My mother was 5 feet tall and petite. She had 4 sisters. All were under 5 feet tall. My grandmother was 4 feet 11. My father was 5'9 or 5'10, and normal.

Then I showed up. All 200 lb and 5'7.

To say I stuck out at family get togethers is putting it mildly.

I don't know how genes played a part in this, but believe me, when I walked into the door of a family get together, they all stopped talking and pointed to me. One time I even heard a cousin say: "oh my god, how big is she??"

You don't forget stuff like that.

So the whole family was tiny, short, etc. etc.

THEN, LIFE WENT ON, they ate whatever they wanted, and Melody got the lightbulb moment.j

I will never forget last summer at a cousin's reunion. Everybody showed up and no one recognized me. See, all the woman were 200 lbs and short. They called themselves Little Turkeys. And Alan and I showed up (Alan, newly svelt because of his weight loss and exercise routine), and me, because I followed the Cornell program.

Well, I never laughed so hard.

All these people who had looked upon me like the Giant Behemoth, now looked at me like 'who the heck are you". My cousin Chippy even said "that's Melody, that can't be Melody" I walked in saying 'yes, it's Melody".

Too bad I waited 55 or so years to get my head on straight, but what the heck. Better late than never.

I don't think you have to be a certain age to learn how to eat sensibly, and not eat too much junk. Takes time and patience.

I only wish my mother could have seen the way I now look. She would never have believed it.

lol

Mel