Hello, everyone! My name is Lindsey and I am a sophomore (19) at South Dakota State University. I'm double majoring in Psychology and Sociology and minoring in Criminal Justice. I have been heavy all of my life, and have been yo yo dieting for a lot of years. I'm currently at 235 (the heaviest I've ever been) and am hoping to lose about 100lbs total. However, that's just a guess. I've never been smaller so I'm not sure how my body is going to adjust. I hope to lose around 35lbs during this challenge, which will put my at 200lbs!

I'm from a small, small town in South Dakota. My favorite color is black, and my favorite season is summer. It is summer because I absolutely love baseball, and more specifically, the Minnesota Twins. My favorite food is definitely pizza. I am literally embarrassed by the number of TV shows that I watch (about 17). My favorite had to be Lost though. My passion is reading, so I can not and will not pick a favorite book or book series (however, Moneyball is up there). I would consider reading my hobby, along with anything baseball. If I could visit anywhere in the world, it would be Australia. I've always wanted to visit there. I want to see and feed kangaroos and kolas, and also learn how to surf.

My favorite workouts is definitely the elliptical. I really look forward to running once I am in shape enough and light enough (I have bad knees/ankles) to do it. I also mix in Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and Wii games such as Zumba Fitness 2, Just Dance, Michael Jackson Experience, etc.

Feel free to add me as a friend!

Hi! I'm Katherine and I'm 5 foot 2.5 inches. I am hoping to be 95 pounds by the end of 10 weeks. Or the alternative is to be 26" at the thickest part of my stomach before I go to bed. (Sorry girls and guys, I don't quite know how to do the measuring thing properly.) Right now I'm between 27.5 and 29 inches and I'm at 97.6 pounds. I know that a 95 pound goal weight may sound unhealthy by a BMI perspective, but I have a very light bone structure and not a lot of muscle mass. So when I was 95 pounds I was at a healthy weight.

I'm always looking for new friends. I'd love to be there to motivate one another.

Good luck with your weight loss goals!

Hey Beautiful People!

I'm totally excited about this challenge, great way to kick start the new year and stay true to our goals. My name is Christina, i'm 24 just finished graduate school this Fall. I live in Toronto, Canada home of the blue jays haha and the Raptors...i'll rep em no matter how bad lol.

Favorites
Food: Chocolate covered almonds or peanuts
Season: Fall, omg all the beautiful shades and colors of the leaves, just mind blowing
TV Shows: Lost fan and at the moment BIG BANG THEORY ( i have a secret crush on Leonard, the inner nerd in me just goes gaga loool).
Place: Anywhere hot! Every place has its own unique vibe, no one particular place. Would love to go back pack in Asia someday, that would be awesome

For this challenge i'm looking to lose at least 5-6 pounds in the next 10 weeks. I don't have that much to lose and would rather take it a bit slow. I'm 5'2, right now at about 124 last time i checked.

Everyone feel free to add me!!

How much would you like to lose by the end of the New Year New You 2013 challenge??

Lets get to know each other -- Where are you from? What is your favorite color, season, food, television series, books, and hobby? Where would you visit if you could visit any place in the world!!?? -- and why? What are your favorite workout routines? RAMBLE ON MY FRIENDS!! lol Feel free to add your own questions to the mix!

So, I totally had this long comment and posted it, and it just so happened to be the time the site was down So, I lost it. lol

But, nonetheless,-Hello Beauties! My name is Janelle, I am 27, I live in Ohio with my boyfriend, our 9.5 month old baby boy, and our 2 furbabies . I am a full time college student, as well as work as an intern-READ: PART TIME JOB WITH NO PAY- at a place that I really love.

I am super excited about this challenge, and the fact it is a full year in length! I have been thinking a while now, since I have been trying to actively lose weight since June this past summer, that 2013 is def gonna be MY YEAR to DO ME and accomplish my physical goals.

My fave color is curlean (however you spell it) blue. It is a crayola color. lol. I also love jewel tone purple.

Fave season is fall and the end of spring.

Fave foods- that i shouldn't ever eat (weight gain alert for me), but crave the most: pasta. rich cheese (brie is my fave), and robust wine. I swear, I may secretly be Italian. Except I am not a big tomato fan. lol

TV series: Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Criminal Minds, Modern Family. I love HGTV and TLC. Oh, and Biggest Loser is back in January!! That is a staple in my couch time....ironically. This season, I have a goal to NOT be eating ice cream or other snacks that totally go against Biggest Loser, DURING the show!! IDK why that show makes me crave serious snacks that I shouldn't be eating. lol NOT this time around though!

I LOVE BOOKS. What I am finding with my classes though-I hardly have any time to read books right now...But, maybe I should give up some of my late night internet browsing and read and get to bed at a decent hour...Anyways, A New Earth byEckardt Tolle is really a great read. And Harry Potter


Hobby-I love crafts, and I am currently crocheting a blanket for my bf. I started it a couple years ago and put it down and never picked it back up till last week. So, I am excited to get that done sometime this season. I want to get back into using my sewing machine eventually..and I also want to get back into scrap booking. IDK where I will find the time or money to do either thing in the next year, but I will keep it as a to do eventually!

