Greetings

I recently saw a photo of a friend who currently does NOT have weight problem. (She is perhaps 115 lbs, and very attractive.) The photo was from about 6-7 years ago, and showed her weighing at least 30-40 lbs more than present.

Wow. What a dramatic difference. Some people who try to lose weight lose some of it, and then only for a time. She lost ALL OF IT, and has one of those "always been skinny" looks, (like you would never imagine her weighing even 10 lbs more than she does.)

I am "not small," by any means, and probably should weight around 210, (even though its been 30 years since I was last there.) I've let others make my food choices, (like McDonald,) and generally have had a very emotionally close relationship to food. I can put the comfort foods away for a while, but then they come back as I drift back to my old ways.

I haven't asked her, but it would not surprise me if my friend lost her weight as a result of seeing herself down the road and drawing a very sobering conclusion. I remember seeing a TV special that reported those who lost weight as the result of some kind of fear, (close relative died of a heart attack, diabetes in the family, losing children too soon,) changed course and kept it that way. (These are the people who "became thin," rather than just "lost weight.) A total attitude shift caused by a sincere fear of some future problems.

I don't think a fear like that is something a person can generate, but surely, a sobering look at the future is healthy. We *hear* of people getting diabetes, but do we see the hospital visits, the strokes, the heart attacks, bypass operations, or amputations? Not really. Those things are kept from our view, leaving us to think innocent and *deadly* thoughts.

I want to lose weight, but my heart is so often not into it. Voices that clamor at me, (my wife,) and other's good intentions are NOT sufficient to rouse my motivation. Hoping to find some here on this board.

Nice to meet you.