I'm a 53 year old woman who has been struggling with my weight for most of my life.  I was born with a spinal chord defect which has limited my mobility. I also have severe arthritis in my ankles and knees, so when people say I need more exercise, I just well up with anxiety.

After almost losing my life several times, due to health issues associated with my weight, I decided I had better make some changes.  I asked my doctor to refer me to a clinic that deals with people who are obese. They work with individuals helping them change their lifestyle. I have been attending educational modules / classes, seeing a dietician, a pyschologist and specialized doctor for the past year and a half.

Now, I have been on many fad diets, lost weight and gained it all back plus more. My goals have changed now. My goal is not to lose weight, but to obtain better health through better eating habits. Changing my lifestyle for life. It is actually working. I am feeling so much more happier and energetic just by eating foods that my body needs in their proper proportions which is actually a lot of food. I eat everything.... grains, fruits, vegetables, milk & alternatives, meat & alternatives and some fats. I have been consuming about 1400 to 2000 calories a day. I don't crave junk food anymore and I have been losing weight at a healthy 2 lbs a week. I love eating healthy and feeling good.

Now it has taken over a year of trying to change. My total weight loss has been 35 lbs. The last 10 lbs have been lost in the last month in a half when I started to balance my meals along with the portion control. I have 97 lbs to go.

I really like the tools on this site.  I like how it grades our nutrition, keeps track of our calories and weight loss. Discovering the calories that are in my favorite recipes has proved to be a wonderful tool! I can now tweak my recipes and make them lower in calories! And most benificial, sharing with others the experiences, ups and downs, failures and successes and knowing that there is someone out their that understands. What a bonus!  I know it is going to make the journey easier and I look forward to meeting people and making friends.  Hope to see you in the forums!

Karen