*Losing the gained*

Katarina Cameron
Vital Stats
Home: Corpus Christi, Texas

Age: 24

Height: 5'8"

Weight before: 180

Weight after: 120

Job: Graduate student

The Buildup: Katarina Cameron had resigned herself to a life of being "a little chubby" by the time she entered college. At Northern Illinois University, she piled her cafeteria tray with burgers, fries, and pizza. "I was eating at odd hours and never paid attention to what I put in my mouth," Cameron says. She jumped two clothing sizes between her freshman and junior years and was about to move on to a third when she peaked at 180 pounds.

{these first two stories are pretty true to what I am at right now. i really need to live and eat healthier. i need to exercise a lot more. i need to find these women who have lost all their weight inspiring. who's with me???}

Lee-Ann Brookes

The curse of the "freshman 15" took hold of Brookes, but she took charge of her life and lost 30 pounds.

Weight before: 170

Weight after: 120

As a teen, Brookes kept trim by walking to and from school and playing volleyball and baseball. But when she went to college, she began putting on pounds. Weekend drinks with friends and late-night pizza runs sent her weight soaring to 170 pounds. During a hiking trip with fellow students, she struggled to keep up with the group but felt exhilarated: "I thought, what would I be able to do if I was in shape?" The next week, Brookes hit the gym and began cycling and walking 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

Jennifer Lilley
Home: Freehold, NJ

Age: 33

Height: 5'5"

Job: Advertising copywriter

Weight before: 208

Weight after: 138

The Buildup: Like most kids, Jennifer Lilley preferred cookies to carrots. But her tastes didn't grow up when she did, and by her late 20s, her junk-food diet had taken a toll. "I was working long hours and eating dinner out of the vending machine. When I got home after 11, I'd be too tired to work out."

Jennifer Eisenbarth
She lost big for a reality-show challenge

Weight before: 283

Weight after: 145

In November 2005, when The Biggest Loser called for auditions, Eisenbarth's competitive streak was piqued. "I announced, 'I can totally do that!'" she says. When her mother-in-law agreed to baby-sit if she made it onto the show, "I had run out of excuses," Eisenbarth says. After four months of auditions, she was chosen from thousands to be one of 14 cast members. She flew to the Biggest Loser weight-loss ranch near L.A., where she learned to eat only until she was satisfied, not stuffed. But one week in (and already 8 pounds lighter), Eisenbarth was voted off the show.

[find more losers here]