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Introduction Text UPDATE 11/21/18 This has been a healthy year except for a hip sprain that is still healing but almost done, and plantar fasciitis that is now healed. I'm thankful to be relatively pain free. UPDATE 7/14/17 This has been a very healthy year for me so far, and I'm thankful that the shingles nerve pain is over. That was sheer h***! SP helps me make good daily choices to keep boosting my immune system. Update 10/31/16 This entire year has been about shingles and its trademark nerve pain which comes in waves with no warning. Overall, SP has helped me consistently make healthy food choices, continue to exercise daily, and stay connected with my SP friends. Looking forward to a more successful 2017 new year. UPDATE 5/30/16 Overall, I've not made astonishing progress here on SP. But I have made consistently better, healthier choices to try rebuilding my immune system. Doing well with no caffeine, but jonesing like crazy. Doing well with less sugar. Still too much from fruit, though. UPDATE 10/15/14 I've been on this journey for 7 years now. Almost 6 years on SP. I recently kicked caffeine and am now working hard on sugar. My main focus is to stay healthy and keep rebuilding my immune system after several recent bouts of pneumonia. UPDATE 10/18/13 - Saboteurs of 2013. Looking back over this year, I see some of the bumps that appeared in the road of my journey this year. Some are still present and need more work to smooth over. In March, I was 3 pounds away from my gw. Just 3 pounds!!! Here are some of the haps since then: 1. Really bad bout of pneumonia for the entire month of March. I rationalized that my body needed food to fend off the bug. (I know, I know) 2. Bought a Fitbit and increased overall daily exercise significantly. Therefore, felt entitled to eat whatever I wanted. (I know, I know) 3. Major mother unresolved issues as she continues to decline and fade away. Never thought I was an emotional eater, but whamo, there I've been. (Yikes!) 4. Since I've never been on a diet or overweight in my life before gaining due to hormonal changes, overwork, mega-stress, etc., I saw that I was close to goal and felt entitled to indulge since I'd worked so hard at slimness. (I know, I know) 5. Plateau for the longest time. Tricked me into thinking I could revert back to my former ability to eat whatever and not gain. (Yeah, right!) 6. Overall apathy. As the year has worn on, I've sunk into "I don't care." Of course, I actually do. My current weight? Haven't a clue due to scale fear. I do know that I haven't gone up a size in clothing, but that won't last long if things go unchecked. Perhaps, seeing my thoughts in a blog again will help. Getting on the scale soon as a benchmark. Continuing a lot of daily exercise. And, overall, I still maintain a basic framework of healthy food. Just have to control portions. UPDATE 8/5/13. This update is not pretty. For the first time in the six years I've been on this healthy journey, I have not lost weight, nor maintained, but gained. Not sure how much, but after my marathon month of March with pneumonia, and various major challenges, I released myself from the pressure of watching every little thing. There is major damage, but haven't gotten on the scale yet. No size larger, and the only reason is that I've been exercising my heart out and sticking with SP even when I really didn't want to. I stopped blogging, which is a huge tool for change, and I stopped caring. No remorse with any of this as I felt entitled. But I gave myself permission and enjoyed myself. However, I was just a few lbs from goal at the beginning of this year. Yikes. That's how this goes sometimes. UPDATE: 1/12/13. 4 lbs to goal! But I may set it down further when I get there. The goal I'd set 4 years ago was based on how my body feels best, not the number the charts say I should be. UPDATE: 10/7/12. Four years ago, on Columbus Day 2008, I embarked on a new adventure (just as Columbus did). For the very first time in my life, I was putting myself on a diet. That's right, very first time. A spoiled brat in the sense that I had a lifelong ability to eat any quantity of food and never gain even a lb, about 8 years ago (2004), that began to change. I was working more and more, and having no time left over, exercising less and less. Added to that were multiple losses including many deaths of loved ones that created a lot of emotional overload. And the icing on the proverbial cake was the big hormonal change; in some ways, tougher than puberty. (smiling) But it took me four years to process and own that my body was no longer thin and svelte. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the previously thin person. When I saw a picture of myself, I reasoned that cameras add several lbs. When I bought larger sized clothing, I commented one time to the cashier that they were manufacturing clothing smaller and smaller for the same sizes! (smiling) No I wasn't in denial. It was a total disconnect from reality which was a complete departure from my usually-sharp self-awareness. The AHA moment occurred when I met my now dearly-departed cousin in Las Vegas for a few days. We were at the Madame Toussand (sp?) wax museum and I was in the wedding dress they provide to "marry" George Clooney (BTW, I don't even like him, this museum was my cousin's idea). When I saw the photo of me in that wedding dress, the big AHA moment hit me over the head. Wow, look at me! So, on Columbus Day '08 I started Nutrisystem. I was on that for about 2.5 months and lost about 30 lbs. It was the first diet of my life, and I used that period of time to learn about portion control, and all of the other healthy tips that I continue to this day (or do my best to continue). Then, the following January ('09), I found Sparkpeople. I've had a tough time during these few years in that I've lost so many more people who were near and dear to me. And many many other bumps in the road. But Sparkpeople has helped me to stay on-track through the darkest of times. I've been on a "forever" plateau that, at times, has made me not care about my doing "Endless Shrimp" at Red Lobster. But overall, I have about 12 lbs to go to be done and start maintaining. Above all, I want to thank all of the sparkfriends throughout the years - some no longer on this site - who've helped me with their comments and support. I send all of you the biggest cyber bear hug possible with great affection and appreciation. Spark on!

UPDATE: I FINALLY GOT BUSY WITH THIS JOURNEY IN NOVEMBER '12 AND NOW AM 4 LBS TO GOAL (1/12/13). Lose 17 more lbs. (have lost 33 lbs since 10/13/08) Travel more. Get new job. Relocate to new city. Start new business, if not a new job. Make new friends.

As of 1/09, I finished 3 months on the NS program and am finishing up some of their food. I want to learn to eat healthy on my own, without prepackaged food. Making great progress in portion control, water consumption, healthy combinations of food, no sugar cravings, etc.

Happy person who has lost some of that glow due to heaviness gained. Always thin throughout my life, I gained my weight in the past two years due to stress, hormonal changes, and the lack of realization that I should be eating smaller portions. In other words, I've been a piglet. (smiling)

As of 3/28/09 - 31 lbs lost. Started on 10/13/08. Enjoy movies, plays, concerts. Love to read. Enjoy motorcycle riding as a passenger. Losing weight is helping me smile again.

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