I think it was the Easter challenge that got me going last year as well, but I fell off the boards around August this year. I think I got so busy with work and life that I logged into MFP but that's about it.

For those who don't know me, my name is Beth and I'm 36 years old. I have 3 kids, my youngest son is 9, my daughter is 12 and my oldest son is 14. I live in Colorado and work as a paraprofessional in a special needs classroom.

I have been a yo-yo dieter in the past, losing weight and then saying "I did it, I'm done" and regaining it in a matter of months.

I'm finally learning how to treat it like a lifestyle change. I would love to get an additional 10-20 lbs. off but overall want to sculpt with weights more than anything and feel strong and capable.

Hi! My name is Kim (not Simone ) and I come from Montreal, Canada. This is my second challenge, and I somewhat failed the first, so I hope to have a better success with this one. I am 30 years old and I graduated, not so long ago, as a master in French litterature (yup, those grammar mistakes? it's because english is not my first language). At first, I wanted to be a college teacher, but I didn't like it, so I'm now working as a technical writer/copywriter for a software engineering firm. I am also a food blogger, and a freelance food writer, that loves to eat, drink wine (and beer... and bourbon) and play in the kitchen.

I like to read, shop cookbooks online, watch old movies with my hubby (I love the 60's-70's period now), and I spend a lot of time thinking and talking about Simone de Beauvoir, as I am a "specialist" of its oeuvre.

I have been overweight/obese all my life (I think I saw a nutritionist for the first time when I was 8 years old), but I hit the bottom after a bad separation and my parent's second divorce (yes, I said second). My highest weight was 315 pounds, but I've quicky lost the first 25 pounds while moving out of my parent's home eight years ago. I've lost a second chunk of weight three years ago (another 25 pounds) with MFP and Turbojam. After that, I've maintained between 265 and 275 for a couple of years, and decided I needed to lose more weight before my wedding (this was 8 months ago). I was up a little (279), but I've successfully lost 37 pounds since that time (more than 70 pounds of my heaviest weight).

I want to lose 45 pounds more (that's my first real goal, to be under 200 pounds!), and that's what I am working for now. I exercise a lot (aerobics, HIIT, elliptical) and I just started heavy lifting. I'm alson an avid biker, and one of my goal for 2015 is to use my beloved bike to do a 100k ride in one day.

That's about it!

Hi, I'm Kathy and live in South Dakota USA. I'm 64, been fat forever and thank the lord somehow decided to get myself under control when I learned my blood pressure was going up. No way I want to take pills the rest of my life. I guess that was the wake up call I needed, finally. I'm married, a mom and grandma and currently drive school bus. Worked many years in the IT industry wearing various hats including ColdFusion programmer. I keep Eclectus parrots, a few dogs and recently two little kittens came home with me after the farm they were born at was vacated.

My first challenge was the Easter challenge in 2014. These spreadsheet challenges fit my personality perfectly. I like the historical record! Didn't lose much in the last challenge and I think its because I'm not as active now that winter has set in. So I set my goal at just under a pound a week this time in hopes to actually achieve it. MFP has changed my life. Now, in addition to feeling healthier I am also fitting into regular size clothing! Wow. How odd to no longer shop in the plus sizes.

My name if Freyja. I am 38 years old and live in Seattle. I have been happily married for 181/2 years and we have 4 children 17,14,12,10. I have been part of these challenges since last Valentine's Day. while I haven't always been successful I do find these very helpful. I think I great to have the accountability.
From the time I was 10 or 12 years old I had people telling me I was overweight. Needless to say my self esteem was shot before I even had the chance to figure out how to be comfortable in my own skin. over the years I have done the yo-yo thing like most everyone else. I am not sure weight wise what my heaviest was because I avoided the scale if at all possible. But my guess is anywhere between 230-250. I know the biggest size i was wearing was a 20. Not real helpful for the self esteem. Last year I started the year at 213. This year I started at 196. I had actually gotten down to 185 at one point then unfortunately put it back on. which I have done a couple of time actually in getting down 185 then going up again.
Anyway my total goal is 130. I would really love to be down 30 by June. That is when my daughter graduates from hs and my parents are coming. By that point it will have been just under 2 yrs since I have seen them so I would like to surprise them with being smaller.

Hi! I'm Lesley, a 53-year-old hiker, teacher, animal lover, and motorcyclist. I enjoy doing these challenges because it keeps me motivated to exercise and eat healthily. Being a high school teacher, one of my goals is to be a positive role model for my students by staying at a healthy weight (Tennessee has a high rate of childhood obesity). Oh yeah, and I also really like cute clothes.