Hi everyone!

MFP Name: heykaraoke
DietBet Name: shanothy
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Start weight: 179.4
3% goal: 174.0
6%: goal: 168.6
8% goal: 165.0
9% goal: 163.3
10% goal: 161.5

My biggest weakness: Snacking when I'm bored. It's a terrible, terrible habit and it definitely needs to change!

My motivation: Honestly, I just want to feel better about myself. Right now I hate how I look and I hate how I feel. I want to love myself and feel good about myself.

MFP Name: donjessop
DietBet Name: Donald J
Location: Alberta, Canada

Start Weight: 315.6
3% Goal (Nov.-Dec.):306.1
6% Goal (Dec. - Jan.): 296.7
8% Goal (Jan. - Feb.): 290.4
9% Goal (Feb - Mar): 287.2
10% Goal(Mar - April): 284

(Those decimal points really matter to me!)

My biggest weakness: Pizza and chocolate cake
My motivation: A Type 2 diabetes diagnosis on July 30th started the ball rolling for me. The fear of being dependent upon insulin made me change my life around. I have been soda free since July 30th. I purchased a Fitbit in August and discovered that I averaged 2700 steps per day whereas I am not averaging over 12,000 steps per day. My daughters are teenages and I want to be healthy when my grandchildren show up. I owe it to them and I owe it to myself.

MFP Name: irisblossom81
DietBet Name: Kendra W.
Location: Iowa, USA

Start Weight: 279.6
3% Goal (Nov.-Dec.): 271.3
6% Goal (Dec. - Jan.): 262.8
8% Goal (Jan. - Feb.): 257.2
9% Goal (Feb-Mar): 254.4
10% Goal(Mar - April): 251.7

My biggest weakness: Junk food in general.
My motivation: I'm doing this one for me. I want my kids to see me as healthy and not obese, but mostly this is for me. I want to be happier in my own skin and not turn away from mirrors and cry everytime I have to buy some clothes. I tend to lose some and gain back more. I'm dedicating this time to getting all the way to my goal and I think this baby step is a good way to start. I tend to get discouraged by how far I have to go to reach the big goal and quit. My husband is committing to losing weight with me and we're going to be starting a paleo diet and see how that helps me to curb the junk food desire.

MFP Name: SailorMoon007
DietBet Name: SailorMoon007
Location: Alberta, Canada
Start Weight: Too much
End Weight: Getting better

My biggest weakness: feeling to good about myself when I start to do well, so I end up falling off the wagon
My motivation: I have an 8 year old son, and I want to be around for a long time for him, as well as be a good example of health for him. Plus, I love me a little competition

Anything else interesting: I'm starting this dietbet out with a broken pinky. Possibly going on surgery #3 in a month if it doesn't show some massive improvement. How did I break said pinky? In a dodgeball game. This "tiny" injury has set me back on a ton of stuff; like dodgeball, aqua zumba, and burlesquercise. I can not wait to get my physical life back. In the meantime, I'm starting to train for a 5K, a half marathon, and I'm doing some month long challenges, too (sit-ups, push-ups, planks, and wall-sit). I can't wait to get to know all of you awesome people!

MFP Name: SD67
DietBet Name: Sunshinesdad
Location: Southern Alberta, Canada

Journey Start Weight (Sep 19, 2013): 376
DietBet Start Weight: 350.2
3% Goal (Nov.-Dec.): 339.7
6% Goal (Dec. - Jan.): 329.2
8% Goal (Jan. - Feb.): 322.2
9% Goal (Feb - Mar): 318.7
10% Goal(Mar - April): 315.2 (But my personal goal is to be under 300 by this point)

I am a big guy (6' 5 1/2") and after I hit my late 20's (I am 46) I started to add weight and remove physical activity. I have always thought about it but never seemed to have the motivation or determination to do what was needed to lose the weight and change my life.

I was referred to a "Lifestyles" program at my Dr. office and in the first group meeting on Sep 19 2013 I had all my readings done (weight, bmi, body fat %, etc). My BMI was 44 and my weight was 376. The program was explained which was basically to follow the Canada food guide and I was totally depressed afterwards because I was sure that if I did this I would starve. She also handed out food journal pages. A couple of days later I started doing the journals and at first I didn't want to eat junk cause I really didn't want to have to write it down (I still wanted the junk but wouldn't eat it). Then a few days after I started this I completely changed my thinking and I no longer wanted to eat junk cause I truly didn't want to eat it. I also started to crave veggies and fruit.

I lost 17 lbs in the first 2 weeks of doing the food journals. I was then introduced to MyFitnessPal and have been doing this ever since. Currently I am now under 350 and have lost 30 lbs. Good luck to all of us and I know we can all do this!!

Oh, biggest weakness has always been pop and chips! My motivation? Truly I am not sure what "Flipped the Switch" in my brain but I have a 3 year old daughter and I never have the energy to do too much with her. I want to set a good example to my 16 year old son who is almost as tall as me and probably weighs about the same, my daughter, and my wife.

Follow me on my journey at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-3PCGZ_c0m91rN7zn75aow . Watch, post comments and subscribe. I will post 2 or 3 Vlogs a week.

Laneer75, my wife and I had a lot of fertility issues in our life. Took us 8 years for our first (doctors said it probably wouldn't happen), adopted a little boy (he died 8 hours after signing the papers), and then gave up and were satisfied we had all we were going to be given. 2 year later when my wife was 39 we found out she was pregnant with our now 3 year old daughter. She was born when my wife was 40. Keep the faith and getting in shape will definitely help that process as well. That is what we think did it for my wife.

MFP Name: SailorMoon007
DietBet Name: SailorMoon007
Location: Alberta, Canada

Ah, a fellow Albertan. Good luck with that snow coming in over the next few days.

My motivation: I want to feel better about myself, but I also am in a relationship where we are discussing having a child together someday. If that is going to happen (especially at my age 37, nearly 38) I need to get my BMI much, much lower.

My wife was 38 when she had our third daughter. We had pretty much given up thinking that we would have a third and then along she came. Three weeks early and 9 lbs 5 oz. Very healthy. You can do it and everyone here will be supporting you.