Hi there, this looks like a great group and daily challenges are just what I need.

My name is Sam, I'm 41, married with 2 girls. I've been on mfp for about a year, I tend to lose 3 or 4 lbs then put them back on again so need to find a way to maintain my motivation. I think 10lbs by Christmas will be my goal. Looking forward to seeing how we all get on.

Hi everyone. My name is Pam, I live in Oklahoma (out in the country). I'm 54 years old, married for 32 years. I have 2 grown daughters and 4 grandbabies (2 of which stay with us every weekend). I work full time in a casino. I'm 5' 2" and weigh 192 lbs. I've set small goals for my weight loss. My first goal is to lose 5% of my weight which would put me at 186 lbs, second goal is 10% (173 lbs). Not for sure about my final goal yet. Thinking some where between 120 - 130 pounds. I'm excited about this group because I need the accountability and motivation! Good luck to all of us...we CAN do this...TOGETHER!!

Hello, my name is Monica, I am 39 years old and will reach the "40" mark in almost exactly 6 months! I have decided that it is now or never to try to get my body back!

I have 3 children, Bryce 16, Brock 12 and Macy 4. I did so well with my last pregnancy after gaining 47 pounds with each of my boys, I only gained 22 with Macy. I came home from the hospital at my pre-pregnancy weight and put my jeans on! *sigh* not anymore~I am bigger now than I was the day I came home from having her!

I think a few things have contributed to this: my antidepressant I was on for the last 10 months or so, going from full time RN to part time, and in July I lost a patient who I had provided in home nursing to for 1 year when she passed away.

I have become sedentary, lazy, and I LOVE to eat!! Now mind you, I am not obese by any means. I actually just crossed over to "over weight" based on my BMI. I am 5'8" and 164. My ideal weight would be 149, just to hit below 150. Doable right?? My last good weight was post baby and that was 153 - I would take that! So while I don't have a LOT to lose, it's hard to do this when I have never had to. And at 39 trying to refocus and have will power.... it's HARD!

I look forward to joining you all in this journey! Oh yeah....we are going to Florida on 12/9 for a week's vacation.... I would LOVE to drop 15 pounds by then!!! That is just short of the 50 day challenge... so COUNT ME IN!!

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to be part of this group! My goal is to lose 24lbs by Christmas. I am a 3-week old vegetarian and my biggest challenge is choosing foods that aren't carbs. I have yet to have a love affair with veggies, but I am hoping we go on a date soon. :-P Looking forward to shedding with you!

Hi Everyone!
My name is Stephanie. I currently live in Hastings, MI. I was always pretty healthy, never stick-skinny, but "healthy". I weighed 125 as a senior in high school, always had a butt, which I don't intend to lose my curvyness. I was still 135 as of six years ago, but since then, my weight started gaining, even though I moved a lot and ate relatively healthy. It was really depressing, and upsetting because no matter how healthy I would eat, or how much I would exercise, my weight would not go down, but still slightly rise.

I didn't have health insurance for a long time, but with my new job I do have it, so I went to check myself out. I found out I have hypothyroidism, and went on meds to get my levels normal. Apparently now, after maybe 1/2 a year of being on these meds, and upping the dose, my levels are finally normal, so I'm hoping losing the weight will start getting easier. I just weighed myself two days ago and was at 183.5 lbs. The highest my weight was reached 194 lbs back in March, but I've lost some since then. I've done the Master Cleanse diet twice this year already, and that helped get me down the 10 lbs, but now I think its just a matter of watching calories and exercising more. My goal weight would be back down to 135 lbs and single digit pants sizes. I know this will take time to accomplish, but I'm 29 now and want to enter my 30s in better shape. I know I can do it! Especially with everyone's support!

PS, the Master Cleanse diet is absolutely MISERABLE, but it works and it makes you feel much much better. If you feel bloated or gassy or heavy, it will fix that. It also seemed to cure what was the beggining of a sinus infection for me. I thank the lemons with their high concentration of Vitamin C for that. A note from my experience, DO NOT do this diet unless you have real, organic lemon juice (not the plastic squeeze lemon) or REAL organic Maple Syrup. Trust me, if you run out and think "oh this SAYS its real maple syrup" or "I think the squeeze lemon will work ok for now" trust me, DON'T DO IT!!! Unless you really really really want to punish yourself for some horrid crime you committed. It will taste awful-truly awful. You will want to puke, it will be undrinkable. I'm not kidding at all, it makes a huge difference having the real, organic ingredients. Makes you really think about the things you eat after that diet. Also, just do it a max of twice a year. Your body doesn't need it any more than that.

But anyway, feel free to add me as a friend. I have a degree in Culinary Arts, and love learning about food and health benefits. I lack the motivation to exercise, as I generally hate exercising. I love meeting new people, and am a generally cheery and goofy person. :-) Good luck everyone!!!

I'm Kristi and I'm on a quest to lose my last fifteen pounds. I haven't lost any weight in four months, and while I am happy I can maintain at a lower weight, I really want to leave 2012 at my goal weight. I'm 43 and I have three kids - 9, 13, and 17 - and been married 19 years. I work full time and I am also a karate instructor two nights a week for kids and adults. I got my black belt last year after training for five years.

My usual schedule is gym first thing in the morning (4:40 a.m.) then back home and rush kids to get ready, work by 7:30, off at 4:00, pick up kids and do karate. I run, I do elliptical, I lift weights. I had a trainer for 8 months and I learned valuable stuff from her but felt like I was at the end of what she could teach me. I do miss her motivating me, though!

