Wake up call

Hi y'all - just wanted to introduce myself formally. I've been following some of the forums on the site recently. I've been using MFP for about a month now after getting a wake up call in mid-November at my annual physical.

Last year (2010) my blood sugar was 125 and I managed to ignore the warning and went on to gain about 20 more pounds. Well, at this year's physical, I was officially diagnosed as Type II diabetic plus borderline hypertensive. Needless to say, it was a pretty traumatic doctor's appointment. I was in shock, but luckily the "slap in the face" motivated me to get started on becoming healthier. And at age 55 I really needed to do so quickly.

Now, three medications and a lot of diet changes later, I've lost 16 pounds and am starting to get some exercise. I started out at 280# on November 15 and am now at 264#. My current goal is to be 200#, although I may lower that target to 190# or 185# further into my weight loss.

So far, the weight loss has been fairly easy, of course. I cut out a lot of the junk I was eating and substituted healthier choices. I also have cut down on my portion sizes - e.g. a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a double cheeseburger. A handful of nuts or a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar. I know the weight loss will get more difficult as I go along so I'm hoping for some support from all the great people whose progress I've seen on this site.

Exercise has been really helpful also. I've started walking about 3x per week and want to up the number of days as well as add weight training into the mix.

Thanks,
Brent
aka buckeyetex315

P.S - a newbie question - I see "NSV" on the success story pages. What does this stand for? Thanks....