There are many places in this world I would LOVE to visit. And my "why" is because we only live once...and this world has so much for us to see...and experience. But, at the top of my list are Italy, Greece, and this place:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRogSGL0qVw

The place in the youtube video may be the most realistic right now in my life to get to go in the next couple of years. We will see.


My favorite work out routines: When I was younger I would jog constantly, do 1000 crunches and situps (combined) a day. do push ups sporadically, and all sorts of calisthenics through out the day at random...i can't seem to get back into the habit of doing all that at random...but it was whe i felt my best, therefor it was my fave workout.

Now though, realistically for me, I love Zumba-can't afford to go to the classes though. I also like the results I was getting from the 30 day shred by jillian michaels. Leslie Sansone dvd's are pretty cool too.

Okay, so that is that!!

*Editing to add-my goals, DOH! I forgot them! lol*

I want to lose 15-20 lbs the first 10 week challenge! I would say more, but there are people out there who would probably pipe up because they feel 2+ lbs lost a week is not healthy. I will be doing Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, and I know I will build muscle on that, so who knows if I will even lose 15! But, I do hope to get out of my size 14 jeans and into my 12 and maybe my 10 jeans.

And from my XL and 1X tops, into my L tops, comfortably.

I also usually go up and down 3-8 lbs in water weight...as long as my lowest weight goes down at some point, and I am eating healthier than not, within my calories, and exercising, I know I am still losing.

Hi, I'm Cindy. Here is a little info about me.
I'm 32 years old
A mom
Favorite color : red
Favorite t.v. Show- Justified

Weight info:
CW:210
GW for challange: -195
Ultimate goal weight: 140

Hi Everyone! My name is Nancy! I'm from a small town in Michigan. I have lost weight many times before but seem to find it hard to keep off. This time I need to lose and keep it off for good due to health reasons. I'm at my heaviest I've ever been. I've lost 7 pounds so far but I have a long way to go. I weigh 274.4 as of today. I'd like to lose 20 pounds in this challenge. My favorite color is purple and black. My favorite food is CHOCOLATE! Yes, folks, I'm a chocoholic! My favorite books and TV shows are mystery and/or crime. I haven't been able to do much exercise due to my medical problems. I do work full-time and get some exercise that way. It's partly due to my meds that I've gained so much weight and the doctor told me it will be hard to lose. So, I need as much support as I can get. I don't have a great support system at home. FEEL FREE TO ADD ME AS A FRIEND! I'm looking forward to the challenge and getting to know all of you better!

Hi, my name is Sandy. I live in Albuquerque so our weather is totally opposite from where you live! I have yo-yo'd dieted for the past 20 years. I want to lose this weight once and for all. I don't want to use my weight as an excuse for living life. I weigh 209 as of this morning. I want to lose down to 195 at the end of this 10 week challenge. I haven't been under 200 in five years. I really packed on the weight when I went through menopause. The hormone treatment I was on took away my hot flashes but it packed on the pounds too. I also went through a major depression when my It's taken me time and counseling to handle my grief differenly. I'll always miss my son, but I still have my daughter and two grandchildren to think about. I have my grandson from my son and I don't want to mess him up by associating saddness with his dad's memory. His dad loved life and enjoyed life and I want him to associate that with his dad's memory.

I'm also a chocoholic...I love love chocolate. I need to find healthier and low calorie chocolate treats to satisfy my cravings. As for my interests, I like to read crime suspense books and my favorite channel is ID. I work in the judicial field and you would think I would be tired of crime stories, but I'm not.

My favorite season is fall. I don't like to be too cold and I hate to be hot...that's an oximoron because I live in the desert. :grumble: I like to walk...I used to run but now my knees can't take it and I have no stamina. I joined a running group and my coach had me doing a slow trot. My daughter called it the fatman trot...I asked her where she got that and she said that's what they called the heavy football players at school. Gee thanks :embarassed:

Well, I see a lot of bright and curious faces. Curious, aren't you? Ah but all will be revealed shortly, for now, allow me to take you back before I stumbled upon this topic.

It doesn't seem that long ago when I first joined MFP. I remember looking up ways to track your food because I had finally managed to get an ipod touch and I was tired of being overweight. Google oogled for me this site and I was immediately hooked. Motivation? People were there to steer me away from that stray sugar cookie. Food? Exercise? It has loads of both for easy application. But you want to know what got me? Challenges.

I'm fiercely competitive. That is basically what it narrows down to. I had previously been in another challenge and unfortunately family/school stress made it nearly impossible for me to continue. I was literally devastated. I felt as though I had let down my team who had motivated me. I know you're thinking now../wait..why are you here then?/ I'll tell you why. I'm addicted to Challenges and I want to finish one. I would love to win but most importantly, I want to finish this.

