawer and put it to work!
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? I want food to be mainly fuel and no longer my top priority. I want to be fit and strong, as well.
Short term? Fit into the pea-coat I bought in England 3 years ago!
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? My mom actually helped me lose my 1st 100 lbs by creating/cooking a variety of SB-friendly recipes. She's great to have in my corner!

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: 'James and the Giant Peach', 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey', 'Memoirs of a Geisha', anything by Jane Austen
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Everything, especially 80's music, musical soundtracks and Alt-pop.
Favorite movies:'When Harry Met Sally', 'Sense and Sensibility'
Favorite saying / quote: "That's Craaaazy" or "Cool Beans"
Favorite holiday:Christmas
Hobbies: Movies, Television, Pop-Culture
Passions / obsessions:Writing.
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? Roughing it for me is s'mores... On the patio of a bar.
Got pets? Deliciously fat 14 year-old cat named Maximillian. He needs no diet!
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Suburban, but I dig Urban.
The place you’d most like to visit: Buenos Aires & Rio De Janeiro.
Best thing that ever happened to you: Losing my 1st 100 lbs!

FAVORITE COLOR: White. Which technically isn't a color. Dig green, too.
FAVORITE FOODS: Anything sweet or fried. Preferably both.
FAVORITE EXERCISE: Walking while jamming to iPod.
PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Living to eat
WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Much as I want to deny it, my weight holds me back. I'm too fabulous to feel inhibited!

User name/name: Mum2Monkeys / Jess

Age: 29

Birthday: July 31

MARITAL STATUS: Married since 2003

Children/ages: J. 5 1/2, Z. 3 1/2

HEIGHT: 5' 5"

EYE COLOR: Green Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Varies lol Light Ash Brown at the moment

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Reading, painting, photography

OCCUPATION: stay-at-home mom, portrait artist

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Southern VA

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue, Green, and Purple, in that order

FAVORITE FOODS: BBQ Ribs

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Sleeping? :P Walking (treadmill) or Pilates

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Romance novels.. Any romance novels lol

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Pride and Prejudice (A&E version), A-Team, anything Tim Burton

FAVORITE MUSIC: Varies by mood, but at the moment, Pop, R&B, and Industrial

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I'm an "all-or-nothing" type of person in general, and in weight loss, this means that if I "slip", I tend to say "to heck with it" and give up

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: My husband is doing this with me, which will help me over the initial hurdles

User name/name: cafelatte

Age: 57

Birthday: September 22nd

MARITAL STATUS: Yes!

Children/ages: year old dog

HEIGHT: 5' 4"

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Silver

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: old movies, reading.

OCCUPATION: Retired

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: California

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE FOODS: Sirloin Steak

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Walking

FAVORITE BOOK(S): The Bible

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; Lars and the Real Girl

FAVORITE MUSIC: All types

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Trouble in Committing to a Plan

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm making this a lifestyle, not another diet.

USER NAME/NAME: justmary/Mary

AGE: Very Old...I mean 53

BIRTHDAY: November 13

MARITAL STATUS: Divorced as of June, 2010 after 26 years of marriage

CHILDREN/AGES: 2 sons, 25/23

PETS: One cat, Siamese mix, 6 years old named MamaKitty

HEIGHT: 5' 5"

EYE COLOR: Blue Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Really gray...need to color it

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: reading, watching Netflix, spending time on computer

OCCUPATION: not employed

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Arkansas

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE FOODS: Fried chicken, potatoes/gravy, iced sweet tea:o

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Walking

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Harry Potter/LOTR/Wheel of Time series

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Harry Potter/LOTR

FAVORITE MUSIC: Christian, country

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Trouble getting started. Once I make that hurdle, I can usually do ok.:crossed:

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm doing it for my oldest son (to help him) as well as doing it for my health. I'm about 175 pounds overweight, have uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and asthma. I don't want to die. With time running out I've now decided I really want to live.

Name (real first name if you feel comforable): claire0412 / Claire
Gender:F
Age (or general age group):25
BIRTHDAY: 4th December
MARITAL STATUS: Single (seems wrong to write single when I live with my bf!)
TOP WEIGHT: ever, hmm around 165
SBD STARTING WEIGHT: 152
GOAL WEIGHT: 140 ish
HEIGHT: 5'8''
EYE COLOR: Green/yellow/blue mix
HAIR COLOR: Dark brown

Where you live: Vienna, Austria
Where you grew up: London, UK
Other places you’ve lived: Krems, Austria
Do you have kids? How old? None yet!
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Oldest of three
Languages, beside English, you speak: German (all day every day!)
Who do you live with? my boyfriend
Current job or field of work / studies: primary school teacher
Why did you choose South Beach? I think sugar is evil, but unfortunately I addicted to it. I blame it for everything including my hormone problems, skin problems, stomach problems and extra flab. I want to see if I'm right!
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? I'd love to shake the sugar addiction, to not be a slave to my food intolerance, to set a good example to the kids in my class (what some parents consider good brain food for school is shocking) and to get clued up about nutrition / out of the diet cycle before I have children of my own, so they don't learn my bad habits.

