Hi, my name is Michelle. I am 42 years old, I have been overweight about 25 years or so now. I was pretty much resigned to just yo-yo diets and the fact that I was just overweight and I needed to deal with it and accept it. My husband is also overweight (severely) so it was just comfortable and "easier" just to live with it. Well, here recently I've started having back pain and knee pain, not everyday, but enough to notice. Then I started noticing the last couple of years exactly how much I huff and puff going up a flight of stairs. Again, I dealt with it and avoided stairs (big mistake!) rather then confronting my situation head-on. Here I was last week at 353 lbs - the most I've ever weighed in my whole life, tired, uncomfortable, in pain, and just frustrated with life in general - work, my marriage, what I'd become, etc.

So last week I decided to do something about it. I could take the easy way ( my apologies to those that have) and have surgery, my physician has mentioned it several times to me. Who knows, maybe someday that will be the bet route for me - but I have to try myself first. I lost 70+ lbs once on my own and I was much thinner then, so maybe I can do that again. Again, who knows what I can and can't do until I at least try.

I decided to start slowly by logging my food. I cut myself back to 1600 calories a day - a whopping 50% or more than what I would have. I started to incorporate exercise - though painful and off to a very slow start, at least I am doing something. I have managed to get on the treadmill 15 minutes a day. In my first week I lost 10 lbs. No doubt I will lose a lot my first week or two and then I will face the week to week challenges with my scale. I want to lose 180 lbs. I'd be thrilled with even just 100 at this point. Hell, I'd be thrilled probably with just being healthier and not having a number assigned to it - but i am going to do what I can to make a lifestyle change that is permanent here.

I don't have a big circle of support here, my mother -in-law is a great cheerleader, my husband - well while he wants to be I am sure, he's just not committed and not very supportive of me. We started out doing this together, and this week he had many struggles. Maybe he'll get back on board, maybe weeks down the road he'll get it together and see how successful I am being and decide that it's needed for him too, I don't know. I just know that I have to keep looking forward for myself.

Anyway, I've rambled on here enough. If you'd like to message me, please do. I am always open to new friends and could definitely use the support.

Michelle