Hey y'all I am Megan you can call me Meg or Megs. I have been married to the love of my life for about 6 years, we have two amazing little boys. Lincoln will be 2 in January and Colby is only 8 months. I have gained about 20 pounds since having them and I have gained a total of 35 pounds since I joined the Coast Guard 6 years ago. My goal is to become toned and have better stamina! I want to keep up with my boys and have a long healthy life with my husband! To all of you that has had a hard time with RUDE people... Now is the time to shove it back in their face and say thank you for the motivation! They apparently had nothing better to do with their lives at that point in time. Remember you are, we are doing this for ourselves and we will be who we want to be! I am stoked to start seeing a difference! Let's do this!!!

Well I guess its finally my turn. I read all your amazing people's post before I began to write mine and I can truly, honestly take a sentence or two from you all and write about myself,my story. This goes to show just how much we ALL have in common. Yeah I was chubby since the 5th grade! Ive always tried to loose weight but never really understood how until the summer of this year! My highest being around the 230's. I started MFP when I was at 226 and just hit the 205- mark this week. I didnt understand the calories and the calories you burn and how they worked together but MFP has taught me alot and brought me a long way. There is one thing that differs me from many of you and many people in general and that is the relationship part! Im 19 in my second year of college and has NEVER been in an relationship! I wouldn't consider myself the ugliest or the sexiest but the no relationship part of my life really brings a downer on my self esteem. Im not happy with myself so why would I want to be in a relationship. I need to fall in love with myself first I see! The best way for me is too loose the weight Ive been carrying that has only been bringing me down! I would like to be be 180 by May! Then by my birthday in September somwhere between 160-170.

I love to root and cheer on people and love to recieve the same! Who doesn't love that good job after every workout! So send me a friend request and let me know your apart of this challenge! Cant wait to support you amazing people!

Eliot

Hey there, I'm Amanda. I can relate to a lot of these stories. I was teased a lot, even into college, but not for weight. I was made fun of for having hypertrichosis, which in my case was just downy, fine hair on my face and other places it wasn't "supposed" to be. After ten years of electrolysis (and many more years of many other treatments) I finally realized that I am NOT a "butherface" (especially now that everything <i>but my face</i> is not hot). Unfortunately, the damage to my self-esteem had already been done. I've struggled with depression for around ten years now, and haven't yet found a way to make it manageable. My depression does not entirely depend weight issues specifically, bit a vicious cycle has begun. I feel depressed in part because I feel lazy and fat. As a result of depression, I lack energy and motivation, and I stress-eat. I think if I can learn healthy habits, physically and mentally, I might be able to break the trend and start making progress against this disease.

I'm afraid to go to the gym because I feel fat. I'm afraid to start a regimen, lest I fail. I'm afraid to talk to people in my life about this goal, lest they see me fail. I'm afraid that without eating, I won't be able to cope with stress. I'm afraid that when I mess up my diet a little, I will make myself feel terrible. The only thing I can do is try to stay positive, be kind to myself, and check-in to MFP regardless of my shame.

Here is a "before" picture, a moment in time that was amazing, but would have been more so if I was fit and feeling good.<br><a href="http://s1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff505/AmandaJane523/Hawaii 2011/?action=view&amp;current=IMG0012.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff505/AmandaJane523/Hawaii 2011/IMG0012.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Hey

I'm Lou. I got fed up of disliking looking in the mirror and always trying to cover everything up with clothes so I came here!
I have had low self confidence for most of my life, I am slowly fixing the things I dislike and my weight is the last thing now.
I am also currently being treated for depression which doesnt help either!

Anyway hello all, I look forward to getting to know everyone

Hi, my name is Ellie and I am 19 (20 on monday).
I was very popular from k- year 3 in school and then the bullying started. Even though I changed schools 3 times from years 4-10 at every single one of them I got bullied. First off it was my pimples (and my mum taught at the same school) in primary school and then in high school it was being too skinny (I was anorexic at the time). Whilst being anorexic I started working in fast food and went from one extreme to the other - eating an apple a day to eating maccas 3 or 4 times a day. I have also been physically and emotionally abused from my brother ever since I can remember. My mum only cares about me enough to yell at me 24/7 calling me hurrondeous names. Everyones elses mums are always there for them - that is what I always wanted. But to her.. I would get beat up by my bro so bad, I even got stabbed once and was unconscious many times but because he is autistic it is "okay," (according to my mum)... her/him putting me through this put me into a severe state of depression and anxiety. I feel like noone can ever love me because my mum never did. I think that people are always judging me because I know that my mum and other children always did/does. Whilst putting up with this for too long I moved in with my boyfriends nan and after living with her for a year she passed away, and that just killed me inside. That was March 2010 and then in February 2011 one of my best mates drowned. I feel like people are always judging me on my appearance, I don't know how to stop feeling this way though. I feel like I have nobody. Although I am recovered from my depression and anxiety I am struggling to find my self worth. I just feel worthless..

Feel free to add me as a friend