My weaknesses are whiskey and wine. In that order. My job doesn't help - happy hours and traveling - and neither do my friends, because we are all very social on the weekends.

My plan is to hit all my numbers 50 days out of the 61 left in the year. That means calories, protein, calories burned by exercise, cups of water, vitamins. Giving myself Thanksgiving and Christmas off and one day a week other than that.

Hi, My name is Tammie and I'm 53 yrs old. Have been with mfp since october and this is my first time to join a group. I'm in for a good challenge and would love to lose 18lbs in 50 days. My goal is to lose 50-70 lbs. Love all the motivation we all give each other on mfp. This group sounds awesome and i cant wait to start these challenges. Good Luck Everyone !!!

Buenos Dias!!! My name is Oscar, i am 27 and live in Tx. I first joined this website after Xmas last year. My sisters n I made a bet who can lost the most in a years time (this Xmas is the deadline) but we all fell off the wagon by June. I recently visited my doctor who challenged me to lose some weight and get in better shape and accepted! I have always been overweight but at the same time always active in sports. Most people are surprised by how fast n agile i am for a big guy. As i get older, im realizing it is necessary and a must to try to be fit because im experiencing injuries i never had before. My goal is not just to lose weight but to be better in the sports i play (specifically baseball.) Feel free to add me, i need the help and encouragement to stay motivated for the next 50+ days!!!

Hi I'm Jules-
I have been slowly but steadily losing weight for the last 2 years (kind of started the first 40 with a divorce but decided to stick with it). I workout (mostly cardio & some weight machines), kickbox & just started Tae Kwon Do (jury is still out on that one, not sure if I might be a little too old to be kicking that high, LOL). Anyhow, I am 7 pounds away from my bucket list goal of 100 pounds. I didn't join MFP until these last 15 but really enjoy it. I will still need to lose an additional 45 after reaching 100, so that is why this challenge will be great for me. Looking forward to meeting new people. Good Luck everyone!

I'm 43 Jules and I just got my black belt this past May after 5 years in karate.....you can do it! Stick with it!

Hey All,
My name is April, and I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. So that means time to loose the weight for me.. I think this is going to be a success this time around this site really makes me think twice before I eat something,I'm sorta paranoid now Im like ("WAIT!!! HOW MANY CALORIES, HOW MUCH SUGAR OH AND DONT FORGET MY FIBER I NEED MY FIBER" )But I like it that means Im really started to get the hang of it I guess. Well Today is the first day of our 50 day challenge and I really wish and pray good luck to all who participated, Their are no losers here just winners..:laugh: :flowerforyou:

Hi, guys! I'm Kelly, 33. I started a weight loss challenge with three other family members on 3 August that ended 27 September. (I won!) I'm happy with what I lost, but still have a ways to.

I always do better when I'm tracking, so I was happy to find a FREE app for my phone (that didn't crash it!) Using MFP has really helped me to stay honest and accountable with myself.

I'm not a fitness junkie, but I did start walking my dogs three months ago (about 4-5 times a week.) That seems to help. I tend to prefer to get my exercise in outside of the gym. I don't burn nearly as many calories that way, and I'll never be SUPER fit, but I'm trying to find a way to SUSTAIN these lifestyle changes, and I know I'll never be a gym junkie.

Anyway, other than that, I work full time, have a 5 year old, and am an Air Force wife! I love to travel and hope we move back overseas after our time in SC. Glad to meet you guys!

I realized that I never posted to this topic...I just kind of barged in!

HI! I'm Linli. I'm 30, mom to 2 great kids (6 and 4) and wife to a loving husband of 9 years. I work full time as an accountant (read: desk job)

I have always batteld with my weight. I have no idea what my actual weight was in high school, but I was wearing a size 16/18 US. When I was 20 I joined a weight loss program that was an extremely restricted diet - probably close to 800 or 900 calories a day. My starting weight was 235 and in 7 months I dropped down to 165. I don't think I maintained that weight for even a month. But, I was able to maintain my weight around the 175-180 mark for a bit more than a year. Once I settled in to college, and late nights, the weight came back.

In 2006, when my first was born I knew that I needed to get back to a healthy weight, especially now that I had another life who depended on me being there. I joined weight watchers online in the summer of 2007, and successfully got back to the 180 mark and was wearing a size 10. I felt confident, healthy and it was a weight I could maintain.

I was doing fine maintaining my weight, when we conceived out son. I packed the pounds back on with that pregnancy (2008). It did seem to come off pretty easily after though, although I never did quite have the same body shape as I did after I lost weight in 2007.

Here we are 3 years later, and I find myself back up over the 200 mark. While I may not be as heavy as I was, I could feel my weight getting out of control again - my portions were growing and I was doing a lot of mindless eating. I suffered some pretty severe post-partum depression after my son was born, and it wasn't until the last 18 months that I feel like I have actually conquered that.

So, here I am, on MFP, watching my portions, modifying a few recipes to lower the fat/calories and wanting to get back into those 10s. I had originally hoped to reach 190 by the end of 2012, but realistically I will probably be just under the 200s, maybe mid-190s by then, but that is A-OK. I'm working on building a sustainable lifestyle here, and I'm striving to learn to understand my body and eat when I'm hungry not because I'm bored/sad/angry/moody etc.