Amanda, the typical girl-next-door, is 19 years old and has been held back from every important milestone in her life because of her weight. She missed her prom because she did not want to wear a dress, has missed activities and vacations and is always being compared to her thinner friends. She is a good friend who is incredibly loyal and always looking after everyone else.

Amanda is going to school to become a Registered Nurse, and currently works at a local hospital as a patient care technician. She loves working and caring for all of her patients, but often time feels like a hypocrite as her outward appearance is in direct contrast with her career path in the health profession. Amanda wants to lose weight and become healthier, that way she can feel confident when promoting health to others.

Amanda is the only person in her family who is severely overweight. Ever since she was young, her food obsession has been her weakness and comfort. Her supportive aunt, who has terminal cancer, has made her realize that life is too short to be living it unhappy or unhealthy. She is now ready to change so she can find someone to share her life with. Amanda is a strong-willed teenager who is ready to start living a life she has never known. She is ready to begin her 20's and begin really living.