Beyond the facts
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Britpop, neue deutsche Welle, Tocotronic
Favorite holiday: backpacking around or snowboarding (active, active, active!) I can't imagine a more boring holiday than a beach holiday.
Hobbies: Cooking, meeting friends, photography, creating cool teaching props
Passions / obsessions: food and cocktails
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? roughing it! I love hiking, especially in the snow.
The place you’d most like to visit: South America esp. Peru; Cuba before Castro dies; New Zealand to visit relatives; anyway North enough to watch the Northern Lights.
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FAVORITE COLOR: purple
FAVORITE FOODS: chocolate in any form (oh dear); salmon and Asian food.
FAVORITE EXERCISE: running. I'm training to beat my 1/2 marathon PB.
PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Giving up on the chance to have my perfect body because I can't be bothered. Thinking a little bit of extra wobble is worth the extra chocolate...

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I think it'll be easier to run the 1/2 marathon if I am a bit lighter. Also, I really want to do this to get rid of the sugar crashes and aforementioned problems. I really think a high carb diet disagrees with me, and if I carry on eating high carb, low fat, i'll be missing out on lots of important nutrients. I want to improve my health, and not just my waistline (although that as well). I also feel like, at 25, I only have a few more years until the body wrecking ball (pregnancy) hits and i'd like to enjoy a few years of a flat stomach ;-)

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

Gender: Female

Age (or general age group): 22

Where you live: North Carolina, USA

Where you grew up: Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania

Other places you’ve lived: 29 Palms California, Meridian Mississippi

Do you have kids? How old? Nope.

Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? I'm a middle child. Three sisters (24, 18, 14)

Languages, beside English, you speak: None.

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

Current job or field of work / studies: I currently do not have a job.

Why did you choose South Beach? I really didn't want to "diet" and have to count calories, carbs, points, etc. I just wanted to eat healthy.

What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? Short term? I just want to be comfortable with who I am and enjoy looking at what I see in the mirror. Short term? I'm not really sure there is a short term goal with this lifestyle change.

Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? My husband - although I think he's going to struggle a bit. He's naturally tall + thin, and I just think he wants to eat those hamburgers + drink his Coke.

Beyond the facts:
Favorite books: I'm a huge fan of mystery novels. Also, the Shopaholic books... but I haven't read the newest one yet. Hope it's as good as the rest of them!

Favorite kinds of music / bands: I'm pretty open to everything, but I really like indie music.

Favorite movies: Oh, this one is hard. I can do my newest favorite movie? Black Swan.

Favorite saying / quote: Oh - I don't have one of these.

Favorite holiday: I really like all holidays. But maybe Easter??

Hobbies: Scrapbooking, cooking/baking, reading, watching movies, cross stitching, shopping

Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I definitely like camping + hiking, but I do not like all "roughing" it activities.

Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Extremely rural.

The place you’d most like to visit: Oh, I think that's every place in the world! Top places? Japan, Sweden, Africa, and Australia.

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

And now questions unanswered above from the original questionnaire:

BIRTHDAY: 6 June 1988

MARITAL STATUS: Married since October 2010

TOP WEIGHT:167

SB STARTING WEIGHT: 167

GOAL WEIGHT: 135

HEIGHT: 5'5"

EYE COLOR: Green

HAIR COLOR: Reddish Brown

FAVORITE COLOR: Green + Purple (I can't choose!)

FAVORITE FOODS: Sushi

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Running

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Not being able to eat everything I want...

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I suppose desperation? I'm tired of waking up in the morning to clothes that don't fit... and just feeling unattractive towards my husband. I have never been this big - but about a year ago I got out of the Marine Corps... was put on a new birth control... got a job at a fudge shop... and gained about 30 pounds. It just needs to end.