I have had a real rough time with food. I have both loved and hated it. There have been times when I could not look at myself because I would either enter into a state of self-abuse or I would become physically ill. I currently battle this but I am proud to say that I am making a recovery. What also makes it tough for me is that I have PCOS and it seems almost impossible to lose it. Still, the war over the fork (shall we say) has lasted longer than it should have. The battle of the bulge stops here. (hehehe I'm so punny)

Oooh Yay, this is the interesting part folks. Here's were things get more exciting!
"Where are you from?"
Practically all over is what I want to say. Born in Texas. Early childhood in Virigina. Late childhood in California. Rest of my life has been lived in Oregon and I have grown to enjoy its bipolar weather.

What is your favorite color, Cerlean/ Dodger blue. These blues are just beautiful~
season, : My favorite season..s are Spring and Fall. I love the way the air feels and its perfect jogging weather.
food, : Chinese food. Its addicting.
television series,: My Little Pony, Hetalia, Durarara, Dr.Who, Supersize vs Superskinny, Whats Eating You
books, and hobby? ooh well now I love the Hunger games Series and The Eragon series. I love dragon books, mysteries and some thriller books. Ted Dekker is an amazing author!

Where would you visit if you could visit any place in the world!!?? -- and why? I actually haven't thought too much into this. I suppose I'd love to visit Italy just because its very beautiful and I'm learning Italian. Or Spain. I love the Spanish Culture ( and I'm fairly good at Spanish : ) ]

What are your favorite workout routines?
Omg this is the hardest question. I switch this up so much uhhhh..

I start off with Look Better Naked workout in the morning. I start my week off with the Aerobic and the next day do strength.
I generally try to do so many pushups etc through-out my day just to keep my metabolism up.
I used to walk 5 miles every day and I'd love to push it to 7.
At night I do pilates to stretch and as a reward for working out. Stretching is great and it feels awesome, far much better than a sugar cookie.

What does my routine this turn about?
I plan on doing the Look Better Naked workouts
30 Day shred with my mother as a work-out buddy
Ripped - (college's version of p90x)
and Pilates.
I'll walk the 7 miles on weekends.

Start and Goals:
My starting weight is 172
My goal weight is 115
I'm 5'1.5 literally I'm not even kidding.

Anyway, feel free to add me and yeah.

Hi I'm Kim, 32 single mother of one adorable 6 year old living in Colorado. I've lost 90lbs that I have been able to maintain but I never did quite reach my goal. I'd like to lose a total of 32 pounds in 2013 but probably just 10 of that will happen during this challenge. Maybe a couple more if I am lucky. I enjoy working out and take all kinds of classes at my gym near my work that I go to during lunch breaks. I enjoy running even if I'm slow and I've done my fair share of 5Ks and a few half marathons. In 2013 I'd like to beat my personal best running goals and add in a few strength goals. I still haven't been able to do even one pull up and I'd like to be able to do 20 "real" push-ups those kinds of things. Right now I know my problem is sugar and fat. Once I'm able to take these out of my diet for a while again I'm sure I will start to see the scale move in the direction of my goal.

hi everyone my name is Lisa i am 28 years old. I have been with one guy my whole life who tells me i am beautiful but i just dont feel it myself. we have been together for 12 years 12.18.01 i started my journey at 212lbs i am currently 172 i would love to reach 140 as my ultimate goal but we will see. i am doing 30ds and enjoy running i am looking to do a 5k every month. i am excited about this challenge for the new year and i wish everyone of you good luck you can do anything you put your mind to.

Hi! My name is Liz and I am 54 years old. I was born and raised in Connecticut and I still live here. My weight loss journey started at age 13 at Weight Watchers. I am very good at losing weight, but I am lousy at keeping it off. I made a decision last year to get healthy, lose weight and keep it off. I lost 40lbs and then herniated a disk in my back - which was not related to exercise or getting fit. I spent a couple of months flat on my back while trying conservative methods which did not help at all when my rheumatologist told me to go see a neurosurgeon. That was the best advice ever. Disk surgery, at least in my case, was outpatient surgery. My mom said I practically danced out of the hospital as the pain of the incision was nothing when compared to the pain I had been in for those previous months. Unfortunately, that period of pain and inactivity brought back all of my previous bad habits. I finally got my act back in gear the second week of September when I joined a Lose to Win group at the local YMCA. It is a 7 week program and I will be starting my third session on January 7th. I am only 4lbs away from losing the 40lbs that I lost and then gained back due to my disk/bad habits, etc.

On to the more interesting stuff -

Color - Blue
Season - Spring and Fall
TV - Mostly dramas
Books - Mystery, Thrillers, Romance
Hobbies - Reading, Knitting, Crocheting
Places to visit - I fulfilled a lifelong dream when I got to see the pyramids in Egypt a few years ago. Going on a cruise at the end of April to revisit some of my favorite Italian and Greek places (Sorrento, Mykonos, Santorini) with the addition of a first time visit to Venice. I can't wait!
Favorite workout routines - Water aerobics, spinning, weight machines

I am looking forward to this challenge!!