Jennifer says her biggest reason for going on the show is "to achieve a complete and total transformation in my mind and body. My entire life, I have lost and gained weight, and I wanted to understand why that is, overcome it and learn how to live a long, healthy and balanced life." Jennifer was born and raised in New Jersey with a younger brother, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from William Paterson University. She began gaining weight at 5 years old, and tipped the scales at 144 pounds by the time she was in the fourth grade. Shortly afterwards, she saw the movie "The Nutty Professor" and related to Eddy Murphy's character and how others made fun of him, realizing for the first time she had a weight problem. That kicked off a lifetime of diets and a rollercoaster of weight gain and loss. She has lost 50-100 pounds at various times, but was never successful at keeping it off. Now 28 years old and 278 pounds, Jennifer looks forward to inspiring others and running a marathon once she reaches her weight loss goal.