Good for you! I'd jump up and down for you if I could! Wait...there, I just bounced in my chair a little!

Anyone who has never been more than a few pounds overweight has no concept of how much it "bites" to be obese; how hard and discouraging it is to have 40-50-60 or more pounds to lose; and how the weight can sneak up on you. People who have never been there say, "How could you have let yourself gain XX pounds in the first place?" Well, you don't gain them all in the FIRST place, you gain them one at a time, and you get used to them one at a time.

Weight has been a war for me my entire adult life. From being just a few pounds overweight, I was at one point in my thirties up to over 250# (I was 5'2"). I got down to 140 in my 40's, back up to 220, down to 180, then in 2003-2004 I self-diagnosed my fatigue and other problems to being obese, and got down to the lowest in my adult life: 126!

But I was still fatigued and wobbly--my friend said, "of course! you lost too much weight too fast!" So I let myself gain 5, then 10 pounds. Found out I had MS. Gained another 10. Lost some mobility, gained another 10. First thing you know...

For a long time, I just flat didn't care. I can still enjoy food, and I will! Well, a few weeks ago two things hit me: I'm going to lose what mobility I still have and end up in a nursing home; and I'm going to fall and the EMT's are going to call our local volunteer fire department (I know them personally) for a (shudder) lift assist.

I've lost 14 pounds in the last 10 weeks. I obviously know HOW to lose weight, having done it many times. When I feel like eating half a Pepperidge Farm cake, I picture all my neighbors listening to the scanner and hearing, "We need a lift assist at...." No thanks.

SORRY to hog your thread, KittyLady, but I'll be right there with you, cheering and praying, as you lose those last 8 pounds. Hooray for you !!!