I know I'm not the first person to feel this way...

But all you know-it-alls can't stop!

I joined MFP last year and half-a**ed my way through a couple of months and gave up. Not once did I visit the forums, just logged a bit on the app and then let myself get lazy.

So this year I made the commitment to myself. I'll be 40 in August and wanted to hit that age with a healthy head start. I started logging again, but decided to hit the forums.

I came here to:
- find out exactly how much cinnamon and honey I needed to eat daily to kick start my metabolism
- hear how soon before I eat do I need to drink a glass of lemon water to let the fat slide off my body
- find THE exercises that will spot remove my fat
- get suggestions for pills that will curb my appetite

And you know what I found? A group of people who spout facts and link peer-reviewed papers about what actually works. I found people who told you EXACTLY what you need to do to lose weight and build a better body, without sugar coating it. I've read through and researched many posts and found the truth about weight loss and body comp.

So you know what I did? I bought a digital scale. I weighed my foods and I logged everything. I built recipes and meals. I do cardio, but have incorporated strength training. Do you know why? Because the women on here that lift INSPIRE me. I can tell they feel strong, and boy, do I want to feel strong. I watch youtube videos of form, so that I insure I'm doing things the right way.

And guess what? I've lost 24 lbs since Christmas. I'm wearing clothes that I haven't been able to wear in years. I WILL rock the bikini this summer. I'm still eating the foods I enjoy, just not as large portion. I STILL have my vodka and lemonade. And if I have a bad day, I start over the next day. I have about 16lbs to go to meet my goal weight, but that goal was set before I began lifting, so I will just see where my body ends up.

I am so thankful to have found this forum and the Success Stories are such a joy to read.

But I do have one more question for the know-it-alls...how much rasberry ketones should I be taking???