Basic facts:
Name : Jess
Gender: Female
Age : 25
Where you live: Virginia
Where you grew up: Virginia
Other places you’ve lived: Alabama, Georgia, California, Texas, Massachusetts
Do you have kids? Nope
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Oldest with two younger brothers.
Languages, beside English, you speak: Allegedly I speak French and Russian, according to school transcripts (I do not)
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? With my boyfriend. It's really like having a child.
Why did you choose South Beach? I like SB because (a) the rapid weight loss of Phase 1 helps rev me up with instant gratification, (b) almost everything that I eat that's bad for me is on the "no" list, and (c) I've had a lot of success in the past.
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? Short term, to get back to college weight. Long term, to train my eyes and stomach to agree on what are good food choices so I don't ever have to diet again.
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? My boyfriend has agreed not to make fun of it, if that counts as support. My family is behind me as well.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: Cat's Cradle, A Song of Ice and Fire, American Psycho
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Classic Rock/Ironic 80s Music
Favorite movies: The Princess Bride, Star Wars
Favorite holiday: Halloween
Hobbies: Internet, video games, singing, going out.
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I'll do anything active!
Got pets? What kind? (feel free to add some adorable photos) Two cats that are currently crashing at my mom's.
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? My city has sprawled to the point where urban and suburban have combined.
The place you’d most like to visit: Australia.
Best thing that ever happened to you: Getting to pet the dolphins at Sea World
Tell us something else about yourself that you want to share that not too many people know: I sometimes sneak in romantic comedies when no one is looking.

User name/name: Sparklylikeahoilday / Zannie

AGE: 35

BIRTHDAY: December 8

MARITAL STATUS: No longer married.

Children/ages: 8 year old boy.

TOP WEIGHT: 253

CURRENT WEIGHT: 209.5

GOAL WEIGHT: 165

HEIGHT: 5' 2"

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Black

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Reading, iPadding (is that a word?), dancing, hiking, painting, crafts, hanging out with friends, movies/tv, home decor.

OCCUPATION: Public Safety Administration

HOME LOCATION: Washington DC Metro Area

FAVORITE COLOR: Chartreuse

FAVORITE FOOD: Ice Cream

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Hiking

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: Mindless eating.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I am changing my lifestyle due to a scary health issue.

I'm P&C. Not always PC, and definitely not P&G. You all can call me Peas.
I live in the PNW.
I've got three kids and a husband, ranging in age from one to thirty six.
I'm thirty. I helped my husband beat type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise, yet I can't quite bring myself to even try to be healthy. I know I need to be for my children.
I have to lose just over 100 lbs to get to a normal BMI.
I'm a talk big, but lack the followthrough.

I dream of being 140, but that seems so far away.

I'll add more to my bio as I get comfortable.

User name/name: imaginemama

Age: 34 (almost 35)

Birthday: June 18

MARITAL STATUS: Married for 11 years

Children/ages: dd about to turn 8, ds 6

HEIGHT: 6'00"

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Brunette

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Reading, camping, cooking, and doing projects with my kids.

OCCUPATION: owner and lead tech of a small IT firm.

FAVORITE COLOR: Red

FAVORITE FOODS: I just love food! I really love trying new flavors and combinations.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: swimming, pilates

FAVORITE BOOK(S): I read constantly, so I have a million favorites! But Diana Gabaldon would have to be my choice if I have to choose 1 favorite author.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Beautiful Girls

FAVORITE MUSIC: Love a little of everything, but favorites would have to be U2, Bob Marley, Indigo Girls, and sooo many more!

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: Well, I haven't ever really seriously dieted before. Really, I have never really had a weight problem before. I have put on 20 lbs in the past year, and I just want to do what I have to do to change my habits - clearly my 30-something body is not going to be as cooperative as my 20-something body was!

The instigation for going with SB is that my husband has about 70-80 lbs to lose, and is struggling with blood pressure and cholesterol. We decided that this was a great way to do this together!

User name/name: Anna78/Anna

AGE: 33

BIRTHDAY: April 10

MARITAL STATUS: Married since Nov 1997

Children/ages: Twin 12 yr old boys

TOP WEIGHT: 278 in 2010 I am not far from that now

CURRENT WEIGHT: 270

GOAL WEIGHT: 170 for starters

HEIGHT: 5' 3"

EYE COLOR: Hazel

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: spending time with family and friends, surfing the net

OCCUPATION: Full time cosmetology student

HOME LOCATION:Missouri

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE FOODS: Very few foods that aren't my favorite

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Walking and jogging

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I feel I am out of control with food... it rules my life. I make all the wrong choices and bing. Yo Yo dieting

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I am ready to reprogram my brain. I am ready to make a life style choice.

User name/name: DtheFashionist Real name: Danielle


Age: 25

Birthday: April 16th

MARITAL STATUS: Engaged. Wedding will be 9/10/11

Children/ages: None.

TOP WEIGHT: 277 then did 2 rounds of HCG

CURRENT WEIGHT: 229

GOAL WEIGHT: 160

HEIGHT: 5' 10"

EYE COLOR: Green

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Hanging out with friends, FASHION (even though I can't fit into half the stuff I love!!) and spending time with my fiance and our puppy.

PETS: 1 year old malti-poo (he turns one 4/20) Remy.

OCCUPATION: Full-time Social Worker.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Northwest Washington

FAVORITE COLOR: Green

FAVORITE FOODS: PIZZA! JUNK FOOD! Candy and Chips.

