I have definitely been overweight since I was eight years old.  I am now 26 years old and 285 pounds.  My family has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, and my blood pressure has been increased lately.  So it is definitely time for me to get on the right road. I have been on several diets over the years. I am newly  motivated by a group of friends and family that will start a program on 2/9/07 where we all encourage each other but we also put 100 dollars into a pot and the person who loses the most weight wins the total (about 1200 dollars) to help with their new wardrobe. I feel I am now ready for a life change and pray that this time is my time.