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Walking the dog.

FAVORITE BOOK(S): Anything by David Sedaris.

FAVORITE MOVIE(S): Most recent favorite is UP!.

FAVORITE MUSIC: Pretty much anything. I like classic rock...Fleetwood Mac has been playing a lot for me.

PROBLEM IN WEIGHT LOSS: I'm an emotional eater!

WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS TIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL: I'm determined to be happy with my wedding photos in September I've already lost practically 50 lbs!

All About Me!
 

Basic facts:
Name : Kim
Gender: Female
Age : 32
Occupation: Registered Nurse
Marital Status: Married on 10/20/07 to my best friend Mike
Where you live: Florida
Where you grew up: Kissimmee, FL, born and raised
Other places you’ve lived: Never left FL
Do you have kids? No, trying now with fert treatments, 3 miscarraiges :(
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? Youngest, I have 1 brother who is 10 yrs older
Languages, beside English, you speak:Only English
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? My husband and our dogs
Why did you choose South Beach? I did this diet 6 yrs ago and lost 50 lbs and it seemed effortless. It is the only diet that I really like the food choices and portions allowed.
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? To be at a comfortable weight so when I do get pregnant my baby and I are as healthy as can be. Also, to learn to make smart choices for my health.
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? My husband is doing it with me. He is 6'7" and 239 lbs so he doesn't have much to lose but he will still maintain.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: Twilight, The Shopaholic Series
Favorite kinds of music / bands: Dave Matthews Band forever!
Favorite movies: Twilight Series, Bridget Jones' Diary and Romantic Comedies!
Favorite holiday: Christmas
Hobbies: Card Making, Wii Fit Plus, Weekends at the beach
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I love camping as long as there is a bathroom, shower and electrical outlet at the site
Got pets? What kind? 3 dogs: Australian Shepherd, Black Lab and a Lab, pit, chow mix (he's a sweetheart).
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Suburban
The place you’d most like to visit: Fiji
Best thing that ever happened to you: Meeting and marrying the most amazing man in the world:hug:

Basic facts:
Name : Ashley
Gender: Female
Age : 25
Occupation: Human Resources, but headed back to school for my Master's in the fall!
Marital Status: Single
Where you live: Connecticut
Where you grew up: Moved around a bit, but mostly Ithaca, NY
Other places you’ve lived: Long list, lol....Boston, Washington DC, Bloomington, IL, and a few other places around upstate New York and New Jersey
Do you have kids? No
Are you an oldest, youngest, middle, or only child? How many siblings? I am the oldest, with one younger brother who's 17
Languages, beside English, you speak:Only English
Who do you live with (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, roommate, pets, alone, etc)? Just me in my apartment, but I'm lucky enough to have two of my best friends living in the same complex
Why did you choose South Beach? I did this diet about 4 years ago and had quite a bit of success. I feel like Phase 2 is definitely do-able, and I think Phase 1 is really helpful with my clear sugar addiction. Also, I like the principals in general, I think the reasoning for this choice is really logical, something I can be on-board with.
What are your ultimate lifestyle change goals? I want to get to a healthy weight and make walking/jogging part of my regular lifestyle. And more specifically, I want to go back to school this fall feeling more confident, and want to feel comfortable enough with myself to really start dating again, since it's been quite a while!
Are you going at this plan by yourself or do you have support (other than us of course)? No one is necessarily doing South Beach with me, but my best friend is working on getting a healthier lifestyle as well. She only has to lose like 10% of what I do and she's not on the same plan as me, but she's been good emotional support, and we've been cooking healthy dinners together every other night.

Beyond the facts
Favorite books: Anything on my Nook, lol! Favorite recent read is Water for Elephants, can't wait to see the movie!
Favorite kinds of music / bands: In terms of popular music, Black Eyed Peas...but I am a closeted showtunes lover!
Favorite movies: Moulin Rouge, Apollo 13, Twister, Twilight Series
Favorite holiday: Halloween (surprisingly not for the candy, but I LOVE decorating for Halloween, and it also marks the start of the winter holiday season!)
Hobbies: piano, tennis, reading
Are you a camping and hiking kind of person or do you prefer less sweaty and “roughing it” kinds of activities? I've never been camping and don't imagine I would like it, but I do like taking walks outdoors, especially in a nearby park that has a lot of hiking trails
Got pets? What kind? I can't even keep a goldfish alive, so for the safety of animals everywhere, I am pet-free
Do you live somewhere urban, rural, or suburban? Suburban
The place you’d most like to visit: Anywhere in Europe, probably Paris
Best thing that ever happened to you: My brother is like a best friend to me, so when he was 14, getting to take him to Disney World just the two of us was the greatest trip, and was a huge bonding experience for us!